Victory at Sea: Blücher

Blüche was named for Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, who lead the Prussians to victory at Waterloo. She was the second of the Admiral Hipper-class of heavy cruisers, completed shortly after the outbreak of World War II. She was assigned to the task force supporting the invasion of Norway in April 1940, serving as the flagship of Konteradmiral Oskar Kummetz, leading the flotilla of ships to capture Oslo, she was struck by numerous coastal defences including outdated 28cm coastal guns at close range, and two torpedoes fired from land-based batteries. These hits resulted in a major fire breaking out aboard the vessel which spread first to the ship’s magazines, and then to her fuel bunkers, resulting in further major explosions that could not be contained. Her wreck still sits at the bottom of Oslofjord and was recently designated as a war memorial to protect it from looters. —description from the publisher