German cruiser Deutschland Deutschland was the lead ship of her class of heavy cruiser s ( often termed a pocket battleship ) which served with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II . Ordered by the Weimar government for the Reichsmarine , she was laid down at the " Deutsche Werke " shipyard in Kiel in February 1929 and completed by April 1933 . Originally classified as an armored ship ( " Panzerschiff " ) by the Reichsmarine , in February 1940 the Germans reclassified the remaining two ships of this class as heavy cruiser s . In 1940 , she was renamed Lützow , after the Admiral Hipper class heavy cruiser was handed over to the Soviet Union . The ship saw significant action with the Kriegsmarine , including several non - intervention patrols , during which she was attacked by Republican bombers . At the outbreak of World War II , she was cruising the North Atlantic , prepared to attack Allied merchant traffic . Bad weather hampered her efforts , and she only sank or captured a handful of vessels before returning to Germany . She then participated in Operation " Weserübung " , the invasion of Norway . Damaged at the Battle of Drøbak Sound , she was recalled to Germany for repairs . While en route , she was torpedoed and seriously damaged by a British submarine . Repairs were completed by March 1941 , " Lützow " returned to Norway to join the forces arrayed against Allied shipping to the Soviet Union . She ran aground during a planned attack on convoy PQ 17 , which necessitated another return to Germany for repairs . She next saw action at the Battle of the Barents Sea with the heavy cruiser " Admiral Hipper " , which ended with a failure to destroy the convoy JW 51B . Engine problems forced a series of repairs culminating in a complete overhaul at the end of 1943 , after which the ship remained in the Baltic . Sunk in the Kaiserfahrt in April 1945 by Royal Air Force ( RAF ) bombers , " Lützow " was used as a gun battery to support German troops fighting the Soviet Army until 4 May 1945 , when she was disabled by her crew . Raised by the Soviet Navy in 1947 , she was subsequently sunk as a target in the Baltic . Construction . " Deutschland " was ordered by the Reichsmarine from the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel as " Ersatz Preussen " , as a replacement for the old battleship . Her keel was laid on 5 February 1929 , under construction number 219 . The ship was launched on 19 May 1931 ; at her launching , she was christened by German Chancellor Heinrich Brüning . The ship accidentally started sliding down the slipway while Brüning was giving his christening speech . After the completion of fitting out work , initial sea trials began in November 1932 . The ship was commissioned into the Reichsmarine on 1 April 1933 . " Deutschland " was long overall and had a beam of and a maximum draft of . The ship had a design displacement of and a full load displacement of , though the ship was officially stated to be within the limit of the Treaty of Versailles . " Deutschland " was powered by four sets of MAN 9 - cylinder double - acting two - stroke diesel engines . The ship ' s top speed was , at . At a cruising speed of , the ship could steam for . As designed , her standard complement consisted of 33 officers and 586 enlisted men , though after 1935 this was significantly increased to 30 officers and 921 – 1 , 040 sailors . " Deutschland " s primary armament was six SK C / 28 guns mounted in two triple gun turret s , one forward and one aft of the superstructure . The ship carried a secondary battery of eight SK C / 28 guns in single turrets grouped amidships . Her anti - aircraft battery originally consisted of three L / 45 guns , though in 1935 these were replaced with six 8 . 8 cm L / 78 guns . In 1940 , the 8 . 8 cm guns were removed , and six L / 65 guns , four guns , and ten guns were installed in their place . By the end of the war , her anti - aircraft battery had again been reorganized , consisting of six guns , ten 3 . 7 cm guns , and twenty - eight 2 cm guns . The ship also carried a pair of quadruple deck - mounted torpedo launchers placed on her stern . The ship was equipped with two Arado Ar 196 seaplanes and one catapult . " Deutschland " s armored belt was thick ; her upper deck was thick while the main armored deck was thick . The main battery turrets had thick faces and 80 mm thick sides . Radar initially consisted of a FMG G ( gO ) " Seetakt " set ; in 1942 , a FuMO 26 set was also installed . History . " Deutschland " spent the majority of 1933 and 1934 conducting training maneuvers ; early speed trials in May 1933 indicated that a top speed of was preferable , but the ship comfortably reached on speed trials in June . Trials were completed by December 1933 , and the ship was ready for active service with the fleet . The ship also made a series of goodwill visits to foreign ports , including visits to Gothenburg , Sweden , and in October 1934 , a formal state visit to Edinburgh , Scotland . In April 1934 , Adolf Hitler visited the ship ; he reportedly toured the ship alone , speaking informally with crewmen . The ship conducted a series of long distance training voyages into the Atlantic in 1935 . In March 1935 , she sailed as far as the Caribbean and South American waters . After returning to Germany , she went into dock for routine maintenance work , as well as installation of additional equipment . She had her aircraft catapult installed in this period , and was provided with two Heinkel He 60 floatplanes . " Deutschland " participated in fleet maneuvers in German waters in early 1936 . She was joined by her newly commissioned sister ship " Admiral Scheer " for a cruise into the mid - Atlantic , which included a stop in Madeira . Spanish Civil War . Following the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 , " Deutschland " and " Admiral Scheer " were deployed to the Spanish coast on 23 July 1936 to conduct non - intervention patrols off the Republican - held coast of Spain . During the deployment , her gun turrets were painted with large black , white , and red bands to aid in identification from the air and indicate her neutral status . Her duties during the deployment included evacuating refugees fleeing from the fighting , protecting German ships carrying supplies for Francisco Franco ' s Nationalists , and gathering intelligence for the Nationalists . In May 1937 , the ship was docked in the port of Palma on the island of Majorca , along with several other neutral warships , including vessels from the British and Italian navies . The port was attacked by Republican aircraft , though anti - aircraft fire from the warships drove them off . The torpedo boats " Seeadler " and " Albatross " escorted " Deutschland " to the island of Ibiza on 24 May . While moored in port there , she was again attacked by Republican bombers ; a pair of Soviet - built SB - 2 bombers , secretly flown by Soviet Air Force pilots , bombed the ship . Two bombs struck the ship ; the first penetrated the upper deck near the bridge and exploded above the main armored deck while the second hit near the third starboard 15 cm gun , causing serious fires below decks . The attack killed 31 German sailors and wounded 74 . " Deutschland " quickly weighed anchor and left port . She rendezvoused with " Admiral Scheer " to take on additional doctors before proceeding to Gibraltar where the dead were buried with full military honors . Ten days later , however , Hitler ordered the men be exhumed and returned for burial in Germany . The ship ' s wounded men were also evacuated in Gibraltar for treatment . Hitler , furious over the attack , ordered " Admiral Scheer " to bombard the port of Almería in retaliation for the so - called " " Deutschland " incident " . Stalin subsequently issued orders that further attacks on German and Italian warships were strictly prohibited . " Deutschland " spent the majority of 1938 and 1939 conducting training maneuvers with the rest of the fleet and making goodwill visits to various foreign ports . She made an official visit to Spain following the Nationalist victory in the Spanish Civil War 1939 . The ship participated in a major fleet exercise into the Atlantic with her sister , the light cruiser s " Köln " , " Leipzig " , and " Nürnberg " , and several destroyer s , U - boat s , and support vessels . World War II . On 24 August 1939 , a week before the German invasion of Poland , " Deutschland " set sail from Wilhelmshaven , bound for a position south of Greenland . Here , she would be ready to attack Allied merchant traffic in the event of a general war following the attack on Poland . The supply ship " Westerwald " was assigned to support " Deutschland " during the operation . " Deutschland " was ordered to strictly observe prize rules , which required raiders to stop and search ships for contraband before sinking them , and to ensure that their crews are safely evacuated . The ship was also ordered to avoid combat with even inferior naval forces , as commerce disruption was the primary objective . Hitler hoped to secure a negotiated peace with Britain and France after he overran Poland , and he therefore did not authorize " Deutschland " to begin her raiding mission against British and French shipping until 26 September . By this time , " Deutschland " had moved south to hunt in the Bermuda - Azores sea lane . On 5 October , she found and sank the British transport ship " Stonegate " , though not before the freighter was able to send a distress signal informing vessels in the area of " Deutschland " s presence . She then turned north to the Halifax route , where on 9 October , she encountered the American ship " City of Flint " . The freighter was found to be carrying contraband , and so was seized . A prize crew was dispatched to the ship ; they took the ship with the original crew held prisoner to Germany via Murmansk . The ship was seized by Norway when she anchored in Haugesund , however , and control of the ship was returned to the original crew . Meanwhile , on 14 October , " Deutschland " encountered and sank the Norwegian transport " Lorentz W Hansen " , of some . The same day , she stopped the neutral Danish steamer " Kongsdal " , though when it became apparent that she was headed for a neutral port , the prisoners from " Lorentz W Hansen " were placed aboard her and she was allowed to proceed . " Kongsdal " would eventually report to the British Royal Navy the incident and confirm " Deutschland " as the raider operating in the North Atlantic . Severe weather in the North Atlantic hampered " Deutschland " s raiding mission , though she did tie down several British warships assigned to track her down . The French " Force de Raid " , centered on the battleship " Dunkerque " , was occupied with protecting convoys around Britain to prevent them from being attacked by " Deutschland " . In early November , the Naval High Command recalled " Deutschland " ; she passed through the Denmark Strait on 15 November and anchored in Gotenhafen on the 17th . In the course of her raiding mission , she sank only two vessels and captured a third . In 1940 , the ship underwent a major overhaul , during which a raked clipper bow was installed to improve the sea - keeping qualities of the ship . At this time , she was re - rated as a heavy cruiser and renamed " Lützow " . Grand Admiral Erich Raeder , the commander in chief of the Kriegsmarine , made the decision to rename the ship , for several reasons . First , renaming the ship would confuse Allied intelligence ; Raeder also recognized the propaganda value of the sinking of a ship that bore the name of its country . The was designated for sale to the Soviet Navy , and it was hoped that the usage of her name for " Deutschland " would hide the transaction . The refit lasted until March 1940 , after which it was intended to send the ship on another commerce raiding operation into the South Atlantic . In April , however , she was assigned to forces participating in the invasion of Norway . Operation " Weserübung " . " Lützow " was assigned to Group 5 , alongside the new heavy cruiser " Blücher " and the light cruiser " Emden " , under the command of " Konteradmiral " Oskar Kummetz . Kummetz flew his flag in " Blücher " . Group 5 was tasked with capturing Oslo , the capital of Norway , and transported a force of 2 , 000 mountain troops from the Wehrmacht . " Lützow " embarked over 400 of the soldiers for the voyage to Norway . The force left Germany on 8 April and passed through the Kattegat . While en route , the British submarine attacked the flotilla , though her torpedoes missed . German torpedo boats attacked the submarine and drove her off . Shortly before midnight on the night of 8 April , Group 5 , with " Blücher " in the lead , passed the outer ring of Norwegian coastal batteries . " Lützow " followed directly behind the flagship , with " Emden " astern . Heavy fog and neutrality requirements , which required the Norwegians to fire warning shots , permitted the Germans to avoid damage . The Norwegians , including those manning the guns at the Oscarsborg Fortress were on alert , however . Steaming into the Oslofjord at a speed of , the Germans came into range of the Norwegian guns ; the 28 cm , 15 cm and 57 mm guns opened fire on the invaders . During the ensuing Battle of Drøbak Sound , " Blücher " was hit by many shells and two torpedoes . She quickly capsized and sank with the loss of approximately 1 , 000 sailors and soldiers . " Lützow " was hit three times by 15 cm shells from Oscarsborg ' s Kopås battery , causing significant damage . " Lützow " s forward gun turret was hit by one of the 15 cm rounds , which disabled the center gun and damaged the right barrel . Four men were wounded . A second shell struck the ship ' s deck and penetrated the upper and main armored decks ; starting a fire in the cruiser ' s hospital and operating theater , killing two soldiers and severely wounding six others . A third struck her superstructure behind the port - side aircraft crane . One of the aircraft on board was damaged , and four gunners were killed by the third shell . The ship was only able to fire her secondary battery in return . The heavy damage forced " Lützow " and the rest of the squadron to reverse course and exit the fjord . She eventually landed her troop complement in Verle Bay , after which she used her operational 28 cm guns to provide fire support . By the afternoon of 9 April , most of the Norwegian fortresses had been captured and the commander of the remaining Norwegian forces opened negotiations for surrender . The delay had , however , allowed enough time for the Norwegian government and royal family to flee Oslo . The damage " Lützow " sustained prompted the Kriegsmarine to order her to return to Germany for repairs . The rest of Group 5 remained in Norway , so " Lützow " cruised at top speed to avoid submarines . Regardless , the British submarine attacked the ship and scored a serious hit . The torpedo destroyed " Lützow " s stern , causing it to collapse and nearly fall off , and blew off her steering gear . Unable to steer , she was towed back to port and decommissioned for repairs , which lasted for nearly a year . During the attack on Norway , the ship suffered nineteen dead , and another fifteen were killed by the torpedo strike . Despite the setback , " KzS " August Thiele , " Lützow " s commander , was awarded the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross for his actions during the Battle of Drøbak Sound , during which he took command of the task force after the loss of " Blücher " . She was recommissioned for service on 31 March 1941 , after which the Kriegsmarine initially planned to send the ship on the commerce raiding operation planned the previous year . Her sister " Admiral Scheer " was to join " Lützow " for the operation , and on 12 June , she departed for Norway with an escort of destroyers . British torpedo bombers attacked the ship off Egersund and scored a single hit that disabled her electrical system and rendered the ship motionless . The crew effected emergency repairs that allowed her to return to Germany ; repair work in Kiel lasted for six months . By 10 May 1942 , the ship was finally pronounced ready for action . Deployment to Norway . " Lützow " left Germany on 15 May 1942 for Norway ; by 25 May she had joined " Admiral Scheer " in Bogen Bay . She was made the flagship of the now " Vizeadmiral " Kummetz , the commander of " Kampfgruppe 2 " . Fuel shortages restricted operations , although " Lützow " and " Admiral Scheer " were able to conduct limited battle training exercises . " Kampfgruppe 2 " was assigned to Operation " Rösselsprung " , a planned attack on the Allied convoy PQ 17 , which was headed to the Soviet Union . On 3 July , the force left their anchorages , and in heavy fog " Lützow " and three destroyers ran aground and suffered significant damage . The British detected the German departure and ordered the convoy to scatter . Aware that surprise had been lost , the Germans broke off the surface attack and turned the destruction of PQ - 17 over to the U - boat s and Luftwaffe . Twenty - four of the convoy ' s thirty - five transports were sunk . " Lützow " returned to Germany for repairs , which lasted until the end of October . She began a brief set of trials starting on 30 October . She returned to Norway in early November with a destroyer escort , arriving in Narvik on the 12th . On 30 December , " Lützow " , the heavy cruiser " Admiral Hipper " , and six destroyers left Narvik for Operation " Regenbogen " , an attack on convoy JW 51B , which was reported by German intelligence to be lightly escorted . Kummetz ' s plan was to divide his force in half ; he would take " Admiral Hipper " and three destroyers north of the convoy to attack it and draw away the escorts . " Lützow " and the remaining three destroyers would then attack the undefended convoy from the south . At 09 : 15 on the 31st , the British destroyer spotted the three destroyers screening for " Admiral Hipper " ; the Germans opened fire first . Four of the other five destroyers escorting the convoy rushed to join the fight , while laid a smoke screen to cover the convoy . Kummetz then turned back north to draw the destroyers away . Captain Robert Sherbrooke , the British escort commander , left two destroyers to cover the convoy while he took the remaining four to pursue " Admiral Hipper " . " Lützow " meanwhile steamed toward the convoy from the south , and at 11 : 42 she opened fire . The harsh conditions negatively affected her shooting , which ceased by 12 : 03 without any hits . Rear Admiral Robert Burnett ' s Force R , centered on the cruisers and , standing by in distant support of the Allied convoy , raced to the scene . The cruisers engaged " Admiral Hipper " , which had been firing to port at the destroyer . Burnett ' s ships approached from " Admiral Hipper " s starboard side and achieved complete surprise . " Lützow " was then ordered to break off the attack on the convoy and reinforce " Admiral Hipper " . " Lützow " inadvertently came alongside " Sheffield " and " Jamaica " , and after identifying them as hostile , engaged them , though her fire remained inaccurate . The British cruisers turned toward " Lützow " and came under fire from both German cruisers . Burnett quickly decided to withdraw in the face of superior German firepower ; his ships were armed with guns , while " Admiral Hipper " and " Lützow " carried and guns , respectively . Operations in the Baltic . Hitler was furious over the failure to destroy the convoy , and ordered that all remaining German major warships be broken up for scrap . In protest , Raeder resigned ; Hitler replaced him with Admiral Karl Dönitz , who persuaded Hitler to rescind the order to dismantle the Kriegmarine ' s surface ships . In March , " Lützow " moved to Altafjord , where she experienced problems with her diesel engines . The propulsion system proved to be so problematic that repairs in Germany were necessary . She briefly returned to Norway , but by the end of September 1943 , a thorough overhaul was required . The work was completed in Kiel by January 1944 , after which she remained in the Baltic Sea to conduct training cruises for new naval personnel . On 13 April 1945 , twenty - four Avro Lancaster bombers attacked " Lützow " and " Prinz Eugen " without success due to cloud cover . The RAF made another failed attack two days later , but on 16 April , a force of eighteen Lancasters scored a single hit and several near misses on " Lützow " with Tallboy bomb s in the Kaiserfahrt . The water was shallow enough that her main deck was still above water , permitting her use as a stationary gun battery against advancing Soviet forces . She continued in this role until 4 May , by which time she had expended her main battery ammunition . Her crew rigged scuttling charges to destroy the hull , but a fire caused the explosives to detonate prematurely . The ultimate fate of " Lützow " was long unclear , as with most of the ships seized by the Soviet Navy . According to historians Erich Gröner and M . J . Whitley , the Soviet Navy raised the ship in September 1947 and broke her up for scrap in 1948 – 1949 . Historians Hildebrand , Röhr and Steinmetz , in their book " Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe " , state that she instead sank off Kolberg , claiming that the " Lützow " broken up in the late 1940s was instead the that had been sold to the Soviet Union in 1940 . The historian Hans Georg Prager examined the former Soviet archives in the early 2000s , and discovered that " Lützow " actually had been sunk in weapons tests in July 1947 . References in the Wehrmachtbericht . " Lützow " was referenced once in the " Wehrmachtbericht " , an information bulletin issued by the headquarters of the Wehrmacht . To be singled out in the " Wehrmachtbericht " was an honor . Footnotes . Notes Citations