Launched in 1939, the Battleship Bismarck was Germany’s latest weapon in its war against the Allies. The ship was armed with a main battery of eith 15-inch guns mounted in pairs in four turrets. Her secondary armament consisted of twelve 5.9-inch guns, sixteen 4.1-inch guns, sixteen 1.5-inch guns, and twelve 20mm anti-aircraft guns. The ship carried a crew of 2000 men, displaced over 50,000 tons fully loaded, and measured over 800 feet long, overall. She and her sister ship Tirpitz were the largest battleships ever built by Germany, and two of the largest built by any European power.
From Wikipedia:
The two Bismarck-class battleships were designed in the mid-1930s by the German Kriegsmarine as a counter to French naval expansion, specifically the two Richelieu-class battleships France had started in 1935. Laid down after the signing of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement of 1935, Bismarck and her sister Tirpitz were nominally within the 35,000-long-ton (36,000 t) limit imposed by the Washington regime that governed battleship construction in the interwar period. The ships secretly exceeded the figure by a wide margin, though before either vessel was completed, the international treaty system had fallen apart following Japan’s withdrawal in 1937, allowing signatories to invoke an “escalator clause” that permitted displacements as high as 45,000 long tons (46,000 t).
Bismarck displaced 41,700 t (41,000 long tons) as built and 50,300 t (49,500 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). The battleship was Germany’s largest warship, and displaced more than any other European battleship, with the exception of HMS Vanguard, commissioned after the end of the war.
The Battleship Bismarck was armed with eight 38 cm (15 in) SK C/34 guns arranged in four twin gun turrets: two super-firing turrets forward—”Anton” and “Bruno”—and two aft—”Caesar” and “Dora”. 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. Bismarck also carried four Arado Ar 196 reconnaissance floatplanes, with a single large hangar and a double-ended catapult. The ship’s main belt was 320 mm (12.6 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 (15 in) turrets were protected by 360 mm (14.2 in) thick faces and 220 mm (8.7 in) thick sides.
Read More here: Bismark on Wikipedia
The Model
Battleship Bismark is latest kit from Amati, just released for Summer ’21. At 1:200 scale, this is a BIG model, over 4 feet long! The kit features a single-planked wooden hull of plank-on-bulkhead construction, with laser cut parts for the keel and bulkheads, as well as for the deck structures.
Being a wooden model kit, the deck is, of course, real wood, just like the real ship. This is a massive kit, not just in size, but in the quantity of materials. 16 laser-cut plywood sheets, plus more than 2200 photo-etched brass parts! This a kit that will test your skills. Complete this challenge, and you’ll have one of the most amazing models on display anywhere.
AM1614
Scale 1:200
Length 50 inch (1270mm)
Height 11.5 inch (292mm)
Width 7.2 inch (182mm)
The Battleship Bismarck was one of the most legendary and iconic warships of World War II. It was a symbol of Nazi Germany’s naval power and was feared by its enemies for its sheer size, firepower, and technological advancements. The Bismarck was built in the early 1930s and was launched in 1939, just before the outbreak of the war. It was named after Otto von Bismarck, the first Chancellor of Germany, and was the lead ship of its class, along with its sister ship, the Tirpitz.
The Bismarck was an impressive vessel, measuring over 800 feet in length and weighing over 50,000 tons. It was equipped with eight 15-inch guns, capable of firing a shell over 20 miles, making it one of the most powerful battleships in the world at the time. Its armor was also state-of-the-art, with a maximum thickness of 14 inches, making it nearly impenetrable to enemy fire. The ship was also equipped with advanced radar and fire control systems, giving it a significant advantage in battle.
The Bismarck’s first and only mission was to disrupt allied shipping in the Atlantic Ocean. On May 18, 1941, it set sail from its base in Germany, accompanied by the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen. The British Royal Navy soon picked up on the Bismarck’s movements and launched a massive hunt to locate and destroy the powerful battleship. After several days of searching, the Bismarck was finally spotted by a British reconnaissance aircraft. The following day, on May 24, the Bismarck engaged in a fierce battle with the British battleship HMS Prince of Wales and the cruiser HMS Hood, sinking the latter and severely damaging the former.
Despite its initial success, the Bismarck’s luck quickly turned. Its rudder was damaged during the battle, leaving it unable to maneuver effectively. The British were able to track the Bismarck’s movements and launched a relentless pursuit, eventually damaging it enough to force its crew to scuttle the ship on May 27. Only 115 of the Bismarck’s crew of over 2,200 survived the sinking.
The Battle of Bismarck was a turning point in the war, as it showed that even the seemingly invincible could be defeated. The sinking of the Bismarck also had a significant impact on the morale of the German Navy, as it was their most powerful and advanced battleship. The ship’s wreck was discovered in 1989 and has since become a popular destination for divers and historians, who continue to study and uncover the mysteries of this legendary warship. The legacy of the Bismarck lives on, as it remains a symbol of both the might and the fall of Nazi Germany’s naval power.
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