Ship Database
Tier VIII Battleship

Germany

Bismarck

The original plan was for the new ship to be armed with eight 330 mm guns; however, their caliber was increased to 380 mm when France and Italy started building battleships with such armament. In May 1941, battleship Bismarck and battlecruiser Prinz Eugen set off on a hunt for convoys in the Atlantic Ocean. On their way, they were intercepted by British...

Read full ship history

The original plan was for the new ship to be armed with eight 330 mm guns; however, their caliber was increased to 380 mm when France and Italy started building battleships with such armament. In May 1941, battleship Bismarck and battlecruiser Prinz Eugen set off on a hunt for convoys in the Atlantic Ocean. On their way, they were intercepted by British ships Prince of Wales and Hood. After taking several hits, Hood exploded, and the German raiders headed for the Atlantic. The British fleet pursued their enemy. On May 26, rudder damage rendered Bismarck uncontrollable. In the battle that followed, the battleship was sunk.

Credits
11,000,000
Official profile image of Bismarck

At a glance

The numbers that shape the ship

Hit points
64,500
Maximum speed
28.5 knots
Surface detection
15.9 km
Main battery range
19.3 km
Main battery reload
26.0 s

Combat envelope

Range and detection

Scale: 20 km

Every bar uses the same 20 km scale. Surface detection is a visibility threshold, not a weapon range.

  • Surface detection15.9 km
  • Main battery19.3 km
  • Secondary battery7.6 km

Damage comparison

Published maximum per hit

Ship-relative

Bars are normalized only against this ship's highest listed hit. They are not salvo damage, expected damage or DPM.

  • HE · 380 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.6 4,400
  • AP · 380 mm P.Spr.Gr. L/4.4 11,600
Handling, concealment and protectionOverview

Handling

Maximum speed
28.5 knots
Turning circle radius
850 m
Rudder shift time
22.4 s
Maneuverability API rating 34

Concealment

Surface detection
15.9 km
Air detection
10.0 km
Submarine detection
10.0 km
Concealment API rating 34

Survivability

Hit points
64,500
Torpedo damage reduction
22 %
Survivability API rating 80

Published armour thickness

Only positive values supplied by the API are shown.

Overall published range
19–360 mm
Weapons and payloadsArmament

Surface armament

Main battery

Artillery API rating 89
Maximum range
19.3 km
Reload time
26.0 s
Rate of fire
2.3 rounds/min
180° turn time
36.0 s
Maximum dispersion
252 m

Shells

Damage is the API's published maximum for one shell hit.

380 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.6
HE
Maximum damage per hit
4,400
Fire chance
34.0 %
Muzzle velocity
820 m/s
Shell mass
800 kg
380 mm P.Spr.Gr. L/4.4
AP
Maximum damage per hit
11,600
Muzzle velocity
820 m/s
Shell mass
800 kg
Gun layout
Mount
380 mm/52 SK C/34 on a Drh LC/34 mount
Mounts
4
Barrels each
2

Automatic armament

Secondary battery

Maximum range
7.6 km
Mount
150 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.5
Maximum damage per hit
1,700
Fire chance
8.0 %
Rate of fire
8.0 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity
875 m/s
Mount
105 mm Spr.Gr. Kz.
Maximum damage per hit
1,200
Fire chance
5.0 %
Rate of fire
17.9 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity
900 m/s

Anti-aircraft defence

AA defence API rating 58
Aura
20 mm/65 C/38 on an L/30 single mount
Calibre
20 mm
Mounts
12
Aura
20 mm/65 C/38 on a Flak 35 Vierling L/38 mount
Calibre
20 mm
Mounts
2
Aura
37 mm/83 SK C/30 on a Dopp LC/30 mount
Calibre
37 mm
Mounts
8
Aura
105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount
Calibre
105 mm
Mounts
8
Modules, hull and progressionTechnical data

Default hull

Hull hit points
64,500
Main-battery barrels
4
Secondary barrels
14
AA mounts
30

Engine

Published maximum speed
28.5 knots

Fire control

Module research tree

Names, research prices and defaults are reported directly by the API.

Bismarck (A)

Default
Type
Hull
Purchase
1,650,000 credits
Next modules
1

Bismarck (B)

Type
Hull
Research
52,000 XP
Purchase
3,900,000 credits
Next ships
1

380 mm/52 SK C/34 on a Drh LC/34 mount

Default
Type
Artillery
Purchase
1,100,000 credits

Propulsion: 150,100 hp

Default
Type
Engine
Purchase
380,000 credits
Next modules
1

Propulsion: 163,000 hp

Type
Engine
Research
15,500 XP
Purchase
900,000 credits

FKS Typ 8 Mod. 1

Default
Type
Suo
Purchase
600,000 credits
Next modules
1

FKS Typ 8 Mod. 2

Type
Suo
Research
23,500 XP
Purchase
1,500,000 credits

Compatible upgrades

Official modernization descriptions and listed purchase prices. Effects still depend on the slot and configuration used in game.

Propulsion Modification 1

Modernization

Reduces time to full speed

Credits
1,000,000

Concealment System Modification 1

Modernization

Credits
2,000,000

Main Armaments Modification 1

Modernization

Credits
125,000

Aiming Systems Modification 1

Modernization

Credits
500,000

Damage Control System Modification 2

Modernization

Credits
1,000,000

Torpedo Lookout System

Modernization

Credits
2,000,000

Main Battery Modification 2

Modernization

Credits
500,000

Damage Control System Modification 1

Modernization

Credits
250,000

Steering Gears Modification 1

Modernization

Credits
1,000,000

Secondary Battery Modification 1

Modernization

Credits
500,000

Auxiliary Armaments Modification 1

Modernization

Credits
125,000

AA Guns Modification 1

Modernization

Credits
500,000

Next ships

Research costs published in this ship's official progression data.

Ship
Friedrich der Grosse
Research cost
180,000 XP
Available module groups
10
Compatible upgrades
12
Researchable next ships
1
Upgrade slots
5
Published battle levels
8–10

Cross-nation comparison

Ships that fill a similar slot

Closest same-tier, same-class matches from other nations, ranked by published base statistics.

U.S.A.

Nebraska

HP
62,000
Speed
30 kn
Guns
19.1 km
Open comparison

U.S.S.R.

Lenin

HP
63,200
Speed
28.5 kn
Guns
18.4 km
Open comparison

Japan

Amagi

HP
59,300
Speed
28.1 kn
Guns
18.1 km
Open comparison