When world war one broke out Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were sent to Samoa to investigate the takeover of that German colony. The ships bombarded the colony and sank a the French gunboat Zélée. The ships next sailed for Easter Islands and on to the coast of Chile where they met up with the British at what would come to be known as the Battle of Coronel. On November 1st the HMS Good Hope, Monmouth, Otranto and Glasgow encountered the two ships and light cruisers Nürnberg, Dresden and Leipzig. Scharnhorst put 35 shells into the Good Hope, one of which penetrated her magazine and she went up in a huge fireball. Monmouth was next and she later rolled over and sank. 1,600 British sailors were lost and the Royal Navy set out to hunt down the German fleet. They got their chance when the Germans sailed into Port Stanley intent on destroying the wireless transmitter there. They found the harbor occupied by a force of Battlecruisers Invincible and Inflexible and several light cruiser. Outnumbered and out gunned the German ships retreated. 

The British ships quickly built up steam and set out in pursuit. They caught up to the two armored cruisers and their light cruiser and engaged them at range. Knowing that the end was near the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau turned and closed the range in an attempt to let the light cruisers escape. The ships started taking hits and the Scharnhorst was on reported burning with her number three funnel down taking on water. She rolled over and sank 45 minutes later with all hands lost. One after the others the German ships were sank with only Nürnberg escaping, if only for a time. The British ships Kent and Glasgow found her in Cumberland Bay, off the coast of Chile. The German crew scuttled the ship rather than let her fall into British hands. The loss was the end for the East Asiatic squadron. 

Combrig has produced this important German ship in her as built configuration.