Overview of the Bismarck
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Type: Battleship
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Nation: Nazi Germany (Kriegsmarine)
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Class: Bismarck-class (lead ship; sister ship: Tirpitz)
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Launched: February 14, 1939
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Commissioned: August 24, 1940
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Sunk: May 27, 1941
Design and Specifications
The Bismarck was the most powerful battleship in the German navy and among the largest ever built by any European power.
Dimensions:
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Displacement: ~50,000 tons (fully loaded)
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Length: 251 meters (823 feet)
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Beam: 36 meters (118 feet)
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Draught: 9.3 meters (30.5 feet)
Armament:
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Main Guns: 8 × 38 cm (15-inch) SK C/34 guns (4 twin turrets)
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Secondary Guns: 12 × 15 cm (5.9-inch) SK C/28 guns
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Anti-Aircraft: A mix including 10.5 cm, 3.7 cm, and 2 cm guns
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Aircraft: 4 × Arado Ar 196 floatplanes (with catapults)
Armor:
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Belt Armor: Up to 320 mm (12.6 in)
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Deck Armor: 50–120 mm
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Turrets: 130–360 mm
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Conning Tower: 350 mm
Speed & Range:
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Top Speed: ~30.8 knots (57 km/h or 35 mph)
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Range: 8,870 nautical miles at 19 knots
Operational History
Mission: Operation Rheinübung (May 1941)
The Bismarck’s first and only mission was to break into the Atlantic and disrupt Allied shipping. She was accompanied by the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen.
Battle of the Denmark Strait (May 24, 1941)
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Bismarck encountered British ships: HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales.
- In a devastating exchange:
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HMS Hood exploded and sank within minutes after a shell from Bismarck struck her magazine. Over 1,400 men died—only 3 survived.
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Bismarck was hit but remained operational.
Pursuit and Sinking
- The British Royal Navy launched a massive effort to find and destroy the Bismarck.
- After a torpedo hit by a Fairey Swordfish biplane from HMS Ark Royal damaged her rudder, the ship was disabled and unable to steer.
- On May 27, 1941, she was caught by British battleships HMS King George V and HMS Rodney and pummeled with shells.
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Bismarck was scuttled by her crew (German sources) and/or sunk by British fire (British sources); both likely contributed.
Casualties:
- Over 2,100 German sailors died.
- Around 114 survived.
Legacy and Significance
- The Bismarck became a symbol of Nazi naval power and its destruction was a huge moral victory for the Allies.
- The ship's sinking highlighted the vulnerability of even the most powerful battleships to air power and combined fleet operations.
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Robert Ballard discovered the wreck in 1989 in the Atlantic Ocean, 4,791 meters deep.
In Popular Culture
- The ship has inspired numerous books, documentaries, and the famous British song "Sink the Bismarck!" by Johnny Horton.
- It remains one of the most studied naval engagements of the 20th century.
