Blohm + Voss GmbH Shipyard, Hamburg, Germany
The Founders of the Blohm & Voss Shipyard
Hermann Blohm (23. June 1848 - 12. March 1930)	Ernst Voss (12. January 1842 - 1. August 1920)
Schiffswerft und Maschinenfrabrik Blohm & Voss (Shipyard and Machinery Factory Blohm & Voss) was founded 5. April 1877. The shipyard was later called Blohm & Voss AG and today it is called Blohm + Voss GmbH.
The Blohm + Voss Shipyard and Bismarck
Blohm & Voss shipyard as it looked in 1923.
14. February 1939. The battleship Bismarck is ready to be launched. The Bismarck was construction number BV 509 at the Blohm & Voss shipyard.
Bismarck leaving slipway 9 during the launch at Blohm & Voss shipyard, 14. February 1939.
The Bismarck on its way to the equipping pier shortly after it was launched.
The Bismarck at the equipping pier at Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg. Notice the replacement of the straight stem with an "Atlantic" stem. A 250 tonnes hammer crane can be seen in the background.
When you buy a ship you get a bill. Here is the bill for the battleship Bismarck. Notice that the bill was for Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven. This shipyard was the only one owned by the German navy and it was from here Blohm & Voss got the contract for the construction of Bismarck. Bismarck's sistership Tirpitz was built at Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven. Also notice the price for Bismarck, 71.642.000 RM (Reichsmark).
Airphoto taken in 1997 of Blohm + Voss GmbH as seen from west.
Airphoto taken in 2001 of Blohm + Voss Gmbh as seen from south. The pier in the front of the photo was where Bismarck was equipped. Bismarck was placed where the floating dock "Dock 6" can be seen at the lower right corner of the photo above.
Airphoto taken in 2001 of Blohm + Voss GmbH as seen from south/south-west.
Airphoto taken in 2001 of Blohm + Voss GmbH as seen from south.
Fairly new (2005) airphoto of Blohm + Voss GmbH as seen from west.
Fairly new (2005) airphoto of Blohm + Voss GmbH as seen from east.
Blohm + Voss shipyard seen from the sea side. The name "Blohm + Voss Dock Elbe 17" is written on the gate to the big dry dock. The photo is taken in 2002.
The main entrance to the shipyard. The red big building in the background is the administration building. It was seriously damaged by bombs during WWII, but was rebuilt. The photo is taken in 2002.
A model of the shipyard as it looked in 1940.
A model of the shipyard as it looked in 1977 when the shipyard had its 100 years anniversary.
The huge drydock that was built for the planned H Class battleships. The drydock is called "Dock Elbe 17". It is 350 meters long and 60 meters wide. The construction started in 1938 and it was completed in 1942. At that time it was the biggest drydock in the world. The ship in the drydock is the Danish Regina Maersk, one of the biggest container ships in the world. The ship was at Blohm + Voss for repairs. Photo taken in 1998.
The passenger ship Superfast III in the drydock (Dock Elbe 17) at Blohm + Voss for repair. Photo taken in 2000.
The old company nameplace mounted at the entrance to the big administration building at the shipyard.
This armored steel plate was made for the battleship Bismarck. It is standing where Bismarck was build on the shipyard.
The big famous scale 1:50 shipyard model of the Bismarck.
Exhibition with models of all the ships Blohm + Voss GmbH has built throughout the years (about 970 ships at the end of 2003). There are still some models missing, but later, the collection will be complete.

© John Asmussen, 2000 - 2014. All rights reserved.