German Heavy Cruiser Admiral Hipper Country: Germany Type: Heavy cruiser Service: 1939 - 1945 Ordered: 30 October 1934 Laid down: 6 July 1935 Launched: 6 February 1937 Commissioned: 25 April 1939 Fate: Scuttled 2 May 1945

The Admiral Hipper class was a series of five heavy cruisers of which three served with the Kriegsmarine of Germany in World War II, one was sold unfinished to the Soviet Union in 1939, and one was converted to an aircraft carrier but never completed. Admiral Hipper was the first of five ships of her class. Two others, Bluecher and Prinz Eugen, were completed and served with the Kriegsmarine in the Second World War; a fourth, Luetzow, was sold to the Soviet Union in 1939 before completion; and a fifth, Seydlitz, was to be converted into an aircraft carrier but was never completed.

The German cruiser Admiral Hipper was the lead ship of the class heavy cruisers which served with the Kriegsmarine of Germany during World War II. Admiral Hipper took part in the German invasion of Norway. After completing repairs, Admiral Hipper operated as a merchant raider in the Atlantic and Arctic. After sustaining more damage, the heavy cruiser was not ready for service again until January 1945, when she was used, partly repaired, to evacuate refugees and wounded troops from the Eastern Front. Admiral Hipper was scuttled in dock at Kiel Deutsche Werke yards on 2 May 1945. Raised and moved to Heikendorfer Bay in 1946, she was broken up there between 1948 and 1949.