which German Ship is this?

[spaceduck]

this photo was given to me some years ago, i know it is a famous German ship but i can't remember which one he told me it was. Any help appreciated

[Salty]

Just googled the Graf Spee and it looks very much like her. Have checked out all the other well known German battleships and I am pretty certain I have the right one.

Salty

[spaceduck]

Hi Salty,
Thanks for looking, I have just looked at the Graf Spee and it certainly looks to have a similar outline but the photo looks to have two forward facing gun turrets and the pictures of the Graf Spee only show one
Regards
Trevor

[Pete Keane]

The picture shows a battleship - graf spee was a 'pocket' battleship, heavy cruiser really.

There is a link here which might help you narrow it down:

http://www.wehrmacht-history.com/kriegsmarine/battleships.htm

Pete

[spaceduck]

Hi Pete,
thanks for the info, the outline of the ship looks like it could be either the Scharnhorst or the Gneisenau.
regards
Trevor

[Berlin-Bob]

Do these help ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_battleship_Scharnhorst
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_battleship_Gneisenau
On the Gneisenau link, under 'Construction', there is a profile of the ship

we had a query recently about the Gneisenau, but that was about a "civilian" ship.

Bob

[spaceduck]

Thanks Bob,
It looks as though it could be either of these ships, they both have a very similar profile and the photo isn't as sharp as it could be.
Regards

Trevor

[apwright]

It's not German.
She's the French battleship Richelieu. (She did fight for the Axis - once - at Casablanca when under Vichy control.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_battleship_Richelieu_(1939)
http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/richelieu_class.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Richelieu-1.jpg
The telltale is the slanting funnel-top at the back.
Her sister-ship Jean Bart didn't have her second turrent until after refitting in the USA later in the war, and had shorter radar installations on the first "tower".

Adrian

[spaceduck]

Thanks Adrian, Just goes to show that you shouldn't believe everything you are told.

Regards

Trevor