An Admiral Hipper-class cruiser and the second ship in this series, Blücher was distinguished by powerful armament and quite an advanced fire control system for her time. In early April 1940, shortly after completing her sea trials, she played a key role in Operation Weserübung—the German invasion of Norway and Denmark. Serving as the flagship of the squadron tasked with capturing Oslo, the cruiser was sunk on April 9, 1940, while attacking Norwegian coastal fortifications.