Battleship Schleswig Holstein

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The Schleswig-Holstein was a pre-dreadnought German battleship, launched in 1906 and later used during World War II. On September 1, 1939, it famously fired the opening shots of the war by bombarding the Polish garrison at Westerplatte. Although outdated, it served as a training ship and coastal artillery platform. In 1944, it was heavily damaged by Allied air raids and eventually scuttled in Gotenhafen (Gdynia) in 1945 to prevent capture.