• Essential reference work on this formidable class of German warship • Superbly illustrated throughout with hundreds of photographs • Details the war record of five major ships Heavy cruisers of the Admiral Hipper Class were products of Germany's race to rearm in the late 1930s and, for their time, were some of the world's most formidable and revolutionary warships. This valuable reference book, in the same format as the successful Battleships of the Bismarck Class, Battleships of the Scharnhorst Class and Pocket Battleships of the Deutschland Class, traces the development and building of the class and presents the history of each individual ship. Statistical information and complete technical specifications are included, giving an insight into the performance and potential of each vessel. The career history of each vessel is also outlined and is based on primary sources, extracts from the ships' logs and official battle reports. The text is supported by illustrations throughout: technical plans, camouflage drawings and hundreds of previously unpublished photographs, many of them from the private collections of former crew members. The Admiral Hipper fought in World War II, taking part in the battle for Norway and anti-convoy operations; the Blücher was sunk in April 1940 off Norway; the Prinz Eugen took part in Operation Cerberus and patrols in the Baltic; the Seydlitz was never completed; and the Lützow entered Soviet service in 1940, taking part in the defence of Leningrad. Gerhard Koop served in the Kriegsmarine in World War II and is a respected authority on German battleships. Klaus-Peter Schmolke is well known for his superb technical drawings.