Bismarck Geocoin

To visit global port cities. Fair winds and following seas, the Bismarck sails on...

Um globale Hafenstädte besuchen. Gute Winde und folgende Meere, die Bismarck Segel auf ... 

Bismarck was the first of two Bismarck-class battleships built for the German Kriegsmarine and launched in February 1939. Bismarck and her sister ship Tirpitz were the largest battleships ever built by Germany, and two of the largest built by any European power.

In the course of the warship's eight-month career, Bismarck conducted only one offensive operation, in May 1941. The ship, along with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, was to break into the Atlantic Ocean and raid Allied shipping from North America to Great Britain. The two ships were detected several times off Scandinavia, however, and British naval units were deployed to block their route. At the Denmark Strait, Bismarck engaged and destroyed the battlecrusier HMS Hood, the pride of the Royal Navy and forced the  HMS Prince of Wales to retreat; Bismarck herself was hit three times and suffered an oil leak from a ruptured tank.

The destruction of Hood spurred a relentless pursuit by the Royal Navy involving dozens of warships. Two days later, while heading for the relative safety  occupied France, Bismarck was attacked by torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal; one hit was scored that rendered the battleship's steering gear inoperable.  In her final battle the following morning, Bismarck was neutralised by a sustained bombardment from a British fleet, was scuttled by her crew, and sank with heavy loss of life.


FTF:Bisti