That included utilizing elements of the Bayern-class battleship, and as a result the Bismarck was actually less advanced than American, British, Italian, or Japanese battleships of the era. In many ways due to Germany’s enforced “battleship holiday,” it relied on designs that dated back to the First World War. That allowed the signatories to invoke an “escalator clause” that permitted displacements up to 45,000 long tons (46,000 tons). By the time either ship was complete, the international naval treaty system was in shambles after Japan’s withdrawal in 1937.

In truth, the Bismarck and her sister ship Tirpitz secretly exceeded the figure by a wide margin. The warship was laid down after the signing of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement in 1935, and she was still nominally within the 35,000-long-ton (36,000 tons) limit imposed by the Washington Naval Treaty. However, as with other projects and programs conducted in secret, theoretical work on naval design continued. American, British, Italian, and Japanese naval engineers were able to assess the efficacy of shells and armor, yet the same didn’t hold true for Germany due to the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles. One factor is that the other great powers of the world were able to make great strides in battleship design in the interwar period. In fact, the warship was likely far less powerful than history remembers. Yet, throughout the years there has been a myth of the Bismarck, one that greatly favors her capabilities.

Laid down in July 1935 and launched on February 1939, she was scuttled following incapacitating battle damage just over two years later. Named for Prince Otto Von Bismarck, who was instrumental in unifying Germany in the 19th century, the warship was the most powerful battleship ever constructed by Germany. In the more than 80 years since she was sunk much has been written about Germany’s flagship battleship Bismarck.

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