Le Bismarck, l’arme absolue des Allemands

The Battle of the Atlantic is one of the major stakes of World War II. Germany uses its submarines to attack Allied convoys supplying England.

Beyond submarines, Germany secretly develops a gigantic steel monster: the Bismarck.

The ship bears the name of Otto von Bismarck, the chancellor who unified Germany in 1871, symbolizing German power.

The subject of the Bismarck has been requested for years by viewers who heard about it in popular culture, notably in films, books, songs, and video games like World of Warships.

The Bismarck measures 250 meters long and 36 meters wide, almost as long as the Titanic but wider.

The ship is protected by armor up to 320mm thick, equivalent to a genuine floating steel bunker.

• 380mm cannons capable of sinking an enemy at nearly 25km • Secondary 150mm batteries able to destroy any adversary approaching too close

Can travel at over 30 knots, roughly 55 km/hour, making it as swift as it is deadly at sea.

Operation Rheinübung aims to attack convoys bound for England rather than enemy fleets.

The Bismarck sets sail accompanied by the Prinz Eugen, a heavy cruiser that will join it in harassing British supply lines.

Commander Ernst Lindemann, a respected officer and naval artillery specialist, is chosen to command the Bismarck. Admiral Lütjens places the entire force under his command.

• On May 19, 1941, the convoy departs from Gotenhafen in Poland • On May 20, the Swedish merchant ship Gotland spots the Bismarck and reports it to the British • On May 21, an English Spitfire photographs the Bismarck in a Norwegian fjord

Admiral Lütjens orders refueling of the Prinz Eugen but not the Bismarck, judging that time is pressing to reach the Atlantic.

With the Bismarck's tanks not full, it will lack sufficient fuel to complete its mission.

Britain learns of the Bismarck's presence through merchant vessels and reconnaissance aircraft. The nation faces a national crisis over this threat.

The Royal Navy sends HMS Norfolk and Suffolk, which use their radars to track the Bismarck and relay its position to the fleet for interception.

On May 24, 1941 at 5:35am, the Bismarck spots approaching British warships. The British send HMS Hood, the pride of the Royal Navy for 20 years, accompanied by HMS Prince of Wales.

Both ships are under the command of Vice-Admiral Lancelot Holland, a talented officer unaware these are his final moments.

• The battle engages in the Denmark Strait between Greenland and Iceland at 25km distance • The Bismarck's fifth salvo strikes the Hood's ammunition magazine, causing a massive explosion • The Hood is pulverized and sinks in three minutes • Of 1418 sailors aboard, only 3 survive

HMS Prince of Wales is damaged and retreats under cover of smoke, but succeeds in striking the Bismarck, damaging an oil tank and creating a critical fuel problem for the Germans.

Facing fuel damage, the Germans decide to let the Prinz Eugen continue alone to the Atlantic while the Bismarck changes course toward Brest.

In Britain, the loss of HMS Hood creates a national tragedy. The battleship represented British pride, and its swift destruction by the Bismarck symbolizes the German threat.

Winston Churchill orders that all means be put at the Royal Navy's disposal. The Bismarck hunt becomes a symbol and absolute priority.

• British warships converge from all directions • Aircraft are sent to search for the Bismarck • Force H from Gibraltar is tasked with opening hostilities

On May 26, the Royal Navy launches Swordfish torpedo bombers from HMS Ark Royal, old biplanes attacking in poor weather.

English pilots manage to release their torpedoes despite difficulties. Two find their mark.

The first torpedo merely grazes the Bismarck, protected by its armor. But the second damages the battleship's rudders, locking them to port.

• The Bismarck is no longer controllable • It is condemned to circle • Despite German sailors' efforts, the damage cannot be repaired • The ship loses the critical mobility to escape the British fleet

The Bismarck, wounded and unable to maneuver, must endure attacks from British destroyers harassing the ship throughout the night.

Unable to do anything but circle due to locked rudders, the Bismarck moves inexorably straight toward the pursuing British fleet.

Admiral Lütjens sends a final message: 'The ship is no longer maneuverable. We will fight to the last shell. Long live the Führer.'

Germany's pride lives its final hours. It will not surrender without a fight.

• At dawn on May 27, the Bismarck sees the British fleet emerge from the mist • Present: battleships HMS King George V and Rodney, heavy cruisers Norfolk and Dorsetshire • King George V carries 356mm cannons • Rodney carries 406mm cannons

British Admiral John Tovey, aboard King George V, adopts a simple strategy: approach the Bismarck as fast as possible and engage with all guns.

• At 08:47, Rodney opens fire; the Bismarck retaliates but its shots lose accuracy • A Rodney shell strikes the armored bridge, destroying the fire control center and killing officers • At 09:30, all four main turrets of the Bismarck are disabled • Hundreds of shells are fired but the Bismarck refuses to sink

German sailors scuttle the ship by placing explosive charges. At 10:35, before British eyes, the Bismarck capsizes and is engulfed in minutes.

The Bismarck receives nearly 400 shells during the final battle, testifying to its exceptional construction and resistance.

The British begin recovering survivors but an alarm sounds: a periscope is spotted. The operation is cancelled and the British withdraw for safety.

The British recover 109 sailors. 5 others are saved by arriving Germans. In total, of 2200 men aboard, only 114 survive.

In Germany, the loss of the Bismarck has enormous repercussions. It is the loss of a national symbol and a painful reminder that England remains master of the seas.

The Bismarck had a sister ship, the Tirpitz. After the Bismarck's sinking, the Germans hesitate to send it into combat, fearing its loss.

The mere existence of the Tirpitz remains a threat to the British, who must keep powerful ships in reserve to counter it.

• The Prinz Eugen experiences engine trouble forcing it to abandon its mission and return to occupied France • It ends up at Brest with Scharnhorst and Gneisenau • The three immobilized ships regularly serve as targets for British bombers • The Prinz Eugen eventually makes it back to Germany and continues the war

The Prinz Eugen is one of the few major German ships to see war's end. It is eventually captured by the Americans and becomes USS Prinz Eugen.

Even on the ocean floor, the legend of the Bismarck endures and fascinates explorers.

James Cameron, a wreck enthusiast, dives on the Bismarck to better understand its final hours and study this giant of the seas.

• The wreck rests at 4800m depth • It was discovered in 1989 by American Robert Ballard • Despite shells, explosive charges, and its full-speed impact on an underwater volcano, the Bismarck did not break apart

Study of the wreck reveals the Bismarck sank due to scuttling by its crew. Shells damaged the superstructure but did not penetrate the inner hull, demonstrating the ship's exceptional construction.