SCHARNHORST GERMAN BATTLESHIP- 46 1/2 Inches Long-UNDER GLASS CASE

Description

This sale is for a model of the German battleship Scharnhorst, which I purchased in the late 1960's before the Internet and Ebay. We only had radio and newspapers to buy or sell items. I was self-employed and would listen to a radio program called Swap Shop. One day a seller stated that he had a German warship model for sale. He said that he had rescued the model when he was a US Ranger stationed in Germany during WWII. His battalion was ordered to attack a German Submarine bunker. After the mission was completed he found the Scharnhorst with other German model war ship models in a large room that appeared to be a conference room with wall maps. The seller took the Scharnhorst and the other war ships were taken by other rangers. The rangers were granted permission to mail the ship models home. I immediately went to the address given and purchased the model.
The Scharnhorst model is made of wood and metal components and was crafted by WWII Germany Navy Model Builders.  The model is 46 inches long and comes with a 49 inch long case made with hardwood columns and glass.
HISTORY OF THE SHIP:  The original Scharnhorst was sunk December 26th 1943 and lays at the bottom of the Barents Sea off Norway in the battle of North Cape.  The original Scharnhorst displaced 32,100 long tons as built and 38,100 long tons fully loaded, with a length of 771 ft, a beam of 98 ft and a maximum draft of 32 ft. She was powered by three Brown, Boveri & Cie steam turbines which developed a total of 159,551 shp and yielded a maximum speed of 36.2 mph on speed trials. Her standard crew numbered 56 officers and 1,613 enlisted men, augmented during the war to 60 officers and 1,780 men. While serving as a squadron flagship, the Scharnhorst carried an additional ten officers and 61 enlisted men.  She was armed with nine 11.1"guns arranged in three triple: two turrets forward, one super firing. This design also enabled the ship to be up-gunned with six 15-inch guns but those were never actually installed. Her secondary armament consisted of twelve 5.9" guns, fourteen 10.5 cm and sixteen 1.5", and initially ten 0.79" anti-aircraft guns. The number of 2 cm guns was eventually increased to thirty-eight. She also was equipped with six 21" above-water torpedo tubes.
This piece is truly a unique piece of art and World War II history.  After doing some research online I've been unable to find any similar authentic Scharnhorst models that came from WWII German Navy model builders so this seems to be a truly rare find.
Due to its large size and delicate nature the model is offered for local pick up only from the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago.
(FS)