In
Service: 20 September 1939 to 9 April 1940
Ordered: 30 October 1934
Builder: Deutsche
Werke AG, Kiel
Construction No: 246
Laid down: 15 August
1935
Launched: 8 June 1937
Commissioned: 20 September 1939
Type: Heavy cruiser
Class: Admiral Hipper
Displacement:
14,050 tons standard. 18,200 tons full load
Length: 203.2 m
Beam:
22 m
Draft: 7.2 m
Propulsion: 3 × shaft SR Deschimag
turbines,
12 × Wagner boilers. producing up to 131,821 shp
Propellers:
Speed: 32.8 knots
Range: 6,800 nautical miles at 20 knots
Crew: 1,600 men and officers
Armament: 8 × 20.3 cm
L/60 SK C/34
12 × 10.5 cm L/65 SK C/33
carried 4,800 rounds
12 × 3.7 cm L/83 SK C/30
carried 4,000 rounds
8 × 2 cm MG
L/65 C/30
carried 16,000 rounds
15 × 4 cm L/56 Flak 28 after 1944
carried 30,000 rounds
12 × 53.3 cm torpedoe tubes
160 mines
Armour Deck 20 to 50 mm, Belt 70 to 80 mm
Turrets 70 to 105 mm, Tower
50 to15 cm
Aircraft: 3 ×
Arado
Ar 196, seaplanes
Electronics: Operators: Kriegsmarine
Variants: Blücher Admiral
Hipper Prinz Eugen Seydlitz
Lützow Other: Heavy
cruisers Articles: The Blücher was an Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruiser. The Kriegsmarine's
latest ship at the beginning of World War II, having been in commission for slightly
over six months, she was sank by the Norwegian coastal defences at the Battle
of Drøbak Sound on April 9, 1940, the primary day of the invasion of Norway (Operation
Weserübung). The Hipper class were constructed to a design that ridiculed the
Washington Naval Treaty, to which major maritime nations were signed on to, in
addition to the Treaty of Versailles, which limited German naval development.
Even today, the wreck is still loosing oil and endangers the environment of the
Oslo Fjord.
20 September 1939 The Blücher is commissioned
8 April 1940 The Blücher takes part in operation Weserübung
(Invasion of Denmark and Norway) along with Lützow, Emden light cruiser,
the torpedo boats Möwe, Kondor and Albatros and the 1st R-Flottilla, The
Blücher had 1,000 troops onboard ready for the invasion of Oslo.
9 April 1940 At 5.20 am the lead ship Blücher enters the Dröbak
Narrows, The defenders at Oscarsborg Fortress open fire with its 28 cm guns. The
Blücher superstructure is heavily damaged and fire starts to spread. But
the fetal blow comes from two hits by Norwegian torpedo batteries the ship sinks
at 7:23 am.
Heinrich
Woldag
Takes command on 20 September 1939
Ends command on 9 April
1940
by Thore
Thoresen 12/10/2010
I remember the sinking of Bluecher on April 9 1940.
The ship passed by my hometown Horten on the way to Oslo before running into the
fortress at Oscarsborg 40 miles farther North. I was 7 at the time.
German Warships, 1815-1945: Major Surface Vessels.
ISBN-10: 0851775330
German Warships, 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels.
ISBN-10:
155750301X
German warships of the Second World War.
ISBN-10: 0668040378
For a complete list of
sources 
