Review by Peter K. H. Mispelkamp

This title is the obvious follow-on to the authors' work on the Bismarck class battleships, and is divided into three distinct sections, which are buttressed by a brief forward and conclusion as well as two appendices, a bibliography and an index of ship names. This volume is blessed with an outstanding collection of detail and "glamour" photographs that should satisfy the needs of most readers, but the decision to not present a table of photographs is very disappointing.

The first section is devoted to a general design history of these ships, seen against the backdrop of the Treaty of Versailles (1919), Hitler's rise to power (1933) and the Anglo-German Naval Treaty (1935), which "legalized" them. It also includes detailed descriptions and drawings of various pieces of their equipment and machinery. The text offers some interesting tidbits on these ships, such as an explanation of how this class came to be known as the Scharnhorst class even though the Gneisenau was completed first. It also possesses a small section of camouflage drawings. Unfortunately, the side view schemes depicted are already well known to modelers and ship historians alike. We would have benefited more through the inclusion of the schemes carried by the Gneisenau in Norway in mid-1940, or the post-"Channel Dash" dockyard paint- job of February 1942. In the case of the Scharnhorst, her early 1943 Norwegian pattern is also overlooked. On the bright side, the authors have realized that these schemes were not black and white. A few more general arrangement drawings would have been another welcome addition.

Both of the two following sections are devoted to presenting the individual histories of each ship. While this approach worked well with their Bismarck title, it actually detracts from the flow of this volume, mainly because they fought side by side for most of their careers. The text is adequate, but not as good as one would expect. For some inexplicable reason, the authors have decided to quote extensively from the war diaries of these ships, which disrupts the flow of the narrative. Another minor disappointment is that the translation of the text seems inadequate in spots. While the history is generally accurate, the authors have overlooked one potentially vital piece of information. When the Gneisenau was repaired after being torpedoed on June 20, 1940 her officers apparently managed to convince the workmen to eliminate some stanchions in the Gneisenau. This weakened her ability to shrug off battle damage in this area and may have been a significant factor in her loss. This incident is discussed in Garkze and Dulin`s classic Battleship: Axis and Neutral Battleships in World War II. The conclusion is more than adequate, and the bibliography is certainly useful.

Overall, this work is a welcome addition to the library of warship modelers, Kriegsmarine buffs and naval historians alike. Its few errors and weaknesses are more than compensated for by its outstanding collection of photographs.