Battleship Bismarck

The battleship Bismarck was one of the most famous warships in World War II. Together with her sister Tirpitz, she left her mark on naval history, even though she had a short life. She was launched on February 14, 1939, and she was commissioned on August 24, 1940. Her main weapons consisted of eight 380-mm naval guns.

The Bismarck was the first full scale battleship, which was built for the new German Kriegsmarine after Adolf Hitler rescinded the Treaty of Versailles. She was developed following the designs used before and during the First World War. However, she would be fitted with considerably higher installed power.

Right after she was commissioned, the Bismarck sailed into the North Sea in late August, 1940, escorted by the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen. The two warships left Korsfjord, Norway, sailing southward. When they reached the Denmark Strait, they met the Royal Navy's battleship Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser Hood. Using her 380-mm guns, the Bismarck opened fire and sank Hood within minutes, seriously damaging Prince of Wales.

Since the Bismarck had also been damaged during this naval battle, she was forced to seek shelter in the German-occupied port of Brest. However, an armada of British warships and aircraft carriers had just been assembled and were waiting for the Bismarck, which was seriously damaged. As she undertook evasive maneuver and tried to resume her voyage, she was hit by a torpedo dropped by a British carrier-borne bomber. Partially destroyed, she would be sunk by the British battleships King George V and Rodney on May 27, 1941.

Specifications

Type: Battleship

Length: 251 m (823 ft, 6 in)

Beam: 36 m (118 ft)

Displacement: 50,153 tons (full load)

Draft: 9.3 m (29 ft, 5 in)

Power Plant: 3-shaft, Blohm & Voss geared steam turbines, delivering 138,000 HP. Turbines were fed by 12 boilers.

Speed: 30 knots

Crew: 2,092 sailors and officers