The building contract for Admiral Scheer was placed with the Marine Werft, Wilhelmshaven, as Panzerschiff 'B' (replacement Lothríngen), Builder's Number 123. The first keel elements were laid on 25 June 1931 but construction was dragged out on account of the economic situation and to retain over as long a period as possible the yard's qualified craftsmen then under threat of redundancy. The hull was launched on 1 April 1933 a few hours after the commissioning of Deutschland at Kiel. Before numerous VIPs and former Imperial Navy officers, including Admiráis Trotha and Behncke, the baptismal speech was delivered by Admiral Raeder and the naming ceremony performed by Frau Marianne Besserer, daughter of the late Admiral Scheer. The initial shipyard triáis took place on 1 October 1934. The ship was commissioned on 12 November 1934, her permanent company being transferred in from the oíd pre-dreadnought Hessen decommissioning the same day. Hard drill and exercises followed prior to the 'Fitness for Sea' inspection carried outby C-in-C Battleships (BdL) on 13 December.
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