While under repair the Gneisenau received a direct hit on the foredeck during an air attack on the night of 26 - 27 February 1942. Despite it was standard procedure, her stocks of ammunition were not discharged. This was a fatal error as the hit she received started a chain reaction which devastated the ship and killed 112 crewmembers. This was the end of the career of the Gneisenau.
Additional file: http://www.googleearthhacks.com/dlfile9987/BB-Scharnhorst,-Kiel.htm |