WW2 German Kriegsmarine Linienschiff Schlesien Full Uncut Cap Tally Mined 1945

For sale is a WW2 German Kriegsmarine "Linienschiff Schlesien" Full Uncut Cap Tally. This is in excellent condition (two small pin holes) and is full length cap tally.

SMS Schlesien was one of five Deutschland-class pre-dreadnought battleships built for the German Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy) between 1904 and 1906. Named after the German province of Silesia, Schlesien was laid down at the Schichau-Werke shipyard in Danzig on 19 November 1904, launched on 28 May 1906, and commissioned on 5 May 1908. She was armed with a battery of four 28 cm (11 in) guns and had a top speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph). Schlesien saw limited combat during World War II, briefly bombarding Polish forces during the invasion of Poland in September 1939. She escorted minesweepers during Operation Weserübung, the invasion of Norway and Denmark in April 1940.

She ended her career providing fire support in the Baltic coast. While off Swinemünde on 3 May 1945, she struck a mine and was towed into Swinemünde, where she was sunk by her crew in shallow water, though much of her superstructure, including her main battery, remained above water. In March 1945 she used her guns to fire upon advancing Red Army troops in the area of Danzig. Schlesien was later mined, crippling her in the shallow water of Swinemunde (Pomerania) on 3rd May 1945.

The next day she was partly blown up to prevent capture. She was broken up between 1949-56, although remnants of her were still visible into the 1970s. In the remaining days of the war, Schlesien used her anti-aircraft guns to defend the city from air attack.

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