ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Scharnhorst effect

Okay kiddo, do you know what a ship is? It's a big thing that sails on water. Now, ships have different parts called hull and superstructure. When a ship is moving on a wavy sea, the waves hit the ship's hull and superstructure.

Now, let's imagine a ship named Scharnhorst that's moving really fast on a wavy sea. When the waves hit Scharnhorst's hull and superstructure, it creates a strange effect. This effect is called the Scharnhorst Effect.

It's important to note that the Scharnhorst Effect is not a good thing for ships since it causes extra strain on the hull and superstructure. This extra strain can cause damage to the ship and even make it sink.

So, to avoid the Scharnhorst Effect, ships are built with special design features that reduce the effect of waves on the hull and superstructure. These design features help the ship move smoothly on the wavy sea without causing too much strain on it.

I hope you understand, kiddo, that the Scharnhorst Effect is a fancy name for something that happens to ships when they sail on wavy water. And to avoid any damage, ships are designed in a special way to reduce this effect.