Technical Layout
General Details
General Details | |||
Name of the ship | Bismarck | Tirpitz | |
Builder | Blohm & Voss, Hamburg | Kriegsmarine Werft, Wilhelmshaven | |
Builder's number | BV 509 | S-128 | |
Contract placed | 16. November 1935 | 14. June 1936 | |
Laid down | 1. July 1936 | 2. November 1936 | |
Launched | 14. February 1939 | 1. April 1939 | |
Commissioned | 24. August 1940 | 25. February 1941 | |
Disposition | Sunk in action with superior British force, 27. May 1941, at 48º 10´ north, 16º 12´ west. 2106 men lost, 115 survivors (110 captured). | Sunk in Sørbotn near Tromsø by British aircraft on 12. November 1944, at 69°36´ North and 18°59´ East. 971 men lost. 1948-1957 partially salvaged by British, Norwegian and German firms. | |
Displacement | |||
Measurement (gross or net registered tons) |
28.181 grt 11.110 nrt |
28.160 grt | |
Displacement: | (August 1940) | (February 1941) | |
empty | 39.517 tonnes | 39.539 tonnes | |
designed | 45.451 tonnes | 45.474 tonnes | |
full | 49.406 tonnes | 49.429 tonnes | |
maximum | 50.405 tonnes | 50.425 tonnes (53.500 tonnes 1944) |
|
Dimensions and Construction Details | |||
Length Overall | 250,5 m | 253,6 m | |
Length, cwl (construction waterline) | 241,55 m | 241,72 m | |
Beam, cwl (construction waterline) | 36 m | 36 m | |
Designed draught | 9,33 m | 9,9 m | |
Maximum draught | 10,2 m (at 49.406 tonnes) |
10,61 m (at 52.890 tonnes) |
|
Height of side (measured from keel top edge to upper deck) | 15 m | 15 m | |
Freeboard, amidships | 5,67 m | 5,67 m | |
Freeboard, forward | 8,8 m | 8,8 m | |
Building steel | ST 52 | ST 52 | |
Watertight compartments | XXII | XXII | |
Immersion per cm | +57,3 tonnes | +57,3 tonnes | |
Propulsion | |||
Boilers | 12 Wagner high-pressure (55 Kg/cm²) in 6 compartments | 12 Wagner high-pressure (55 Kg/cm²) in 6 compartments | |
Temperature | 475º C | 475º C | |
Turbines | 3 Blohm & Voss geared turbines | 3 Brown-Boveri geared turbines | |
Construction shaft output, maximum unforced | 111.000 shp | 111.000 shp | |
Construction speed, maximum unforced | 31,5 knots | 31,5 knots | |
Machinery output | designed | 138.000 shp | 138.000 shp |
Shaft revolutions | 250/min | 250/min | |
Speed | 28 knots | 29 knots | |
Machinery output | maximum | 150.170 shp | 163.026 shp |
Shaft revolutions | 278/min | 278/min | |
Speed | 30,1 knots | 30,8 knots | |
Range | 8.525 nm at 19 knots | 8.870 nm at 19 knots | |
6.640 nm at 24 knots | 6.963 nm at 24 knots | ||
4.500 nm at 28 knots | 4.728 nm at 28 knots | ||
Bunkers | designed | 3.200 m3 | 3.200 m3 |
maximum | 7.400 m3 | 7.780 m3 | |
Propulsion gear (all mounted aft) | Shafts | 3 | 3 |
Propellers | 3 (three bladed, diameter 4,7 m) | 3 (three bladed, diameter 4,7 m) | |
Rudders | 2 (paired) | 2 (paired) | |
Armour | |||
Belt | 320 mm (12,59") (main) 145 mm (10,35") (above) 170 mm (6,67") (below) |
315 mm (12,39") (main) 145 mm (10,35") (above) 170 mm (6,67") (below) |
|
Deck | 50 mm (1,96") upper deck. 80 mm (3,14") - 120 mm (4,72") armor deck | 50 mm (1,96") upper deck. 80 mm (3,14") - 120 mm (4,72") armor deck | |
Forward transverse bulkhead | 220 mm (8,7") | 220 mm (8,7") | |
Turrets | 360 mm (14,1") faces. 203 mm (8") - 130 mm (5") sides and roof | 360 mm (14,1") faces. 203 mm (8") - 130 mm (5") sides and roof | |
Barbettes | 342 mm (13,5") sides | 342 mm (13,5") sides | |
Conning tower | 360 mm (14,1") sides | 360 mm (14,1") sides | |
Armour thickness | (deck) max. | 110 mm approx. | 110 mm approx. |
(side) max. | 380 mm approx. | 380 mm approx. | |
Armament | |||
Main armament | 8 x 380 mm (14,96") | 8 x 380 mm (14,96") | |
Secondary armament | 12 x 150 mm (5,9") | 12 x 150 mm (5,9") | |
Heavy flak | 14 x 105 mm (4,1") | 14 x 105 mm (4,1") | |
Light flak | 16 x 37 mm (1,46") | 16 x 37 mm (1,46") | |
Flak - Machine Gun | 12 x 20 mm/L65 (0,79") MG C/30 8 x 20 mm/L65 (0,79") MG C/38 (April 1941) |
12 x 20 mm/L65 (0,79") MG C/30 78 x 20 mm/L65 (0,79") MG C/38 (July 1944) |
|
Torpedo battery | None | Two quadruple sets each of 533 mm (21") torpedo tubes. Originated from a destroyer. Installed from autumn 1941 | |
Aircraft | |||
Catapult | 1 double catapult, amidship | 1 double catapult, amidship | |
Aircraft | 4 x Arado Ar196A-3 | 4 x Arado Ar196A-3 | |
Fire Direction | |||
10,5 m Rangefinder | 4 (1940) 5 (1941) |
5 | |
7 m Rangefinder | 1 | 1 | |
6,5 m Rangefinder | 2 | 2 | |
4 m Rangefinder | 4 | 4 | |
3,7 cm flak | Rangefinder on gun | Rangefinder on gun | |
2 cm flak | Rangefinder on gun | Rangefinder on gun | |
Radar Equipment | |||
FuMO 23 | 3 | 3 | |
FuMO 212/213 (Würzburg) | 0 | 1 (from spring/summer 1944) | |
FuMO 27 | 0 | 1 (additional installation) | |
TIMOR | 0 | 1 (additional installation until spring/summer 1944 when replaced by FuMB 4 SAMOS) | |
FuMB 4 SAMOS | 0 | 1 (replaced TIMOR in spring/summer 1944) | |
FuMO 26 | 0 | 1 (replaced two FuMO 23 and FumMO 27 in spring/summer 1944) | |
FuMO 30 Hohentwiel | 0 | 1 (from spring/summer 1944) | |
Equipment | |||
Searchlights, triaxially stabilised and directed centrally (those positioned on Tirpitz's funnel platform later replaced by flak) |
7 | 7 | |
Cranes | 2 large and 2 small | 2 large and 2 small | |
Ship's boats | 3 barges, 4 picket boats, 1 launch, 2 cutters, 2 dinghies, 2 yawls (Tirpitz later probably fewer) | ||
Anchors | 3 bow, 1 stern | 3 bow, 1 stern | |
Complement | |||
Ship's company | 103 officers, 1.962 + 27 men (1941) | 108 officers, 2.500 men (1943) |
© John Asmussen, 2000 - 2014. All rights reserved.