The 833 days of Bismarck

On February 14, 1939, Nazi Germany celebrates the launch of the "Bismarck" in Hamburg. A good two years later, the battleship sinks after a chase in the Atlantic.

by Carina Werner

Battleships are "strange, gigantic, graceful, mysterious beings," writes British marine and journalist Ludovic Kennedy. By this he means in particular the "Bismarck", the largest battleship in the world, which was launched in Hamburg on February 14, 1939. Battleships are so imposing that in the Second World War they functioned not only as floating combat machines, but also as objects of prestige. In view of the rapid development of the Luftwaffe, the gray giants were actually already being phased out.

Agreement regulates the construction of warships

Adolf Hitler proclaimed that June 18, 1935 was the best day of his life. On this day the German-British naval agreement is concluded, which allows the Germans to build real capital ships. After the First World War, Germany was bound by the Treaty of Versailles and was only allowed to build ships with a maximum displacement of 10,000 tons. But the new agreement also sets limits:In future, the German fleet may only comprise a third of the British fleet. In addition, the size of each ship is limited to 35,000 tons so that England can maintain its position as the most important maritime power. However, the National Socialists were happy to accept these restrictions, as they hoped for an alliance with Great Britain. Until further notice.

Who was Otto von Bismarck?

Otto von Bismarck was the first Chancellor of the German Empire from 1871 to 1890, and he was instrumental in founding it. First he waged bloody wars to found a German nation-state and then kept peace for 20 years. He fought Catholics and Socialists, yet introduced the world's most progressive social legislation. He was popularly known as the "Iron Chancellor". In terms of foreign policy, Bismarck and his alliances aimed for a balanced balance of power in Europe. He was born on April 1, 1815 in Schönhausen. He died on July 30, 1898 in Friedrichsruh near Hamburg.

An old plan is implemented

The first designs for the battleship "F", later renamed "Bismarck", date back to 1932. Even then it was the secret goal of the Reichsmarine to build capital ships that could keep up with the fleets of the great powers such as England and Japan. The order for the "Bismarck" is dated November 16, 1935. The ship is being built at the Hamburg shipyard Blohm + Voss. Although this shipyard mainly manufactures merchant ships, capital ships were already being built here before the First World War. The keel laying of the "F" takes place on July 1, 1936. More than 5,000 shipbuilders are involved in the construction in the following years in order to realize the ambitious project as quickly as possible. The construction costs amount to 200 million Reichsmarks. From the start, a displacement of more than 40,000 tons is envisaged - behind England's back. Nobody there suspects that this ship will one day be the largest battleship in the world.

Shortly after the start of construction for the "F" the construction of another ship of the same type begins in Wilhelmshaven, the battleship "G", later the "Tirpitz".

Launching Act

On February 14, 1939, the time had come:the streets were decorated with flags, thousands of spectators thronged the port of Hamburg, and the whole city joined in the celebrations. Even Hitler did not miss the spectacle, traveled to Hamburg and declared the launch to be a state act. He gives a speech in which he appreciates the importance of the former Chancellor Otto von Bismarck and encourages the future ship's crew to act "in hours of the most difficult performance of their duties" - should they come to this - in the spirit of the ex-Chancellor.

Grand Admiral Erich Raeder also gave a speech in which he thanked the Fuhrer in particular. Dorothea von Loewenfeld, a granddaughter of Otto von Bismarck, conducts the baptism ceremony:"By order of the Führer and Reich Chancellor, I am baptizing you 'Bismarck'," she exclaims. The champagne bottle shatters on the bow, the name "Bismarck" is revealed on the side of the ship, the hull is lowered into the Elbe and floats in the water for the first time.

War sets the schedule

Another ceremony took place on August 24, 1940:the "Bismarck" began service on its maiden voyage. The entire crew of more than 2,000 men, including the commander and sea captain Ernst Lindemann and fleet commander Admiral Günther Lütjens. The ship is not quite finished at this point, but time is of the essence:the German Reich has been at war for almost a year, also with England. It was only months later, on May 18, 1941, that the "Bismarck" sailed into the Atlantic. It starts from the port city of Gotenhafen (today:Gdynia) in the Bay of Gdańsk. At her side is the warship "Prinz Eugen". Both ships are to fight the convoys supplying England in the North Atlantic, i.e. wage a trade war. But they are soon spotted and pursued by Royal Navy ships.

A victory against the British

On May 24, 1941, a naval battle broke out on the "Denmark Strait" between Greenland and Iceland. The "Bismarck" destroys the ship that was considered by many to be the most powerful combat ship in the world:the British battle cruiser "Hood", the pride of the Royal Navy. Of the 1,418 crew members, only three can be saved. The "Bismarck" is also damaged, among other things the fuel supply is defective. The crew tries to reach the French port of St. Nazaire as quickly as possible. But in the following days, the Royal Navy uses all available warships in the Atlantic to attack the "Bismarck".

Soldiers die when the "Bismarck" sinks

The greatest chase in naval history ends on May 27th. The "Bismarck" is completely shot down by British ships. Burkard Freiherr von Müllenheim-Rechberg, who survived the accident and wrote down his memories, describes the chaos on board:the fire everywhere, the mountains of corpses. He and his comrades see "a picture of horror, a horrible playground for all the unleashed forces of a sophisticated war machine". The "Bismarck" sinks about 1,000 kilometers west of Brest. To this day it has not been fully clarified whether the ordered self-scuttling or the enemy fire was decisive for the sinking of the ship. Around 2,000 men, including the fleet chief and the commander, die. 115 soldiers are rescued from the Atlantic.

The wreck as a memorial

On June 8, 1989, the wreck of the "Bismarck" was discovered. The US research diver Robert Ballard sighted it at a depth of 4,750 meters. In order to protect the rubble from possible looters, the site is kept secret. The federal government declares the wreck a military cemetery.