I hope it is okay to point a couple areas that you missed. If not I apologize, but there are some things I am trying to figure out. These are mostly minor things, but I am hoping to open up some discussion on them to check the accuracy of my research. Unfortunately, most of my research is in the way of photos, and I am having difficulty in finding dates on some of them, which is what I am hoping to come up with.
1. The first was a period right after the new hanger was installed when the waist AA platforms on the catapult pedestal were not there. I don't know how long it was before they were installed, but it was a substantial enough time for it to be photographed numerous times without them.
2. The second involves the mast and the platforms that are mounted on it. In it's final configuration, there were three platforms, the lowest for the searchlights, the middle is something of a crows nest, and the top was a signal platform. Again right after the new hanger was installed, I have some pictures that show the middle platform was missing and the signal platform was mounted lower in it's place. (see the second picture on
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-f ... harn2o.htm)
3. Next is the foretop, when was that enlarged? Was it the same time the circular foretop rangefinder/radar platform was changed to square?
4. Last is about the deck area around the base of the funnel, where the six 105mm's are mounted. This is really hard to describe but it relates to the safety rails around the guns. It seems they were overlayed with armor plate at some point late in Scharnhorst's service. At the same time the area under the forward 105's, which had been open under the deck platform, was enclosed. As you can see, this is not easy for me to describe, so bear with me. I am talking about the area in front of and below the forward 105's. It is on the main deck, just behind the forward 150mm turrets. There was an area that was covered by a platform that made up the deck around the guns. The area directly under the gun was already enclosed, but when they added the armor plate in place of the safety rails, they also enclosed this space. I have pictures of both Scharnhorst and Gneisenau with this enclosure but only one of each, which leads me to believe it had to be pretty late in their careers. Does anyone have dates on these?
For the record, please don't ask me to share those pictures, I cannot, I made a promise, but I assure you they are genuine.