bismarck class battleships

Bismarck Class Battleships - The Bismarck class was a pair of fast battleships built for the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany shortly before the outbreak of World War II. The ships were the largest and most powerful warships built for the Kriegsmarine; more than 41,000 metric tons (40,000 long tons) in general, they carry a battery of eight 38 cm (15 in) guns, and can reach a speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph. ). Bismarck was laid down in July 1936 and completed in September 1940, while her sister ship Tirpitz was laid down in October 1936 and completed in February 1941. The ships were ordered in response to the French battleship Richelieu. They were designed with the preconceived notion of enemy warships in home waters, although the German Naval Command looked to use the ships as long-distance merchantmen against British ships in the Sea- a-Kiwa. As such, their design represented the strategic dilemma that plagued German shipbuilding in the 1930s.

Both ships had short careers. Bismarck had only one operation, Operation Rheinübung, the flight to the North Pacific to attack shipping from North America to Great Britain. During the action, he destroyed the British cruiser HMS Hood and damaged the new battleship Prince of Wales in the Battle of Dmark Strait. Bismarck was defeated and sunk in the last game after three days of pursuit by the Royal Navy. Although there is still some debate as to the cause of the sinking, evidence reviewed by Robert Ballard and James Cameron indicates that she was killed by a combination of battle debris and debris, as well as warships of the Royal Navy Rodney and King George V lost their lives to Bismarck's crew. . the original ship sank.

Bismarck Class Battleships

Tirpitz's work was less dramatic; She served briefly in the Baltic Sea in 1941 before visiting Norwegian waters in 1942, where she served as a warship, escorting convoys from Britain to the Soviet Union. She was attacked several times by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force between 1942 and 1944, but she was not seriously damaged by these attacks. In 1944, Lancaster bombers hit the ship with two Talboy bombs, causing extensive damage to the interior and capsizing the battleship. Tirpitz was scrapped for copies between 1948 and 1957.

Battleship Bismarck 3d Model

The Reichsmarine (Imperial Navy) began several conceptual designs in 1932 to determine the best features of a warship built to the 35,000 long tons (36,000 t) limit of the Washington Naval Treaty. These early studies determined that the ship was to be armed with eight 33 cm (13 in) guns, have a top speed of 30 km/h (56 km/h; 35 mph), and strong armor protection.

At the time, the German navy was limited by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles that started World War I, which limited warships to 10,000 long tons (10 160 t). A sketch design for the Bismarck class was prepared by the Department of Architecture in 1933, and the final design was approved in 1936.

During this time, naval commanders wrestled with many problems, including the strategy and management of such a ship and an efficient distribution system. The idea of ​​war games is that modern warships can be used to attack the French navy from afar, and to fight a traditional war against the French and Polish navies, which is the main threat.

Due to the limited number of German ships and the expected proximity to the Gulf, the design staff focused on the stability and protection of the weapons. A very thick vertical belt was adopted, with a strong upper bar and glass protection in the nose and front of the ships.

Bismarck Battleship, Bismarck Class Battleships Built For Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine Stock Photo

The Reichsmarine learned in June 1934 that Italy had decided to build some 35,000-ton battleships with 35 cm (13.8 in) guns—the Littorio class—that would surely and it will lead to the creation of ships such as the Frsch plane.

Fritch's answer came in the form of two Richelieu battleships ordered in 1935. To keep pace with their Frutch rivals, the two German-built battleships had to be the same size as armed. At the same time, Germany is preparing to open negotiations with Great Britain to secure a bilateral naval agreement that will facilitate the abolition of the naval restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles. In return, Germany limited its fleet to one-third the size of the Royal Navy. With the construction of 35,000-ton battleships as small as possible, German naval design staff began work in late October to establish weapons, armor, and speed requirements. The first design was completed in November and resulted in a ship armed with eight 33 cm in four twin guns, protected by a 350 mm (13.8 in) armor belt. thickness and a maximum speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 km/h). Crews said the ship would likely exceed the 35,000-ton mark, so triple or quadruple hulls should be considered to reduce weight.

The design staff decided that four twin turrets were the best solution for distributing the main battery, as it would provide equal firepower to the front and rear, as well as ease of fire control. This arrangement is similar to the last German battleships of the Imperial era, the Bayern class. The appearance gives the impression that the Bismarcks are copies of earlier ships, although the main battery arrangement and the three-phase propulsion system are common features.

As design work continued in January 1935, Geraladmiral (Admiral General) Erich Raeder, commander of the Reichsmarine, met with various departments and agency heads to refine design requirements. The Department of Naval Resources urged an increase in 35 cm guns to keep pace with the expected Italian and French ships, which Rader approved on 19 January. At another meeting in March, the Ordnance Department raised the possibility of further enlarging the projected main battery to 38 cm (15 in), although Rader initially objected because of the large increased mobility. However, although he approved the 35 cm version on April 1, he allowed the option to increase the main battery depending on foreign developments. Just one month later, Rader decided to adopt a larger gun on May 9, due to Chancellor Adolf Hitler's desire for a 38 cm gun.

Bismarck: What Was The German Battleship And How Was It Sunk?

In June 1935, Germany signed the Anglo-German Naval Treaty, which allowed Germany to build warships equal to 35 percent of the total tonnage of the Royal Navy;

At that time, the only important issue to be decided was the propulsion system, which was heavily dependent on strategic issues. Many Navy officers found themselves using the Bismarck class in the Atlantic, which required a long sailing time.

Naval designers explored mechanical engines, steam engines, and electric-powered engines; the latter system proved to be the best, as it was very successful in the US Lexington-class aircraft carriers and the French Normandy aircraft carrier.

The design staff must also be prepared to prepare enough for the new warships; they had to travel long distances from German ports to reach the Atlantic, and Germany had no overseas bases where ships could refuel.

Bismarck Battleship, A Premium Model

Rader ordered turbo-electric engines for the new ships, but the contract manufacturer, Siems-Schuckert, could not meet the Navy's requirements and withdrew from the project at less than months before construction began on the Bismarck, the Navy forced it back. high level. -pressurized steam music.

The movement of Bismarck and Tirpitz was ultimately limited by the strength of the existing infrastructure at Kiel and Wilhelmshaven and the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal, rather than international agreements. On 11 February 1937, the Department of Construction informed Rader that ships could not exceed 42,000 long tons (43,000 t) due to port restrictions and the depth of the channel. The agency expressed interest in building a third vessel and stayed in the contract for 35,000 tons.

Admiral Werner Fuchs, head of the Geral Command Office of the Oberkommando der Marine, advised Raeder and Hitler that changes would be necessary to reduce displacement in order for the new ships to meet the legal requirements of the Naval Treaty. of London. Japan refused to sign the new treaty, so on April 1, 1937 an escalator was ratified allowing signatories to the treaty to build ships up to 45,000 tons ( 46,000 t) weight. The final design displacement of 41,400 long tons (42,100 t) was within this limit, so Fuchs' modifications were abandoned.

Although Rader and other naval officers planned to use the Bismarck and Tirpitz as merchant destroyers against Frech's first fleet and later British ships in the Atlantic, using them in during World War II, the ships were not designed for that mission. Their steam turbines did not provide the necessary beam radius for the task, and many decisions were made about the ships' armor and weapons.

Bismarck Battleship Hp084 S

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