Did the SMS Gneisenau sink?
SMS Gneisenau (1879)
The crew attempted to drop the starboard anchor, but it did not catch in the stony ground. "Gneisenau" was driven into the mole repeatedly, striking it with her stern twice before being turned and pushed bow-first on the starboard side, forcing her aground. A merchant ship attempted to come to the crew's aid, but they were unable to connect a line between the two ships before "Gneisenau" began to list 35 degrees. A boat from shore also attempted to rescue the crew, but it too was forced ashore in the heavy seas. Wave action quickly smashed "Gneisenau"s hull against the mole, and part of her crew attempted to find safety by climbing the rigging. The ship rolled over onto her side, and the surviving crewmen reached shore with a line. Forty-one men were killed in the accident, including Kretschmann and the ship's first officer. "Charlotte" and the British ironclad were sent to aid the wounded. Those killed in the sinking were buried in Málaga's cemetery, and the survivors returned to Germany aboard the HAPAG steamship on 2 January 1901.
Scharnhorst-class battleship
"Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau", with "Admiral Hipper" and four destroyers, departed again on 4 June. After operations in the North Sea that resulted in the sinking of several British transports, "Admiral Hipper" and the destroyers were detached to refuel in occupied Norway. At 16:45 on 8 June, "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" spotted the British aircraft carrier , which was escorted by the destroyers and , at a range of around . The destroyers laid a smoke screen in an attempt to hide the carrier, but the Germans quickly closed the distance. At 17:26, the range had decreased by half, to around , and both German ships opened fire. "Scharnhorst" struck "Glorious" at a range of approximately , one of the longest recorded hits in the history of naval gunfire. "Glorious" was hit by at least three shells and reduced to a burning hulk, and at 19:00 the carrier capsized and sank. "Scharnhorst" shifted fire to "Ardent" while "Gneisenau" engaged "Acasta"; both ships sank their targets. Before she sank, "Acasta" launched four torpedoes at "Scharnhorst"; the ship evaded three, though the fourth struck the starboard side near the rear gun turret. During the engagement, "Scharnhorst" fired 212 main battery shells. The torpedo hit caused significant damage to "Scharnhorst"; several watertight compartments, including parts of the starboard engine room, were flooded, she took on a list of 3°, and she was down by the stern.