Deutschland / Lützow

First trials.

Commissioned, trials and training until the end of 1933.

Battle and artillery drills in the North Atlantic, together with CL Köln.

Repairs and refits in Wilhelmshaven.

Engine endurance tests on a voyage to South America, the Deutschland sails 12286 sm in 32 days without any problem.

Installation of a catapult and float plane.

Atlantic operations together with Admiral Scheer. Both ships meet CL Emden.

Repairs and refits in Wilhelmshaven.

The Deutschland sails around Great Britain, followed by a visit of Copenhagen and battle training in North and Baltic Sea.

Together with Admiral Scheer first operation in Spanish waters.

Second Spain operation.

Third Spain operation.

Modifications during refits.

Fourth Spain operation. Joint operations with Italian, British and American ships off the Spanish coast.

While anchoring at Ibiza, the Deutschland is attacked by Spanish Republican aircraft, causing damages and several casualties.

Send to Gibraltar, the death sailors are buried by the British military, but later transferred to Germany.

Repairs and training.

Fifth Spain operation.

Sixth Spain operation.

Battle training in the North Atlantic. Tests of the new Radar (Funkmess) equipment and joint training with U-boats.

Seventh Spain operation and battle training in the North Atlantic.

Battle training in the North Atlantic together with resupply ships.

Deutschland leaves Wilhelmshaven for the North Atlantic, multiple resupplies from the tanker Westerwald.

New orders allowed commerce war.

Deutschland sinks three merchants.

Returned to Gotenhafen (Gdynia).

Returns to Wilhelmshaven, renamed to Lützow.

Reclassified as heavy cruiser.

Operation "Weserübung": Lützow joins 5th Squadron after passing the Kiel Canal.

Sails through the Great Belt.

Reaches Oslo Fjord. In the battle of the Droebak Narrows, the Lützow was hit three times. After the destruction of the CA Blücher, Lützow takes command of the 5th Squadron.

Enters Oslo. Later this day, the Lützow head for Horten for repairs but is then ordered back to Kiel without any escorts.

Hit by a torpedo of the British submarine Spearfish, both props and the rudder are lost. The crippled ship is towed back to Kiel by the 17th Anti-Submarine and 19th Minesweeper Flotillas.

Arrived in Kiel.

Repairs in Kiel.

Sailed to Drontheim Fjord for torpedo practice.

Hit by the torpedo of a single British torpedo bomber in the Eger Sound. The planned Atlantic mission has to be canceled. Lützow again goes into the dock.

Training in the Baltic Sea.

Transferred to Norway, first to the Lo Fjord (Drontheim Fjord) then to the Bow Bight (Narvik).

During a raid on a British convoy (together with the Tirpitz and other vessels), Lützow hit a sand bank near Storboenfeuer (Tjeld Sound) and is moved to Lo Fjord again.

Covered by the destroyers Friedrich Ihn and Z24 and the torpedo boats T7 and T15 the heavy cruiser Lützow transfers to Trondheim.

T7, T9, T10, T12 and T15 escort the heavy cruiser Lützow on its way back to Germany.

Returns to Kiel for repairs.

Training in the Baltic Sea, after that the Lützow moves to Bow Bay and Kaa Fjord (Alta Fjord).

"Operation Regenbogen": Together with CA Admiral Hipper and the destroyers Richard Beitzen, Theodor Riedel, Friedrich Eckoldt, Z24, Z30 and Z31 the Lützow attacks the British convoy JW 51B escorts east of Bear Island. The squadron disengaged after Admiral Hipper is damaged by British cruisers Jamaica and Sheffield and DD Friedrich Eckoldt is sunk.

Returns to Germany.

Transferred to Libau via Gotenhafen (Gdynia).

Used for cadet training.

Operation "Unternehmen Tanne West": Escorted by the torpedo boats T3, T4 and T14, the Lützow covers ore transports from Sweden.

In order to cover evacuation of German citizens from Riga, the Lützow and the torpedo boats T1, T4, T9 and T12 are sent to Riga. Because of fuel shortages, the ships are ordered to enter the port of Libau to support the flak cover.

The Lützow is sent to Gotenhafen (Gdynia) to get additional antiaircraft guns.

Together with the CA Prinz Eugen, the destroyers Z35 and Z36 and the torpedo boats T1 and T8, the Lützow sails to Aaland Island to escort transports with German soldiers on board.

Lützow, CA Prinz Eugen, the destroyers Z25, Z35 and Z36 and torpedo boats T13, T16 and T20 support the German army at Memel and Sworbe.

Escorted by the destroyers Z28 and Z35 and the torpedo boats T13, T20 and T21, the Lützow supports the retreating German army with short bombardments at the Memel coast.

Further army support at Memel, Elbing and Danzig.

Returns to Swinemünde.

After several bomb hits, the Lützow sinks on her keel at the Mellin entrance at Swinemünde. The stern 28cm turret and several secondary and Flak guns are still working.

Fires at Russian positions at Diefenov with 28cm guns.

Large fire, the ship is scuttled.

The Lützow is salvaged in Swinemünde by Russian troops.

Lützow enters the Soviet fleet records.

The ship is ordered to be a experimental vessel for the weapons tests which started 20.07.1947 (like Graf Zeppelin some weeks later). Two days later Lützow is sunk.