The German armored cruiser SMS Scharnhorst was the flagship of the German East Asia Squadron, under the command of Vice-Admiral Maximilian Graf von Spee. It sank with more than 800 sailors, including the admiral himself. According to the head of the research mission, the moment of discovery of the wreck was unusual.
von Spee's squadron consisted of Scharnhorst, along with her sister Gneisenau, the light cruisers Dresden, Nürnberg and Leipzig and three auxiliaries. In the naval battle fought off the Falklands on 8 December 1915, against a very strong British squadron of one battleship, two battlecruisers, three armored and two light cruisers, Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Nürnberg and Leipzig were lost. Two auxiliary vessels were delivered. The sunken ships took von Spee, his two sons and 1,814 more men to the bottom.
“We often chase shadows on the ocean floor, but when the Scharnhorst appeared on the tracking devices, there was no doubt that it was a German warship. Suddenly, he emerged from the darkness, his cannons threatening in all directions.
"A discovery of this importance will be one of the most memorable and intense moments of my life," said Mensoon Bound, head of the research mission. The search for the particular warship began 5 years ago, on the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Falkland Islands, but without success.
Scharnhorst Class Armored Cruisers:Technical Characteristics
-Length:114.6 m.
-Width:21.6 m.
-Propulsion:3 triple expansion engines, 18 boilers, 3 propellers, 26,000 hp.
-Maximum speed:22.5 Knots.
-Energy radius:8,900 km at a speed of 14 Knots.
-Crew:764 men.
-Armament:8 guns of 210 mm. (8.3in), 6 150mm guns. (5.9in), 18 88mm guns. (3.5in), 4 torpedo tubes of 17.7in.
-Armour:Battleship belt maximum thickness 5.9in, main gun turrets 6.7in.
