In December 1943, the German battlecruiser Scharnhorst sailed to attack Arctic convoy JW 55B. British signals intelligence and naval planning allowed Admiral Bruce Fraser to concentrate cruisers and the battleship Duke of York around the convoy, drawing Scharnhorst into a battle fought in darkness, snow and heavy seas.
The account follows the pursuit, radar contacts and gun actions that culminated in Scharnhorst’s sinking on 26 December. It places the engagement within the wider Arctic convoy campaign and explains why the loss ended Germany’s ability to threaten the routes to the Soviet Union with a major surface warship.