(Updated, June 2024) On Christmas Day 1943, the ‘Scharnhorst’ and several destroyers sailed out from Norway to attack Russia bound Arctic convoys. Their intentions had been decoded by the British and the Royal Navy was able to intercept. During heavy weather on 26 December the German destroyers headed south, leaving the ‘Scharnhorst’ alone. Less than two hours later, the ship encountered the convoy's escort force of the cruisers ‘Belfast’, ‘Norfolk’ and ‘Sheffield’. Under cover of snow, the British cruisers opened fire and ‘Norfolk’ scored two hits which demolished ‘Scharnhorst's’ main radar aerial, leaving her unable to return accurate fire in low visibility, so she attempted to break away from the cruisers. In the late afternoon, however the British battleship ‘Duke of York’ made contact and opened fire. Her second salvo wrecked the ‘A’ turret, detonating the charges in ‘A’ magazine which led to the same in ‘B’ magazine. Just after 1800 hours the ‘Duke of York’ destroyed one of ‘Scharnhorst's’ boiler rooms which slowed her down and made her more vulnerable to attack. Other British ships joined the attack and she was dealt her final blow by the cruiser HMS 'Jamaica’ and sank. Of a total complement of 1,968 men, only 36 survivors were rescued.

The last moments of the ‘Scharnhorst’ are recorded in this painting as fire takes hold of her and she is listing to starboard. Her guns are trained to port and her bridge tower glows in the light of the flames that rage through most of her length. In the right background are three destroyers and in the left background is a cruiser, probably the ‘Jamaica’.

This painting and one of the sinking of the 'Bismarck' in May 1941 (BHC0679) were commissioned and presented to the Museum by Sir Bruce Ingram, one of its early supporters, who was proprietor and managing editor of the 'Illustrated London News'. As in the 'Bismarck' case, Turner had first done a watercolour and bodycolour version which Ingram had reproduced as a double-page spread in the ILN of Saturday 15 January 1944 under the title 'The dramatic last moments of "Scharnhorst", on fire from bow to stern, a raging volcano beneath her bridge / Painted by our special artist, C.E. Turner, from a personal description given him by Commander T.A.K. Maunsell R.N., who was an eye-witness from the bridge of H.M.S. "Duke of York".' Both oil versions were received from Ingram in May 1945, just before the Second World War in Europe ended, and perhaps to mark that, though clearly also an indicator of his good opinion of Turner to make more lasting and publicly exhibitable oil versions of these two notable incidents in it.