Editing German battleship Bismarck (section)

== Design ==
{{main|Bismarck-class battleship}}

The two {{sclass|Bismarck|battleship}}s were designed in the mid-1930s by the German {{lang|de|[[Kriegsmarine]]}} as a counter to French naval expansion, specifically the two {{sclass|Richelieu|battleship|1}}s France had started in 1935. Laid down after the signing of the [[Anglo-German Naval Agreement]] of 1935, ''Bismarck'' and her [[sister ship|sister]] {{ship|German battleship|Tirpitz||2}} were nominally within the {{convert|35000|LT|adj=on|lk=on}} limit imposed by the [[Washington Naval Treaty]] that governed battleship construction in the [[interwar period]]. The ships secretly exceeded the figure by a wide margin, though before either vessel was completed, the international treaty system had fallen apart following Japan's withdrawal in 1937, allowing signatories to invoke an "escalator clause" that permitted displacements as high as {{convert|45000|LT}}.{{sfn|Garzke | Dulin| 1985|pp=203–208}}

===General characteristics===
[[File:Bb bismarck.png|thumb|A 3D rendering of ''Bismarck'' based on her configuration during [[Operation Rheinübung]]]]

''Bismarck'' displaced {{convert|41,700|t|LT|abbr=on}} [[Standard displacement|as built]] and {{convert|50,300|t|LT|abbr=on}} [[Full-load displacement|fully loaded]], with an [[length overall|overall length]] of {{convert|251|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|36|m|ftin|abbr=on}} and a maximum [[draft (hull)|draft]] of {{convert|9.9|m|ftin|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Gröner|p=33}} The battleship was Germany's largest warship,{{sfn|Garzke | Dulin | 1985|p=203}} and displaced more than any other European battleship, with the exception of {{HMS|Vanguard|23|6}}, commissioned after the war.{{sfn|Gardiner & Chesneau|pp=16, 224}} ''Bismarck''{{'}}s [[hull (watercraft)|hull]] used 90&nbsp;percent [[welding|welded]] construction to save weight; it was divided into 22&nbsp;[[watertight compartment]]s and had a [[double bottom]] that ran for 83&nbsp;percent of the ship's length.{{sfn|Gröner|p=33}}

''Bismarck'' was powered by three [[Blohm+Voss|Blohm & Voss]] geared [[steam turbine]]s driving three 3-bladed [[screw propeller]]s. Steam was provided by twelve [[fuel oil|oil]]-fired Wagner [[Superheated steam|superheated]] [[Water-tube boiler|boilers]], which were vented through a single large [[funnel (ship)|funnel]] amidships. The propulsion system was rated to produce {{convert|138000|PS|shp|lk=on}} for a top speed of {{convert|29|kn|lk=in}}, but the ship significantly exceeded both figures on speed trials, reaching {{convert|150170|PS|shp}} for {{convert|30.01|kn}}. The ship stored {{cvt|6400|t}} of oil for the boilers, which gave her a cruising range of {{convert|8,870|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|19|kn}}.{{sfn|Gröner|p=33}}

The standard crew numbered 103 officers and 1,962 enlisted men.{{sfn|Gröner|p=35}} When ''Bismarck'' left port, fleet staff, [[prize crews]], and [[war correspondent]]s increased the crew complement to over 2,200 men.{{sfn|Müllenheim-Rechberg|1980a|pp=29–30}} Roughly 600 of the crew came from the [[light cruiser]] {{ship|German cruiser|Karlsruhe||2}}, which had been lost during [[Operation Weserübung]], the German invasion of Norway.{{sfn|Garzke|Dulin|Jurens|2019|pp=59–60}} ''Bismarck''{{'}}s crew published a ship's newspaper titled ''Die Schiffsglocke'' (The Ship's Bell).{{sfn|Grützner|p=166}} ''Bismarck'' carried four [[Arado Ar 196]] reconnaissance [[floatplane]]s in a double hangar amidships and two single hangars abreast the funnel, with a double-ended thwartship [[aircraft catapult|catapult]].{{sfn|Gröner|p=35}}

===Armament and armour===
''Bismarck'' was armed with a [[main battery]] of eight [[38 cm SK C/34 naval gun|{{convert|38|cm|in|abbr=on}} SK C/34 guns]] arranged in four twin [[gun turret]]s: two [[superfire|super-firing]] turrets forward—"Anton" and "Bruno"—and two aft—"Caesar" and "Dora".{{efn|SK stands for ''Schiffskanone'' (ship's gun), C/34 stands for ''Construktionsjahr'' (design year) 1934, and L/52 denotes the ''Länge'' (length) of the gun in terms of [[Caliber (artillery)|calibres]], meaning that the length of the gun barrel is 52 times greater than the caliber (internal diameter) of the gun barrel.{{sfn|Campbell |1985|p=219}}}} [[Secondary armament]] consisted of twelve [[15 cm SK C/28|{{convert|15|cm|abbr=on}} L/55]] guns.{{sfn|Gröner|p=35}} The main-battery and secondary guns were aimed from three [[Fire-control system|fire-control director]] stations, using [[mechanical computer]]s to plot target distances and courses and to calculate angles for the guns. On top of each fire-control station a [[rangefinder]] was mounted in a rotating cupola, a FuMO 23 [[Seetakt]] radar set was installed by March 1941 on the front of all three cupolas.{{sfn|Müllenheim-Rechberg|1980a|pp=25-26}}{{sfn|Garzke|Dulin|Jurens|2019|pp=34–37}}

The heavy anti-aircraft armament consisted of sixteen [[10.5&nbsp;cm FlaK 38|{{convert|10.5|cm|in|abbr=on}} C/33]] guns in eight twin mountings.{{sfn|Gröner|p=35}} The forward two pairs of gun mountings were of the old C/31 type whilst the aft two pairs were of the newer C/37 type.{{Sfn|Stehr|Breyer|1999|p=27}} The middle and light anti-aircraft armament consisted of sixteen [[3.7 cm SK C/30|{{convert|3.7|cm|in|abbr=on}} C/30]], and initially twelve [[2 cm Flak 30/38/Flakvierling|{{convert|2|cm|in|abbr=on}}]] C/30 anti-aircraft guns.{{sfn|Gröner|p=35}} In April 1941 two of the single 2&nbsp;cm guns mounted on the searchlight platform on the foretop were replaced by two quadruple 2 cm C/38 guns.{{Sfn|Draminski|p=23}} Anti-aircraft fire control for the 10.5&nbsp;cm guns was provided by four [[Stabilisierter Leitstand|stabilized SL-8 directors]],{{sfn|Garzke|Dulin|Jurens|2019|p=40}}{{Sfn|Stehr|Breyer|1999|p=27}} though the 3.7 and 2&nbsp;cm guns were only given portable rangefinders.{{sfn|Draminski|p=24}}

The ship's [[belt armour|main belt]] was {{convert|320|mm|in|sigfig=3|abbr=on}} thick and was covered by a pair of upper and main armoured decks that were {{convert|50|mm|abbr=on|0}} and {{convert|100|to|120|mm|abbr=on}} thick, respectively. The {{convert|38|cm|abbr=on}} turrets were protected by {{convert|360|mm|abbr=on|1}} thick faces and {{convert|220|mm|abbr=on}} thick sides.{{sfn|Gröner|p=33}}