The Scharnhorst was commissioned from the Wilhelmshaven shipyard on 25.01.1934, to replace the Elsass.
Initially designed to weigh 18 000 tonnes, it was increased to 20 000 tonnes and finally, 31 800 tonnes. It was brought into service on 7.01.1939. The naval career of the Scharnhorst, frequently conducted together with the Gneisenau, started under the command of Captain Ziliax and Captain Hoffmann.
She participated in several battles in the North Atlantic where on 27.11.39 she sank the British cruiser the Rawalpindi. She took part in the Wese, bung operation in parallel with the battle of Narvik in Norway during April 1940. In June 1940 she fought the British convoy in operation Juno. The British aircraft carrier Glorious was sunk, together with two destroyers. In the same month of June 1940, hit by aircraft from Ark Royal, Scharnhorst retreated to Kiel.
She later took part in the war waged on troop and cargo convoys in the North Atlantic where she sank many merchant ships. During a stopover in Brest she was seriously damaged by RAF bombers on 24.7.41. She tried to regain the North Sea in February 42, during operation Cerbus, conducted with the Gneisenau and the Prinz-Eugen.
In December 43, under the command of Captain Hinzte en route to Norway, she was sunk by the British fleet after a heroic fight.