The Scharnhorst-class battleships were the successors to the earlier Deutschland-class "pocket battleships." Initial plans for the new ships kept them similar in size, limiting options. Only when larger designs were approved did development of the Scharnhorst class truly begin.

These ships, though sometimes called battlecruisers, were officially classified as battleships. They boasted high-pressure steam engines for greater speed, but these engines proved troublesome throughout their service. Their main guns were larger than those on the Deutschland class, but they were still smaller than those on many foreign battleships. This choice was made due to existing production lines and a lack of larger guns at the time. The turrets were designed to be eventually upgraded to accommodate larger guns, but the outbreak of war prevented this.

Construction of the two Scharnhorst-class ships, the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau, began in 1935. Both ships were commissioned by 1939. They required modifications to their bows to handle heavy seas at high speeds.

The Scharnhorst and Gneisenau often operated together during World War II. They achieved success in the North Atlantic and hold the distinction of being the only battleships to sink an operational aircraft carrier.