Bismarck

13.10

Bismarck

Battleship | Germany | Tier VIII

Tech Tree Position

stock

 top

General

Research price135000 exp

Purchase price11,000,000

Hit Points64,500

Main Battery

380 mm/52 SK C/34 on a Drh LC/34 mount4 х 2 pcs.

Rate of Fire2.31 shots/min.

Reload Time26 sec.

Rotation Speed5 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time36 sec.

Firing Range19.28 km.

Maximum Dispersion272 m.

HE Shell380 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.6

Maximum HE Shell Damage4,400

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell34 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity820 m./s.

HE Shell Weight800 kg.

AP Shell380 mm P.Spr.Gr. L/4.4

Maximum AP Shell Damage11,600

Initial AP Shell Velocity820 m./s.

AP Shell Weight800 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount4 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range7.6 km.

Rate of Fire17.91 shots/min.

Reload Time3.35 sec.

HE Shell105 mm Spr.Gr. Kz.

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,200

Initial HE Shell Velocity900 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell5 %

Secondary Armament #2

105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/37 mount4 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range7.6 km.

Rate of Fire17.91 shots/min.

Reload Time3.35 sec.

HE Shell105 mm Spr.Gr. Kz.

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,200

Initial HE Shell Velocity900 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell5 %

Secondary Armament #3

150 mm/55 SK C/28 on a Dop. L. C/34 mount2 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range7.6 km.

Rate of Fire8 shots/min.

Reload Time7.5 sec.

HE Shell150 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.5

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,700

Initial HE Shell Velocity875 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 %

Secondary Armament #4

150 mm/55 SK C/28 on a Dop. L. C/34 mount4 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range7.6 km.

Rate of Fire8 shots/min.

Reload Time7.5 sec.

HE Shell150 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.5

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,700

Initial HE Shell Velocity875 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 %

AA Defense

105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount4 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second66.4

. . . Firing Range4.5 km.

105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/37 mount4 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second66.8

. . . Firing Range4.5 km.

37 mm/83 SK C/30 on a Dopp LC/30 mount8 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second20.8

. . . Firing Range3.51 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 on a Flak 35 Vierling L/38 mount2 х 4 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second12

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 on an L/30 single mount12 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second36

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed28.52 knot

Turning Circle Radius850 m.

Rudder Shift Time22.4 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range15.89 km.

Air Detectability Range11.74 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

13.10

Bismarck

Battleship | Germany | Tier VIII

Tech Tree Position

stock

 top

General

Research price135000 exp

Purchase price11,000,000

Hit Points69,200

Main Battery

380 mm/52 SK C/34 on a Drh LC/34 mount4 х 2 pcs.

Rate of Fire2.31 shots/min.

Reload Time26 sec.

Rotation Speed5 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time36 sec.

Firing Range21.21 km.

Maximum Dispersion272 m.

HE Shell380 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.6

Maximum HE Shell Damage4,400

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell34 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity820 m./s.

HE Shell Weight800 kg.

AP Shell380 mm P.Spr.Gr. L/4.4

Maximum AP Shell Damage11,600

Initial AP Shell Velocity820 m./s.

AP Shell Weight800 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount2 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range7.6 km.

Rate of Fire17.91 shots/min.

Reload Time3.35 sec.

HE Shell105 mm Spr.Gr. Kz.

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,200

Initial HE Shell Velocity900 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell5 %

Secondary Armament #2

105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/37 mount6 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range7.6 km.

Rate of Fire17.91 shots/min.

Reload Time3.35 sec.

HE Shell105 mm Spr.Gr. Kz.

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,200

Initial HE Shell Velocity900 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell5 %

Secondary Armament #3

150 mm/55 SK C/28 on a Dop. L. C/34 mount2 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range7.6 km.

Rate of Fire8 shots/min.

Reload Time7.5 sec.

HE Shell150 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.5

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,700

Initial HE Shell Velocity875 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 %

Secondary Armament #4

150 mm/55 SK C/28 on a Dop. L. C/34 mount4 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range7.6 km.

Rate of Fire8 shots/min.

Reload Time7.5 sec.

HE Shell150 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.5

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,700

Initial HE Shell Velocity875 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 %

AA Defense

105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount2 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second33.2

. . . Firing Range4.5 km.

105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/37 mount6 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second100.2

. . . Firing Range4.5 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 on an L/30 single mount14 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second42

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 on a Flak 35 Vierling L/38 mount16 х 4 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second96

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

37 mm/69 Flak M42 on an LM/42 mount10 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second103

. . . Firing Range3.51 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed31 knot

Turning Circle Radius850 m.

Rudder Shift Time16 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range15.89 km.

Air Detectability Range11.74 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

VIII

11,000,000

Bismarck — German Tier VIII battleship.

By the start of World War II, Bismarck was one of the mightiest battleships in the world, owing to her advanced gun fire control system and powerful artillery. Rugged construction — coupled with elaborate subdivision into compartments and a vast expanse of armor — ensured a high level of endurance.

Modules

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	180° Turn Time (sec)	Maximum Dispersion (m)	Maximum HE Shell Damage (HP)	Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell (%)	Maximum AP Shell Damage (HP)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
380 mm/52 SK C/34 on a Drh LC/34 mount	2.3	36	272	4,400	34	11,600		0	1,100,000

	Hit Points (HP)	Armor (mm)	Armor (mm)	Main Turrets (pcs.)	Secondary Gun Turrets (pcs.)	AA Mounts (pcs.)	Torpedo Tubes (pcs.)	Hangar Capacity (pcs.)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Bismarck (A)	64,500	19	360	4	8/6	12/2/8/8				0	1,650,000
Bismarck (B)	69,200	19	360	4	8/6	14/16/10				52,000	3,900,000

	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SUO_INCREASE_DIST (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
FKS Typ 8 Mod. 1		0		0	600,000
FKS Typ 8 Mod. 2		0		23,500	1,500,000

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 150,100 hp	28.5		0	380,000
Propulsion: 163,000 hp	31		15,500	900,000

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4
Slot 5

Player Opinion

Performance

Warning: The data presented in the AA Defense sidebar section may be incorrect.
Refer to the in-game Port screens for more useful data.

The historical pinnacle of German battleship construction, Bismarck stands as one of the heartiest battleships at Tier VIII. While her main battery may not look as impressive as that of Amagi, and doesn't have North Carolina’s range — or even her sister Tirpitz’s torpedoes — Bismarck has the perfect mix of ingredients to make her an excellent brawler.

For starters, her secondary battery is the most impressive of all the Tier VIII battleships. It comes with a stock range of 7.6km, and with the right mix of modules and commander skills can be pushed to a range of over 11.0 km, farther than the range of a similarly-equipped Yamato. This creates a large radius around her which enemy units must respect or pay a hefty price. Additionally, her handling is superb for a ship her size; she's quick to respond to rudder commands, and her turning circle is better than that of Amagi. Easily the most impressive thing about Bismarck is her survivability. Like her sister Tirpitz, she is exceptionally difficult to land citadel hits against; only long-range plunging fire has a good chance of doing so. The closer she gets, the better her armor scheme protects her from incoming fire. She will take more than her fair share of regular penetration damage from enemy armor-piercing rounds, but that damage repairs better than citadel damage.

Bismarck has another trick up her sleeve that sets her apart from Tirpitz: access to the Hydroacoustic Search  consumable. This provides her with large windows of time where she is functionally immune to long range torpedoes, and also provides detection of enemy ships hidden in smoke screens when pushing into capture zones.

When all of that is paired with an above-average anti-aircraft suite, Bismarck is a very well-rounded, highly survivable battleship that is friendly to players of all skill levels.

Pros:

• Fast turret traverse and main battery reload time (26 seconds) for a battleship.
• Outstanding secondary battery. With the right upgrades and commander skills, her secondary battery range can be extended past 11.0 km, allowing Bismarck to whittle down enemy ships before closing in for the kill.
• Has access to the Hydroacoustic Search  consumable, making her very difficult to torpedo from long range.
• Above average anti-aircraft suite.
• Surprisingly nimble for a battleship of her size, with an excellent top speed (30 knots).
• Exceptionally durable with a good armor layout; has the vaunted "turtleback" armor making her almost immune to citadel damage except from super-battleship guns (i.e. Yamato, Shikishima).
• Secondaries can take a destroyer down fairly quickly if it doesn't dodge or use smoke.
• Many hit points

Cons:

• No torpedoes like those found on her sister Tirpitz.
• Only has eight (8) barrels, while nearly every other ship at this tier has nine (9) or more of a higher caliber.
• Armor scheme remains vulnerable to full penetrations by armor-piercing shells when showing the flat broadside of the ship to the enemy; Bismarck may not take citadel damage, but a lot of regular penetration damage hurts just as badly.
• Main guns' accuracy can be disappointing at times, especially without Aiming System Modification upgrade.
• Despite her secondaries' range, their reliability can be inconsistent even with a proper build. They also don't work well against another battleship (105mm's will usually not penetrate their superstructure), especially at extremely close range (i.e. 6km or less).

Research

Hull (B) is the best thing for players to research first, as it maximizes her anti-aircraft armament and provides additional hit points. The propulsion upgrade is the next best module to invest experience gains in; having all 31 knots to play with gives Bismarck more flexibility to close with the enemy or respond to new threats as required.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

The recommended upgrades for Bismarck are as follows:

• Slot 1: Auxiliary Armaments Modification 1 for more survivability of the AA mounts and of the secondary battery.
• Slot 2: Damage Control System Modification 1  to improve her overall survival in battle.
• Slot 3: Secondary Battery Modification 1 for better accuracy and more range for the secondary battery guns
• Slot 4: Damage Control System Modification 2 to further improve her overall survival. Steering Gears Modification 1 is also an option to improve her maneuverability.
• Slot 5: Concealment System Modification 1  to reduce her detection range and increase incoming enemy shell dispersion.

Commander Skills

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Attack			Defense
1	Gun Feeder -40% time to switch shell type.	Demolition Expert +1% chance of main and secondary HE shells causing a fire +15% to the fragmentation damage area of HE ordnance when firing at submarines. ★★	Consumables Specialist −7.5% cooldown time of all Consumables except:  Damage Control Party ,  Repair Party .	Emergency Repair Specialist -3% cooldown time of Damage Control Party  and Repair Party .	Incoming Fire Alert Receive a warning about a salvo fired at your ship from more than 4.5 km.	Preventive Maintenance −30% chance of main armament, engines, steering becoming incapacitated +15% to HP of secondary and AA guns.
2	Grease the Gears +20% main turret traverse speed. ★★	Inertial Fuse for HE Shells +25% armor penetration of HE shells. Base fire chance reduced by half.	Brisk So long as the ship remains undetected: +10% ship speed.	Vigilance +25% detection range of enemy torpedoes +7% damage reduction of Torpedo Protection System. .	Priority Target The detection indicator will show the number of enemies targeting you with main battery.	AAA & ASW Expert +15% continuous AAA and flak damage . +10% damage inflicted by depth charges. While AAA is active: −40% ship consumables reload time..
3	Super-Heavy AP Shells +7.5% AP shell damage −10% fire and flood damage received +25% fire and flood duration.	Long-Range Secondary Battery Shells +20% secondary battery firing range. ★★★	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% reload time of all armaments per 1% HP lost +0.2% AA continuous damage per 1% HP lost. ★★	Basics of Survivability -15% repair, fire, and flooding duration. ★★	Improved Repair Party Readiness −0.8% reload time of Repair Party each time your ship receives potential damage equal to 100% of the ship's base HP. After receiving 2M HP potential damage: +1 charge of Repair Party ..	Focus Fire Training In an active priority AA sector: •  +1.5% (to 5%) immediate damage. •  +25% continuous damage. •  +1 flak burst per salvo. −10% aircraft preparation time. −15% reload time of Airstrike armament..
4	Furious 1st fire / flood   −10% Main battery reload time 2nd etc. (up to 5), each   −5% Main battery reload time	Manual Secondary Battery Aiming −10% secondary battery reload time. −10% secondary battery dispersion. When firing at a manually selected target: dispersion gradually improves from -25% to -50%. ★★	Close Quarters Combat -10% reload time of main battery if an enemy ship is spotted within secondary range. ★★	Emergency Repair Expert Damage Control Party  and Repair Party : +1 charge (each). +10% action time . ★★★	Concealment Expert -10% detectability range of the ship.	Fire Prevention Expert -10% risk of fire. Three fires maximum. ★★
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful      ★★ - Frequently Useful      ★ - Occasionally Useful     No stars - Not Useful

Consumables

Bismarck can equip the following consumables:

• Slot 1: Damage Control Party 
• Slot 2: Repair Party 
• Slot 3: Spotting Aircraft  or Catapult Fighter 
• Slot 4: Hydroacoustic Search 

Catapult Fighter is recommended, since Bismarck's range is already quite good.

Signals

Players who have followed the Secondary Battery Build above will want to equip Mike Yankee Soxisix () and India Delta () signals in order to further boost the effectiveness of their secondaries and Repair Party  consumable, respectively.

Players following the Anti-Aircraft Build may wish to equip November Echo Setteseven () for the bonus to AA gun damage.

Recommended Signal Flags
Combat
Juliet Charlie -100% to the risk of magazine detonation.	Juliet Yankee Bissotwo -20% to flooding duration. ★★	India Yankee -20% to fire duration. ★★	Hotel Yankee -20% to damage received when ramming the enemy. +50% to damage dealt when ramming the enemy. ★	Victor Lima +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. +4% chance of torpedoes causing flooding. ★	India X-Ray +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. +5% to the risk of your ship's magazine detonating. ★
Juliet Whiskey Unaone +15% chance of causing flooding. +5% to the risk of your ship's magazine detonating.	Mike Yankee Soxisix +5% to secondary battery maximum firing range. -5% to maximum dispersion of secondary battery shells. -5% to secondary battery loading time. ★★★	November Echo Setteseven +5% continuous AA damage at all ranges. +5% damage from flak bursts. ★★	Sierra Mike +5% to the ship's maximum speed. ★★★	November Foxtrot -5% reload time on all consumables. ★★	India Delta +20% to the amount of HP recovered when Repair Party  is used. ★★★
X-Ray Papa Unaone +10% action time of a Smoke Generator .	Sierra Bravo +10% action time of Hydroacoustic Search  -10% reload time of Defensive AA Fire .

Note: Use of the Juliet Charlie signal makes detonation impossible.

Gallery

Historical Info

Bismarck, 1941

Construction

Blohm and Voss Shipbuilding Company; Hamburg, Germany

Laid down: 1 July 1936

Launched: 14 February 1939

Commissioned: 24 August 1940

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Specifications

41,700 metric tons displacement, standard

50,300 metric tons displacement, max

250.5m length

36m beam

8.7m draft

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Machinery

12 boilers, 3 turbines

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Performance

29 knots at 138,000 shaft horsepower

8,410nm at 15 knots

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Armor

Main belt: 320mm mid, 60mm forward, 80mm aft

Upper belt: 145mm

Torpedo bulkhead: 45mm

Decks: 51mm main, 83-121mm armored deck, 102mm armored deck slopes

Bulkheads: 180-220mm

Barbettes and Turrets: 340mm barbette, 360mm face, 220mm side,
   320mm rear, 180mm roof, 102mm secondary turrets

Conning tower: 356mm

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Armament

Main

Eight (4x2) 380mm guns

Secondary

Twelve (6x2) 150mm guns

Sixteen (8x2) 105mm guns

Anti-Aircraft

Sixteen (8x2) 37mm guns

Twelve (12x1) 20mm guns

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Aircraft

Four (4) Arado Ar 196 floatplanes

History

Design

Following the construction of modern Battleships in France and Italy, Germany saw once again the need to counter other navies with their own class of modern fast Battleships.

With a displacement of 39,500 tons when lightly loaded, and 50,400 when fully loaded, these ships were the largest Battleships in Europe during WW2. The official displacement, as a means to not provoke the United Kingdom, was 35,000 tons. The overall length was 250.5m, with a beam of 36m and a maximum draft of 10.2m.

Main battery was initially set out to be caliber 33cm, which at the planned displacement would have allowed for a heavily armored and fast ship. However after the Richelieu class turned out to be carrying 380mm guns, the design was reworked and the armament would consist of eight 380mm guns in four twin turrets. The decision to go back to twin turrets was mostly due to two factors. For one, the German method of Fire Control preferred to have the main battery split into two even groups, so that each group would fire while the other one is reloading, to have shorter breaks between the salvos and to get range data faster. Also, German engineers struggled to develop a sufficient hoist system for triple turrets of that caliber. This 38cm SK/34 gun fired an 800kg heavy projectile at ranges of up to 36.5km, with a theoretical maximum rate of fire of 3.3 rounds per minute and gun. However, those kind of fire rates would stress the ammunition hoists to the point where a mechanical failure is very likely, thus those kind of reloads were rarely executed. Secondary armament consisted of a mixed battery of 15cm and 10.5cm dual purpose guns. The 15cm gun was mounted in three twin turrets on each side of the ship, and would engage targets at ranges up to 23km, while the 10.5cm gun was mounted in four twins on each side with a range against surface units of 17km, and an AA ceiling of 12.5km. Anti Aircraft Armament initially consisted of sixteen twin-mounted 37mm Flakzwilling 30, an accurate but slow firing medium-range weapon. This gun would continue to see service on both Bismarck and Tirpitz until their destruction. Short range AA as design was covered by 18 20mm guns, of which eight were mounted in quads, the rest in single mounts. For Tirpitz this number would be increased throughout her career to at least 78 guns.

The armor protection had to be reduced after the main battery was increased to 38cm, this leads to the main belt being actually thinner on preceding classes. The main armor belt had a thickness of 320mm, although on Tirpitz it was slightly thinner at 315mm. The upper belt designed to defeat Cruiser caliber shells was 145mm strong. Following the belt was the typical turtleback, with a thickness of 110mm at the magazines and 100mm at the machinery, and this was again followed up by a 45mm thick torpedo bulkhead. The horizontal protection consisted of a 50mm strong upper deck, which was increased to 80mm in some locations, and on the citadel another armored deck with 95mm (100mm on Tirpitz) above the magazines, and 80mm above the machinery. The main battery was protected by a 360mm frontal plate, and 220-150mm sides. The barbettes would be 340mm thick above the weather deck, and below it was reduced to 220mm. The secondary turrets were much more vulnerable with only 100mm face plates and 80mm barbettes.

The propulsion on the Bismarck-class was a high-pressure steam plant like it was used on Destroyers and the Scharnhorst-class before. Twelve boilers would create steam with a temperature of up to 480°C, and three turbines with a combined designed power output of 138,000hp would then turn the shafts of the ship. During trials the highest attained speed was 30.1kn at 150,170shp, although Tirpitz never overloaded her engines so her maximum speed remains unknown. A twin rudder was installed to allow maneuvers. When sailing at 15kn, a Cruising range of 8,400 nautical miles was possible.

Like all Scharnhorst-class, the Bismarck-class had aviation facilities. Four Arado AR196 could be carried in the hangers amidships, and be launched via the installed catapults. Fire control did not differ greatly from the preceding Battleships, with numerous optical rangefinders and radar equipment for gunnery. Like on the Scharnhorst-class, the rangefinder mounted in A turret was removed during the winter of 1940/41, as spraywater caused it to be of little use in rough weather conditions.

Service

In the course of the warship's eight-month career under its sole commanding officer, Kapitän zur See Ernst Lindemann, Bismarck conducted only one offensive operation: Operation Rheinübung in May 1941. The ship, along with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, was to break into the Atlantic Ocean and raid Allied shipping from North America to Great Britain. The British Admiralty learned of the sortie and ordered several ships to patrol the three possible break-out points into the Atlantic. Bismarck and Prinz Eugen were detected moving into the Denmark Strait by the HMS Suffolk and Norfolk on 23 May 1941 at approximately 19:22. Bismarck, the lead ship, went to action stations and Captain Lindemann announced at 20:30 to the crew “Feind in Sicht an Backbord, Schiff nimmt Gefecht auf! (Enemy sighted to port. Engage!)”. Bismarck fired several salvos but failed to score a direct hit. Heavily outgunned, the British cruisers retired to a safe distance and shadowed the Bismarck until reinforcements could arrive. Due to heavy vibration from the main guns firing, Bismarck’s forward radar failed. Admiral Lütjens ordered Prinz Eugen to take the lead position and provide radar coverage.

The following morning, Prinz Eugen detected a ship by hydrophone and at 05:45 sighted two ships which were initially misidentified as cruisers. The two ships were, in fact, the battlecruiser HMS Hood, pride of the Royal Navy, and HMS Prince of Wales, the newest battleship in the British arsenal (she was so new that she still had a variety of shipyard personnel on board testing and maintaining her machinery). At 05:53 the British battleships opened fire on the two German ships. The British admiral on board Hood had intended on targeting Bismarck first, but due to the change in the German battle line Hood targeted Prinz Eugen instead. The German force — on the orders of Admiral Lütjens — did not open fire. After roughly two minutes of fire, Captain Lindemann grew tired of not being given the order to open fire and issued the following directive: "Ich lasse mir doch nicht mein Schiff unter dem Arsch wegschießen. Feuererlaubnis! (I'm not letting my ship get shot out from under my arse. Open fire!)". At 06:01, the fifth salvo fired by Bismarck at a range of 18,000 meters (20,000 yards) struck Hood near her mainmast. The 380mm (15-inch) shell plunged through her decks and caused a magazine detonation. The resulting explosion broke Hood into three sections; she sank in a mere three minutes, taking all but three of her crew with her.

Bismarck and Prinz Eugen then turned their attention to the bewildered Prince of Wales. During this part of the engagement, Bismarck landed seven hits and took three damaging hits in return. Prince of Wales disengaged from the battle and the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen continued their mission. This engagement of 24 May 1941 became known as the Battle of the Denmark Strait and was an unqualified disaster for the Royal Navy.

The damage caused to Bismarck dictated that she return for repairs and that Prinz Eugen continue on into the open Atlantic to commence raiding. It has been reported that Admiral Lütjens and Captain Lindemann argued about which port to return to, with Lindemann advocating a course back through the Denmark Strait to return to Bergen, Norway. Lütjens overruled him and ordered a Bismarck to make for Saint Nazaire, France.

The destruction of Hood spurred a relentless pursuit by the Royal Navy involving dozens of warships, with Prime Minister Winston Churchill demanding that the Bismarck be sunk. Two days later, heading for the relative safety of occupied France, Bismarck was attacked by obsolescent Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal; one scored a hit that rendered the battleship's steering gear inoperable. In her final battle the following morning, Bismarck was neutralized by a sustained bombardment from a British fleet led by the British battleships HMS King George V and HMS Rodney. Bismarck was eventually scuttled by her crew, and sank with heavy loss of life. Most experts agree that the battle damage would have caused her to sink eventually, regardless.

The remains of Bismarck lie beneath 15,800 feet (4,800 meters) of water approximately 400 miles (650 km) west of Brest, France. The wreck was located in June 1989 by famed naval archaeologist Robert Ballard, and has since been further surveyed by several other expeditions. An expedition led by filmmaker in 2002 noted that despite the torpedo damage to Bismarck’s outer hull, none of the torpedoes that struck her had actually penetrated her protective torpedo bulkhead.

Historical Inaccuracies

• Hull (B) is ahistorical; Bismarck’s anti-aircraft complement was never upgraded.
• The 37 mm Flak LM/42 anti-aircraft gun entered service in autumn 1943; Bismarck was sunk in May 1941.
• "The Last Conquest" camouflage has two large Iron Cross symbols on red banners on the deck of Bismarck, one on the bow and another on the stern. These markings were actually painted over prior to Operation Rheinübung. There is also no evidence that her turret roofs were painted yellow.

Historical Gallery

• 

  The wappen (coat of arms) of Bismarck.

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  Launching ceremony of Bismarck, 14 February 1939.

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  Bismarck on trials in the summer of 1940; the rangefinders had not yet been installed.

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  Bismarck in 1940.

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  Bismarck in port in Hamburg.

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  3D rendering of Bismarck during Operation Rheinübung, May 1941.

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  Bismarck in the Baltic Sea — as seen from Prinz Eugen — departing Gotenhafen (now Gdynia, Poland), 19 May 1941.

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  Bismarck, photographed from Prinz Eugen, in the Baltic at the outset of Operation Rheinübung, 19 May 1941.

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  A British aerial reconnaissance photo taken by Flying Officer Michael Suckling shows Bismarck anchored in Norway, 22 May 1941.

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  Bismarck as seen from Prinz Eugen during the Battle of the Denmark Strait, 24 May 1941.

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  Bismarck firing her main battery during the Battle of the Denmark Strait, 24 May 1941.

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  A Swordfish returns to HMS Ark Royal after making a torpedo attack against Bismarck.

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  HMS Rodney firing on Bismarck, which can be seen burning in the distance, 27 May 1941.

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  HMS Dorsetshire picking up survivors following the sinking of Bismarck, 27 May 1941.

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  Painting by Ken Marschall depicting Argo exploring the wreck. Famed naval archaeologist Robert Ballard discovered the wreck of Bismarck in June 1989.

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  A 150mm turret, similar to those installed as secondary batteries aboard Bismarck.

Video

References

1. German battleship Bismarck - Wikipedia
2. Bismarck-class battleship - Wikipedia
3. Chasing Bismarck - News - World of Warships
4. Dry Dock: Bismarck - News - World of Warships
5. Sabaton Pays Tribute to Bismarck - News - World of Warships
6. The History of Günther Lütjens - News - World of Warships
7. Bismarck. A musical tribute from Sabaton and World of Warships - World of Warships Official Channel - YouTube
8. Dry Dock: Bismarck - World of Warships Official Channel - YouTube
9. German Commander Günther Lütjens - World of Warships Official Channel - YouTube
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Lindemann
    
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCnther_L%C3%BCtjens

Ship Change Log

See here for links to Update notes.

• Available for testing by supertesters in the game starting from Update 0.5.9.
• Introduced into the game as a researchable ship in Update 0.5.10.
• Update 0.5.12:
  • Fixed display of navigation lights at low settings.
• Update 0.5.13:
  • In the text description of the armoring, the thickness of the citadel's armor was corrected.
• Update 0.5.14:
  • For permanent camouflage, the discount on ship maintenance was increased from 5% to 10%.
• Update 0.6.0:
  • Improved Hydroacoustic search was replaced with the standard one for Tier VIII ships.
• Update 0.6.6:
  • Improved appearance of the ship using a special technology for high-quality rendering of thin elements (mainly rigging).
• Update 0.6.8:
  • For 105-mm secondary battery shells, the chance of setting fire was reduced from 9% to 5%, and the damage from 1300 to 1200.
  • The range of the secondary battery was increased from 7 to 7.5 km.
• Update 0.6.12:
  • Detectability when firing main guns in smoke changed to 15.05 km.
  • Detection range of the Arado Ar.196 aircraft was increased from 4 km to 7 km in air, and to 8 km by sea.
• Update 0.6.14:
  • Improved display of thin elements. The changes do not affect the game balance in any way.
• Update 0.7.1:
  • Fixed textures for the Bismarck Hull (A).
• Update 0.7.10:
  • The range of the Hydroacoustic Search consumable was unified - 5 km for detecting ships, 3.5 km for detecting torpedoes.
• Update 0.8.5:
  • Credit earnings increased by 5%.
  • XP earnings increased by 5%.
• Update 0.8.6:
  • The armor penetration of the secondary high-explosive projectile was increased from 18 to 26 mm. With this change, the 105-mm secondary battery guns of German ships will be able to penetrate the plating of destroyers, cruisers, and battleships of Tier VI-VII.
• Update 0.8.11:
  • The main battery dispersion ellipse was adjusted to that ​​of American and British battleships.
• Update 0.9.5:
  • Small changes to geometry and textures.
• Update 0.10.0:
  • Increased accuracy of secondary battery guns.
  • The firing range of the secondary battery was increased to 7.6 km.
• Update 0.11.6:
  • Minor fixes to the model and textures of the ship.
• Update 0.11.11:
  • Minor updates to geometry and textures.
• Update 12.0:
  • Improved the geometry and textures of the Varg and "The Last Conquest" camoflauges.

Ships of Germany

Battleships