class battleship class pair battleships built nazi_germany kriegsmarine shortly outbreak world war ships largest warships built kriegsmarine laid july completed september sister keel laid october work finished february ships broadly similar world war era class mounted similar main battery ships short service careers conducted operation sortie north_atlantic raid supply convoys sent north_america great_britain operation destroyed british battlecruiser damaged new battleship prince wales defeated sunk final engagement day chase royal_navy disagreements cause sinking persist chiefly british sources claiming responsibility sinking ship evidence reviewed indicates loss likely originally claimed surviving crew members career dramatic sent norwegian waters acted fleet threatening convoys britain soviet_union repeatedly attacked royal_navy royal_air_force lancaster bombers hit ship bombs caused extensive internal damage capsized battleship broken scrap design series conceptual designs begun determine ideal characteristics battleship built long tons limit early studies determined ship armed guns speed knots mph strong armour protection design work class begun continued june germany signed anglo german naval agreement allowed germany build battleships ratio percent total royal_navy germany party international treaty system begun washington conference time france begun program naval expansion viewed likely threat great_britain result intended counter new french battleships built time series questions needed answered design process including calibre main battery propulsion system armour protection deciding factor adoption guns decision french_navy arm class ships construction pieces decided twin turrets provide best solution distribution main battery provide equal firepower forward aft fire control arrangement similar german battleships imperial period class similarity led speculation essentially copies earlier ships arrangement main battery shared trait shaft propulsion system naval examined diesel geared drive steam drive turbo electric drive engines system preferred choice extremely successful american lexington class aircraft carriers french passenger ship design staff required provide sufficient range new battleships long german ports reach atlantic germany overseas bases ships refuel numerical german fleet assumption naval battles place relatively close range north_sea design placed great emphasis stability armour protection thick vertical belt armour adopted heavy upper citadel armour plating extensive splinter protection bow stern ships displacement limited capabilities existing infrastructure kiel wilhelmshaven february informed general admiral ships displace long tons harbour constraints canal depths office expressed preference building vessel remaining ton treaty limit admiral head der marine advised adolf hitler modifications necessary reduce displacement ensure new ships met legal requirements london naval treaty japan refused sign new treaty april clause permitting treaty signatories build ships limit long tons went effect final design displacement long tons limit modifications discarded general characteristics class battleships long overall long waterline ships beam designed draft draft standard displacement load ships designed displacement metric tons standard displacement metric tons fully laden ships displaced metric tons ships double percent length hull watertight compartments ships percent construction stern weakly constructed significant consequences combat mission ships stable primarily wide beam ships suffered slight pitching rolling heavy seas north_atlantic responsive commands helm capable rudder small rudder completely ships lost speed ships handled poorly low speeds travelling astern result necessary confined areas avoid collisions grounding ships standard crew officers enlisted sailors ships carried smaller boats including picket boats barges launch propulsion class ships sets geared turbine engines equipped turbines engines set turbines drove bladed screw diameter noted adoption shaft arrangement caused problems centre shaft weakened keel especially emerges hull stated shaft arrangement allowed greater ability steer ship propeller revolutions screw system load high medium pressure turbines ran rpm low pressure turbines ran rpm ships turbines powered wagner ultra high pressure oil burning boilers ships different fuel stores designed carry tons fuel oil store tons fuel normal configuration extra fuel fuel carried increased tons designed carry tons fuel additional able store tons knots steam nautical miles maximum range nautical miles speed turbines initially intended use electric transmission produced apiece geared turbines lighter result slight performance advantage geared turbines significantly robust construction ships mounted diesel generators arranged pairs turbo generators connected generator diesel generator provided additional power electrical plant provided total volts armament main battery main battery consisted guns twin turrets superfiring pair forward superstructure aft turrets allowed elevation gave guns maximum range guns fired projectiles muzzle velocity metres second main battery supplied shells total approximately shells gun german large calibre naval rifles guns designed krupp featured sliding wedge breech blocks required brass cartridge cases charges optimal conditions rate fire shot seconds minute gun turrets electrically trained guns elevated gun elevation controlled remotely turrets required gun return elevation loading eventually provided time shells combat repeated allied bombing attacks use twin turrets configuration design practice world war capital ships triple quadruple turrets allowed additional heavy caliber guns reducing number turrets fewer turrets reduced length battleship armored citadel particularly magazine length armor needed protect shortened vessel triple turrets considered concerns extra barrel lower overall rate fire turret fears single aimed hit disable larger proportion ship firepower felt twin turrets allowed better field fire effective sequence contemporary vessels like american north_carolina class battleships carried main guns naval guns germans experience weapon designed scratch authorized prior breakdown london naval treaty invocation ton main gun clause united_states building battleships provocative especially united_kingdom main battery class compared contemporaries ranging guns contemporary navies exception italian gun suffered exceptional bore erosion consequence german gun superior world war era inch naval gun royal_navy range penetration secondary battery ships secondary battery consisted guns mounted twin turrets gun turrets based single gun turrets aboard class elevate rate fire shots minute guns fired shell muzzle velocity maximum elevation guns hit targets main battery guns guns later supplied time fused shells decision mount low angle guns criticised naval historians including stated imposed severe weight penalty american british battleships armed dual purpose guns naval historians note use dual purpose armament possibly increased number anti aircraft guns weakened defence destroyer attack german naval experts deemed important anti aircraft battery built equipped anti aircraft battery sixteen calibre guns twin mounts sixteen guns dual mounts guns individual mounts guns weapons aboard class mounted superstructure deck sunk amidships guns moved forward provide better fields fire sixteen guns guided fire control directors aft conning tower positioned aft main mast fourth directly turret directors covered protective ships calibre guns twin mounted placed superstructure mounts hand operated automatically roll pitch guns supplied total rounds ammunition initially armed guns single mounts augmented time received pair quadruple gun total guns course career battery increased guns single quadruple armour class ships armoured belt ranged thickness section armour covered central portion gun turrets ammunition magazines machinery spaces located portion belt capped end thick transverse bulkheads ships upper deck thick armoured deck thick amidships tapered bow stern deck mounted low hull reduced volume internal space protected armoured citadel contrasted contemporary british american designs featured single thick armoured deck mounted high ship forward conning tower thick roof thick sides range armoured roof thick thick sides aft conning tower lighter armour roof thick sides aft range thick roof sides main battery turrets reasonably protected turret roofs thick sides thick faces thick thick shields armour contemporary british king george french designs conversely secondary battery better protected rivals gun turrets thick roofs sides fronts guns shields construction laid shipyard july ship assigned construction number contract replacement old battleship ship launched february adolf_hitler attendance granddaughter ship namesake christened ship german capital ships originally built straight bow experiences ships revealed necessity bow installed fitting process ship commissioned fleet august command weeks later ship left hamburg trials baltic_sea returning december final fitting work trials tests conducted baltic march april placed active status following month keel laid kriegsmarine dockyard wilhelmshaven october construction number ordered contract replace obsolete battleship named grand admiral architect high_seas_fleet world war daughter christened ship april fitting work lasted february commissioned fleet february series trials conducted north_sea baltic ships service history joined fleet plans drawn sortie north_atlantic operation initially called force composed class battleships ready service overhauled force reduced heavy cruiser damaged british bombing raid brest decided conduct operation admiral placed command pair ships early morning left bound north_atlantic trip encountered swedish cruiser sighting passed british naval stockholm conducted aerial reconnaissance norwegian stopped confirm sighting norway admiral failed approximately long tons fuel spent leg voyage reached evening british cruisers suffolk norfolk briefly engaged dropping shadow german ships following morning observers aboard spotted masts battlecruiser hood new battleship prince wales british ships steamed directly attempting turn bring forces roughly parallel course turn shells penetrated aft ammunition magazines aboard hood caused catastrophic explosion destroyed ship survivors hood crew german ships concentrated fire prince wales forced withdraw emerge unscathed direct hit bow prince wales caused long tons water ship leaking oil easier british track retreating prince wales joined norfolk suffolk ships briefly engaged scored hit time warships involved chase included battleships battlecruisers aircraft carriers number cruisers destroyers second engagement prince wales detached continue operation sailed port shortly midnight group torpedo bombers naval air squadron victorious attacked torpedo struck ship amidships damage shock explosion coupled high speed damaged temporary repairs stopped flooding earlier battle damage speed reduced knots mph slow flooding repair teams fixed reopened wounds early doubled past wide circle manoeuvre successfully shook british ships turned west attempt find ship despite manoeuvre admiral unaware evaded british sent series radio intercepted british gain rough fix position damage ship sustained decided head occupied france continue mission morning flying boat spotted nmi north west brest steaming speed protective umbrella german aircraft boats hours british forces close slow aircraft carrier escort battlecruiser renown approximately flight naval air squadrons torpedo bombers launched attack torpedoes believed struck ship torpedoes failed damage ship hit jammed hard starboard damage repaired battleship began turning large circle hour attack transmitted following signal west ship unable manoeuvre fight shell long live following morning battleship opened fire followed directly king replied minutes later inch shell destroyed forward turrets half hour later rear turrets british battleships ceased fire target burning wreck british running dangerously low fuel sunk cruiser fired torpedoes crippled ship took severe list port approximately time attack engine room crew detonated charges engine rooms significant debate direct cause sinking men rescued british reports boats forced scene men rescued german vessels action following commissioning kriegsmarine february act possible soviet attempt break baltic fleet following german invasion soviet_union ship joined heavy cruiser admiral light cruisers leipzig force patrolled days returning kiel january left german waters norway arriving 17th march escorted destroyers launched raid british convoys soviet_union germans attempted intercept convoys weather prevented finding convoys british located aircraft carrier victorious launched strike torpedo bombers aircraft repulsed having scored hits german ships destroyers port march close prompted hitler mandate attack convoy escorting aircraft carrier sunk disabled months raf launched series unsuccessful bombing raids moored bombers took place march followed month later april attack conducted halifax bombers second halifax lancaster combination heavy german anti aircraft fire poor weather caused missions fail rest year late underwent refit lacked dockyard facilities type result work large built allow replaced naval historians stated repairs ship difficult naval engineering feats world war january emerged lengthy overhaul transferred participated extensive training operations heavy cruiser lasted middle year early september destroyers bombarded island served british station battleships destroyed targets returned safely time fired main guns anger september british submarines attacked anchor submarines successfully planted explosive charges battleship hull damage successfully months workforce men effected needed repairs finished march british resumed series air attacks immediately repairs completed april royal_navy launched fighters bombers carriers attacked ship scored direct hits near misses caused heavy damage killed men wounded royal_navy attempted repeat attack weeks later 24th operation weather carrier launched attack followed weather interfered carrier strike attempted cancelled poor weather conditions conducted victorious furious july frustrated heavy battleship royal_navy launched operation series late august took place august bombers fighters carriers attackers failed score hits iii followed days later bombers fighters bombers hits ship minor damage royal_navy operation followed august thirty bombers fighters launched formidable attacked ship fog prevented scoring hits task sinking fell raf performed armed new bombs attack came september force dropped single bombers succeeded hitting directly bow bombs bomb completely penetrated ship exploded directly keel caused long tons short tons water flood ship disabled month later october moved floating artillery battery weeks later october british launched operation consisted lancaster bombers near miss achieved caused water attack took place november thirty attacked ship scored pair direct hits near miss bombs detonated ammunition magazines caused ship casualties high men killed attack men managed escape sinking ship rescued capsized hulk wreck gradually broken scrap list ships second world war list ship classes second world war
Bismarck-class battleship