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Created 1 March 2001
Updated 18 Oct 2004

 Dedicated to the memory of all those souls who lost their lives, both German and British & Allied


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Feb 2003: James Cameron, the film director, has made a special documentary, shown on Discovery TV, in which he took submersibles equipped with James Cameron, the film director, took down to the sea bed ROV's, to film the inside and outside of the Bismarck and conduct a detailed survey of the wreckage. His findings confirm the German point of view that the Bismarck was scuttled and not actually sunk by the Royal Navy. See the foot of the next page for details.

July 2004: Bismarck Survivor, BRUNO RZONCA, the only Survivor residing in the United States, passed away on July 23, 2004, after battling cancer.


Bismarck in harbour prior to "Rheinubung"

The Bismarck was "discovered" in 1989 by the same team that found the Titanic.  She lost her guns when she turned turtle, they were only held on by sheer weight and gravity.  Her superstructure has almost gone.  In the TV footage of the Bismarck, the AA guns could clearly be seen on her decks.  A large faded swastika still adorns her bow.

The Battleship Bismarck, pride of Hitler's Kriegsmarine and marvel of marine engineering, was built for only one purpose - to destroy allied shipping and to rule the waves.  How close she came to that purpose is already well documented and the subject of a well known film "Sink the Bismarck".  Before she was committed to a watery grave by the British Royal Navy, she accounted for the Hood, an enormous Battle Cruiser of the British Navy. The shot was a bit fortuitous, coupled with the poor deck armour of the Hood, enabling a shell from Bismarck to hit the deck, from above, and detonate the magazines, killing all but 3 of the Hoods 1400 souls.  The British Royal Navy had some luck also, a Fairey Swordfish, from HMS Ark Royal, caught the rudder of the Bismarck, causing a steerage lock which swung the Bismarck back, towards the pursuing British ships.  Thus enabling the Royal Navy to close and finish her off.  Although an "enemy" ship, I have always marvelled at the sleek superstructure and exquisite lines of this beautiful ship.  Such a vessel was worthy of preservation and enthroning upon a museum dockside forever to be marveled at.  Alas, the Atlantic Ocean has her now and forever, lying broken and humiliated on the sea bed.

1 July 1936: Laid down at the Blohm & Voss Shipyard, Hamburg. Yard No. BV 509, slipway 9.
14 February 1939: Launched. Christened by Dorothea von Loewenfeld, granddaughter of the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck.
April 1940: The first crew members come aboard.
23 June 1940: Enters floating dry dock No. V-VI for a three week period where the three propellers and the MES magnetic system are installed.
14 July 1940: Leaves the dry dock.
24 August 1940: Commissioned. The battle flag is hoisted (photo below) and the ship put into service with the Kriegsmarine.


The crew, this photo taken on Bismarck's Commissioning

http://www.kbismarck.com/archives/index.html - on this link this is credited as being onboard the Tirpitz  - which is correct?


 Bow Ensign hoisted on Commission

15 September 1940: Leaves Hamburg for the first time. In the afternoon anchors in Brunsbüttel.
16-17 September 1940: Passes through the Kiel Canal.
17-28 September 1940: At Scheerhafen (Kiel).
28 September 1940: Leaves Kiel and arrives at Gotenhafen.
October-November 1940: Conducts trials in the Baltic sea.
5 December 1940: Leaves the Baltic and sails back to Hamburg to complete her outfitting.
7-8 December 1940: Passes through the Kiel Canal.
9 December 1940: Arrives at Hamburg.
24 January 1941: Ready to sail again.
6 March 1941: Leaves Hamburg and sails again to Gotenhafen.
7-8 March 1941: Passes through the Kiel Canal for the last time.
8-17 March 1941: Embarks supplies at Scheerhafen (Kiel), ammunition, fuel, water, two Arado 196 Seaplanes. Striped camouflage paint is added. The ship is now fully equipped.
17 March 1941: Arrives at Gotenhafen.
18 March-April 1941: Conducts trials in the Baltic.
5 May 1941: Adolf Hitler visits the Bismarck together with Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, Admiral Lütjens, and other personalities. The Führer stays aboard for five hours.


 Bismarck at Blohm & Voss

12 May 1941: Admiral Lütjens and the Fleet Staff embark ship.
13 May 1941: Refueling exercises at sea with Prinz Eugen.
18 May 1941 (Sunday): Operation Rheinübung.


 Passing along the Elbe Canal

19 May 1941 (Monday):

20 May 1941 (Tuesday):


Gotland

21 May 1941 (Wednesday):

In this image above is shown the Prinz Eugen, centre, which was moored further up the Fiord. See the map below

22 May 1941 (Thursday):

0420. Course 0º. The destroyers leave the group. Bismarck takes the lead.

1200. Position 65º 53' north, 03º 38' east. Course 0º. Speed 24 knots.

1237-1307. U-boat and air alarm. Zig-zagging.

1800. Course 311º.

2322. Course 266º.

23 May 1941 (Friday):

24 May 1941 (Saturday):


Swordfish on Victorious

9 June 1989: The wreck of the Bismarck is discovered at a depth of 4,700 meters.

 

"The Bismarck had put up a most gallant fight against impossible odds, worthy of the old days of
the Imperial German Navy, and she went down with her colours still flying."

Commander of the Home Fleet,
Admiral Sir John Tovey

It was clear from Enigma decrypts, with the death of the Bismarck, that the large network of supply ships that was to have supported her patrol would now be made available to U Boats.  The first to go was the Belchen, a 10,000t tanker, sunk off Greenland by the Cruisers Aurora and Kenya.  Within 2 weeks the Royal Navy had eliminated almost the entire network at sea, some 9 tankers and supply ships sunk in the North & South Atlantic.  Understandable euphoria swept the OIC, this was real operational intelligence. Risk factors were involved. The Kriegsmarine would want to know how it was possible the Royal Navy could find and destroy all these ships, spread over a large area, in a matter of 14 days.  The officers of the Royal Navy ships involved asked the same question.

 

An email from Anne Winter Williams regarding the Spitfire that found the Bismarck. 6 Nov 03.

Not many know that the Bismarck was discovered by a PR pilot called 'Babe' 'Suckling who landed at Wick from the Norway fjords with his photos where it was identified. The film was required in London and his was the only transport available with limited fuel. He flew to Nottingham where he ran out of fuel  but fortunately where he had a friend who owned a garage and car so they drove all the way in the black out to London with the film arriving there at 2pm. The film about Bismarck shows a PR pilot discovering the ship but he looks rather old. Babe (Michael) Suckling was so named because of his youthful appearance. He lost his life as many PR pilots did. when the losses were 50% at one stage.....


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