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Was the Bismarck really a threat?
By May 1941, with the battle of the Atlantic in full swing, Bismarck was a latent threat. British naval forces were spread thin, tasked with protecting Atlantic convoys, fighting the Italians and Germans in the Mediterranean, and watching a belligerent Japan.
Why was the Bismarck a failure?
Despite being the largest battleship that the Germans had ever built, the Bismarck’s failure was expected by many. Because the German battleship designers lacked experience, they followed outdated design philosophies that were used in battleships during World War I.
Why did the British want to sink Bismarck?
The men of the Royal Navy wanted to sink Bismarck – there was a desire for some measure of retribution for the loss of the Hood and the fire-bombing blitz of Plymouth (the homeport for Rodney, Dorsetshire and other warships) by the Luftwaffe in March-April 1941, which had seen many loved ones made homeless, injured or killed.
Did you know these lesser-known facts about the Bismarck?
Iain Ballantyne reveals nine lesser-known facts about the ship and its sole mission… Launched on Valentine’s Day 1939 at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg, the battleship Bismarck inspired love in many of those watching her go down the slipway.
What happened to the German battleship Bismarck?
German battleship Bismarck. In her final battle the following morning, the already-crippled Bismarck was severely damaged during a sustained engagement with two British battleships and two heavy cruisers, was scuttled by her crew, and sank with heavy loss of life. Most experts agree that the battle damage would have caused her to sink eventually.
Could the Tirpitz and the Bismarck really survive?
The belief grew that Tirpitz and the Bismarck battleship could survive any torpedo, shell, or bomb that the British ships or aircraft could hurl at them—and it was not unfounded. The British navy had been starved of funds in the postwar years and little effort had been made to develop new weaponry.