The heavy cruiser Blücher was the second of a planned 5 Hipper class ships, of which 3 were built. It was named after the great Prussian marshal of the Napoleonic Wars of the same name. The vessel began construction in 1936 and was launched in 1937. She was ready in September 1939 and entered service on 5 April 1940, just four days before the German invasion of Denmark and Norway.
The vessel joined the German naval force that would carry out the landing operation in Oslo, Norway, under Rear Admiral Oskar Kumetz. Blicher was flagship of the force that entered Oslofjord on the night of April 8, 1940. The Norwegian capital was guarded from the seaward side by the fortress of Oscarborg.
The fort had three old 11in guns. (280 mm.) and some smaller ones, as well as six torpedo tubes, placed in a cave, completely unknown to the Germans and unseen. The commander of the old fortress (built in 1855) was colonel Birgen Christian Eriksen. Eriksen was determined to fight and ordered the guns of the fort to first open fire on Blicher who was a short distance away.
The Norwegian guns immediately rained down fire and death on the German warship which did not have time to react. Immediately fires broke out on it, lighting it up in the night. Eriksen immediately ordered torpedoes to be fired at the cruiser as well. Two torpedoes were launched and hit the cruiser, causing it a terrible destruction and an uncontrollable fire. The fire soon reached the cruiser's ammunition and fuel which exploded in the air. The cruiser capsized and sank along with 600-1000 men – depending on the source. The wreck has remained at the bottom of the fjord ever since and was declared a national monument in 2016.
Technical features
Blicher had a full displacement of 18,500 tons, a length of 203.2 m and a beam of 22 m. Her three Blohm &Voss steam turbines gave her a power of 132,000 HP and a maximum speed of 32 knots. The ship's crew numbered 1,382 men and was armed with 8 203mm guns, 12 105mm guns, 12 37mm guns. , 8 20 mm guns. and torpedo tubes of 533 mm. It also carried three Arado 192 seaplanes. Its battleship belt had a maximum thickness of 80 mm. and the armored deck had armor of a maximum thickness of 50 mm. The main gun turrets had a maximum armor of 105 mm
