Bismark Battleship
The German battleship Bismarck is one of the most famous warships of the Second
World War. The lead ship of her class, and named after the 19th century German
Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, Bismarck displaced more than 50,000 tonnes fully
loaded and was the largest warship ever commissioned.
Bismarck only took part in one operation during her brief career. She and the
heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen left Gotenhafen (Gdynia) on the morning of May 19,
1941 for Operation Rheinübung, during which she was to have attempted to
intercept and destroy convoys in transit between North America and Great Britain.
When Bismarck and Prinz Eugen attempted to break out into the Atlantic, the
two ships were discovered by the Royal Navy and brought to battle in the Denmark
Strait. During the short engagement, the British battlecruiser HMS Hood, flagship
of the Home Fleet and pride of the Royal Navy, was sunk after several minutes
of firing. In response, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill issued the
order to "Sink the Bismarck", spurring a relentless pursuit by the
Royal Navy. Two days later, with Bismarck almost in reach of safer waters, Fleet
Air Arm aircraft launched from the carrier HMS Ark Royal, torpedoed the ship,
and jammed her rudder, allowing heavy British units to catch up with her. In
the ensuing battle on the morning of 27 May, 1941, Bismarck was heavily attacked
for nearly three hours before sinking.
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