Bismarck Class Battleships

''Scharnhorst'' class battleships

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Contents Articles Bismarck class battleship

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Bismarck

11

Tirpitz

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References Article Sources and Contributors

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Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

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Article Licenses License

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Bismarck class battleship

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Bismarck class battleship

Bismarck in 1940 Class overview Name:

Bismarck class battleship

Operators:

Kriegsmarine

Preceded by:

Scharnhorst-class

Succeeded by:

H class battleship (planned)

Completed:

Bismarck, Tirpitz

Lost:

Bismarck, Tirpitz General characteristics

Type:

Battleship

Displacement:

•

Bismarck:

41700 t (41000 long tons; 46000 short tons) standard 50300 t (49500 long tons; 55400 short tons) full load •

Tirpitz:

42900 t (42200 long tons; 47300 short tons) standard 52600 t (51800 long tons; 58000 short tons) full load Length:

241.6 m (793 ft) waterline 251 m (823 ft) overall

Beam:

36 m (118 ft)

Draft:

9.3 m (31 ft) standard

Propulsion:

12 Wagner superheated boilers; 3 geared turbines; 3 three-blade propellers

[1]

•

[2]

Bismarck:.

150170 shp (111.98 MW) •

[2]

Tirpitz:.

163026 shp (121.568 MW) Speed:

30 knots (35 mph; 56 km/h)

Bismarck class battleship

2 Range:

•

Bismarck:

8525 nmi (15788 km; 9810 mi) at 19 kn (35 km/h; 22 mph) •

Tirpitz:

8870 nmi (16430 km; 10210 mi) at 19 kn Complement:

103 officers [3] 1,962 enlisted men

Armament:

8 × 38 cm (15 in) SK C/34 (4 × 2) 12 × 15 cm (5.9 in) (6 × 2) 16 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/33 (8 × 2) 16 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 (8 × 2) 20 × 2 cm (0.79 in) FlaK 30 (20 × 1)

Aircraft carried:

4 × Arado Ar 196

Aviation facilities: 1 double-ended catapult

The Bismarck class was a pair of battleships built by the German Kriegsmarine shortly before the outbreak of World War II. The ships were the largest warships built by the German Navy and the heaviest capital ships ever completed in Europe. Bismarck was laid down in July 1936 and completed in September 1940, while her sister Tirpitz's keel was laid in October 1936 and work finished in February 1941. The two ships were broadly similar to the World War I-era Bayern class, in that they mounted a similar main battery and were protected by a similar armour arrangement. Both ships had short service careers. Bismarck conducted only one operation, Operation Rheinübung, a sortie into the North Atlantic to raid supply convoys sent from North America to Great Britain. During the operation, she destroyed the British battlecruiser HMS Hood and damaged the new battleship Prince of Wales in the Battle of the Denmark Strait. After a three-day chase, the Royal Navy destroyed the ship; the exact cause of her loss is uncertain, due to claims by survivors from Bismarck that they scuttled their ship. Tirpitz's career was less dramatic; she was sent to Norwegian waters in 1942, where she acted as a fleet in being, threatening the convoys from Britain to the Soviet Union. She was repeatedly attacked by Royal Navy midget submarines and Royal Air Force bombers. Ultimately, Lancaster bombers hit the ship with three Tallboy bombs, which caused extensive internal damage and capsized the battleship. Tirpitz was broken up for scrap between 1948 and 1957. However, a large portion of the bow remains where it sank in 1944.

Bismarck class design A series of conceptual designs were begun in 1932 to determine the ideal characteristics of a battleship built to the 35000 long tons (36000 t) limit of the Washington Naval Treaty. These early studies determined that the ship should be armed with eight 33 cm (13 in) guns, have a top speed of 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph), and have strong armour protection.[4] The actual design work for what became the Bismarck class was begun in 1933 and continued until 1936.[5] In June 1935, Germany signed the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, which allowed Germany to build battleships at a ratio of 35 percent to the total tonnage of the Royal Navy.[6] At the time, France, which had begun a program of naval expansion, was viewed as the most likely threat, not Great Britain. As a result, Bismarck and Tirpitz were intended to counter the new French battleships being built at the time.[7] A series of questions needed to be answered during the design process, including the calibre of the main battery, the propulsion system, and armour protection.[8] The deciding factor for the adoption of 38 cm (15 in) guns for Bismarck and Tirpitz was the decision of the French Navy to arm its four Richelieu class ships then under construction with 38 cm pieces. It was decided that four twin turrets would provide the best solution to distribution of the main battery, as it would provide equal firepower forward and aft, as well as simplify fire control. The naval constructors examined diesel geared drive, steam drive, and turbo-electric drive engines; the last system was the preferred choice, as it had been extremely successful in the

Bismarck class battleship two American Lexington class aircraft carriers and the French passenger ship Normandie.[9] The design staff were also required to provide sufficient range to the new battleships; they would have to make long voyages from German ports to reach the Atlantic, and Germany had no overseas bases where the ships could refuel.[10] Due to the numerical inferiority of the German fleet and the assumption that naval battles would take place at relatively close range in the North Sea, the Bismarck design placed great emphasis on stability and armour protection. Very thick vertical belt armour was adopted, along with heavy upper-citadel armour plating and extensive splinter protection in the bow and stern of the ships.[8] The displacement of Bismarck and Tirpitz were limited by the capabilities of existing infrastructure in Kiel and Wilhelmshaven, and the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal. On 11 February 1937, the Construction Office informed Grossadmiral Erich Raeder that the ships could not displace more than 42000 long tons (43000 t) due to the constraints of the harbour and canal depths. The Office also expressed a preference for building a third vessel and remaining within the 35,000-ton treaty limit.[11] Admiral Werner Fuchs, the head of the General Command Office of the Oberkommando der Marine, advised Raeder and Adolf Hitler that a series of modifications would be necessary to reduce the displacement to ensure the new ships met the legal requirements of the London Naval Treaty. Japan, however, refused to sign the new treaty, and so on 1 April 1937 an escalator clause permitting treaty signatories to build ships up to a limit of 45000 long tons (46000 t) went into effect. The final design displacement of 41400 long tons (42100 t) was well within this limit, so Fuchs's modifications were discarded.[12]

General characteristics The Bismarck class battleships were 251 m (823 ft) long overall and 241.6 m (793 ft) long at the waterline. The ships had a beam of 36 m (118 ft), and a designed draft of 9.3 m (31 ft); the draft at standard displacement was 8.63 m (28.3 ft), and 9.9 m (32 ft) at a full load. The ships had a designed displacement of 45,950 metric tons; their standard displacement was 41,700 metric tons, and when fully laden, the ships displaced 50,300 metric tons. The ships had a double bottom for 83 percent of the length of the hull, and twenty-two watertight compartments. The ships were 90 percent welded construction.[5] The stern, however, was weakly constructed; this would have significant consequences on Bismarck's only combat mission.[13] The ships were very stable, primarily because of their wide beam. The ships suffered from only slight pitching and rolling, even in the heavy seas of the North Atlantic. Bismarck and Tirpitz were responsive to commands from the helm; they were capable of manoeuvring with rudder deflections as small as 5°. With the rudder completely over, the ships heeled only 3°, but lost up to 65% of their speed. However, the ships handled poorly at low speeds or when travelling in reverse. As a result, tugs were necessary in confined areas to avoid collisions or grounding. The ships had a standard crew of 103 officers and 1,962 enlisted sailors. The ships carried a number of smaller boats, including three picket boats, four barges, one launch, two pinnaces, two cutters, two yawls, and two dinghies.[14]

Propulsion The Bismarck class ships both had three sets of geared turbine engines; Bismarck was equipped with Blohm & Voss turbines, while Tirpitz used Brown, Boveri, and Co. engines. Each set of turbines drove a 3-bladed screw that was 4.7 m (15 ft) in diameter.[5] Robert Ballard, the discoverer of Bismarck, noted that the adoption of the three-shaft arrangement caused serious problems for Bismarck. The centre shaft weakened the keel, especially where it emerges from the hull. Ballard stated that a four-shaft arrangement would have allowed a greater ability to steer the ship using only propeller revolutions than the three-screw system.[15] At a full load, the high and medium-pressure turbines ran at 2,825 rpm, while the low-pressure turbines ran at 2,390 rpm. The ships' turbines were powered by twelve Wagner ultra high-pressure oil-burning boilers. The two ships had different fuel stores; Bismarck was designed to carry 3,200 tons of fuel oil, but could store up to 6,400 tons of fuel in a normal configuration; with extra fuel bunkers, the fuel carried could be increased up to 7,400 tons. Tirpitz was designed to carry 3,000 tons of fuel, and with additional bunkers, was able to store up to 7,780 tons. The

3

Bismarck class battleship

4

powerplant had a full power specific fuel consumption of .325 kg of fuel per hour; at 19 knots, Bismarck could steam for unknown operator: u',' nautical miles (unknown operator: u'strong'unknown operator: u','km), and Tirpitz had a maximum range of unknown operator: u',' nautical miles (unknown operator: u'strong'unknown operator: u','km).[5] The turbines were initially intended to use electric transmission, and would have produced unknown operator: u','unknown operator: u','unknown operator: u',' (unknown operator: u'strong'unknown operator: u','kW) apiece. However, the geared turbines were lighter, and as a result had a slight performance advantage. The geared turbines also had a significantly more robust construction.[2] The ships mounted eight 500 kW diesel generators arranged in four pairs, five 690 kW turbo-generators, and one 460 kW, the last of which was connected to a 400 kVA AC generator. Another 550 kVA diesel generator provided additional AC power. The electrical plant provided a total 7,910 kW at 220 volts.[14]

Armament Main battery Bismarck's and Tirpitz's main battery consisted of eight 38 cm (15 in) SK C/34 guns in four twin turrets, Anton and Bruno in a superfiring pair forward of the superstructure and Caesar and Dora aft.[16] The turrets allowed elevation to 30°, which gave the guns a maximum range of 36520 m (39940 yd). The guns fired 800 kg (1800 lb) projectiles at a muzzle velocity of 820 meters per second (2,690 ft/s).[17] The main battery was supplied with between 940–960 shells total, for approximately 115–120 shells per gun.[14] As with other German large-calibre naval rifles, these guns were designed by Krupp and featured sliding wedge breech blocks, which required brass cartridge cases for the propellant charges. Under optimal conditions, the rate of fire was one shot every 18 seconds, or three per minute.[18] The gun turrets were electrically trained and the guns were hydraulically elevated. Gun elevation was controlled remotely. The turrets required each gun to return to 2.5° elevation for loading.[19] Tirpitz was eventually provided with time-fuzed shells to combat the repeated Allied bombing attacks.[20] Secondary battery The ships' secondary battery consisted of twelve 15 cm (5.9 in) SK C/28 guns mounted in six twin turrets.[7] The 15 cm gun turrets were based on the single-gun turrets used aboard the Scharnhorst class. They could elevate to 40° and depress to −10°; they had a rate of fire of around six shots per minute.[20] The 15 cm guns fired a 45.3 kg (100 lb) shell at a muzzle velocity of 875 m/s (2,871 ft/s). At maximum elevation, the guns could hit targets out to 23000 m (25000 yd).[17] As with the main battery guns, Tirpitz's 15 cm guns were later supplied with time-fused shells.[20]

One of Bismarck's 15 cm gun turrets

The decision to mount low-angle 15 cm guns has been criticized by naval historians, including Anthony Preston, who stated that they "imposed a severe weight penalty", while American and British battleships were being armed with dual-purpose guns.[21] Naval historians William Garzke and Robert Dulin note that "the use of dual-purpose armament would have possibly increased the number of anti-aircraft guns, but might have weakened the defense against destroyer attack, which German naval experts deemed more important."[22]

Bismarck class battleship

5

Anti-aircraft battery As built, Bismarck and Tirpitz were equipped with an anti-aircraft battery of sixteen 10.5 cm (4.1 in) C/32 65-calibre guns in eight twin mounts, sixteen 3.7 cm (1.5 in) C/30 guns in eight dual mounts, twelve 2 cm (0.79 in) guns in individual mounts.[7] The 10.5 cm guns were the same weapons as used aboard the Scharnhorst class, and were mounted on the first superstructure deck. After Bismarck was sunk in 1941, two amidships guns on Tirpitz were moved forward so as to provide them with better fields of fire. The sixteen guns were guided by four fire-control directors, two just aft of the conning tower, a third positioned aft of the main mast, and the fourth directly behind turret Caesar. Tirpitz's directors were covered by protective domes, though Bismarck's were not.[23] The ships' 37 mm 83-calibre guns were twin mounted and placed in the superstructure. The mounts were hand-operated and automatically stabilized for roll and pitch.[24] These guns were supplied with a total of 32,000 rounds of ammunition. Bismarck and Tirpitz were initially armed with twelve 20 mm guns in single mounts, though these were augmented over time.[14] Bismarck received a pair of quadruple gun mountings, for a total of twenty 20 mm guns. Over the course of her career, Tirpitz's 20 mm battery was increased to 78 guns in single and quadruple mountings.[24]

Armour The Bismarck class ships had an armoured belt that ranged in thickness from 220 to 320 mm (8.7 to 13 in); the thickest section of armour covered the central portion, where the gun turrets, ammunition magazines, and machinery spaces were located. This portion of the belt was capped on either end by 220 mm thick transverse bulkheads. The ships had an upper deck that was 50 mm (2.0 in) thick, and an armoured deck that was between 100–120 mm (3.9–4.7 in) thick amidships, and tapered down to 60 mm (2.4 in) at the bow and 80 mm (3.1 in) at the stern.[5] The deck was mounted low in the hull, however, which reduced the volume of internal space protected by the armoured citadel. This contrasted with contemporary British and American designs that featured a single thick armoured deck mounted high in the ship.[13] The forward conning tower had a 200 mm (7.9 in) thick roof and 350 mm (14 in) thick sides, while the range finder had an armoured roof 100 mm (3.9 in) thick and 200 mm (7.9 in) thick sides. The aft conning tower had much lighter armour: the roof was 50 mm (2.0 in) thick and the sides were 150 mm (5.9 in), while the aft range finder had a 50 mm (2.0 in) thick roof and 100 mm (3.9 in) sides.[5] The main battery turrets were reasonably well-protected: the turret roofs were 130 mm (5.1 in) thick, the sides were 220 mm (8.7 in) thick, and the faces were 360 mm (14 in) thick with 220 mm (8.7 in) thick shields.[5] However, these armour thicknesses were less than those of contemporary British (King George V) and French (Richelieu) designs. Conversely, the secondary battery was better-protected than most rivals.[25] The 15 cm (5.9 in) gun turrets had 35 mm (1.4 in) thick roofs, 40 mm (1.6 in) sides, and 100 mm (3.9 in) fronts. The 10.5 cm (4.1 in) guns had 20 mm (0.79 in) shields.[5]

Construction Bismarck was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard on 1 July 1936.[7] The ship was assigned construction number 509, and the contract name Ersatz Hannover, as a replacement for the old battleship Hannover.[5] The ship was launched on 14 February 1939, with Adolf Hitler in attendance. The granddaughter of the ship's namesake, Otto von Bismarck, christened the ship.[26] As with other German capital ships, Bismarck was originally built with a straight bow. Experiences with other ships, however, revealed the necessity of a clipper bow, which was installed on Bismarck during the fitting-out process.[27] The

Tirpitz being launched

Bismarck class battleship

6

ship was commissioned into the fleet on 24 August 1940, with Kapitän zur See Ernst Lindemann in command. Three weeks later, the ship left Hamburg for trials in the Baltic Sea, before returning in December for final fitting-out work. Further trials and tests were conducted in the Baltic in March and April; Bismarck was placed on active status the following month.[28] Tirpitz's keel was laid at the Kriegsmarine dockyard in Wilhelmshaven on 20 October 1936,[7] under construction number 128. She had been ordered under the contract name Ersatz Schleswig-Holstein to replace the obsolete battleship Schleswig-Holstein.[5] Tirpitz was named for Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the High Seas Fleet before World War I. His daughter, Frau von Hassel, christened the ship on 1 April 1939. Fitting out work lasted until February 1941;[29] Tirpitz was commissioned into the fleet on the 25 February.[14] A series of trials were then conducted, first in the North Sea and then in the Baltic.[30]

Service history Bismarck After Bismarck joined the fleet, plans were drawn up for a sortie into the North Atlantic. The operation initially called for a force composed of Bismarck, Tirpitz, and the two Scharnhorst class battleships. Tirpitz was not yet ready for service by May 1941, and Scharnhorst was being overhauled. The force was reduced to Bismarck, Gneisenau, and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen. Gneisenau, however, was damaged by a British bombing raid on the port of Brest, so it was decided that only Bismarck and Prinz Eugen would conduct the operation. Admiral Günther Lütjens was placed in command of the pair of ships.[28]

Bismarck in September 1940

Early on the morning of 19 May, Bismarck left Gotenhafen, bound for the North Atlantic.[31] While on the trip through the Danish Belt, Bismarck and Prinz Eugen encountered the Swedish cruiser HMS Gotland; the sighting was passed through the Swedish Navy to the British naval attaché in Stockholm.[32] The British Royal Air Force conducted aerial reconnaissance of the Norwegian fjord in which Bismarck and Prinz Eugen had stopped to confirm the sighting. While in Norway, Admiral Lütjens inexplicably failed to replenish the approximately 1000 long tons (1000 t) of fuel Bismarck had spent on the first leg of the voyage.[33] By 23 May, Bismarck and Prinz Eugen had reached the Denmark Strait. That evening, the British cruisers Suffolk and Norfolk briefly engaged Bismarck before dropping back to shadow the German ships.[34] At 06:00 the following morning, observers aboard Bismarck spotted the masts of the battlecruiser Hood and the new battleship Prince of Wales.[35] The British ships steamed directly towards Bismarck and Prinz Eugen, before attempting a turn to bring the two forces on a roughly parallel course. During the turn, at least one of Bismarck after the battle with Hood and Prince of Bismarck's 38 cm shells penetrated one of the aft ammunition Wales magazines aboard Hood, which caused a catastrophic explosion and destroyed the ship.[36] There were only three survivors from Hood's crew of 1,421. The German ships then concentrated their fire on Prince of Wales, which was forced to withdraw. Bismarck, however, did not emerge unscathed; a direct hit on her bow from Prince of Wales caused Bismarck to take in some 2000 long tons (2000 t) of water. The ship was also leaking oil, which made it easier for the British to track her.[37]

Bismarck class battleship After retreating, Prince of Wales joined Norfolk and Suffolk; the ships briefly engaged Bismarck at around 18:00 that same day. Neither side scored a hit.[38] By this time, 19 warships were involved in the chase.[39] This included six battleships and battlecruisers and two aircraft carriers, along with a number of cruisers and destroyers.[40] After the second engagement with Prince of Wales, Lütjens detached Prinz Eugen to continue the operation while Bismarck sailed for port.[41] Shortly before midnight on the 24 May, a group of Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers from 825 Naval Air Squadron on Victorious attacked Bismarck. One torpedo struck the ship amidships, though without doing any serious damage. The shock from the explosion, coupled with Bismarck's manoeuvring at high speed, did damage the temporary repairs that had stopped the flooding from the earlier battle damage. Her speed was reduced to 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph) to slow the flooding while repair teams fixed the reopened wounds.[42] Early on the 25 May, Bismarck doubled back past her pursuers in a wide circle. The manoeuvre successfully shook off the British ships, which turned west in an attempt to find the ship. Despite the manoeuvre, Admiral Lütjens was unaware that he had evaded the British, and so sent a series of radio transmissions, which were intercepted by the British and used to gain a rough fix on his position.[40] Due to the damage his ship had sustained, Lütjens decided to make occupied France rather than continue his mission. On the morning of 26 May, a Coastal Command PBY Catalina flying boat spotted Bismarck some 690 nmi (1280 km; 790 mi) to the north-west of Brest; she was steaming at a speed that would put her under the protective umbrella of German aircraft and U-boats within Survivors attempting to climb aboard 24 hours. The only British forces close enough to slow her down were the HMS Dorsetshire aircraft carrier Ark Royal and her escort, the battlecruiser Renown.[43] At approximately 20:30, a flight of fifteen Ark Royal's 820 Naval Air Squadrons Swordfish torpedo bombers launched an attack on Bismarck. Three torpedoes were believed to have struck the ship; the first two torpedoes failed to do serious damage to the ship, but the third hit jammed Bismarck's rudders hard to starboard. The damage could not be repaired, and the battleship began turning in a large circle, back towards her pursuers.[40] An hour after the Swordfish attack, Lütjens transmitted the following signal to Naval Group Command West: "Ship unable to manoeuvre. We will fight to the last shell. Long live the Führer."[44] At 08:47 the following morning, the battleship Rodney opened fire, followed directly by King George V.[45] Bismarck replied three minutes later, though at 09:02 a 16 inch shell from Rodney destroyed the forward turrets.[46] A half an hour later, Bismarck's rear turrets were silenced as well.[47] At around 10:15, both British battleships had ceased fire, their target a burning wreck. The British were running dangerously low on fuel, but Bismarck had not yet been sunk. The cruiser Dorsetshire fired several torpedoes into the crippled ship, which then took on a severe list to port. At approximately the same time as Dorsetshire's attack, engine room crew detonated scuttling charges in the engine rooms.[48] There is still significant debate as to the direct cause of Bismarck's sinking. Regardless, only 110 men were rescued by the British before reports of U-boats forced them from the scene.[49] A further five men were rescued by German vessels.[50]

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Bismarck class battleship

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Tirpitz Tirpitz's first action following her commissioning into the Kriegsmarine was to act as a deterrent to a possible Soviet attempt to break out their Baltic Fleet following the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The ship was joined by the heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer and the light cruisers Leipzig, Nürnberg, and Köln. The force patrolled off the Aland Islands for a few days before returning to Kiel.[51] On 14 January, Tirpitz left German waters for Norway, arriving on the 17th.[52] Tirpitz and several destroyers off the Norwegian

On 6 March, Tirpitz, escorted by three destroyers, launched a raid on coast the British convoys to the Soviet Union.[51] The Germans attempted to intercept convoys PQ-12 and QP-8,[52] but the inclement weather prevented them from finding the convoys.[51] The British, however, managed to locate Tirpitz. The aircraft carrier Victorious launched a strike composed of twelve Fairey Albacore torpedo bombers. The aircraft were repulsed without having scored any hits on the German ships. Tirpitz and the destroyers were back in port by 12 March.[52] The close call prompted Hitler to mandate that Tirpitz was not to attack another convoy unless its escorting aircraft carrier were sunk or disabled.[53] Over the next two months, the British RAF launched a series of unsuccessful bombing raids against Tirpitz while she was moored in the Faettenfjord. The first, composed of 34 Handley Page Halifax bombers, took place on 31 March. Two followed closely in succession a month later, on 28 and 29 April. The first attack was conducted by 43 Halifax and Avro Lancaster bombers, the second by 34 Halifax and Lancaster.[52] A combination of heavy German anti-aircraft fire and poor weather caused all three missions to fail.[51] Over the summer and into late 1942, Tirpitz underwent a refit in the Faettenfjord, which lacked dockyard facilities of any type. As a result, the work was done incrementally; a large caisson was built to allow the rudders to be replaced.[54] Naval historians William Garzke and Robert Dulin stated that "the repairs to this ship were one of the most difficult naval engineering feats of World War II."[55] In January 1943, Tirpitz emerged from the lengthy overhaul, after which she was transferred to Altafjord. Here, she participated in extensive training operations with Scharnhorst and the heavy cruiser Lützow, which lasted until the middle of the year.[56] In early September, Tirpitz, Scharnhorst, and ten destroyers bombarded the island of Spitzbergen, which served as a British refuelling station. The two battleships destroyed their targets and returned safely to Altenfjord; this was the first time Tirpitz fired her main guns in anger.[57] On 22–23 September, however, six British midget submarines attacked Tirpitz while at anchor. Two of the submarines successfully planted explosive charges against the battleship's hull, which did serious damage. Tirpitz had been successfully neutralized.[56] Over the next six months, a workforce of some 1,000 men effected the needed repairs, which were finally finished by March 1944.[58]

Tirpitz under attack by Barracuda bombers on 3 April

The British resumed the series of air attacks almost immediately after repairs were completed. On 3 April, the Royal Navy launched Operation Tungsten, during which 40 fighters and 40 Barracuda bombers from six carriers attacked the ship. They scored 15 direct hits and two near misses, which caused heavy damage, killed 122 men, and wounded 316 more. The Royal Navy attempted to repeat the attack three weeks later on the 24th, but had to call the operation off due to inclement weather. Operation Brawn, another carrier-launched attack, followed on 15 May, but again weather interfered. Another carrier strike was attempted on 28 May, but it too was canceled due to poor

Bismarck class battleship weather conditions. Operation Mascot, which was to be conducted by Victorious, Furious, and Indefatigable on 17 July, was canceled due to heavy fog.[59] The Royal Navy launched the Operation Goodwood series in late August. Goodwood I took place on 22 August, with 38 bombers and 43 fighters from five carriers. The attackers failed to score any hits, however. Goodwood III followed two days later, with 48 bombers and 29 fighters from Formidable, Furious, and Indefatigable. The bombers made two hits on the ship, which did only minor damage. The last Royal Navy operation, Goodwood IV, followed on 29 August. Thirty-four bombers and 25 fighters, launched from Formidable and Indefatigable, attacked the ship, though fog prevented them from scoring any hits.[59] The task of sinking Tirpitz now fell to the RAF, which performed three airstrikes armed with new 5400 kg (12000 lb) Tallboy bombs.[59] The first attack, Operation Paravane, came on 15 September, when a force of 27 Lancasters dropped a single Tallboy each; the bombers succeeded in hitting Tirpitz directly in the bow with one of the bombs. The bomb completed penetrated the ship and exploded directly under her keel. This caused some 1500 t (1500 long tons; 1700 short tons) of water to flood the ship; Tirpitz had again been disabled.[60] A month later, on 15 October, Tirpitz was moved to Haaköy Island off Tromsø to be used as a floating artillery battery. Two weeks later, on 29 October, the British launched Operation Obviate, which consisted of 32 Lancaster bombers. Only a near miss was achieved, though it caused Tirpitz to take in more water. The last attack, Operation Catechism, took place on 12 November. Thirty-two Lancasters attacked the ship and scored a pair of direct hits and a near miss. The bombs detonated one of Tirpitz's ammunition magazines and caused the ship to capsize. Casualties were high: 1,204 men were killed in the attack. Another 806 men managed to escape the sinking ship, and a further 82 were eventually rescued from the capsized hulk.[52] The wreck was gradually broken up for scrap between 1948 and 1957.[61]

Notes Footnotes [1] Bismarck's draft at full load was 9.9 m (32 ft), while Tirpitz's was 10.6 m (35 ft). See: Gröner, p. 33 [2] Gröner, pp. 33–35 [3] Crews could be augmented up to 108 officers and 2,500 enlisted men. See: Gröner, p. 35 [4] Garzke & Dulin, p. 203 [5] Gröner, p. 33 [6] Maiolo, pp. 35–36 [7] Sturton, p. 44 [8] Garzke & Dulin, pp. 204–205 [9] Garkze & Dulin, p. 204 [10] Garzke & Dulin, pp. 205–206 [11] Garzke & Dulin, p. 206 [12] Garzke & Dulin, p. 208 [13] Preston, p. 151 [14] Gröner, p. 35 [15] Ballard, p. 232 [16] Gröner, pp. 34–35 [17] Garzke & Dulin, p. 275 [18] Garzke & Dulin, p. 274 [19] Garzke & Dulin, p. 278 [20] Garzke & Dulin, p. 279 [21] Preston, p. 152 [22] Garzke & Dulin, p. 297 [23] Garzke & Dulin, p. 280 [24] Garzke & Dulin, p. 282 [25] Breyer (1973), p. 300 [26] Williamson, p. 21 [27] Williamson, pp. 21–22 [28] Williamson, p. 22 [29] Williamson, p. 35

9

Bismarck class battleship [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] [50] [51]

Williamson, pp. 35–36 Bercuson & Herwig, p. 63 Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 65–67 Bercuson & Herwig, p. 71 Williamson, p. 23 Williamson, pp. 23–24 Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 147–153 Williamson, p. 24 Garzke & Dulin, p. 227 Garzke & Dulin, p. 229 Williamson, p. 33 Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 176–177 Garzke & Dulin, pp. 229–230 Garzke & Dulin, p. 233 Bercuson & Herwig, p. 266 Bercuson & Herwig, p. 288 Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 289–290 Bercuson & Herwig, p. 291 Garzke & Dulin, pp. 245–246 Williamson, pp. 34–35 Garzke & Dulin, p. 246 Williamson, p. 36

[52] [53] [54] [55] [56] [57] [58] [59] [60] [61]

Breyer (1989), p. 25 Garzke & Dulin, p. 253 Garzke & Dulin, p. 255 Garzke & Dulin, p. 256 Williamson, p. 37 Garzke & Dulin, p. 258 Williamson, pp. 37–38 Breyer (1988), p. 26 Williamson, p. 39 Sturton, p. 45

Citations

References • Ballard, Robert (2007). Robert Ballard's Bismarck. Edison, NJ: Chartwell Books. ISBN 9780785822059. • Bercuson, David J.; Herwig, Holger H. (2003). The Destruction of the Bismarck. New York: The Overlook Press. ISBN 1585673978. • Breyer, Siegfried (1973). Battleships and Battle Cruisers 1905–1970. New York: Doubleday. • Breyer, Siegfried (1989). Battleship "Tirpitz". West Chester, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd.. ISBN 0887401848. • Garzke, William H.; Dulin, Robert O. (1985). Battleships: Axis and Neutral Battleships in World War II. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9780870211010. • Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships: 1815–1945. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-790-9. OCLC 22101769. • Maiolo, Joseph (1998). The Royal Navy and Nazi Germany, 1933–39 A Study in Appeasement and the Origins of the Second World War. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 0312214561. • Preston, Anthony (2002). The World's Worst Warships. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0851777546. • Sturton, Ian, ed (1987). Conway's All the World's Battleships: 1906 to the Present. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0851774482. OCLC 246548578. • Williamson, Gordon (2003). German Battleships 1939–45. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781841764986.

10

Bismarck

11

Bismarck

Bismarck in 1940 Career Namesake:

Otto von Bismarck

Builder:

Blohm & Voss, Hamburg

Laid down:

1 July 1936

Launched:

14 February 1939

Commissioned:

24 August 1940

Fate:

Sunk, 27 May 1941 in the North Atlantic 48°10′N 16°12′W General characteristics

Type:

Battleship

Displacement:

41700 t (41000 long tons; 46000 short tons) standard 50300 t (49500 long tons; 55400 short tons) full load

Length:

241.6 m (793 ft) waterline 251 m (823 ft) overall

Beam:

36 m (118 ft)

Draft:

9.3 m (31 ft) standard

Propulsion:

12 Wagner superheated boilers; 3 geared turbines; 3 three-blade screws 150170 shp (111.98 MW)

Speed:

30.01 knots (34.53 mph; 55.58 km/h) during trials

Range:

8870 nmi (16430 km; 10210 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)

Complement:

103 officers 1,962 enlisted men

Armament:

8 × 38 cm (15 in) SK C/34 (4 × 2) 12 × 15 cm (5.9 in) (6 × 2) 16 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/33 (8 × 2) 16 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 (8 × 2) 12 × 2 cm (0.79 in) FlaK 30 (12 × 1)

[1]

[5] [2]

Bismarck

12 Armor:

Belt: 320 mm (13 in) Turrets: 360 mm (14 in) Main deck: 100 to 120 mm (3.9 to 4.7 in)

Aircraft carried:

4 × Arado Ar 196 floatplanes

Aviation facilities: 1 double-ended catapult

Bismarck was the first of two Bismarck-class battleships built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the primary force behind the German unification in 1871, the ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1936 and launched nearly three years later in April 1939. Work was completed in August 1940, when she was commissioned into the German fleet. Along with her sister ship Tirpitz, Bismarck was the largest battleship ever built by Germany, and the heaviest built by any European power. Bismarck conducted only one offensive operation, codenamed Rheinübung, in May 1941. The ship, along with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, was to break out into the Atlantic Ocean and raid Allied shipping from North America to Great Britain. The two ships were detected several times off Scandinavia, however, and British naval units were deployed to block their route. At the Battle of Denmark Strait, Bismarck engaged and destroyed the battlecruiser HMS Hood, the pride of the Royal Navy, and forced the battleship HMS Prince of Wales to retreat with heavy damage, although Bismarck herself had been hit three times and suffered an oil leak from a ruptured tank. The destruction of Hood spurred a relentless pursuit by the Royal Navy with dozens of warships involved. Two days later, while steaming for the relative safety of occupied France, Bismarck was attacked by Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal; one hit was scored that jammed the battleship's steering gear and rendered her unmanoeuvrable. The following morning, Bismarck was destroyed by a pair of British battleships. The cause of her sinking is disputed: some in the Royal Navy claim that torpedoes fired by the cruiser HMS Dorsetshire administered the fatal blow, while German survivors argue that they scuttled the ship. In June 1989, Robert Ballard discovered the location of Bismarck's wreck. Several other expeditions have surveyed the sunken battleship in an effort to document more completely the condition of the ship and to determine the cause of the ship's loss.

Construction and characteristics

3D Rendering of Bismarck, as it appeared during Operation Rheinübung

Bismarck was ordered as Ersatz Hannover as a replacement for the old pre-dreadnought SMS Hannover, under the contract name "F".[5] The Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg was awarded the contract, where the keel was laid on 1 July 1936.[3] The hull was launched on 1 April 1939; during the elaborate ceremonies, the ship was christened by the granddaughter of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the ship's namesake. Fitting-out out work followed her launch, during which time her original straight stem was replaced with a raked "Atlantic bow" similar to the Scharnhorst-class battleships.[4] Bismarck was commissioned into the fleet on 24 August 1940 for sea trials,[5] which were conducted in the Baltic. Kapitän zur See Ernst Lindemann took command of the ship at the time of her commissioning.[6]

Bismarck displaced 41700 t (41000 long tons) as built and 50300 t (49500 long tons) fully loaded, with an overall length of 251 m (823 ft 6 in), a beam of 36 m (118 ft 1 in) and a maximum draft of 9.9 m (32 ft 6 in).[5] She was the largest battleship built by Germany, as well as the heaviest battleship built by a European navy.[7] She was powered by three Blohm & Voss geared steam turbines, which developed a total of 150170 shaft horsepower ( kW) and yielded a maximum speed of 30.01 kn (55.58 km/h; 34.53 mph) on speed trials.[5] Her standard crew numbered 103 officers and 1,962 enlisted men.[5] Bismarck was equipped with three FuMO 23 radar sets, mounted on the forward

Bismarck and stern range-finders and the ship's foretop.[8] She was armed with eight 38 cm (15 in) L/52 guns arranged in four twin gun turrets: two super-firing turrets forward—Anton and Bruno—and two aft—Caesar and Dora. Her secondary armament consisted of twelve 15 cm (5.9 in) L/55 guns, sixteen 10.5 cm (4.1 in) L/65 and sixteen 3.7 cm (1.5 in) L/83, and twelve 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft guns.[5] The ship's main belt was 320 mm (13 in) thick and was covered by a pair of upper and main armoured decks that were 50 mm (2.0 in) and 100 to 120 mm (3.9 to 4.7 in) thick, respectively. The 38 cm turrets were protected by 360 mm (14 in) thick faces and 220 mm (8.7 in) thick sides.[5]

Service history On 15 September 1940, three weeks after her commissioning, Bismarck left Hamburg to begin sea trials in Kiel Bay.[9] Sperrbrecher 13 escorted the ship to Arcona on 28 September, and then on to Gotenhafen for trials in the Gulf of Danzig.[10] The ship's power-plant was given a thorough workout; Bismarck made measured-mile and high speed runs. Her stability and maneuverability were also tested; during these tests, a flaw in the ship's design was discovered. While attempting to steer the ship solely through altering propeller Bismarck in port in Hamburg revolutions, the crew learned that the ship could be kept on course only with great difficulty. Even with the outboard screws running at full power in opposite directions, they generated only a slight turning ability.[11] Trials lasted until December; Bismarck returned to Hamburg, arriving on 9 December, for minor alterations and the final completion of the out-fitting process.[9] The ship was scheduled to return to Kiel on 24 January 1941, but a merchant vessel had been sunk in the Kiel Canal and prevented usage of the waterway. Severe weather hampered efforts to remove the wreck, and Bismarck was not able to make the passage to Kiel until March.[9] The delay greatly frustrated KzS Lindemann, who remarked that "[Bismarck] had been tied down at Hamburg for five weeks...the precious time at sea lost as a result cannot be made up, and a significant delay in the final war deployment of the ship thus is unavoidable."[12] While waiting to make the voyage to Kiel, Bismarck hosted a visit by Captain Anders Forshell, the Swedish naval attaché to Berlin. He returned to Sweden with a detailed description of the ship, which was subsequently leaked to Britain by pro-British elements in the Swedish Navy; this gave the Royal Navy its first full picture of the vessel, although it lacked specificity on important information, including top speed, radius of action, and displacement.[13] On 6 March, Bismarck received the order to steam to Kiel. While en route, the ship was escorted by several Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters and a pair of armed merchant vessels, along with an icebreaker. At 8:45 on 8 March, Bismarck briefly ran aground on the southern shore of the Kiel Canal, though she was freed within an hour. The battleship reached Kiel the following day, where her crew stocked ammunition, fuel, and other supplies and applied a coat of dazzle paint to camouflage her from aerial observers. British bombers attacked the Bismarck on trials; note the lack of rangefinders, harbour without success on 12 March.[14] On 17 March, the old which have not yet been installed battleship Schlesien, now used as an icebreaker, escorted Bismarck through the ice to Gotenhafen, where the latter continued combat readiness training.[15] The Oberkommando der Marine (OKM, German: Naval High Command), commanded by Admiral Erich Raeder, intended to continue the practice of using heavy ships as surface raiders against Allied merchant traffic in the Atlantic Ocean. The two Scharnhorst-class battleships were based in Brest, France at the time, having just completed

13

Bismarck

14

Operation Berlin, a major raid into the Atlantic. Bismarck's sistership Tirpitz rapidly approached completion. Bismarck and Tirpitz were to sortie from the Baltic and rendezvous with the two Scharnhorst class ships in the Atlantic; the operation was initially scheduled for around 25 April 1941, when a new moon period would make conditions more favourable.[16] Work on Tirpitz was completed later than anticipated, however, and she was not commissioned until 25 February; the ship would not be ready for combat until late in the year. To further complicate the situation, Gneisenau was torpedoed while in Brest and damaged further by bombs when in the drydock. Scharnhorst required a boiler overhaul following Operation Berlin; the workers discovered during the overhaul that the boilers were in worse condition than expected. She would also be unavailable for the planned sortie.[17] Attacks by British bombers on supply depots in Kiel delayed repairs on the heavy cruisers Admiral Scheer and Admiral Hipper. The two ships would not be ready for action until July–August.[18] Admiral Günther Lütjens, the officer chosen to lead the operation, wished to delay the operation until at least either Scharnhorst or Tirpitz would be ready.[19] Regardless, the OKM decided to proceed with the operation, codenamed Operation Rheinübung, with a force consisting of only Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen.[17]

Operation Rheinübung On 5 May, Adolf Hitler, Wilhelm Keitel, and a large entourage arrived to view Bismarck and Tirpitz in Gotenhafen. The men were given an extensive tour of the ships, after which Hitler met with Lütjens to discuss the upcoming mission.[20] On the 16 May, Lütjens reported that Bismarck and Prinz Eugen were fully prepared for Operation Rheinübung; he was therefore ordered to proceed with the mission on the evening of 19 May.[21] As part of the operational plans, a group of eighteen supply ships would be positioned to support Bismarck and Prinz Eugen. Four U-boats would be placed along the convoy routes between Halifax and Britain to scout for the raiders.[22]

Bismarck, photographed from Prinz Eugen, in the Baltic at the outset of Operation Rheinübung

By the start of the operation, Bismarck's crew had increased to 2,221 officers and enlisted men. This included an admiral's staff of nearly 65 and a prize crew of 80 sailors, which could be used to crew transports captured during the mission. At 02:00 on 19 May, Bismarck departed Gotenhafen and made for the Danish straits. She was joined at 11:25 by Prinz Eugen, which had departed the previous night at 21:18, off Cape Arkona.[23] The two ships were escorted by three destroyers—Hans Lody, Friedrich Eckoldt, and Z23—and a flotilla of minesweepers.[24] The Luftwaffe provided air cover during the voyage out of German waters.[25] At around noon on 20 May, Lindemann informed the ship's crew via loudspeaker of the ship's mission. At approximately the same time, group of ten or twelve Swedish aircraft flying reconnaissance encountered the German force and reported its composition and heading, though the Germans did not notice the Swedish aircraft.[26] An hour later, the German flotilla encountered the Swedish cruiser HMS Gotland; the cruiser shadowed the Germans for two hours in the Kattegat.[27] Gotland transmitted a report to naval headquarters, stating: "Two large ships, three destroyers, five escort vessels, and 10–12 aircraft passed Marstrand, course 205°/20'."[25] The OKM was not concerned about the security risk posed by Gotland, though both Lütjens and Lindemann believed operational security had been lost.[27] The report eventually made its way to Captain Henry Denham, the British naval attaché to Sweden, who transmitted the information to the Admiralty.[28] The code-breakers at Bletchley Park confirmed that an Atlantic raid was imminent, as they had decrypted reports that Bismarck and Prinz Eugen had taken on prize crews and requested additional navigational charts from headquarters. A pair of Supermarine Spitfires were ordered to search the Norwegian coast for the German flotilla.[29] German aerial reconnaissance confirmed that one aircraft carrier, three battleships, and four cruisers remained at anchor in the main British naval base at Scapa Flow, which confirmed to Lütjens that the British were at that point

Bismarck

15

unaware of his operation. On the evening of 20 May, Bismarck and the rest of the flotilla reached the Norwegian coast; the minesweepers were detached and the two raiders and their destroyer escorts continued north. The following morning, radio-intercept officers on board Prinz Eugen picked up a signal ordering British reconnaissance aircraft to search for two battleships and three destroyers northbound off the Norwegian coast.[30] At 7:00 on the 21st, the Germans spotted four unidentified aircraft, though they quickly departed. Shortly after 12:00, the flotilla reached Bergen and anchored at Grimstadfjord. While there, the ships' crews painted over the Baltic camouflage with the standard "outboard gray" worn by German warships operating in the Atlantic.[31]

Aerial reconnaissance photo taken by Flying Officer Michael Suckling of Bismarck anchored in Norway

While in Norway, a pair of Bf 109 fighters circled over Bismarck to protect her from British air attacks. Nevertheless, Flying Officer Michael Suckling managed to fly his Spitfire directly over the German flotilla at a height of 8000 m (26000 ft) and snap several photos of Bismarck and her consorts.[32] Upon receipt of the information, Admiral John Tovey ordered the battlecruiser HMS Hood, the newly commissioned battleship Prince of Wales, and six destroyers to reinforce the pair of cruisers patrolling the Denmark Strait. The rest of the Home Fleet was placed on high alert in Scapa Flow. Eighteen bombers were dispatched to attack the Germans, but weather over the fjord had worsened and they were unable to find the German warships.[33]

Bismarck failed to replenish her fuel stores while anchored in Norway, as her operational orders did not require her to do so. She had left port 200 t (200 long tons; 220 short tons) short of a full load, and had since expended another 1000 t (980 long tons; 1100 short tons) on the voyage from Gotenhafen. Prinz Eugen, meanwhile, took on 764 t (752 long tons; 842 short tons) of fuel.[34] At 19:30 on 21 May, Bismarck, Prinz Eugen, and the three escorting destroyers left Bergen.[35] By midnight, the force was in the open sea and headed toward the Arctic Ocean. At this time, Admiral Raeder finally informed Hitler of the operation, who reluctantly gave his consent to continue the raid. The three escorting destroyers were detached at 04:14 on 22 May, while the force steamed off Trondheim. At around 12:00, Lütjens ordered his two ships to turn toward the Denmark Strait to attempt the breakout into the open waters of the Atlantic.[36] By 04:00 on 23 May, Lütjens ordered Bismarck and Prinz Eugen to increase speed to 27 kn (50 km/h; 31 mph) to make the dash through the Denmark Strait.[37] Upon entering the Strait, both ships activated their FuMo radar detection equipment sets.[38] Bismarck led Prinz Eugen by about 700 m (770 yd); mist reduced visibility to 3000 to 4000 m (3300 to 4400 yd). The Germans encountered some ice at around 10:00, which necessitated a reduction in speed to 24 kn (44 km/h; 28 mph). Two hours later, the pair had reached a point north of Iceland. The ships were forced to zigzag to avoid ice floes. At 19:22, hydrophone and radar operators aboard the German warships detected the cruiser HMS Suffolk at a range of approximately 12500 m (13700 yd).[37] Prinz Eugen's radio-intercept team decrypted the radio signals being sent by Suffolk and learned that their location had indeed been reported.[39] Admiral Lütjens gave permission for Prinz Eugen to engage Suffolk, though the captain of the German cruiser could not clearly make out his target and so held his ship's fire.[40] Suffolk quickly retreated to a safe distance and shadowed the German ships. At 20:30, the heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk joined Suffolk, but approached the German raiders too closely. Lütjens ordered his ships to engage the British cruiser; Bismarck fired five salvoes, three of which straddled Norfolk and rained shell splinters on her decks. The cruiser laid a smoke screen and fled into a fog bank, ending the brief engagement. The concussion from the 38 cm guns firing disabled Bismarck's FuMo 23 radar set; this prompted Lütjens to order Prinz Eugen to take station ahead so she could use her functioning radar to scout for the formation.[41]

Bismarck At around 22:00, Lütjens ordered Bismarck to make a 180-degree turn in an effort to surprise the two heavy cruisers shadowing him. Although Bismarck was visually obscured in a rain squall, Suffolk's radar quickly detected the manoeuvre, allowing the cruiser to evade Bismarck.[42] The cruisers remained in their stations through the night, continually relaying the location and bearing of the German ships. The harsh weather broke on the morning of 24 May, revealing a clear sky. At 05:07 that morning, hydrophone operators aboard Prinz Eugen detected a pair of unidentified vessels approaching the German formation at a range of 20 nmi (37 km; 23 mi), reporting "Noise of two fast-moving turbine ships at 280° relative bearing!".[43] Battle of the Denmark Strait At 05:45, lookouts on the German ships spotted smoke on the horizon; these turned out to be from Hood and Prince of Wales, under the command of Vice Admiral Lancelot Holland. Lütjens ordered his ships' crews to battle stations. By 05:52, the range had fallen to 26000 m (28000 yd) and Hood opened fire, followed by Prince of Wales a minute later.[44] Hood engaged Prinz Eugen, which the British thought to be Bismarck, while Prince of Wales fired on Bismarck.[45] Adalbert Schneider, the first gunnery officer aboard Bismarck, twice requested permission to return fire from Lütjens, who hesitated.[46] Lindemann intervened, muttering "I will not let my ship be shot out from under my ass."[47] He demanded permission to fire from Lütjens, who relented and at 05:55 ordered his ships to engage the British.[47] The British ships approached the German ships head on, which permitted them to use only their forward guns, while Bismarck and Prinz Eugen could fire full broadsides. Several minutes after opening fire, Holland ordered a 20° turn to port, which would allow his ships to engage with their rear gun turrets. Both German ships concentrated their fire on Hood; about a minute after opening fire, Prinz Eugen scored a hit with a high-explosive 20.3 cm (8.0 in) shell; the explosion detonated Unrotated Projectile ammunition and started a large fire, Bismarck as seen from Prinz Eugen after the which was quickly extinguished.[48] After firing three four-gun salvos, Battle of the Denmark Strait Schneider had zeroed in the range to Hood; he immediately ordered rapid-fire salvos from Bismarck's eight 38 cm guns. He also ordered the ship's 15 cm secondary guns to engage Prince of Wales. Holland then ordered a second 20° turn to port, to bring his ships on a parallel course with Bismarck and Prinz Eugen.[49] Lütjens ordered Prinz Eugen to shift fire and target Prince of Wales, to keep both of his opponents under fire. Within a few minutes, Prinz Eugen scored a pair of hits on the battleship and reported a small fire to have been started.[50] Lütjens then ordered Prinz Eugen to drop behind Bismarck, so she could continue to monitor the location of Norfolk and Suffolk, which were still some 10 to 12 nmi (19 to 22 km; 12 to 14 mi) to the east. At 06:00, Hood was completing the second turn to port when Bismarck's fifth salvo hit. Two of the shells landed short, striking the water close to the ship, but at least one of the 38 cm armour-piercing shells struck Hood and penetrated her thin deck armor. The shell reached Hood's rear ammunition magazine and detonated 112 t (110 long tons; 123 short tons) of cordite propellant.[51] The massive explosion broke the back of the ship between the main mast and the rear funnel; the forward section continued to move forward briefly before the in-rushing water caused the bow to rise into the air at a steep angle. The stern similarly rose upward as water rushed into the ripped-open compartments.[52] Schneider exclaimed "He is sinking!" over the ship's loudspeakers.[51] In only eight minutes of firing, Hood had disappeared, taking all but three of her crew of 1,419 men with her.[53]

16

Bismarck

Bismarck then shifted fire to Prince of Wales. The British battleship scored a hit on Bismarck with her sixth salvo, but the German ship also found her mark with her first salvo. One of the shells struck the bridge on Prince of Wales, though it did not explode and instead exited the other side. Regardless, everyone in the ship's command center was killed, save Captain John Leach, the ship's commander, and one other man.[54] The two German ships rained shells on Prince of Wales, causing serious damage. Guns malfunctioned on the recently Bismarck firing her main battery during the battle commissioned Prince of Wales, which still had civilian technicians aboard.[55] Despite her problematic main battery, Prince of Wales scored three hits on Bismarck in the engagement. The first struck her in the forecastle above the waterline, but low enough to allow the crashing waves to enter the hull. The second shell struck below the armoured belt and exploded on contact with the torpedo bulkhead, inflicting minimal damage. The third shell passed through one of the boats carried aboard the ship and then went through the float plane catapult without exploding.[56] At 06:13, Leach gave the order to retreat; only two of his ship's ten 14 in (360 mm) guns were still firing and his ship had sustained significant damage. Prince of Wales made a 160° turn and laid a smoke screen to cover her withdrawal. The Germans ceased fire as the range widened. Though Lindemann strongly advocated chasing Prince of Wales and destroying her[57] , Lütjens obeyed operational orders to shun any avoidable engagement with enemy forces not protecting a convoy[58] , firmly rejected the request, and instead ordered Bismarck and Prinz Eugen to head for the open waters of the North Atlantic.[59] In the course of the engagement, Bismarck had fired 93 armour-piercing shells and had been hit by three shells in return.[53] The forecastle hit allowed 1000 to 2000 t (980 to 2000 long tons; 1100 to 2200 short tons) of water to flood the ship, which contaminated fuel oil stored in the bow. Lütjens refused to permit a reduction in speed to allow damage control teams to repair the shell hole, and so the hole widened and allowed more water into the ship.[60] The second hit caused some flooding and splinters damaged a steam line in the turbo-generator room, though Bismarck had sufficient generator reserves that this was not problematic. The flooding from these two hits caused a 9-degree list to port and a 3-degree trim by the bow.[61] The chase After the end of the engagement, Lütjens reported that a "Battlecruiser, probably Hood, sunk. Another battleship, King George V or Renown, turned away damaged. Two heavy cruisers maintain contact."[62] At 08:01, he transmitted a damage report and his intentions to OKM, which were to detach Prinz Eugen for commerce raiding and to make for St. Nazaire for repairs.[63] Shortly after 10:00, Lütjens ordered Prinz Eugen to fall behind Bismarck to discern the severity of the oil leakage from the bow hit. After confirming that "broad streams of oil Map showing the movements of Bismarck, Prinz [64] Eugen, and their British pursuers on both sides of [Bismarck's] wake", Prinz Eugen returned to the [64] forward position. About an hour later, a British Short Sunderland flying boat reported the oil slick to Suffolk and Norfolk, which had been joined by the damaged Prince of Wales. Rear Admiral Frederic Wake-Walker, the commander of the two cruisers, ordered Prince of Wales to remain behind his ships.[65] The Royal Navy issued calls to all warships in the area to join the pursuit of Bismarck and Prinz Eugen. Admiral Tovey's Home Fleet was steaming to intercept the German raiders, but on the morning of 24 May, was still over 350 nmi (650 km; 400 mi) away. The Admiralty ordered the light cruisers HMS Manchester, Birmingham, and Arethusa to patrol the Denmark Strait in the event that Lütjens attempted to retrace his route. The battleship HMS Rodney, which had been escorting RMS Britannic and was due for a refit in the Boston Navy Yard, was

17

Bismarck ordered to join Tovey. Two old Revenge class battleships, HMS Revenge and Ramillies, which were in Halifax and escorting convoy HX 127, respectively, were ordered to join the hunt.[66] In all, six battleships and battlecruisers, two aircraft carriers, thirteen cruisers, and twenty-one destroyers were committed to the chase.[67] By around 17:00, the crew aboard Prince of Wales restored nine of her ten main guns to working order, which permitted Wake-Walker to place her in the front of his formation to attack Bismarck if the opportunity arose.[68] With the weather worsening, Lütjens attempted to detach Prinz Eugen at 16:40. The squall was not heavy enough to cover her withdrawal from Wake-Walker's cruisers, which continued to maintain radar contact. Prinz Eugen was therefore recalled temporarily.[69] The cruiser was successfully detached at 18:14. Bismarck turned around to face the Wake-Walker's formation, forcing Suffolk to turn away at high speed. Prince of Wales fired twelve salvos at Bismarck, which responded with nine salvos, none of which hit. The action diverted British attention and permitted Prinz Eugen to slip away. After Bismarck resumed her previous heading, all three of Wake-Walker's ships took up station on Bismarck's port side.[70] Although Bismarck had been damaged in the engagement with Hood and Prince of Wales and forced to reduce speed, she was still capable of reaching 27 to 28 kn (50 to 52 km/h; 31 to 32 mph), the same maximum speed of Tovey's King George V. Unless Bismarck could be slowed, the British would be unable to prevent her from reaching St. Nazaire. Shortly before 16:00 on 25 May, Tovey detached the aircraft carrier HMS Victorious and four light cruisers to shape a course that would position her to launch her torpedo bombers.[71] At 22:00, Bismarck comes under attack by aircraft from Victorious launched the strike, which comprised six Fairey Fulmar Victorious fighters and nine Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers. The inexperienced aviators nearly attacked Norfolk on their approach; the confusion alerted Bismarck's anti-aircraft gunners.[72] Bismarck even used her main and secondary batteries to fire at maximum depression to create giant splashes in the paths of the incoming torpedo bombers.[73] Nevertheless, none of the attacking aircraft were shot down. Bismarck evaded eight of the nine torpedoes launched at her.[72] The ninth struck amidships on the main armoured belt and caused minor damage. The concussive shock threw one man into a wall and killed him; five others were injured.[74] The explosive shock from the torpedo hit caused some minor damage to electrical equipment, though it was the high speed, erratic maneuvers to evade the torpedoes that inflicted more serious damage. The rapid shifts in speed and course loosened collision mats stemming the flood from the forward shell hole. Flooding increased, and eventually the port side number 2 boiler room had to be abandoned. The loss of now two boilers on the port shaft, coupled with decreasing fuel levels and the increasing bow trim, forced a reduction in speed to 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph). Divers were sent into the bow to repair the collision mats, after which speed was increased to 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph). The command staff had determined that this was the most economical speed for the voyage to occupied France.[75] Shortly after the Swordfish departed from the scene, Bismarck and Prince of Wales engaged in a brief artillery duel. Both ships failed to score any hits.[76] Bismarck's damage control teams resumed work after the short engagement. The sea water that had flooded the number 2 port side boiler threatened to enter the number 4 turbo-generator feedwater system, which would have permitted saltwater to reach the turbine engines. The saltwater would have then destroyed the turbine blades and thus greatly reduced the ship's speed. By morning on 25 May, the danger had passed, however. The ship slowed to 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph) to allow divers to pump fuel from the forward compartments to the rear tanks; two hoses were successfully connected and a few hundred tons of fuel was transferred.[77] As the chase entered the open waters of the North Atlantic, Wake-Walker's ships were compelled to zig-zag to avoid any German U-boats that might be in the area. This required the ships to steam for ten minutes to port, then ten minutes to starboard, to keep the ships on the same base course. For the last few minutes of the turn to port,

18

Bismarck Bismarck was out of range of Suffolks's radar.[78] At 03:00 on the morning of 25 May, Lütjens ordered the ship increase to maximum speed, which at this point was 28 kn (52 km/h; 32 mph). He then ordered the ship to circle away to the west and then north. This maneuver coincided with the period in which his ship was out of radar range; Bismarck successfully broke radar contact and circled back behind her pursuers. Suffolk's captain assumed that Bismarck had merely broken off to the west, and so he took his ship west in an attempt to locate the battleship. After half an hour, he informed Wake-Walker of the situation, who ordered the three ships to disperse as soon as daylight broke in order to conduct a visual search.[79] The Royal Navy now embarked on a frantic search for Bismarck. Victorious and her escorting cruisers were sent west, Wake-Walker's ships continued to the south and west, and Tovey continued to steam toward the mid-Atlantic. The situation was compounded by the fact that many of the British ships were low on fuel. Force H, centered on the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and steaming up from Gibraltar, was still at least a day's steaming out from the area.[80] Unaware that he had shaken off Wake-Walker, Lütjens sent long radio messages to Naval Group West, based in Paris. These signals were intercepted by the British, from which bearings were determined. They were erroneously plotted, however, which kept Tovey's fleet on wrong courses for seven hours. By the time the mistake had been discovered, Bismarck had left the area.[81] British code-breakers were able to decrypt some of the German signals, including an order for Lütjens to make for the port of Brest, France. The French Resistance provided the British with confirmation, as Luftwaffe units were being relocated to Brest to provide support. Tovey could now turn his forces toward France to converge in areas through which Bismarck would have to pass to reach port.[82] A squadron of Coastal Command PBY Catalinas based in Northern Ireland were committed to the search, covering areas where Bismarck The aircraft carrier Ark Royal with a flight of might be headed in her attempt to reach occupied France. At 10:30 on Swordfish overhead 26 May, a Catalina piloted by Ensign Leonard B. Smith of the US Navy located Bismarck, some 690 nmi (1280 km; 790 mi) northwest of Brest. At her current speed, she would have been close enough to reach the protection of U-boats and the Luftwaffe in less than a day. There were no British forces close enough to stop her.[83] The only possibility for the Royal Navy was Ark Royal with Force H, under the command of Admiral James Somerville.[84] Victorious, Prince of Wales, Suffolk, and Repulse were forced to break off the search due to fuel concerns; the only heavy ships remaining apart from Force H were King George V and Rodney, but they were too far away to intercept Bismarck.[85] Ark Royal's Swordfish were already searching the area in which Bismarck was steaming when the Catalina made the discovery. Several of the torpedo bombers also located the battleship, which was about 60 nmi (110 km; 69 mi) away from Ark Royal. Somerville ordered an attack as soon as the Swordfish returned and were rearmed with torpedoes. He detached the cruiser HMS Sheffield to shadow Bismarck, though Ark Royal's aviators were not informed of this.[86] As a result, the Swordfish, which were armed with torpedoes equipped with new magnetic detonators, accidentally attacked Sheffield. The magnetic detonators failed to work properly, and Sheffield emerged unscathed.[87]

19

Bismarck

20

Upon returning to Ark Royal, the Swordfish were armed with torpedoes equipped with contact detonators. Fifteen aircraft comprised the second attack, which was launched at 19:10. At 20:47, the torpedo bombers began their attack descent through the clouds.[88] While the Swordfish approached, Bismarck fired her main battery at Sheffield, straddling the cruiser with her second salvo. Shell fragments rained down on Sheffield, killing three men and wounding several others.[89] Sheffield quickly retreated under cover of a smoke screen. The Swordfish then launched their attack; Bismarck began to turn violently while her A Swordfish returns to Ark Royal after making anti-aircraft batteries attempted to destroy the incoming bombers. She the torpedo attack against Bismarck evaded most of the torpedoes launched, though two found their mark.[90] One hit amidships on the port side, just below the bottom edge of the main armour belt. The force of the explosion was largely contained by the underwater protection system and the belt armour, but some structural damage was effected, which allowed minor flooding.[91] The second torpedo struck Bismarck in her stern on the port side, near the port rudder shaft. The explosion caused serious damage to the port rudder assembly; the coupling was badly damaged and the rudder was then unable to be disengaged. The rudders were now locked in a 12° turn to port. The explosion also caused major shock damage to the ship.[92] The crew repeatedly attempted to regain steering control. They eventually managed to repair the starboard rudder, but the port rudder remained badly jammed. A suggestion to sever the port rudder with explosives was dismissed by Lütjens, who stated "We cannot endanger the ship with measures of that kind."[93] He felt that the danger of damaging the screws, which would have left the battleship helpless, was too great.[94] At 21:15, Lütjens reported that the ship was unmaneuverable.[95] Sinking With the port rudder jammed, Bismarck was now steaming in a large circle, unable to escape from Tovey's forces. Though fuel shortages had reduced the number of ships available to the British, the battleships King George V and Rodney were still available, along with the heavy cruisers Dorsetshire and Norfolk.[96] Lütjens signaled headquarters at 21:40 on the 26th: "Ship unmaneuverable. We will fight to the last shell. Long live the Führer."[97] In the growing darkness, Bismarck briefly fired on Sheffield, though the cruiser quickly fled at high speed. Sheffield lost contact in the low visibility; Captain Philip Vian's group of five destroyers were now tasked with keeping contact with Bismarck throughout the night.[98] The ships encountered Bismarck at 22:38; the battleship quickly engaged them with her main battery. After firing three salvos, she straddled the Polish destroyer Piorun. The destroyer continued to close the range until a near miss at around 12000 m (39000 ft) forced her to turn away.[95] Throughout the night and into the morning, Vian's destroyers continually harried Bismarck, illuminating her with star shells and firing dozens of torpedoes, none of which hit. Between 05:00 and 06:00, Bismarck's crew attempted to launch one of the Arado 196 float planes to carry away the ship's war diary, footage of the engagement with Hood, and other important documents. The third shell hit from Prince of Wales, which had hit the captain's motor launch, had damaged the steam line on the aircraft catapult, rendering it inoperative. Unable to launch the aircraft, the crew simply pushed it overboard.[99] After daybreak on 27 May, Tovey, in King George V, led the attack against the crippled Bismarck. Rodney followed off her port quarter; Tovey intended to steam directly at Bismarck until he was about 8 nmi (15 km; 9.2 mi) away. At that point, he would turn south to put his ships on a parallel course with his target.[100] At 08:43, lookouts on Rodney firing on Bismarck

Bismarck King George V spotted Bismarck, some 23000 m (25000 yd) away. Four minutes later, Rodney's two forward turrets, a total of six 16 in (410 mm) guns, opened fire. Almost immediately after, King George V's 14 in (360 mm) guns began firing. Bismarck returned fire at 08:50 with her forward guns; with her second salvo, she straddled Rodney.[101] As the range fell, the ships' secondary batteries joined the battle. Norfolk and Dorsetshire closed and began firing with their 8 in (200 mm) guns. At 09:02, a 16-inch shell from Rodney struck Bismarck's forward superstructure, killing hundreds of men and severely damaging the forward two turrets. According to survivors, this salvo probably killed both Lindemann and Lütjens and the rest of the bridge staff.[102] The forward main battery was now effectively disabled, though it would manage to fire one last salvo at 09:27.[103] The main gunnery control station was quickly destroyed. Lieutenant von Müllenheim in the rear control station took over firing control for the rear turrets. He managed to fire three salvos before a shell destroyed the gun director, disabling his equipment. He gave the order for the still active guns to fire independently, but by 09:31, all four main battery turrets had been neutralized.[104] By 10:00, Tovey's two battleships had fired over 700 main battery shells, many at very close range; Bismarck had been reduced to a shambles, aflame from stem to stern. She suffered from a 20° list to port and was low in the water by the stern. Rodney closed to 2700 m (3000 yd), point-blank range for guns of that size, and continued to hammer away at the battered hulk. Tovey could not cease fire until the Germans struck their ensigns or it became clear they were abandoning ship.[105] Rodney fired two torpedoes from her port-side tube (a shell from Bismarck had exploded 20 feet off the bow and rendered the starboard tube useless — the closest Bismarck came to a direct hit on Rodney) and claimed one hit — a claim which, according to Ludovic Kennedy, "if true, [is] the only HMS Dorsetshire picking up instance in history of one battleship torpedoing another".[106] Hans Oels, the First survivors Officer ordered the men below decks to abandon ship; he instructed the engine room crews to open the ship's watertight doors and prepare scuttling charges.[107] Oels rushed throughout the ship, ordering men to abandon their posts. After reaching the deck, a massive explosion killed him and about a hundred other men.[108] At around 10:20, Tovey ordered Dorsetshire to close and fire torpedoes into the ship. The cruiser fired a pair of torpedoes into Bismarck's starboard side, one of which hit. Dorsetshire then moved around to her port side and fired another torpedo, which also hit. Around 10:35, the port list worsened significantly; Bismarck capsized and slowly sank by the stern, disappearing from the surface at 10:40.[109] Hundreds of men were now in the water; Dorsetshire and the destroyer Maori moved in and lowered ropes to pull the survivors aboard. At 11:40, however, Dorsetshire's captain ordered the rescue effort abandoned after lookouts spotted what they thought was a U-boat. Dorsetshire had rescued 85 men and Maori had picked up 25 by the time they left the scene.[110] A U-boat later reached the survivors and found three men, and a German trawler rescued another two. One of the men picked up by the British died of his wounds the following day. Out of a crew of over 2,200 men, only 114 survived.[109]

Discovery of the wreck Discovery by Robert Ballard The wreck of Bismarck was discovered on 8 June 1989 by Dr. Robert Ballard, the oceanographer also responsible for finding the Titanic. Bismarck rests upright at a depth of approximately 4,791 m (17,500 ft),[111] about 650 km (400 mi) west of Brest, France. The Bismarck struck an extinct underwater volcano, which rose some 1000 m (3300 ft) above the surrounding abyssal plain, triggering a 2 km (1.2 mi) landslide. Bismarck slid down the mountain, coming to a stop two-thirds down.[112]

21

Bismarck Ballard's survey found no underwater penetrations of the ship's fully armoured citadel. Eight holes were found in the hull, one on the starboard side and seven on the port side, all above the waterline. One of the holes is in the deck, on the starboard side of the bow. The angle and shape indicates it was fired from Bismarck's port side and struck the starboard anchor chain. The anchor chain has disappeared down this hole.[113] Six holes are amidships, three shell fragments pierced the upper splinter belt, and one made a hole in the main armour belt.[114] Further aft a huge hole is visible, parallel to the aircraft catapult, on the deck. It is unclear whether this was a result of an internal magazine explosion due to a shell penetration of the ship's armour. The submersibles recorded no sign of a shell penetration through the main or side armour that could have caused this; it is likely that the shell penetrated the deck armour only.[115] Huge dents showed that many of the 14 inch (356 mm) shells fired by King George V bounced off the German belt armour.[116] Ballard noted that he found no evidence of the internal implosions that occur when a hull that is not fully flooded sinks. The surrounding water, which has much greater pressure than the air in the hull, would crush the ship. Instead, Ballard points out that the hull is in relatively good condition; he states simply that "Bismarck did not implode."[117] This suggests that Bismarck's compartments were flooded when the ship sank, supporting the scuttling theory.[118] Ballard has kept the exact location of the wreck a secret to prevent other divers from taking artefacts from the ship, a practice he considers a form of grave robbing.[111] On discovering the wreck, it was found that the whole stern had broken away; as it was not near the main wreckage and has not yet been found, it can be assumed this did not occur on impact with the sea floor. The missing section came away roughly where the torpedo had hit, raising questions of possible structural failure.[119] The stern area had also received several hits, increasing the damage caused by the torpedo. This, coupled with the fact the ship sank "stern first" and had no structural support to hold it in place, suggests the stern became detached at the surface. In 1942 Prinz Eugen was also torpedoed in the stern, which subsequently collapsed. This prompted a strengthening of the stern structures on all German capital ships.[120] Ballard estimated that Bismarck could still have floated for at least a day when the British vessels ceased fire and could have been captured by the Royal Navy, a position supported by the historian Ludovic Kennedy (who was himself a participant in the hunting of the Bismarck, as he was serving on the destroyer HMS Tartar at the time). Kennedy stated that "That she would have foundered eventually there can be little doubt; but the scuttling ensured that it was sooner rather than later."[120] Ballard found the hull to be sound, adding: "we found a hull that appears whole and relatively undamaged by the descent and impact".[120] They concluded the direct cause of sinking was due to scuttling: sabotage of engine-room valves by her crew, as claimed by German survivors.[120]

Subsequent expeditions In June 2001, Deep Ocean Expeditions, partnered with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, conducted another investigation of the wreck. The researchers used Russian-built mini-subs to examine Bismarck. William N. Lange, a Woods Hole expert, stated that "You see a large number of shell holes in the superstructure and deck, but not that many along the side, and none below the waterline."[121] The expedition found no penetrations in the main armoured belt, above or below the waterline. The examiners noted several long gashes in the hull, but explained these as having been caused by the impact on the sea floor.[121] A third, Anglo-American expedition in July 2001 was funded by a British TV channel. The team used the information that Bismarck was resting at the foot of the only undersea volcano in that area to locate the wreck. Using ROVs to film the hull externally, the team concluded that the ship sank due to combat damage, having received numerous artillery and torpedo hits. Expedition leader David Mearns claimed significant gashes were found in the hull: "My feeling is that those holes were probably lengthened by the slide, but initiated by torpedoes".[121] In the subsequently published book Hood and Bismarck, Mearns stated that scuttling "may have hastened the inevitable, but only by a matter of minutes."[121]

22

Bismarck

23

The 2002 documentary film Expedition: Bismarck, directed by James Cameron and filmed in May–June 2002 using smaller and more agile MIR submersibles, reconstructed the events leading to the sinking of Bismarck. These provided some interior shots of Bismarck for the first time, which were transmitted on the National Geographic Channel. His findings were that there was not enough damage below the waterline of the ship to confirm that she was actually sunk by shells and torpedoes. In fact, upon close inspection of the wreckage, it was confirmed that none of the torpedoes or shells penetrated the second layer of the inner hull.[121] Cameron put forward a theory to explain the large gashes observed by the Anglo-American expedition: he suggested that Bismarck suffered a "hydraulic outburst" when it hit the bottom. Cameron said the belt held, but inner forces caused the sides to bulge out and break in places. Using small ROVs to examine the interior of the ship, Cameron discovered that the torpedo blasts had failed to shatter the torpedo bulkheads. The torpedo explosions had only destroyed the voids placed between the outer wall of the hull and interior sections of the ship; the purpose of these voids was to act as additional fuel storage and to absorb underwater explosions. "The inner tank walls are untouched by any explosive force...So the armor worked."[121] Cameron concluded that the torpedoes caused "no significant flooding".[121]

References in the Wehrmachtbericht The following broadcasts by the Germans contained some inaccuracies. Bismarck did not shoot down any British aircraft, and it did not sink or significantly damage any enemy destroyer. The destroyer referred to in the report was HMS Mashona, sunk by the Luftwaffe on 28 May.[122] Date

Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording

Direct English translation

Sunday, 25 May 1941

Wie ebenfalls durch Sondermeldung bekanntgegeben wurde, stieß ein deutscher Flottenverband unter Führung des Flottenchefs Lütjens im Seegebiet um Island auf schwere britische Seestreitkräfte. Nach einem kurzen schweren Gefecht versenkte das Schlachtschiff "Bismarck" den britischen Schlachtkreuzer "Hood," das größte Schlachtschiff der britischen Flotte. Ein weiteres Schlachtschiff der neuesten englischen "King George"-Klasse wurde beschädigt und zum Abdrehen gezwungen. Die deutschen Seestreitkräfte setzten ohne Verluste ihre [123] Operation fort.

As also mentioned in a special report, a German naval formation under the leadership of fleet commander Lütjens encountered, in the sea area of Iceland, heavy British naval forces. The battleship "Bismarck" sank the British battlecruiser "Hood," the largest battleship of the British fleet, after a short and heavy battle. A further battleship of the newest English "King George" class was damaged and forced to retreat. The German sea forces continued their operation without loss.

Wednesday, 28 May 1941

Wie schon gestern bekanntgegeben, wurde das Schlachtschiff "Bismarck" nach seinem siegreichen Gefecht bei Island am 26. Mai abends durch den Torpedotreffer eines feindlichen Flugzeuges manövrierunfähig. Getreu dem letzten Funkspruch des Flottenchefs Admiral Lütjens ist das Schlachtschiff mit seinem Kommandanten Kapitän zur See Lindemann und seiner tapferen Besatzung am 27. Mai vormittags der vielfachen feindlichen Übermacht erlegen und mit [124] wehender Flagge gesunken.

As reported yesterday, the battleship "Bismarck," after its victorious battle near Iceland, was on 26 May hit by a torpedo from an enemy aircraft and left unmanoeuvrable. True to the last radio message from chief of fleet Admiral Lütjens, the battleship was defeated by overwhelming enemy forces and sank with flag flying together with its commander Kapitän zu See Lindemann and its brave crew, on 27 May before noon.

Thursday, 29 May 1941

Das Schlachtschiff "Bismarck" schoß am Abend des 24. Mai fünf britische Flugzeuge ab, versenkte in der Nacht zum 27. Mai einen der angreifenden feindlichen Zerstörer und schoß einen weiteren in [125] Brand.

The battleship "Bismarck" shot down five British aircraft on the evening of 24 May sank an attacking enemy destroyer on the night of 27 May and shot up another until it burned.

Bismarck

Footnotes Notes [1] Bismarck's draft at full load was 9.9 metres (32 ft 6 in).Gröner, p. 33 [2] one work claims a speed of 31.1 knots (35.8 mph; 57.6 km/h)Jackson 2002, p. 24 [3] Campbell, p. 43 [4] Williamson, pp. 21–22 [5] Gröner, p. 35 [6] Williamson, p. 22 [7] Garzke & Dulin, p. 203 [8] Williamson, p. 43 [9] Garzke & Dulin, p. 210 [10] Von Müllenheim-Rechburg, p. 38 [11] Von Müllenheim-Rechburg, p. 39 [12] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 39 [13] Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 39–40 [14] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 40 [15] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 41 [16] Garzke & Dulin, pp. 210–211 [17] Garzke & Dulin, p. 211 [18] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 43 [19] Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 44–45 [20] Von Müllenheim-Rechburg, p. 71 [21] Von Müllenheim-Rechburg, p. 74 [22] Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 55–56 [23] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 63 [24] Von Müllenheim-Rechburg, p. 76 [25] Garzke & Dulin, p. 214 [26] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 64 [27] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 65 [28] Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 66–67 [29] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 68 [30] Zetterling & Tamelander, p. 114 [31] Von Müllenheim-Rechburg, p. 83 [32] Von Müllenheim-Rechburg, p. 84 [33] Zetterling & Tamelander, p. 120 [34] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 71 [35] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 72 [36] Garzke & Dulin, p. 215 [37] Garzke & Dulin, p. 216 [38] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 126 [39] Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 126–127 [40] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 127 [41] Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 129–130 [42] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 132 [43] Bercuson & Herwig, pp 133–134 [44] Garzke & Dulin, pp. 219–220 [45] The British were unaware that the German ships had reversed positions while in the Denmark Strait. Observers on Prince of Wales correctly identified the ships, but failed to inform Admiral Holland.Zetterling & Tamelander, p. 165 [46] Zetterling & Tamelander, p. 167 [47] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 151 [48] Garzke & Dulin, p. 220 [49] Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 151–152 [50] Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 152–153 [51] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 153 [52] Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 155–156 [53] Garzke & Dulin, p. 223 [54] Zetterling & Tamelander, p. 176 [55] Zetterling & Tamelander, pp. 176–177

24

Bismarck [56] [57] [58] [59] [60] [61] [62] [63] [64] [65] [66] [67] [68] [69] [70] [71] [72] [73] [74] [75] [76] [77]

25 Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 162–163 Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 164–165 Kennedy p.79 Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 165–166 Garzke & Dulin, p. 224 Garzke & Dulin, p. 226 Bercuson & Herwig, p. 167 Bercuson & Herwig, p. 168 Bercuson & Herwig, p. 173 Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 173–174 Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 174–175 Williamson, p. 33 Bercuson & Herwig, p. 175 Zetterling & Tamelander, pp. 192–193 Garzke & Dulin, p. 227 Zetterling & Tamelander, pp. 194–195 Garzke & Dulin, p. 229 Bercuson & Herwig, p. 189 Garzke & Dulin, pp. 229–230 Garzke & Dulin, p. 230 Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 192–193 Bercuson & Herwig, p. 226

[78] Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 229–230 [79] Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 230–231 [80] Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 232–233 [81] Garzke & Dulin, p. 231 [82] Garzke & Dulin, p. 232 [83] Garzke & Dulin, p. 233 [84] Zetterling & Tamelander, p. 234 [85] Zetterling & Tamelander, p. 233 [86] Zetterling & Tamelander, p. 235 [87] Zetterling & Tamelander, pp. 236–237 [88] Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 258–259 [89] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 259 [90] Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 259–261 [91] Garzke & Dulin, p. 234 [92] Garzke & Dulin, pp. 234–235 [93] Garzke & Dulin, pp. 235–236 [94] Kennedy, p 211 [95] Garzke & Dulin, p. 237 [96] Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 271–272 [97] Von Müllenheim-Rechberg, p. 182 [98] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 279 [99] Garzke & Dulin, pp. 237–238 [100] Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 286–287 [101] Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 288–289 [102] Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 290–291 [103] Garzke & Dulin, p. 239 [104] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 291 [105] Bercuson & Herwig, pp. 292–293 [106] Kennedy, p246 [107] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 293 [108] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 295 [109] Garzke & Dulin, p. 246 [110] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 297 [111] Ballard, p. 221 [112] Ballard, p. 216 [113] Ballard, p. 194 [114] Ballard, p. 214

Bismarck [115] Ballard, p. 191 [116] Jackson, p. 85 [117] Ballard, pp. 214–215 [118] Jackson, p. 88 [119] Ballard, pp. 177–178 [120] Ballard, p. 215 [121] Broad, William J. (3 December 2002). "Visiting Bismarck, Explorers Revise Its Story" (http:/ / www. nytimes. com/ 2002/ 12/ 03/ science/ visiting-bismarck-explorers-revise-its-story. html). New York Times. . Retrieved 16 June 2011. [122] Bercuson & Herwig, p. 302 [123] Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, p. 538, 540 [124] Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, p. 542 [125] Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, p. 544

Citations

References • Ballard, Robert D. (1990). Bismarck: Germany's Greatest Battleship Gives Up its Secrets. Toronto: Madison Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7858-2205-9. • Bercuson, David J.; Herwig, Holger H. (2003). The Destruction of the Bismarck. New York, NY: The Overlook Press. ISBN 1585673978. • Campbell, John (1987). "Germany 1906–1922". In Sturton, Ian. Conway's All the World's Battleships: 1906 to the Present. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 28–49. ISBN 0851774482. • Garzke, William H.; Dulin, Robert O. (1985). Battleships: Axis and Neutral Battleships in World War II. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9780870211010. • Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships: 1815–1945. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0870217909. • Jackson, Robert (2002). The Bismarck. London: Weapons of War. ISBN 1-86227-173-9. • Kennedy, Ludovic (1991). Pursuit: The sinking of the Bismarck. London: Fontana. ISBN 0-00-634014-8. • Baron von Mullenheim-Rechberg, Burkhard (1980). Battleship Bismarck, A Survivor's Story. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0870210969. • Williamson, Gordon (2003). German Battleships 1939–45. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781841764986. • Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3. • Zetterling, Niklas; Tamelander, Michael (2009). Bismarck: The Final Days of Germany's Greatest Battleship. Drexel Hill, PA: Casemate. ISBN 9781935149040.

26

Tirpitz

27

Tirpitz

A recognition drawing of Tirpitz prepared by the US Navy Career (Nazi Germany) Namesake:

Alfred von Tirpitz

Builder:

Kriegsmarinewerft, Wilhelmshaven

Laid down:

2 November 1936

Launched:

1 April 1939

Commissioned:

25 February 1941

Fate:

Sunk by Royal Air Force bombers on 12 November 1944 General characteristics

Type:

Battleship

Displacement:

42900 t (42200 long tons; 47300 short tons) standard 52600 t (51800 long tons; 58000 short tons) full load

Length:

241.6 m (792 ft 8 in) waterline 251 m (823 ft 6 in) overall

Beam:

36 m (118 ft 1 in)

Draft:

9.3 m (30 ft 6 in) standard

Installed power:

163026 shp ( kW)

Propulsion:

12 Wagner superheated boilers; 3 geared steam turbines; 3 three-blade propellers

Speed:

30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)

Range:

8870 nmi (16430 km; 10210 mi) at 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)

Complement:

103 officers [3] 1,962 enlisted men

Sensors and processing systems:

FuMO 23

Armament:

8 × 38 cm (15 in) SK C/34 (4 × 2) 12 × 15 cm (5.9 in) (6 × 2) 16 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/33 (8 × 2) 16 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 (8 × 2) 12 × 2 cm (0.79 in) FlaK 30 (12 × 1)

[1]

[2]

Tirpitz

28 Armour:

Belt: 320 mm (13 in) Turrets: 360 mm (14 in) Main deck: 100 to 120 mm (3.9 to 4.7 in)

Aircraft carried:

4 × Arado Ar 196 floatplanes

Aviation facilities:

1 double-ended catapult

Tirpitz was the second of two Bismarck-class battleships built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April 1939. Work was completed in February 1941, when she was commissioned into the German fleet. Like her sistership Bismarck, Tirpitz was armed with a main battery of eight 38-centimeter (15 in) guns in four twin turrets. As a result of a series of wartime modifications she was some 2000 metric tons (2000 long tons; 2200 short tons) heavier than Bismarck. After completing sea trials in early 1941, Tirpitz briefly served as the centerpiece of the Baltic Fleet, which was intended to prevent a possible breakout attempt by the Soviet Baltic Fleet. In early 1942, the ship sailed to Norway to act as a deterrent against an Allied invasion. While stationed in Norway, Tirpitz could also be used to intercept Allied convoys to the Soviet Union; two such missions were attempted in 1942, but both failed. Despite her inability to attack the convoys directly, Tirpitz acted as a fleet in being, forcing the British Royal Navy to retain significant naval forces in the area to contain the battleship. In September 1943, Tirpitz, along with the battleship Scharnhorst, bombarded Allied positions on the island of Spitzbergen, the first time the ship used her main battery in anger. Shortly thereafter, the ship was damaged in an attack by British mini-submarines and subsequently subjected to a series of large-scale air raids. On 12 November 1944, British Lancaster bombers equipped with 12000 pounds (5400 kg) "Tallboy" bombs destroyed the ship; two direct hits and a near miss caused the ship to capsize rapidly. A deck fire spread to the ammunition magazine for one of the main battery turrets, which caused a large explosion. Figures for the number of men killed in the attack range from 950 to 1,204. The wreck was broken up by a joint Norwegian and German salvage operation after the war, with work lasting from 1948 until 1957.

Construction and characteristics Tirpitz was ordered as Ersatz Schleswig-Holstein as a replacement for the old pre-dreadnought Schleswig-Holstein, under the contract name "G".[2] The Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven was awarded the contract, where the keel was laid on 20 October 1936.[4] The hull was launched on 1 April 1939; during the elaborate ceremonies, the ship was christened by the daughter of Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the ship's namesake.[5] Adolf von Trotha, a former admiral in the Imperial Navy, spoke at the ship's launching, which was also attended by Adolf Hitler[6] Fitting-out out work followed her launch, and was completed by February 1941.[5] British bombers repeatedly attacked the harbor in which the ship was being built; no bombs struck Tirpitz, but the attacks did slow construction work.[7] Tirpitz was commissioned into the fleet on 25 February for sea trials,[8] which were conducted in the Baltic.[5]

Tirpitz

29

Tirpitz displaced 42900 t (42200 long tons) as built and 52600 t (51800 long tons) fully loaded, with a length of 251 m (823 ft 6 in), a beam of 36 m (118 ft 1 in) and a maximum draft of 10.6 m (34 ft 9 in).[9] She was powered by three Brown, Boveri & Cie geared steam turbines, which developed a total of 163026 shaft horsepower ( kW) and yielded a maximum speed of 30.8 kn (57.0 km/h; 35.4 mph) on speed trials.[2] Her standard crew numbered 103 officers and 1,962 enlisted men, though during the war this was increased to 108 officers and 2,500 Tirpitz sliding down the slipway at her launch men.[8] As built, Tirpitz was equipped with FuMO 23 radars mounted on the forward, foretop, and rear rangefinders. These were later replaced with FuMO 27 radars, which were in turn replaced with the FuMO 26 model, which had a larger antenna array. A FuMO 30, known as the Hohentwiel, was mounted in 1944 in her topmast, and a FuMO 213 Würzburg radar was added on her stern 10.5 cm (4.1 in) Flak rangefinders.[10] She was armed with eight 38 cm (15 in) L/52 guns arranged in four twin gun turrets: two superfiring turrets forward—Anton and Bruno—and two aft—Caesar and Dora. Her secondary armament consisted of twelve 15 cm (5.9 in) L/55 guns, sixteen 10.5 cm L/65 and sixteen 3.7 cm (1.5 in) L/83, and initially twelve 2 cm (0.79 in) antiaircraft guns. The number of 2 cm guns was eventually increased to 58. After 1942, eight 53.3 cm (21.0 in) above-water torpedo tubes were installed.[8] The ship's main belt was 320 mm (13 in) thick and was covered by a pair of upper and main armoured decks that were 50 mm (2.0 in) and 100 to 120 mm (3.9 to 4.7 in) thick, respectively. The 38 cm turrets were protected by 360 mm (14 in) thick faces and 220 mm (8.7 in) thick sides.[2]

Service history After her commissioning and completion of trials, Tirpitz was stationed in Kiel and performed intensive training in the Baltic. While the ship was in Kiel, Germany invaded the Soviet Union. A temporary Baltic Fleet was created to prevent the possible breakout of the Soviet fleet based in Leningrad. Tirpitz was briefly made the flagship of the squadron, which consisted of the heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer, the light cruisers Köln, Nürnberg, Leipzig, and Emden, several destroyers, and two flotillas of minesweepers.[7] The Baltic Fleet, under the command of Admiral Otto Ciliax,[6] patrolled off the Aaland Islands from 23 to 26 September 1941, after which the unit disbanded and Tirpitz resumed training.[11] During the training period, Tirpitz tested its primary and secondary guns on the old pre-dreadnought battleship Hessen,[12] which had been converted into a radio-controlled target ship.[13] The British Royal Air Force continued to launch bombing raids on the ship while she was stationed in Kiel, though these too were unsuccessful.[14]

Deployment to Norway Admiral Erich Raeder, the commander of the Kriegsmarine, proposed on 13 November that Tirpitz be deployed to Norway. The ship would be able to attack convoys bound for the Soviet Union, as well as act as a fleet in being to tie down British naval assets and deter an Allied invasion of Norway. Hitler, who had forbidden an Atlantic sortie after the loss of Bismarck, agreed to the proposal. The ship was taken into dock for modifications for the deployment. The ship's antiaircraft battery was strengthened and the 10.5 cm guns on the superstructure next to the catapult were moved outboard to increase their field of fire. The two quadruple 53.3 cm torpedo tube mounts were also installed

Tirpitz camouflaged in the Fættenfjord

Tirpitz during this refit.[15] The ship's commander, Kapitän zur See Karl Topp,[16] pronounced the ship ready for combat operations on 10 January.[14] The following day, Tirpitz left for Wilhelmshaven, a move designed to conceal her actual destination.[15] The ship left Wilhelmshaven at 23:00 on 14 January and made for Trondheim.[15] British military intelligence, which was capable of decrypting the Enigma messages sent by the German navy, detected the departure of the vessel, though poor weather in Britain prevented action from the RAF.[17] Admiral John Tovey, the commander in chief of the Home Fleet, was not made aware of Tirpitz's activities until 17 January, well after the ship had arrived in Norway.[18] On 16 January, British aerial reconnaissance located the ship in Trondheim. Tirpitz then moved to the Fættenfjord, just north of Trondheim.[19] The movement was codenamed Operation Polarnacht; the battleship was escorted by the destroyers Richard Beitzen, Paul Jacobi, Bruno Heinemann and Z-29 for the voyage.[20] She was moored next to a cliff, which protected the ship from air attacks from the southwest. The ship's crew cut down trees and placed them aboard Tirpitz to camouflage her.[19] Additional antiaircraft batteries were installed around the fjord, as were anti-torpedo nets and heavy booms in the entrance to the anchorage.[21] Life for the crew of Tirpitz was very monotonous during the deployment to Norway. Frequent fuel shortages curtailed training and kept the battleship and her escorts moored behind their protective netting. The crew was primarily occupied with maintaining the ship and continuously manning antiaircraft defenses. Sports activities were organized to keep the crew occupied and physically fit.[22] Operations against Allied convoys Several factors served to restrain Tirpitz's freedom of operation in Norway. The most pressing were shortages of fuel and the withdrawal of the German destroyer forces to support Operation Cerberus, the movement of the battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen up through the English Channel. These caused a planned attack against the outbound convoy PQ 8 at the end of January to be abandoned.[23] A planned British air attack at the end of January by four-engined heavy bombers was disrupted by poor weather over the target, which prevented the aircraft from finding the ship.[24] In early February, Tirpitz took part in the deceptions that distracted the British in the run-up to Operation Cerberus. These included steaming out of the fjord and activities that indicated preparations for a sortie into the North Sea.[25] Later that month, the ship was reinforced by the heavy cruisers Admiral Scheer and Prinz Eugen and several destroyers. Prinz Eugen had been torpedoed by a British submarine at the entrance to the Fættenfjord, and was therefore temporarily out of action.[26] Tirpitz and Admiral Scheer, along with the destroyers Friedrich Ihn, Paul Jacobi, Hermann Schoemann and Z-25 and a pair of torpedo boats,[20] were intended to attack the homebound convoy QP 8 and the outbound PQ 12 in March 1942 as part of Operation Sportpalast.[23] [27] Admiral Scheer,[23] with a design speed of 26 kn (48 km/h; 30 mph),[28] was too slow to operate with Tirpitz, and was left in port,[23] as was the destroyer Paul Jacobi. The two torpedo boats were also released from the operation.[20] On 5 March, Luftwaffe Tirpitz underway, probably in 1941 reconnaissance aircraft spotted PQ 12 near Jan Mayen Island; the reconnaissance failed to note the battleship Duke of York or the battlecruiser Renown, both of which escorted the convoy, along with four destroyers. Unknown to the Germans, Admiral Tovey provided distant support to the convoys with the battleship King George V, the aircraft carrier Victorious, the heavy cruiser Berwick, and six destroyers. Enigma intercepts again forewarned the British of Tirpitz's attack, which allowed them to reroute the convoys. Admiral Tovey attempted to pursue Tirpitz on 9 March,[23] but Admiral Otto Ciliax, the commander of the German squadron, had decided to return to port the previous evening. An air attack was launched early on the 9th; twelve Fairey Albacore torpedo bombers attacked the ship in three groups, though Tirpitz successfully evaded the

30

Tirpitz torpedoes. Only three men were wounded in the attack.[29] After the conclusion of the attack, Tirpitz made for Vestfjord, from which she proceeded to Trondheim, arriving on the evening of 13 March.[30] The actions of Tirpitz and her escorting destroyers in March used up some 8230 metric tons (8100 long tons; 9070 short tons) of fuel oil, which greatly reduced the available fuel supply. It took the Germans three months to replenish the fuel spent in the attempt to intercept the two Allied convoys. Convoy PQ 17, which left Iceland on 27 June bound for the Soviet Union, was the next convoy Tirpitz and the rest of the German fleet stationed in Norway was able to attack,[30] during Operation Rösselsprung.[31] Escorting the convoy were the battleships Duke of York and USS Washington and the carrier Victorious.[30] Tirpitz, Admiral Hipper, and six destroyers sortied from Trondheim, while a second task force consisting of Lützow, Admiral Scheer, and six destroyers operated out of Narvik.[32] Lützow and three of the destroyers struck uncharted rocks while en route to the rendezvous and had to return to port. Shortly after Tirpitz left Norway, the Soviet submarine K-21 fired a pair of torpedoes at the ship, both of which missed. Swedish intelligence had meanwhile reported the German departures to the British Admiralty, which ordered the convoy to disperse. Aware that they had been detected, the Germans aborted the operation and turned over the attack to U-boats and the Luftwaffe. The scattered vessels could no longer be protected by the convoy escorts, and the Germans sank 21 of the 34 isolated transports. Tirpitz returned to Altafjord via the Lofoten Islands.[33] Following Operation Rösselsprung, the Germans moved Tirpitz to Bogenfjord near Narvik. By this time, the ship needed a major overhaul. Hitler had forbidden the ship to make the dangerous return to Germany, and so the overhaul was conducted in Trondheim. On 23 October, the ship left Bogenfjord and returned to Fættenfjord outside Trondheim. The defenses of the anchorage were further strengthened; additional antiaircraft guns were installed and double anti-torpedo nets were erected around the vessel. The repairs were conducted in limited Tirpitz, escorted by several destroyers, steaming phases, such that Tirpitz would remain partially operational for the in the Bogenfjord in October 1942 majority of the overhaul. A caisson was built around the stern to allow the replacement of the ship's rudders.[33] During the repair process, the British attempted to attack the battleship with two Chariot human torpedoes, though rough seas incapacitated the boat carrying torpedoes. By 28 December, the overhaul had been completed, and Tirpitz began sea trials. She conducted gunnery trials on 4 January 1943 in the Trondheimfjord.[34] On 21 February, Topp was promoted to Rear Admiral and was replaced by Captain Hans Meyer; five days later the battleship Scharnhorst was ordered to reinforce the fleet in Norway. Vice Admiral Oskar Kummetz was given command of the warships stationed in Norway.[35] By the time Scharnhorst arrived in Norway in March 1943, Allied convoys to the Soviet Union had temporarily ceased. Admiral Karl Dönitz, who had replaced Raeder in the aftermath of the Battle of the Barents Sea on 31 December 1942, decided the ships needed an opportunity to work together. He therefore ordered an attack on the island of Spitzbergen, which housed a British weather station and refuelling base.[34] Several settlements and outposts on Spitzbergen were defended by a garrison of 152 men from the exiled Free Norwegian Forces.[36] The two battleships, escorted by ten destroyers, left port on 6 September; in a ruse de guerre, Tirpitz flew a white flag on the approach to the island the following day.[37] During the bombardment, Tirpitz fired 52 main-battery shells and 82 rounds from her 15 cm secondaries.[38] This was the first and only time the ship fired her main battery at an enemy target.[34] The force landed an assault force that destroyed shore installations and captured 74 prisoners.[36] [39] By 11:00, the battleships had destroyed their targets and began the return to their Norwegian ports.[34]

31

Tirpitz British attacks on Tirpitz Operation Source The British were determined to neutralize Tirpitz and remove the threat it posed to Allied lines of communication in the Arctic. Following the repeated, ineffectual bombing attacks and the failed Chariot attack in October 1942, the British turned to the newly designed X Craft midget submarines.[34] The planned attack, Operation Source, included attacks on Tirpitz, Scharnhorst, and Lützow.[40] The X Craft were towed by large submarines to their destinations, where they could slip under anti-torpedo nets to attach a powerful mine to the bottom of the target. Ten vessels were assigned to the operation, scheduled for 20–25 Tirpitz in the Altafjord September 1943. Only eight of the vessels reached Norway for the attack, which began early on 22 September.[34] Three of the vessels, X5, X6, and X7, successfully breached Tirpitz's defences, two of which—X6 and X7—managed to lay their mines. X5 was detected some 200 m (660 ft) from the nets and sunk by a combination of gunfire and depth charges.[41] The mines caused extensive damage to the ship; the first exploded abreast of turret Caesar and the second detonated 45 to 55 m (148 to 180 ft) off the port bow.[42] A fuel oil tank was ruptured, shell plating was torn, a large indentation was formed in the bottom of the ship and bulkheads in the double bottom buckled. Some 1430 t (1410 long tons; 1580 short tons) of water flooded the ship in fuel tanks and void spaces in the double bottom of the port side, which caused a list of one to two degrees, though this was balanced by counter-flooding on the starboard side. The flooding damaged all of the turbo-generators in generator room No. 2, and all save one generator in generator room No. 1 were disabled by broken steam lines or severed power cables. Turret Dora was thrown from its bearings and could not be trained; this was particularly significant, as there were no heavy-lift cranes in Norway powerful enough to lift the turret and place it back on its bearings.[43] The ship's two Arado Ar 196 floatplanes were thrown by the explosive concussion and completely destroyed. Repairs were conducted by the repair ship Neumark; historians Robert Garzke and Robert Dulin remarked that the successful repair effort was "one of the most notable feats of naval engineering during the Second World War."[44] Repairs lasted until 2 April 1944; full speed trials were scheduled for the following day in Altafjord.[45] Operation Tungsten The British were aware that Neumark and the repair crews left in March, which intimated Tirpitz was nearly operational.[45] A major air strike—Operation Tungsten—involving the fleet carriers Victorious and Furious and the escort carriers Emperor, Fencer, Pursuer, and Searcher,[46] was scheduled for 4 April 1944. Enigma decrypts revealed to the British that Tirpitz was scheduled to depart at 05:29 on 3 April for sea trials; the British therefore moved the attack forward to 3 April.[45] The attack consisted of 40 dive-bombers and 40 escorting Tirpitz under attack by British carrier aircraft on 3 fighters in two waves; fifteen direct hits and two near misses were April 1944 [46] scored by the bombers, with the loss of only one aircraft in the first wave. This was due to the surprise achieved by the carrier aircraft; it took twelve to fourteen minutes for all of Tirpitz's antiaircraft batteries to be fully manned. The first wave struck at 05:29, as tugs were preparing to assist the ship out of her mooring. The second wave arrived over the target an hour later, shortly after 06:30. Despite the alertness of the German antiaircraft gunners, only one other bomber was shot down.[47]

32

Tirpitz The air strike caused significant damage to the ship and inflicted serious casualties. William Garzke and Robert Dulin report the attack killed 122 men and wounded 316 others,[47] while Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz report 132 fatalities and 270 wounded men, including the ship's commander, KzS Hans Meyer.[48] Two of the 15 cm turrets were destroyed by bombs and both Ar 196 floatplanes were destroyed. Several of the bomb hits caused serious fires aboard the ship. Concussive shock disabled the starboard turbine engine and saltwater used to fight the fires reached the boilers and contaminated the feed water. Some 2000 t (2000 long tons; 2200 short tons) of water flooded the ship, primarily through the two near misses, which holed the side shell with splinters. Water used to fight the fires also contributed to the flooding.[49] Dönitz ordered the ship be repaired, regardless of the cost, despite the fact that he understood Tirpitz could no longer be used in a surface action due to insufficient fighter support. Repair work began in early May; destroyers ferried important equipment and workers from Kiel to Altafjord over the span of three days. By 2 June, the ship was again able to steam under her own power, and by the end of the month gunnery trials were possible. During the repair process, the 15 cm guns were modified to allow their use against aircraft, and specially-fuzed 38 cm shells for barrage antiaircraft fire were supplied.[50] Operations Planet, Brawn, Tiger Claw, Mascot, and Goodwood A series of carrier strikes were planned over the next three months, though bad weather forced their cancellation. A repeat of Operation Tungsten, codenamed Operation Planet, was scheduled for 24 April. Operation Brawn, which was to have been carried out by 27 bombers and 36 fighters from Victorious and Furious, was to have taken place on 15 May, and Operation Tiger Claw was intended for 28 May. Victorious and Furious were joined by Indefatigable for Operation Mascot, which was to have been carried out on 17 July by 62 bombers and 30 fighters. The weather finally broke in late August, which saw the Goodwood series of attacks. Operations Goodwood I and II were launched on 22 August; a carrier force consisting of the fleet carriers Furious, Indefatigable, Formidable and the escort carriers Nabob, and Trumpeter launched a total of 38 bombers and 43 escort fighters between the two raids. The attacks failed to inflict any damage on Tirpitz,[46] and three of the attacking aircraft were shot down.[50] Goodwood III followed on 24 August, composed of aircraft from the fleet carriers only. Forty-eight bombers and 29 fighters attacked the ship and scored two hits which caused minor damage.[46] One of the bombs penetrated the upper and lower armour decks and came to rest in the No. 4 switchboard room, though its fuse had been damaged and the bomb did not detonate. Six planes were shot down in the attack.[51] Goodwood IV followed on the 29th, with 34 bombers and 25 fighters from Formidable and Indefatigable, though heavy fog interfered with the attack and prevented any hits from being scored.[46] One Firefly and a Corsair were shot down by Tirpitz's gunners. The battleship expended 54 rounds from her main guns, 161 from the 15 cm guns and up to 20 percent of her light antiaircraft ammunition.[52] Operations Paravane and Obviate The ineffectiveness of the vast majority of the strikes launched by the Fleet Air Arm in mid-1944 led to the task of Tirpitz's destruction being transferred to the RAF's No. 5 Group. It was determined that four-engined Lancaster bombers were required to carry bombs powerful enough to penetrate the ship's heavy armour.[53] The 6 short tons (5.4 t) Tallboy bomb, developed in 1943 by Barnes Wallis, was to be the primary weapon used against Tirpitz.[54] The first attack, Operation Paravane, took place on 15 September 1944; operating from a forward base at Yagodnik in Russia, 23 Lancasters (17 each carrying one Tallboy and six each carrying twelve JW mines), scored a single hit on the ship's bow.[46] The Tallboy completely penetrated the ship, exited the keel, and exploded in the bottom of the fjord. Some 800 to 1000 t (790 to 980 long tons; 880 to 1100 short tons) of water flooded the bow and caused a serious increase in trim forward. The ship was rendered unseaworthy and was limited to 8 to 10 kn (15 to 19 km/h; 9.2 to 12 mph). Concussive shock caused severe damage to fire-control equipment. The heavy damage persuaded the naval command to repair the ship for use only as a floating gun battery. Repair work was estimated to take nine months, but patching of the holes could be effected within a few weeks, which would allow Tirpitz to be moved further south to Tromsø. On 15 October, the ship made the 200 nmi (370 km; 230 mi) trip to Tromsø under her own power, the last voyage of her career.[55]

33

Tirpitz The RAF made a second attempt on 29 October, after the ship was moored off Håkøy Island outside Tromsø. Thirty-two Lancasters attacked the ship with Tallboys during Operation Obviate.[46] As on Operation Paravane, No. 9 Squadron and No. 617 Squadron carried out the attack together, which resulted in only one near-miss,[55] partially the result of bad weather over the target.[56] The underwater explosion damaged the port rudder and shaft and caused some flooding. Tirpitz's 38 cm fragmentation shells proved ineffective in countering the high-level bombers, though one aircraft was damaged by ground-based antiaircraft guns.[55] Following the attack, the ship's anchorage was significantly improved. A large sand bank was constructed under and around the ship to prevent her from capsizing and anti-torpedo nets were installed. Tirpitz retained a one-degree list to port from earlier damage, and this was not corrected by counter-flooding to retain as much reserve buoyancy as possible. The ship was also prepared for her role as a floating artillery platform: fuel was limited to only what was necessary to power the turbo-generators and the crew was reduced to 1,600 officers and enlisted men.[57] Operation Catechism Operation Catechism, the final British attack on Tirpitz, took place on 12 November 1944.[46] The ship again used her 38 cm guns against the bombers, which approached the battleship at 09:35; Tirpitz's main guns forced the bombers to temporarily disperse, but could not break up the attack.[58] A force of 32 Lancasters from Nos 9 and 617 Squadrons dropped 29 Tallboys on the ship, with two direct hits and one near miss.[46] Several other bombs landed within the anti-torpedo net barrier and caused significant cratering of the seabed; this removed much of Tirpitz capsized the sandbank that had been constructed to prevent the ship from capsizing. One bomb penetrated the ship's deck between turrets Anton and Bruno but failed to explode. A second hit amidships between the aircraft catapult and the funnel and caused severe damage. A very large hole was blown into the ship's side and bottom; the entire section of belt armour abreast of the bomb hit was completely destroyed. A third bomb may have struck the ship on the port side of turret Caesar.[58] The amidships hit caused significant flooding and quickly increased the port list to between 15 and 20 degrees. In ten minutes, the list increased to 30 to 40 degrees; the captain issued the order to abandon ship. Progressive flooding increased the list to 60 degrees by 09:50, though this appeared to stabilize temporarily. Eight minutes later, a massive explosion rocked turret Caesar. The turret roof and part of the rotating structure were thrown 25 m (82 ft) into the air and over into a group of men swimming to shore. Tirpitz then rapidly rolled over and buried her superstructure in the sea floor.[59] In the aftermath of the attack, rescue operations attempted to reach men trapped in the hull. Workers managed to rescue 82 men by cutting through the bottom hull plates.[46] Figures for the death toll vary; John Sweetman states that 1,000 out of a crew of 1,900 were killed,[60] while Niklas Zetterling and Michael Tamelander estimated nearly 1,000 fatalities.[61] Siegfried Breyer and Erich Gröner both agree on 1,204 deaths,[8] [46] though Gordon Williamson gives the death toll at 971.[16] William Dulin and Robert Dulin place the number of deaths at "about 950."[59] The wreck remained in place until after the war, when a joint German-Norwegian company began salvage operations. Work lasted from 1948 until 1957;[8] fragments of the ship are still sold by a Norwegian company.[16] The performance of the Luftwaffe in the defence of Tirpitz was highly criticised after her loss. Major Heinrich Ehrler, the commander of III./Jagdgeschwader 5 (3rd group of the 5th fighter wing), was singled out and blamed for the Luftwaffe's failure to intercept the British bombers. Many veterans of his unit regard him as having been a convenient scapegoat for his superiors' failures. He was subsequently court-martialled in Oslo and threatened with the death penalty. He was instead sentenced to three years in prison, though he was released after a month, demoted, and reassigned to an Me 262 fighter squadron in Germany. On 4 April 1945, he was shot down over Berlin, though according to anecdotal evidence, he reportedly told a comrade that he intended to ram a bomber after running out of ammunition, stating "We'll meet again in Valhalla."[62]

34

Tirpitz

35

Ludovic Kennedy wrote in his history of the vessel that she "lived an invalid's life and died a cripple's death".[63]

References in the Wehrmachtbericht Tirpitz was referenced three times in the Wehrmachtbericht, an information bulletin issued by the headquarters of the Wehrmacht. To be singled out in the Wehrmachtbericht was an honor.[64] Date

Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording

Direct English translation

9 July 1942

Die sowjetische Behauptung, daß das deutsche Schlachtschiff "Tirpitz" Torpedotreffer erhalten hätte, ist frei erfunden. Das Schlachtschiff ist weder [65] beschädigt noch überhaupt angegriffen worden.

The Soviet claim that the German battleship "Tirpitz" had received a torpedo hit is fictional. The battleship is neither damaged nor has it even been under attack.

4 April 1944

Im Zusammenhang mit diesen Kampfhandlungen versuchten gestern britische Trägerflugzeuge einen norwegischen Stützpunkt der Kriegsmarine anzugreifen. Der Angriff wurde durch die eigene Abwehr zersplittert und kam nicht zur vollen Wirkung. Hierbei wurden durch das Schlachtschiff "Tirpitz" vier, durch ein Vorpostenboot zwei feindliche Flugzeuge [66] abgeschossen.

British carrier based aircraft attempted to attack a Kriegsmarine base in Norway. The attack was broken up by our own defense and did not come to full effect. The battleship "Tirpitz" shot down four, a patrol boat two enemy aircraft.

14 November 1944 Durch einen feindlichen Luftangriff wurde in Nordnorwegen das Schlachtschiff "Tirpitz", dessen tapfere Besatzung in den letzten Monaten zahlreiche englische Luftangriffe mit gutem Erfolg abgewehrt hatte, außer [67] Gefecht gesetzt. Ein großer Teil der Besatzung wurde gerettet.

The battleship "Tirpitz", with its brave crew which had repelled numerous British air attacks with good success in recent months, was put out of action by an enemy air attack in northern Norway. A large part of the crew was rescued.

Footnotes [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Tirpitz's draft at full load was 10.6 metres (34 ft 9 in). Gröner, p. 33 Crew could be augmented up to 108 officers and 2,500 enlisted men. Campbell, p. 43 Williamson, p. 35 Hildebrand, Röhr and Steinmetz, p. 239 Garzke & Dulin, p. 247 Gröner, p. 35 According to naval historians Gerhard Koop and Klaus-Peter Schmolke, Tirpitz displaced 53500 metric tons (52700 long tons; 59000 short tons) at full load in 1944.Koop & Schmolke, p. 18 [10] Williamson, p. 43 [11] Garzke & Dulin, pp. 247–248 [12] Sweetman, p. 11 [13] Gröner, p. 20 [14] Sweetman, p. 12 [15] Garzke & Dulin, p. 248 [16] Williamson, p. 40 [17] Sweetman, p. 16 [18] Sweetman, p. 17 [19] Garzke & Dulin, pp. 248–250 [20] Hildebrand, Röhr and Steinmetz, p. 240 [21] Sweetman, p. 19 [22] Zetterling & Tamerlander, p. 207 [23] Garzke & Dulin, p. 250 [24] Sweetman, p. 23–24 [25] Sweetman, pp. 24–25 [26] Sweetman, pp. 25–26 [27] Sweetman, p. 27 [28] Gröner, p. 60 [29] Garzke & Dulin, pp. 250–251

Tirpitz [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] [50] [51]

36 Garzke & Dulin, p. 253 Sweetman, p. 54 Garzke & Dulin, pp. 253–255 Garzke & Dulin, p. 255 Garzke & Dulin, p. 258 Sweetman, pp. 73–74 Torkildsen, p. 221 Sweetman, p. 76 Sweetman, p. 77 Sweetman, pp. 76–77 Zetterling & Tamerlander, pp. 195–196 Garzke & Dulin, pp. 258–259 Garzke & Dulin, p. 259 Garzke & Dulin, pp. 259–261 Garzke & Dulin, p. 262 Garzke & Dulin, p. 264 Breyer, p. 26 Garzke & Dulin, p. 265 Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz, p. 243 Garzke & Dulin, pp. 265–267 Garzke & Dulin, p. 267 Garzke & Dulin, pp. 267–268

[52] Brown, p. 39 [53] Sweetman, pp. 132–133 [54] Sweetman, pp. 133–139 [55] Garzke & Dulin, p. 268 [56] Sweetman, p. 193 [57] Garzke & Dulin, p. 270 [58] Garzke & Dulin, p. 272 [59] Garzke & Dulin, p. 273 [60] Sweetman, p. 248 [61] Zetterling & Tamerlander, p. 327 [62] Zetterling & Tamelander, p. 233 [63] Van der Vat, p. 508 [64] Due to the nature of the Wehrmachtbericht dispatches, the information is not entirely accurate. For example, the dispatch regarding the air attack on 4 April claims Tirpitz shot down four British aircraft, along with two more by a patrol boat; only two aircraft were in fact destroyed during the attack. [65] Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, p. 198. [66] Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 73. [67] Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 332.

Citations References • Brown, David (1977). Tirpitz: the floating fortress. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9780853683414 • Campbell, John (1987). "Germany 1906–1922". In Sturton, Ian. Conway's All the World's Battleships: 1906 to the Present. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 28–49. ISBN 0851774482. • Garzke, William H.; Dulin, Robert O. (1985). Battleships: Axis and Neutral Battleships in World War II. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9780870211010. • Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships: 1815–1945. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0870217909. • Hildebrand, Hans H.; Röhr, Albert; Steinmetz, Hans-Otto (1993). Die Deutschen Kriegsschiffe (Volume 7). Ratingen: Mundus Verlag. ISBN 3836497433. • Koop, Gerhard; Schmolke, Klaus-Peter (1998). Battleships of the Bismarck Class: Bismarck and Tirpitz, Culmination and Finale of German Battleship Construction. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1557500495.

Tirpitz • Sweetman, John (2004). Tirpitz: Hunting the Beast. Gloucestershire: Sutton Publishing Limited. ISBN 0750937556. • Torkildsen, Torbjørn (1998) (in Norwegian). Svalbard : vårt nordligste Norge (http://www.nb.no/utlevering/ nb/7265216bde1098edd56c90ec366826fc#&struct=DIVP223) (3rd ed.). Oslo: Aschehoug. ISBN 8203222242 (ib.). • Van der Vat, Dan (1988). The Atlantic Campaign. Edinburgh: Birlinn. ISBN 1841581240. • Williamson, Gordon (2003). German Battleships 1939–45. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781841764986. • Zetterling, Niklas; Tamelander, Michael (2009). Tirpitz: The Life and Death of Germany's Last Super Battleship. Havertown, PA: Casemate. ISBN 9781935149187. • Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, 1. Januar 1942 bis 31. Dezember 1943 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3423059443. • Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3423059443.

37

Article Sources and Contributors

Article Sources and Contributors Bismarck class battleship  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=454796637  Contributors: 1dragon, Ala.foum, Aldis90, And heg, Anynobody, Ar-ras, Archibalddouglas, BB-PB, BD2412, Bigpad, BlaiseFEgan, Blshear, Bobblewik, BrokenSphere, Colonies Chris, Csdorman, Dakirw8, Damwiki1, DanMS, Darkone, Demiurge1000, Denniss, DocYako, EHRice, Ebyabe, Ehines1, Eversfs, Fernvale, Fireaxe888, Firsfron, Gene Nygaard, GoldDragon, GraemeLeggett, Greglocock, Groundsquirrel13, Gunbirddriver, Haus, Herr Gruber, Hmains, Horologium, ILovePlankton, JDelp, Jared Hunt, Jim Sweeney, Joel7687, Jonas Poole, Jonyungk, Joshbaumgartner, Jrt989, Kaba, Kebeta, King aardvark, Krator, Kresadlo, Kurfürst, Kurt Leyman, Laschatzer, Lightmouse, Loosmark, MBK004, Maralia, Matt Crypto, MechBrowman, Mgiganteus1, Mjb1981, MoRsE, N328KF, Naaman Brown, Naddy, Nevfennas, Noclador, Oberiko, Occasional Reader, OttaSotta, Parsecboy, Paxswill, Petri Krohn, Portuguese Man o' War, Promethean, Pyrope, Rich Farmbrough, RottweilerCS, Russ3Z, Sacxpert, ScottyBoy900Q, Shimgray, Simon Harley, Skeet Shooter, Slov01, Stonnman, Sturmvogel 66, SunCreator, Tabletop, Tarhunnas, The ed17, TimBentley, TomTheHand, Townmouse, Udisblizbadjoke, Welsh, WhaleyTim, Woohookitty, Xavier andrade, Xezbeth, Xyl 54, Yooden, Zephyrus67, 100 anonymous edits Bismarck  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=463821377  Contributors: (, *drew, -js-, 007ketan, 119, A. 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Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors File:Bundesarchiv Bild 193-04-1-26, Schlachtschiff Bismarck.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_193-04-1-26,_Schlachtschiff_Bismarck.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany  Contributors: Aibdescalzo, Grkdo, Martin H., Rama, Stunteltje File:Bundesarchiv Bild 193-06-7-16, Schlachtschiff Bismarck.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_193-06-7-16,_Schlachtschiff_Bismarck.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany  Contributors: 1 anonymous edits File:Bundesarchiv DVM 10 Bild-23-63-40, Schlachtschiff "Tirpitz", Stapellauf.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Bundesarchiv_DVM_10_Bild-23-63-40,_Schlachtschiff_"Tirpitz",_Stapellauf.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany  Contributors: Felix Stember, Kresspahl, Manxruler, Rcbutcher, TommyG File:Bundesarchiv Bild 193-03-5-18, Schlachtschiff Bismarck.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_193-03-5-18,_Schlachtschiff_Bismarck.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany  Contributors: Aibdescalzo, 2 anonymous edits File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1984-055-14, Schlachtschiff Bismarck, nach Seegefecht.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-1984-055-14,_Schlachtschiff_Bismarck,_nach_Seegefecht.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany  Contributors: Lagemann File:HMS Dorsetshire Bismarck survivors.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:HMS_Dorsetshire_Bismarck_survivors.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Royal Navy official photographer File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-J19316, Norwegen, Schlachtschiff, Zerstörer.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-J19316,_Norwegen,_Schlachtschiff,_Zerstörer.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany  Contributors: Boeckmann File:Fleet Air Arm attack the battleship Tirpitz.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Fleet_Air_Arm_attack_the_battleship_Tirpitz.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: RN official photographer Image:War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:War_Ensign_of_Germany_1938-1945.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Anime Addict AA, Blusts, Chaddy, Covi, Davepape, Denniss, F l a n k e r, Foundert, Fry1989, Gleb Borisov, Herbythyme, Lord Leatherface, Madden, Mattes, R-41, Rave, Sahapon-krit hellokitty, Skipjack, 9 anonymous edits File:Bb bismarck.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Bb_bismarck.png  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike  Contributors: Anynobody File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101II-MN-1361-16A, Schlachtschiff Bismarck, Indienststellung.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_101II-MN-1361-16A,_Schlachtschiff_Bismarck,_Indienststellung.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany  Contributors: Winkelmann File:Bundesarchiv DVM 10 Bild-23-63-41, Schlachtschiff "Bismarck".jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Bundesarchiv_DVM_10_Bild-23-63-41,_Schlachtschiff_"Bismarck".jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany  Contributors: Urbahns, Gerd File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1989-012-03, Schlachtschiff Bismarck in der Ostsee.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-1989-012-03,_Schlachtschiff_Bismarck_in_der_Ostsee.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany  Contributors: Lagemann File:Bismarck reconnaissance.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Bismarck_reconnaissance.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: User:SreeBot File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1968-015-25, Schlachtschiff Bismarck, Seegefecht.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-1968-015-25,_Schlachtschiff_Bismarck,_Seegefecht.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany  Contributors: Lagemann File:Rheinuebung Karte.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Rheinuebung_Karte.png  License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported  Contributors: WerWil File:Bismarck victorious attack.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Bismarck_victorious_attack.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Royal Navy official photographer File:HMS Ark Royal h85716.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:HMS_Ark_Royal_h85716.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: AnRo0002, Bjh21, Editor at Large, GDK, Hohum, Joshbaumgartner, Korrigan, Makthorpe, Mbdortmund, PMG, Pibwl, Pyrope File:HMS Ark Royal swordfish.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:HMS_Ark_Royal_swordfish.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Beadell, S J (Lt) Royal Navy official photographer File:Rodney firing on Bismarck.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Rodney_firing_on_Bismarck.png  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Royal Navy official photographer File:Tirpitz-2.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Tirpitz-2.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: KjellG, PMG, Rama, WerWil File:War Ensign of Germany 1938-1945.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:War_Ensign_of_Germany_1938-1945.svg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Anime Addict AA, Blusts, Chaddy, Covi, Davepape, Denniss, F l a n k e r, Foundert, Fry1989, Gleb Borisov, Herbythyme, Lord Leatherface, Madden, Mattes, R-41, Rave, Sahapon-krit hellokitty, Skipjack, 9 anonymous edits File:Tirpitz camouflaged.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Tirpitz_camouflaged.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Unknown File:Tirpitz early.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Tirpitz_early.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Unknown File:Tirpitz altafjord.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Tirpitz_altafjord.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Unknown File:Tirpitz (AWM SUK14095).jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Tirpitz_(AWM_SUK14095).jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Australian military

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License

License Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported //creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

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