Scharnhorst was a German battlecruiser (or battleship depending on classification) that served in WWII, the lead ship of her class. Designed to counter the French Dunkerque-class battleships, Scharnhorst was a significantly enlarged and improved development on the previous Deutschland-class pocket battleships (“panzerschiffe”). Scharnhorst operated with her sister ship Gneisenau during the early years of WWII, wreaking havoc on Allied shipping. However, she ultimately met her demise at the Battle of the North Cape, where she was sunk by a large British force led by the battleship HMS Duke of York.

The Brooklyn-class light cruisers, built in the early 1930s, were the first American cruisers built to the specifications of the London Naval Treaty. They were designed to counter the Japanese Mogami class and featured a similar armament of fifteen 6-inch guns. Helena was completed to an altered design featuring improved machinery protection and greatly improved anti-aircraft armaments. She was torpedoed during the attack on Pearl Harbor, repaired, and returned to service. She saw extensive action and managed to damage or sink several Japanese ships during the Battles of Guadalcanal, but was sunk during the Solomons campaign when she was torpedoed by Japanese destroyers.

The Prinz Eugen was the third and final member of the completed Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruisers. Launched in August 1938, she saw extensive service during WWII, including in the sinking of HMS Hood alongside the Bismarck. Following the cessation of hostilities, she was transferred to the US, where she was used as a test target in the Baker nuclear test. Due to the damage received during the tests, she capsized and sank before repairs could be made.