British wanted to prevent at all costs outbreak German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau according to the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary dated 19 December 1941

Scharnhorst. ©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Scharnhorst. Original postcard Chocolate La Estrella

German battleship Gneisenau. Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

An item referred to ALUSNA, London reporting that the British were doing everything necessary prevent the escape of the German battleships Scharnhorst (1) and Gneisenau (2) out of Brest, France to open sea. The outbreak was expected to be on short notice, possible within a week. The J.I.C. commented that the day before Brest was attack and probably both vessels hit.

Notes

1. Part of Scharnhorst-class battleships/battle cruisers preceded by planned L20e a-class and realized Bayern-class succeeded by Bismarch-class, laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhemshaven, Germany on 15 June 1935, launched on 3 October 1936, commissioned on 7 January 1939 and sunk while in battle off the North Cape on 26 December 1943 by the British battleship HMS Duke of York with just 36 survivors of a crew of 1,968 men. Her sister ship was the Gneisenau. The Scharnhorst was to replace the old dreadnought Elsass and so she became first know in official documents and newspaper as the Ersatz Elsass and in the contracts as “D”.

2. Of Scharnhorst-class preceded by planned L20e α-class and realized Bayern-class preceded by Bismarck-class, laid down by Deutsche Werke, Kiel, Germany on 6 May 1935, launched on 8 December 1936, commissioned on 21 May 1938, decommissioned on 1 July 1942, scuttled as block ship on 23 March 1945 and broken up in 1951.

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 9 dated 19 December 1941.