The German Battleship Bismarck

The Bismarck was a German battleship named for German chancellor, Otto von Bismarck. At the time it was the biggest warship ever built.

The Bismarck was originally part of a plan for a large group of German warships. Some of which were to be even bigger then the Bismarck, but a war was on and the plans had to be abandoned. The Bismarck was commissioned for duty on August 24, 1940.

The Bismarck was used as a commerce raider under the command of Ernst Lindemann. As a commerce raider, the Bismarck was sent to destroy the supplies of the enemy at sea. Because of her speed and capacity as a fighting ship, she was well suited to be a commerce raider.  Read more of this article.  Image Source