The Bismarck was the largest and most modern battleship in the world at the time with 42,343 t (next to the Hood). On 24 May 1941 she sunk the largest British battle cruiser, the Hood, in a sea battle together with the heavy cruiser Prince Eugene at the pack ice border off Greenland with the 5th volley of her 38 cm (15 inch) guns by direct hits. Launched on 14 February 1940 at Blohm & Voss in Hamburg, together with the identical Tirpitz it was the most modern ship and the prestige object of the German navy. With a length of 251 meters (824 feet), the mast tip reached 52 meters (170 feet) above the water surface. A total of 17,450 tons of steel were used as armour protection. The newly constructed heavy artillery fired 800 kg (1763 pound) projectiles up to a distance of 34.2 km (21.25 miles), whereby 350 mm (14 inch) armour could be penetrated up to 21 km (13 miles). While the Prince Eugene did not get a hit during the battle on 24 May, the Bismarck, damaged at the bow, set course for a French port. During the subsequent pursuit by British ships and aircraft, the ship was shot unfit for battle after a torpedo hit into the steering gear on 27 May 1941 by numerically superior Home Fleet forces and sank in the Atlantic about 800 km (500 miles) off the French coast. Of the 2,092 men on board, 115 survived.

Skill Level: 5
28 1/4 inches (71.8cm) long
659 parts

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