GermanyBismarck
Germany's most famous battleship, whose single Atlantic sortie ended in one of the most dramatic chases in naval history.
- Navy
- Germany
- Commissioned
- 1940
- Fate
- Scuttled after battle damage, May 1941
Service History
Bismarck was among the largest and most advanced battleships in Europe. In May 1941 she broke out into the Atlantic to raid Allied shipping, sinking the battlecruiser HMS Hood in a stunning early victory.
The Royal Navy pursued her relentlessly. A torpedo strike from a Swordfish aircraft jammed her rudder, leaving her unable to steer. Cornered by British battleships, she was battered into a wreck and scuttled, going down with most of her 2,200 crew.
Major Campaigns & Battles
- Operation Rheinübung
- Battle of the Denmark Strait
Other Battleships
JPNYamato
Japan · Commissioned 1941
The largest and most heavily armed battleship ever built, mounting nine 18.1-inch guns — the biggest naval guns ever mounted at sea.
USAUSS Iowa
United States · Commissioned 1943
Lead ship of America's fast battleships, combining heavy 16-inch guns with the speed to keep pace with fast carrier task forces.
UKHMS King George V
United Kingdom · Commissioned 1940
The Royal Navy's modern fast battleship, notable for her unusual quadruple gun turrets and her role in sinking the Bismarck.