Victory at Sea: German Heavy Cruiser Admiral Hipper
The Admiral Hipper, lead ship of her class, was named in honor of Admiral Franz von Hipper, the commander of Germany’s battlecruiser squadron at the Battle of Jutland (1916) and later the commander-in-chief of the German High Seas Fleet. Designed as a powerful commerce raider, the Admiral Hipper saw extensive action throughout World War II, focusing on operations in the Battle of the Atlantic and the Arctic convoys.
She played a key role in Germany’s invasion of Norway (Operation Weserübung), leading the assault on Trondheim and sinking the British destroyer HMS Glowworm. In December 1940, Admiral Hipper successfully broke into the Atlantic to raid Allied convoys but achieved limited success. However, her February 1941 sortie proved more fruitful, sinking multiple merchant vessels before she was reassigned to Norway to attack Soviet-bound convoys.
During the Battle of the Barents Sea (New Year's Eve, 1942), Admiral Hipper sank a British destroyer and a minesweeper but was forced to withdraw after heavy engagement with HMS Sheffield and HMS Jamaica. The failure to destroy any merchant vessels infuriated Adolf Hitler, leading him to order the scrapping of Germany’s major surface warships. Admiral Hipper was decommissioned, returned to Germany, and was ultimately crippled by Royal Air Force bombers in May 1945, never returning to active service.
Key Features
- Lead ship of the Admiral Hipper-class
-
Participated in the invasion of Norway, sinking HMS Glowworm
- Raided Atlantic merchant convoys and Soviet-bound Arctic convoys
- Severely damaged at the Battle of the Barents Sea
- Bombed and rendered inoperable in May 1945
Set Includes
- 1x Admiral Hipper (resin & metal model)
- Game aids for Victory at Sea
Deploy Admiral Hipper to dominate enemy shipping lanes and relive the crucial naval battles of World War II.
