GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

Battleship Bismarck

Laid down:	1 July 1936
Launched:	14 February 1939
Commissioned:	24 August 1940
Construction cost:	RM. 196.8 million
Displacement:  ·  Empty ship:  ·  Standard:  ·  Construction:  ·  Full load:  ·  Maximum:	40,250 metric tons 43,978 metric tons 47,870 metric tons 51,760 metric tons 53,486 metric tons
Dimensions:  ·  Waterline length:  ·  Overall length:  ·  Beam:  ·  Standard draught:  ·  Maximum draught:  ·  Freeboard amidships:  ·  Height of hull sides (depth):  ·  Waterplane area:	241.55 meters 251 meters 36 meters 9.33 meters 10.55 meters between 4.45 - 5.67 meters 15 meters 5,740 m²
Armour Protection:  ·  Upper belt:  ·  Main belt:  ·  Main battery turrets:  ·  Secondary battery turrets:  ·  Upper deck:  ·  Third armour deck:  ·  Conning tower:  ·  Torpedo bulkhead:  ·  Protected length 1):  ·  PC/TC 2):  ·  Armour's weight:	145 mm 320 mm 130-360 mm 40-100 mm 50-80 mm 80-120 mm 220-350 mm 45 mm 70% (170.7 meters) 17/22 19,082 metric tons
Armament:  ·  Main:  ·  Secondary:  ·  Anti-aircraft:	8 x 38cm/L52 12 x 15cm/L55 16 x 10.5cm/L65 16 x 3.7cm/L83 18 x 2cm/L65
Fire control:	5 x 10.5-m base rangefinders 1 x 7-m base rangefinder 2 x 6.5-m base rangefinders 4 x 4-m Type SL-8 rangefinders 2 x 3-m rangefinders
Radar Equipment:	3 x FuMO 23
Propulsion plant:	12 Wagner boilers Three Blohm & Voss turbine sets 150,170 hp (maximum obtained)
Speed:	30.12 knots (maximum obtained)
Endurance:	9,280 nautical miles at 16 knots 8,900 nautical miles at 17 knots 8,525 nautical miles at 19 knots 6,640 nautical miles at 24 knots 4,500 nautical miles at 28 knots
Fuel oil capacity:	7,400 metric tons
Aircraft:	4 x Arado Ar 196
Crew:	2,200+
Hull coefficients & ratios: · Ratio length/beam: · Ratio beam/draught: · Ratio draught/depth: · Ratio length/depth: · Block coefficient:3) · Midship coefficient:4) · Waterplane coefficient:5) · Prismatic coefficient:6) · Metacentric height (GM):	6.71 3.85 0.62 16.10 0.55 0.97 0.66 0.56 4.00 meters

1) Protected length: Part of the ship within the citadel with the maximum amount of armour and underwater protection.
2) PC/TC: Protected compartments / Total compartments. The protected compartments are those within the citadel.
3) The block coefficient (CB) is the ratio of the underwater hull volume of a ship at a particular draft to the volume of a rectangular prism (the circumscribing prism) of the same length, breadth, and draught as the ship. CB = V/(L x B x T)
Bismarck block coefficient is calculated as follows: CB = 45,000 mt / (241.55 m x 36 m x 9.3 m) = 0.55
4) The midship section coefficient (CM) is the ratio of the area of the underwater midship section (Am) of a ship at a particular draft to the area of a rectangle (the circumscribing rectangle) of the same breadth and draught as the ship. CM = Am/(B x T)
Bismarck midship section coefficient is calculated as follows: CM = 305 m² / (36 m x 8.7 m) = 0.97
5) The waterplane coefficient (CWP) is the ratio of the area of a ship’s waterplane (AWP) to the area of a rectangle (the circumscribing rectangle) of the same length and breadth as the ship. CWP = AWP/(L x B)
Bismarck waterplane coefficient is calculated as follows: CWP = 5,740 m² / (241.55 m x 36 m) = 0.66
6) The longitudinal prismatic coefficient (CP) is the ratio of the underwater hull volume of a ship to the volume of a prism with length equal to the ship’s and cross-section area identical to the midship section. In other words, the prismatic coefficient is equal to the block coefficient (CB) divided by the midship section coefficient (CM). CP = V/(Am x L) = CB/CM
Bismarck prismatic coefficient is calculated as follows: CP = 0.55 / 0.97 = 0.56
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Characteristics of the Bismarck and other British capital ships in May 1941.

Ship:	Bismarck	Hood	King George V	Rodney
Laid down:	1 July 1936	1 September 1916	1 January 1937	28 December 1922
Launched:	14 February 1939	22 August 1918	21 February 1939	17 December 1925
Commissioned:	24 August 1940	29 March 1920	11 December 1940	November 1927
Displacement: - Standard: - Full load:	43,900 mt 51,700 mt	43,144 mt 49,136 mt	38,600 mt 44,400 mt	33,700 mt 41,000 mt
Dimensions: - Length overall: - Beam: - Maximum draft:	251 m 36 m 10.55 m	262.2 m 32.2 m 10.1 m	227.1 m 31.9 m 10.3 m	216.4 m 32.31 m 12.2 m
Armour: - Main belt: - Turrets: - Upper deck: - Armour deck: - Protected length: - PC/TC: - Armour's weight:	320 mm 130-360 mm 50-80 mm 80-120 mm 70 % 17/22 19,082 mt	305 mm 127-381 mm 32 mm 51 mm 65 % 12/19 13,650 mt	348-374 mm 150-324 mm - 124-150 mm 59 % 10/21 12,612 mt	356 mm 184-406 mm - 159 mm 53 % 9/17? 14,250 mt
Armament: - Main: - Secondary: - Anti-aircraft:	8 x 380 mm L/52 12 x 150 mm L/55 16 x 105 mm 16 x 37 mm 18 x 20 mm	8 x 381 mm L/42 - 14 x 102 mm 24 x 40 mm 16 x 12.7 mm 5 x 20 rockets	10 x 356 mm L/45 16 x 133 mm L/50 32 x 40 mm 4 x 20 rockets	9 x 406 mm L/45 12 x 152 mm L/50 6 x 120 mm 24 x 40 mm
Radar:	3 x FuMO 23	1 x Type 284 1 x Type 279M	1 x Type 284 1 x Type 281	1 x Type 279 ?
Aircraft:	4 x Arado Ar 196	-	4 x Walrus	1 x Walrus
Machinery:	12 boilers 3 sets of turbines 150,170 hp	24 boilers 4 sets of turbines 151,280 hp	8 boilers 4 sets of turbines 113,000 hp	8 boilers 2 sets of turbines 45,000 hp
Speed:	30 knots	29-30 knots	28-29 knots	21 knots
Endurance:	8,525 nm at 19 knots	5,950 nm at 18 knots	4,750 nm at 18 knots	7,000 nm at 16 knots
Fuel capacity:	7,400 mt	4,064 mt	4,000 mt	3,805 mt
Crew:	2,200+	1,417	1,600	1,300

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Characteristics of the Bismarck and other battleships of the time in 1941.

Ship:	Bismarck	Richelieu	Vittorio Veneto	North Carolina
Laid down:	1 July 1936	22 October 1935	28 October 1934	27 October 1937
Launched:	14 February1939	17 January 1939	25 July 1937	13 June 1940
Commissioned:	24 August 1940	15 June 1940	1 May 1940	9 April 1941
Displacement: - Standard: - Full load:	43,900 mt 51,700 mt	38,450 mt 45,438 mt	41,167 mt 45,752 mt	37,178 mt 45,519 mt
Dimensions: - Length overall: - Beam: - Maximum draft:	251 m 36 m 10.55 m	247.8 m 33.08 m 9.9 m	237.8 m 32.95 m 10.44 m	222.1 m 33 m 10.8 m
Armour: - Main Belt: - Turrets: - Upper deck: - Armour deck: - Protected length: - PC/TC: - Armour's weight:	320 mm 130-360 mm 50-80 mm 80-120 mm 70 % 17/22 19,082 mt	327 mm 170-430 mm 24 mm 150-170 + 40 mm 54 % 10/21 16,400 mt	350 mm 130-380 mm 45 mm 112 mm 55 % 8/18 13,545 mt	305 mm 178-406 mm 37 mm 104 + 36 mm 60 % 9/18? 15,087 mt
Armament: - Main: - Secondary: - Anti-aircraft:	8 x 380 mm L/52 12 x 150 mm L/55 16 x 105 mm 16 x 37 mm 18 x 20 mm	8 x 380 mm L/45 9 x 152 mm L/55 12 x 100 mm 12 x 37 mm 32 x 13.2 mm	9 x 381 mm L/50 12 x 152 mm L/55 12 x 90 mm 20 x 37 mm 20 x 20 mm	9 x 406 mm L/45 - 20 x 127 mm L/38 16 x 28 mm 12 x 12.7 mm
Aircraft:	4 x Arado Ar 196	3 x Loire 130	2-3 Romeo Ro 43	2 x Kingfisher
Machinery:	12 boilers 3 sets of turbines 150,170 hp	6 boilers 4 sets of turbines 179,000 hp	8 boilers 4 sets of turbines 140,000 hp	8 boilers 4 sets of turbines 122,000 hp
Speed:	30 knots	32.6 knots	30 knots	28 knots
Endurance:	8,525 nm at 19 knots	9,500 nm at 15 knots	4,584 nm at 16 knots	17,450 nm at 15 knots
Fuel capacity:	7,400 mt	6,000 mt	4,000 mt	6,300 mt
Crew:	2,200+	approx 1,600	1,920	2,300

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Characteristics of Bismarck's sister ship and the last generation of battleships.

Ship:	Tirpitz (1944)	Yamato	Iowa	Vanguard
Laid down:	2 November 1936	4 November 1937	27 June 1940	2 October 1941
Launched:	1 April 1939	8 August 1940	27 August 1942	30 November 1944
Commissioned:	25 February 1941	16 December 1941	23 February 1943	9 August 1946
Displacement: - Standard: - Full load:	43,900 mt 51,700 mt	64,000 mt 72,800 mt	48,110 mt 57,500 mt	46,200 mt 51,400 mt
Dimensions: - Length overall: - Beam: - Maximum draft:	253.6 m 36 m 10.61 m	263 m 37 m 10.86 m	270.4 m 32.9 m 11.3 m	249 m 32.8 m 10.5 m
Armour: - Main Belt: - Turrets: - Upper deck: - Armour deck: - Protected length: - PC/TC: - Armour's weight:	315 mm 130-360 mm 50-80 mm 80-120 mm 70 % 17/22 19,082 mt	410 mm 270-650 mm - 200-230 mm 60 % ? 21,200 mt	307 mm 185-432 mm 38 mm 121 + 32 mm 60 % ? 18,700 mt	330-355 mm 152-330 mm - 127-152 mm 58 % ? ? mt
Armament: - Main: - Secondary: - Anti-aircraft:	8 x 380 mm L/52 12 x 150 mm L/55 16 x 105 mm 16 x 37 mm 78 x 20 mm	9 x 459 mm L/45 12 x 155 mm L/60 12 x 127 mm 24 x 25 mm 4 x 13.2 mm	9 x 406 mm L/50 20 x 127 mm L/38 80 x 40 mm 49 x 20 mm -	8 x 381 mm L/42 16 x 133 mm L/50 73 x 40 mm - -
Aircraft:	4 x Arado Ar 196	7 x Mitsubishi F1M	2-3 Kingfisher	-
Machinery:	12 boilers 3 sets of turbines 163,024 hp	12 boilers 4 sets of turbines 153,000 hp	8 boilers 4 sets of turbines 212,000 hp	8 boilers 4 sets of turbines 130,000 hp
Speed:	30.8 knots	27-8 knots	33 knots	30 knots
Endurance:	8,870 nm at 19 knots	7,200 nm at 16 knots	18,000 nm at 12 knots	9,000 nm at 20 knots
Fuel capacity:	7,780 mt	6,300 mt	7,600 mt	7,000 mt
Crew:	2,600	3,300	2,700	2,000+

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mt = metric tons, 1 mt = 1,000 kilograms
nm = nautical miles, 1 nm = 1,852 meters = 2,025 yards

1 knot = 1 nm/hour


source : http://www.kbismarck.com/