In Service: 24 August 1940 to 27 May 1941
Ordered: 16 November 1935
Builder: Blohm
& Voss, Hamburg
Construction No: 509
Laid down: 1 July 1936
Launched: 14 February 1939
Commissioned: 24 August 1940
Type: Battleship
Class: Bismarck
Displacement: 41,700 tons standard. 50,300 tons full
load
Length: 251 m
Beam: 36 m
Draft: 9.9 m
Propulsion: 12 × Wagner high pressure 3 × Blohm & Voss geared turbines
Power: 150,170 hp
Propellers: 3 blade propellers, 4.70 m in diameter
Speed: 30.01 knots
Range: 8,525 nautical miles 19 knots
Crew: 2,200 men and officers
Armament:
8 × 38 cm L/47 SK C/34 range 36,200 m
carried 940 to 960 rounds
12 × 15 cm L/55 SK C/28 range 23,000 m
carried 1,800 rounds
16 × 10.5 cm L/65 SK C/33
carried 6,720 rounds
16 × 3.7 cm L/83 SK C/30
carried 32,000 rounds
12 × 2 cm MG L/64 C/30
carried 24,000 rounds
Armour Belt 145 to 320 mm, Deck 50 to 120 mm,
Bulkheads 220 mm, Turrets 130 to 360 mm,
Barbettes 342 mm, Conning tower 360 mm,
Aircraft: 6 ×
Arado
Ar 196 seaplanes
Variants:
Bismarck
Tirpitz
Other: Battleships
Articles:
Downloads:
Film Clips: Kriegsmarine
Film Footage
The German battleship Bismarck is one of the most prominent
warships of the Second World War. The lead ship of her class
and named after the 19th century German chancellor Otto von
Bismarck, The Bismarck was the largest warship then designated.
Her claim to celebrity came from the Battle of the Denmark
Strait in May 1941 during which the battlecruiser HMS Hood,
flagship of the Home Fleet and pride of the Royal Navy, was
sunk. In response, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
issued the order to Sink the Bismarck.
24 August 1940
The Bismarck is commissioned.
19 May 1941
Operation Rheinübung (Rhine Exercise) The Bismarck left the
port of Gotenhafen and was accompanied by the heavy cruiser
Prinz Eugen and escorted by the destroyers Z23, Z24, Friedrich
Eckoldt, Hans Lody. for commerce raiding in the North Atlantic.
21 May 1941
The Bismarck and Prinz Eugen are spotted by a British reconnaissance
plane while at Bergen, Both ships leave Bergen before British
bombers can attack them.
22 May 1941
The Bismarck detaches destroyer escort
23 May 1941
The Bismarck and Prinz Eugen are detected by the heavy cruisers
HMS Suffolk and HMS Norfolk, that had been patrolling the
Denmark Strait. The British ships are able to shadow the Bismarck
and Prinz Eugen during the night.
24
May 1941
At 6 am, the British battleship HMS Prince of Wales and the
battlecruiser HMS Hood open fire on the Bismarck and Prinz
Eugen. After exchanging fire, the HMS Hood magazines explodes
and splits the ship in two. HMS Prince of Wales is hit several
times, The Bismarck and Prinz Eugen head for Brest, France.
24 May 1941
The Prinz Eugen parted company with Bismarck to carry on commerce
raiding.
24 May 1941
Later that day, the Bismarck is attacked by group of Swordfish
torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier HMS Victorious.
One torpedo hit but no damage.
26 May 1941
After being detected by planes from the British aircraft carrier
HMS Ark Royal, Swordfish torpedo bombers attack the Bismarck
and a torpedo destroys the rudder. The ship is unable to control
its course.
26 to 27 May 1941
During the night, several British and Polish destroyers HMS
Cossack, HMS Sikh, HMS Maori, HMS Zulu, and the ploish destroyer
ORP Piorun, attack the Bismarck with torpedo's but archived
no hits.
27 May 1941
The Bismarck is unable to control its course and is at the
mercy of the British battleships HMS Rodney and HMS King George
V. After two hours the Bismarck is a burning wreck and her
crew scuttle her
Ernst
Lindemann
Takes command on 24 August 1940
Ends command on 27 May 1941
German Warships, 1815-1945: Major Surface Vessels.
ISBN-10: 0851775330
German Warships, 1815-1945: U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels.
ISBN-10: 155750301X
German warships of the Second World War.
ISBN-10: 0668040378
For a complete list of
sources
