German Battlecruiser Deutschland Country: Germany Type: Battlecruiser Service: 1933 - 1945 Laid down: 5 February 1929 Launched: 19 May 1931 Commissioned: 1 April 1933 Fate: Scuttled 4 May 1945

The three Deutschland class was a series of three Panzerschiffe (armoured ships), a form of heavily armed cruiser, built by the German Reichsmarine more or less in accordance with restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles, which limited Germany to ships of no more than 10,000 tons displacement. A number of technical innovations, including large scale use of welding, and diesel engines made the hull lighter, and allowed a formidable warship to be built, nominally, within this restricted weight. The ships of the class were all launched between 1931 and 1934 and served in the Kriegsmarine, of Nazi Germany, during World War II. The British initially nicknamed the three ships of this class pocket battleships, but reclassified them as a heavy cruisers in February 1940.

Deutschland (later re-named Lutzow), was the lead ship of her class that served in the German Kriegsmarine before and during World War II. Her keel was laid down in February 1929, at the Deutsche Werke shipyard in Kiel, and launched in May 1931. She completed fitting out in late 1931 and took her maiden voyage in May 1932.

During the Spanish Civil War, Deutschland was deployed to the Spanish coast in support of Franco's Nationalists in a total of seven operations between 1936 and 1939.

After the start of World War II, she was renamed Lützow in November 1939. She participated in the invasion of Norway. Lützow was then to return to Germany for repairs and to refit. She was severely damaged by torpedoes twice. In December 1942, she was present at the Battle of the Barents Sea. From September 1944 in the Baltic Sea, she fired upon land targets in support of the retreating German Wehrmacht. The ship was badly damaged by three six-ton Tallboy bombs dropped by the RAF in April 1945, while she laid off Swinemünde, Germany, and she came to rest on the bottom. After repairs, she then continued to provide artillery support of the army. Lützow was finally scuttled by her crew on 4 May 1945.

Postwar, the Soviet Navy raised her, and then used her as a target ship for land artillery practice. She finally sank for good in the Baltic Sea in 1949.