German Heavy Cruiser ADMIRAL SCHEER 1940

Plastic model kit of the German heavy cruiser ADMIRAL SCHEER

• Scale 1:700
• Unbuilt, unpainted
• Paint and glue not included

The heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer belonged to the so-called Deutschland class of the German Kriegsmarine and was officially designated a "Panzerschiff" (armored ship). Launched in 1933, the ship was a further development of the German capital ships limited by the Treaty of Versailles. With a standard displacement of approximately 12,000 tons, a length of about 186 meters, and a top speed of roughly 28 knots, the Admiral Scheer combined powerful armament with long range. Particularly striking were the six 28 cm guns in two triple turrets, supplemented by secondary armament, anti-aircraft defenses, and torpedo tubes. The diesel-electric propulsion system allowed for exceptionally long operational voyages in the Atlantic.

The Admiral Scheer became especially well-known for its successful commerce raiding campaign against Allied supply ships during World War II. Between 1940 and 1941, she sank or captured numerous merchant ships in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. She was also notorious for shelling the Basque port of Almería in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War, in retaliation for an attack by Republican aircraft on German ships. Later, the cruiser was increasingly used for support and evacuation missions in the Baltic Sea. In April 1945, the Admiral Scheer sank in the port of Kiel after heavy British air raids; the wreck was largely scrapped after the war.