Ship:Bismarck
| 380 mm/52 SK C/34 on a Drh LC/34 mount4 х 2 pcs. |
| Rate of Fire2.3 shots/min |
| Reload Time26 sec |
| Rotation Speed5 deg/sec |
| 180 Degree Turn Time36 sec |
| Firing Range19.3 km |
| Maximum Dispersion272 m |
| HE Shell380 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.6 |
| Maximum HE Damage4,400 |
| Chance of Fire34 % |
| Initial HE Velocity820 m/s |
| HE Shell Weight800 kg |
| AP Shell380 mm P.Spr.Gr. L/4.4 |
| Maximum AP Shell Damage11,600 |
| Initial AP Shell Velocity820 m/s |
| AP Shell Weight800 kg |
| Maximum Speed28.5 knot |
| Turning Circle Radius850 m |
| Rudder Shift Time22.4 sec |
| Surface Detectability Range15.9 km |
| Air Detectability Range10 km |
Bismarck — German Tier VIII battleship.
By the start of World War II, Bismarck was one of the mightiest battleships in the world, owing to her advanced gun fire control system and powerful artillery. Rugged construction — coupled with elaborate subdivision into compartments and a vast expanse of armor — ensured a high level of endurance.
Modules
Compatible Upgrades
| Slot 1 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slot 2 |
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| Slot 3 |
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| Slot 4 |
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| Slot 5 |
Player Opinion
Performance
Refer to the in-game Port screens for more useful data.
The historical pinnacle of German battleship construction, Bismarck stands as one of the heartiest battleships at Tier VIII. While her main battery may not look as impressive as that of Amagi, and doesn't have North Carolina’s range — or even her sister Tirpitz’s torpedoes — Bismarck has the perfect mix of ingredients to make her an excellent brawler.
For starters, her secondary battery is the most impressive of all the Tier VIII battleships. It comes with a stock range of 7.6km, and with the right mix of modules and commander skills can be pushed to a range of over 11.0 km, farther than the range of a similarly-equipped Yamato. This creates a large radius around her which enemy units must respect or pay a hefty price. Additionally, her handling is superb for a ship her size; she's quick to respond to rudder commands, and her turning circle is better than that of Amagi. Easily the most impressive thing about Bismarck is her survivability. Like her sister Tirpitz, she is exceptionally difficult to land citadel hits against; only long-range plunging fire has a good chance of doing so. The closer she gets, the better her armor scheme protects her from incoming fire. She will take more than her fair share of regular penetration damage from enemy armor-piercing rounds, but that damage repairs better than citadel damage.
Bismarck has another trick up her sleeve that sets her apart from Tirpitz: access to the Hydroacoustic Search
consumable. This provides her with large windows of time where she is functionally immune to long range torpedoes, and also provides detection of enemy ships hidden in smoke screens when pushing into capture zones.
When all of that is paired with an above-average anti-aircraft suite, Bismarck is a very well-rounded, highly survivable battleship that is friendly to players of all skill levels.
Pros:
- Fast turret traverse and main battery reload time (26 seconds) for a battleship.
- Outstanding secondary battery. With the right upgrades and commander skills, her secondary battery range can be extended past 11.0 km, allowing Bismarck to whittle down enemy ships before closing in for the kill.
- Has access to the Hydroacoustic Search
consumable, making her very difficult to torpedo from long range. - Above average anti-aircraft suite.
- Surprisingly nimble for a battleship of her size, with an excellent top speed (30 knots).
- Exceptionally durable with a good armor layout; has the vaunted "turtleback" armor making her almost immune to citadel damage except from super-battleship guns (i.e. Yamato, Shikishima).
- Secondaries can take a destroyer down fairly quickly if it doesn't dodge or use smoke.
- Many hit points
Cons:
- No torpedoes like those found on her sister Tirpitz.
- Only has eight (8) barrels, while nearly every other ship at this tier has nine (9) or more of a higher caliber.
- Armor scheme remains vulnerable to full penetrations by armor-piercing shells when showing the flat broadside of the ship to the enemy; Bismarck may not take citadel damage, but a lot of regular penetration damage hurts just as badly.
- Main guns' accuracy can be disappointing at times, especially without Aiming System Modification upgrade.
- Despite her secondaries' range, their reliability can be inconsistent even with a proper build. They also don't work well against another battleship (105mm's will usually not penetrate their superstructure), especially at extremely close range (i.e. 6km or less).
Research
Optimal Configuration
Upgrades
The recommended upgrades for Bismarck are as follows:
- Slot 1: Auxiliary Armaments Modification 1
for more survivability of the AA mounts and of the secondary battery. - Slot 2: Damage Control System Modification 1
to improve her overall survival in battle. - Slot 3: Secondary Battery Modification 1
for better accuracy and more range for the secondary battery guns - Slot 4: Damage Control System Modification 2
to further improve her overall survival. Steering Gears Modification 1
is also an option to improve her maneuverability. - Slot 5: Concealment System Modification 1
to reduce her detection range and increase incoming enemy shell dispersion.
Commander Skills
| Recommended Commander Skills | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost (points) |
Attack | Defense | ||||
1 |
|
★★ |
|
|
|
|
2 |
★★ |
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
|
★★★ |
★★ |
★★ |
|
|
4 |
|
★★ |
★★ |
★★★ |
|
★★ |
| Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful ★★ - Frequently Useful ★ - Occasionally Useful No stars - Not Useful | ||||||
Consumables
Bismarck can equip the following consumables:
- Slot 1: Damage Control Party

- Slot 2: Repair Party

- Slot 3: Spotting Aircraft
or Catapult Fighter 
- Slot 4: Hydroacoustic Search

Catapult Fighter is recommended, since Bismarck's range is already quite good.
Signals
Players who have followed the Secondary Battery Build above will want to equip Mike Yankee Soxisix (
) and India Delta (
) signals in order to further boost the effectiveness of their secondaries and Repair Party
consumable, respectively.
Players following the Anti-Aircraft Build may wish to equip November Echo Setteseven (
) for the bonus to AA gun damage.
Recommended Signal Flags
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| Combat | |||||
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![]() ★ |
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![]() ★★★ |
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![]() ★★★ |
![]() ★★ |
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Gallery
Historical Info
Historical Gallery
Video
References
- German battleship Bismarck - Wikipedia
- Bismarck-class battleship - Wikipedia
- Chasing Bismarck - News - World of Warships
- Dry Dock: Bismarck - News - World of Warships
- Sabaton Pays Tribute to Bismarck - News - World of Warships
- The History of Günther Lütjens - News - World of Warships
- Bismarck. A musical tribute from Sabaton and World of Warships - World of Warships Official Channel - YouTube
- Dry Dock: Bismarck - World of Warships Official Channel - YouTube
- German Commander Günther Lütjens - World of Warships Official Channel - YouTube
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Lindemann
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCnther_L%C3%BCtjens



















