12.11.1934:   Commissioned.

-18.04.1935:   Trials and training.

30.08- 01.09.1935:   Visit to Danzig.

19.10 - 09.11 1935:   Battle training in the North Atlantic.

May 1936:   Fleet parade at Laboe.

06-19.06.1936:   Together with Deutschland voyage around Great Britain.

23-29.06.1936:   Visit to Stockholm.

24.07.1936-31.08.1936:   First Spain operation.

02.10-03.12.1936:   Second Spain operation.

15.03-07.04.1937:   Third Spain operation.

09.05-01.07.1937:   Forth Spain operation. After a bomb attack o the Panzerschiff Deutschland at Ibiza, Admiral Scheer and the torpedo boats Seeadler , Albatros , Luchs and Leopard bombard the harbor of Almeria.

30.07-11.10.1937:   Fifth Spain operation.

-March 1938:   Fleet operations and training in the Baltic Sea.

19.03-29.06.1938:   Sixth Spain operation.

22.08.1938:   Fleet parade in Kiel because of the launch of the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen .

18.04 - 03.05.1939:   Atlantic operation and trials.

04.09 1939:   Based in Wilhelmshaven, the Admiral Scheer shoots down a Blenheim IV bomber in the first British air raid on Wilhelmshaven.

01.02 - July 1940:   In dock, command tower is replaced, reclassified as heavy cruiser.

31.07 - October 1940:   Trials in the Baltic Sea.

23.10.1940:   Leaves Gotenhafen (Gdynia) for commerce war.

31.10.1940:   Passes Denmark Street.

05.11.1940:  

After the sinking of the refrigerator ship Mopan (5389 t) the Admiral Scheer attacks the convoy HX 84 at 52°45'N, 32°13'W. consisting of 37 merchants. While the auxiliary cruiser Jervis Bay defends the convoy and is sunk, the main body can escape. The total loss of HX 84 are: 

Jervis Bay (14164 t)

Maidan (7908 t)

Trewellard (5201 t)

Kenbame Head (5225 t)

Beaverford (10042 t) 

Fresno City (4955 t)

Three other merchants with 27844 t are damaged.

12.11.1940:   Refueled by the tanker Eurofeld .

14.11.1940:   Resupplied by supply ship Nordmark .

24.11.1940:   Sinks Port Horbard (7448 t) SE of the Bermudas.

01.12.1940:   Sinks Tribesman (6242 t ) west of Bathurst.

14.12.1940:   Resupplied by supply ship Nordmark .

18.12.1940:  

Captures British refrigerator ship Duquesa (8651) with 14.5 million eggs and 3000 t of meat on board. The Duquesa was used to resupply the auxiliary cruisers Pinguin and Thor and the supply ship Nordmark . The Duquesa is sunk by the Pinguin in February 1941.

26.12.1940:   Admiral Scheer meets with auxiliary cruisers Thor and Pinguin , resupply ship Nordmark , tanker Eurofeld and the captured Duquesa at point "Andalusien" 15°S 18°W.

09-12.01.1941:   Admiral Scheer unsuccessfully tries to attack the Troop Convoy WS5A which has been attacked by CA Admiral Hipper on December 24th

17.01.1941:   Norwegian tanker Sandefjord (8038 t) is captured and send to Bordeaux.

20.01.1941:   Sinks Dutch steamer Barneveld (5597 t) and British freighter Stanpark (5103 t)

24-28.01.1941:   Another meeting at "Andalusien" between Admiral Scheer , Thor and Nordmark .

03.02.1941:   Passes Cape of Good Hope.

14.02.1941:   Meets with auxiliary cruiser Atlantis , the war prizes Speybank and Letty Brövi and the German freighter Tannenfels at 13°S, 64°E.

20.02.1941:   Sinks the Greek freighter Gregorios (2546 t) at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel. The British tanker British Advocate (6994 t) is captured.

21.02.1941:   Sinks the Canadian Cruiser (7178 t). Admiral Scheer is ordered home.

22.02.1941:   Sinks Indonesian steamer Rantaupandjang (2542 t). A few hours later, the Admiral Scheer is sighted by a plane of the British CL Glasgow at 8°30'S, 51°35'E.  The Admiral Scheer is unsuccessfully hunted by the CV Hermes , CA Canberra , Australia and Shorpshire and the CLs Glasgow , Cape Town and Emerald .

03.03.1941:   Passes Cape of Good Hope.

09-10.03.1941:   Another meeting at "Andalusien" between Admiral Scheer , Nordmark and the auxiliary cruisers Pinguin and Kormoran .

11-24.03.1941:   Admiral Scheer meets German freighters Portland and Alsterufer .

27.03.1941:   Passes Denmark Street.

30.03.1941:   Reached Bergen.

01.04.1941:   Arrived in Kiel. On her voyage, the Admiral Scheer has sunk 14 ships with 84027 t, captured 2 with 15032 t and destroyed an auxiliary cruiser with 14164 t. Total 113223 t.

15.04-01.07.1941:   Repairs in Kiel.

Sep - Oct 1941:   Part of the Baltic Fleet.

January-February 1942:   Transferred to Drontheim.

May 1942:   Moved to Bow Bay near Narvik.