KMS Bismarck

DKM Bismarck was the lead ship of the WWII German two-ship Bismarck-class of battleships. With four turrets of two 15" naval guns each, she was slightly undergunned compared to the 16" and 18.1" guns of U.S. and Japanese ships, but she was fast and had excellent survivability.

Commissioned in 1940, she had her only operational sortie, in company with the light cruiser DKM Prinz Eugen, in May 1941. Once the British became aware of the sortie, they put heavy ships on each possible approach. The unit encountered the large battlecruiser HMS Hood and the new battleship, HMS King George V while the latter was still in shakedown with shipyard technicians aboard. Hood exploded and sank with only three survivors; KGV was severely damaged. Prinz Eugen returned home.

Most of the British Home Fleet gave chase.