GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
Battleship Bismarck
| Laid down: |
1 July 1936 |
| Launched: |
14 February 1939 |
| Commissioned: |
24 August 1940 |
| Construction cost: |
RM. 196.8 million |
Displacement:
· Empty ship:
· Standard:
· Construction:
· Full load:
· Maximum: |
40,250 metric tons
43,978 metric tons
47,870 metric tons
51,760 metric tons
53,486 metric tons |
Dimensions:
· Waterline length:
· Overall length:
· Beam:
· Standard draught:
· Maximum draught:
· Freeboard amidships:
· Height of hull sides (depth):
· Waterplane area: |
241.55 meters
251 meters
36 meters
9.33 meters
10.55 meters
between 4.45 - 5.67 meters
15 meters
5,740 m² |
Armour Protection:
· Upper belt:
· Main belt:
· Main battery turrets:
· Secondary battery turrets:
· Upper deck:
· Third armour deck:
· Conning tower:
· Torpedo bulkhead:
· Protected length 1):
· PC/TC 2):
· Armour's weight: |
145 mm
320 mm
130-360 mm
40-100 mm
50-80 mm
80-120 mm
220-350 mm
45 mm
70% (170.7 meters)
17/22
19,082 metric tons |
Armament:
· Main:
· Secondary:
· Anti-aircraft:
|
8 x 38cm/L52
12 x 15cm/L55
16 x 10.5cm/L65
16 x 3.7cm/L83
18 x 2cm/L65
|
| Fire control: |
5 x 10.5-m base rangefinders
1 x 7-m base rangefinder
2 x 6.5-m base rangefinders
4 x 4-m Type SL-8 rangefinders
2 x 3-m rangefinders |
| Radar Equipment: |
3 x FuMO 23 |
| Propulsion plant: |
12 Wagner boilers
Three Blohm & Voss turbine sets
150,170 hp (maximum obtained) |
| Speed: |
30.12 knots (maximum obtained) |
| Endurance: |
9,280 nautical miles at 16 knots
8,900 nautical miles at 17 knots
8,525 nautical miles at 19 knots
6,640 nautical miles at 24 knots
4,500 nautical miles at 28 knots |
| Fuel capacity: |
8,294 metric tons |
| Aircraft: |
4 x Arado Ar 196 |
| Crew: |
2,200+ |
Hull coefficients & ratios:
· Ratio length/beam:
· Ratio beam/draught:
· Ratio draught/depth:
· Ratio length/depth:
· Block coefficient:3)
· Midship coefficient:4)
· Waterplane coefficient:5)
· Prismatic coefficient:6)
· Metacentric height (GM):
|
6.71
3.85
0.62
16.10
0.55
0.97
0.66
0.56
4.00 meters |
1) Protected length: Part of the ship within the citadel with the maximum amount of armour and underwater protection.
2) PC/TC: Protected compartments / Total compartments. The protected compartments are those within the citadel.
3) The block coefficient (CB) is the ratio of the underwater hull volume of a ship at a particular draft to the volume of a rectangular prism (the circumscribing prism) of the same length, breadth, and draught as the ship.
CB = V/(L x B x T)
Bismarck block coefficient is calculated as follows: CB = 45,000 mt / (241.55 m x 36 m x 9.3 m) = 0.55
4) The midship section coefficient (CM) is the ratio of the area of the underwater midship section (Am) of a ship at a particular draft to the area of a rectangle (the circumscribing rectangle) of the same breadth and draught as the ship.
CM = Am/(B x T)
Bismarck midship section coefficient is calculated as follows: CM = 305 m² / (36 m x 8.7 m) = 0.97
5) The waterplane coefficient (CWP) is the ratio of the area of a ship’s waterplane (AWP) to the area of a rectangle (the circumscribing rectangle) of the same length and breadth as the ship. CWP = AWP/(L x B)
Bismarck waterplane coefficient is calculated as follows: CWP = 5,740 m² / (241.55 m x 36 m) = 0.66
6) The longitudinal prismatic coefficient (CP) is the ratio of the underwater hull volume of a ship to the volume of a prism with length equal to the ship’s and cross-section area identical to the midship section. In other words, the prismatic coefficient is equal to the block coefficient (CB) divided by the midship section coefficient (CM).
CP = V/(Am x L) = CB/CM
Bismarck prismatic coefficient is calculated as follows: CP = 0.55 / 0.97 = 0.56
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Characteristics of the Bismarck and other British capital ships in May 1941.
| Ship: |
Bismarck |
Hood |
King George V |
Rodney |
| Laid down: |
1 July 1936 |
1 September 1916 |
1 January 1937 |
28 December 1922 |
| Launched: |
14 February 1939 |
22 August 1918 |
21 February 1939 |
17 December 1925 |
| Commissioned: |
24 August 1940 |
29 March 1920 |
11 December 1940 |
November 1927 |
Displacement:
- Standard:
- Full load: |
43,900 mt
51,700 mt |
43,144 mt
49,136 mt |
38,600 mt
44,400 mt |
33,700 mt
41,000 mt |
Dimensions:
- Length overall:
- Beam:
- Maximum draft: |
251 m
36 m
10.55 m |
262.2 m
32.2 m
10.1 m |
227.1 m
31.9 m
10.3 m |
216.4 m
32.31 m
12.2 m |
Armour:
- Main belt:
- Turrets:
- Upper deck:
- Armour deck:
- Protected length:
- PC/TC:
- Armour's weight: |
320 mm
130-360 mm
50-80 mm
80-120 mm
70 %
17/22
19,082 mt |
305 mm
127-381 mm
32 mm
51 mm
65 %
12/19
13,650 mt |
348-374 mm
150-324 mm
-
124-150 mm
59 %
10/21
12,612 mt |
356 mm
184-406 mm
-
159 mm
53 %
9/17?
14,250 mt |
Armament:
- Main:
- Secondary:
- Anti-aircraft:
|
8 x 380 mm L/52
12 x 150 mm L/55
16 x 105 mm
16 x 37 mm
18 x 20 mm
|
8 x 381 mm L/42
-
14 x 102 mm
24 x 40 mm
16 x 12.7 mm
5 x 20 rockets |
10 x 356 mm L/45
16 x 133 mm L/50
32 x 40 mm
4 x 20 rockets
|
9 x 406 mm L/45
12 x 152 mm L/50
6 x 120 mm
24 x 40 mm
|
| Radar: |
3 x FuMO 23 |
1 x Type 284
1 x Type 279M |
1 x Type 284
1 x Type 281 |
1 x Type 279 ? |
| Aircraft: |
4 x Arado Ar 196 |
- |
4 x Walrus |
1 x Walrus |
| Machinery: |
12 boilers
3 sets of turbines
150,170 hp |
24 boilers
4 sets of turbines
151,280 hp |
8 boilers
4 sets of turbines
113,000 hp |
8 boilers
2 sets of turbines
45,000 hp |
| Speed: |
30 knots |
29-30 knots |
28-29 knots |
21 knots |
| Endurance: |
8,525 nm
at 19 knots |
5,950 nm
at 18 knots |
4,750 nm
at 18 knots |
7,000 nm
at 16 knots |
| Fuel capacity: |
7,900 mt |
4,064 mt |
4,000 mt |
3,805 mt |
| Crew: |
2,200+ |
1,417 |
1,600 |
1,300 |
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Characteristics of the Bismarck and other battleships of the time in 1941.
| Ship: |
Bismarck |
Richelieu |
Vittorio Veneto |
North Carolina |
| Laid down: |
1 July 1936 |
22 October 1935 |
28 October 1934 |
27 October 1937 |
| Launched: |
14 February1939 |
17 January 1939 |
25 July 1937 |
13 June 1940 |
| Commissioned: |
24 August 1940 |
15 June 1940 |
1 May 1940 |
9 April 1941 |
Displacement:
- Standard:
- Full load: |
43,900 mt
51,700 mt |
38,450 mt
45,438 mt |
41,167 mt
45,752 mt |
37,178 mt
45,519 mt |
Dimensions:
- Length overall:
- Beam:
- Maximum draft: |
251 m
36 m
10.55 m |
247.8 m
33.08 m
9.9 m |
237.8 m
32.95 m
10.44 m |
222.1 m
33 m
10.8 m |
Armour:
- Main Belt:
- Turrets:
- Upper deck:
- Armour deck:
- Protected length:
- PC/TC:
- Armour's weight: |
320 mm
130-360 mm
50-80 mm
80-120 mm
70 %
17/22
19,082 mt |
327 mm
170-430 mm
24 mm
150-170 + 40 mm
54 %
10/21
16,400 mt |
350 mm
130-380 mm
45 mm
112 mm
55 %
8/18
13,545 mt |
305 mm
178-406 mm
37 mm
104 + 36 mm
60 %
9/18?
15,087 mt |
Armament:
- Main:
- Secondary:
- Anti-aircraft:
|
8 x 380 mm L/52
12 x 150 mm L/55
16 x 105 mm
16 x 37 mm
18 x 20 mm |
8 x 380 mm L/45
9 x 152 mm L/55
12 x 100 mm
12 x 37 mm
32 x 13.2 mm |
9 x 381 mm L/50
12 x 152 mm L/55
12 x 90 mm
20 x 37 mm
20 x 20 mm |
9 x 406 mm L/45
-
20 x 127 mm L/38
16 x 28 mm
12 x 12.7 mm |
| Aircraft: |
4 x Arado Ar 196 |
3 x Loire 130 |
2-3 Romeo Ro 43 |
2 x Kingfisher |
| Machinery: |
12 boilers
3 sets of turbines
150,170 hp |
6 boilers
4 sets of turbines
179,000 hp |
8 boilers
4 sets of turbines
140,000 hp |
8 boilers
4 sets of turbines
122,000 hp |
| Speed: |
30 knots |
32.6 knots |
30 knots |
28 knots |
| Endurance: |
8,525 nm
at 19 knots |
9,500 nm
at 15 knots |
4,584 nm
at 16 knots |
17,450 nm
at 15 knots |
| Fuel capacity: |
7,900 mt |
6,000 mt |
4,000 mt |
6,300 mt |
| Crew: |
2,200+ |
approx 1,600 |
1,920 |
2,300 |
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Characteristics of Bismarck's sister ship and the last generation of battleships.
| Ship: |
Tirpitz (1944) |
Yamato |
Iowa |
Vanguard |
| Laid down: |
2 November 1936 |
4 November 1937 |
27 June 1940 |
2 October 1941 |
| Launched: |
1 April 1939 |
8 August 1940 |
27 August 1942 |
30 November 1944 |
| Commissioned: |
25 February 1941 |
16 December 1941 |
23 February 1943 |
9 August 1946 |
Displacement:
- Standard:
- Full load: |
43,900 mt
51,700 mt |
64,000 mt
72,800 mt |
48,110 mt
57,500 mt |
46,200 mt
51,400 mt |
Dimensions:
- Length overall:
- Beam:
- Maximum draft: |
253.6 m
36 m
10.61 m |
263 m
37 m
10.86 m |
270.4 m
32.9 m
11.3 m |
249 m
32.8 m
10.5 m |
Armour:
- Main Belt:
- Turrets:
- Upper deck:
- Armour deck:
- Protected length:
- PC/TC:
- Armour's weight: |
315 mm
130-360 mm
50-80 mm
80-120 mm
70 %
17/22
19,082 mt |
410 mm
270-650 mm
-
200-230 mm
60 %
?
21,200 mt |
307 mm
185-432 mm
38 mm
121 + 32 mm
60 %
?
18,700 mt |
330-355 mm
152-330 mm
-
127-152 mm
58 %
?
? mt |
Armament:
- Main:
- Secondary:
- Anti-aircraft:
|
8 x 380 mm L/52
12 x 150 mm L/55
16 x 105 mm
16 x 37 mm
78 x 20 mm |
9 x 459 mm L/45
12 x 155 mm L/60
12 x 127 mm
24 x 25 mm
4 x 13.2 mm |
9 x 406 mm L/50
20 x 127 mm L/38
80 x 40 mm
49 x 20 mm
- |
8 x 381 mm L/42
16 x 133 mm L/50
73 x 40 mm
-
- |
| Aircraft: |
4 x Arado Ar 196 |
7 x Mitsubishi F1M |
2-3 Kingfisher |
- |
| Machinery: |
12 boilers
3 sets of turbines
163,024 hp |
12 boilers
4 sets of turbines
153,000 hp |
8 boilers
4 sets of turbines
212,000 hp |
8 boilers
4 sets of turbines
130,000 hp |
| Speed: |
30.8 knots |
27-8 knots |
33 knots |
30 knots |
| Endurance: |
8,870 nm
at 19 knots |
7,200 nm
at 16 knots |
18,000 nm
at 12 knots |
9,000 nm
at 20 knots |
| Fuel capacity: |
8,297 mt |
6,300 mt |
7,600 mt |
7,000 mt |
| Crew: |
2,600 |
3,300 |
2,700 |
2,000+ |
mt = metric tons, 1 mt = 1,000 kilograms
nm = nautical miles, 1 nm = 1,852 meters = 2,025 yards
1 knot = 1 nm/hour
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