 Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Zvizhinji zvezvikepe zvinorema zve Kriegsmarine zvakashandiswa sevatengesi vekutengesa mumakore okutanga ehondo. Vaviri ve panzerschiffe, Deutschland uye Graf Spee, vakanga vatova mugungwa pakatanga hondo; wokutanga akawana kubudirira kuduku uye wechipiri pakupedzisira akabatwa uye akamanikidzwa kuti apfuure mushure meHondo yeRwizi Plate muna December 1939. Kubvira muna October 1940 kusvika muna March 1941, Admiral Scheer akafamba oga achirwisa ndokutora kana kunyudza ngarava gumi nenomwe, izvo zvakaita kuti ave akabudirira zvikuru pakati pevatengesi veGermany mumvura yose yehondo. Scharnhorst uye Gneisenau vakaita Operation Berlin, kupinza kukuru muAtlantic pakuvamba kwa1941. Bismarck uye Prinz Eugen vakaenda kunzvimbo yokupedzisira yokurwisa yeAtlantic, Operation Rheinübung, muna May 1941. Bismarck yakanyudza ngarava yehondo yeBritain asi iyo pachayo yakanyudzwa mazuva matatu gare gare. Kurasikirwa kweBismarck kwakatungamirira Hitler kurambidza mamwe mapurisa kupinda muAtlantic; ngarava dzakasara dzakasara muNorway kuti dzishandiswe sechikepe chiripo uye kutyisidzira makondirakiti kuSoviet Union paMurmansk Run. 