Bismarck: The Final Days of Germany's Greatest Battleship

by Michael Tamelander, Niklas Zetterling

A gripping tale of heroism -and doom-on the high seas . . .?The sinking of the German battleship Bismarck-a masterpiece of engineering, well-armored with a main artillery of eight 15-inch guns-was one of the most dramatic events of World War II. She left the port of Gotenhafen for her first operation on the night of 18 May 1941, yet was almost immediately discovered by Norwegian resistance and Allied air reconnaissance. British battlecruiser Hood was quickly dispatched from Scapa Flow to intercept the Bismarck, together with new battleship Prince of Wales. They were ordered to find the ship quickly because, on their way from the USA, several large convoys were heading for Britain.On 24 May, Bismarck was found off the coast of Greenland, but the ensuing battle was disastrous for the British. The Hood was totally destroyed within minutes (only 3 crewmen surviving), and Prince of Wales was badly damaged. The chase resumed until the German behemoth was finally caught, this time by four British capital ships supported by torpedo-bombers from the carrier Ark Royal. The icy North Atlantic roiled from the crash of shellfire and bursting explosions until finally the Bismarck collapsed, sending nearly 2,000 German sailors to a watery grave.Tamelander and Zetterling's work rests on stories from survivors and the latest historical discoveries. The book starts with a thorough account of maritime developments from 1871 up to the era of the giant battleship, and ends with a vivid account, hour by hour, of the dramatic and fateful hunt for the mighty Bismarck, Nazi-Germany's last hope to pose a powerful surface threat to Allied convoys. NIKLAS ZETTERLING, a researcher at the Swedish Defense College, is most recently co-author of The Korsun Pocket: The Encirclement and Breakout of a German Army in the East, 1944. Together with MICHAEL TAMELANDER, a part-time military author, they have written books about the battleship Tirpitz, the D-Day landings and the 1940 campaign in Norway. REVIEWS "... a very interesting and useful history ...once you start... you will be very hard pressed to stop until the smoke has cleared and the ship is sunk."Internet Modeler, 08/2009"...unable to put it down...I highly recommend this book for anyone that likes the study of naval battles or just wants to read about an action-packed sea battle."IPMS, 08/2009"outstanding book about naval warfare...real time, you are there style that conveys all of the anxiety of actual combat at sea." WWII History, Winter 2009"essential background and new historical insights make otherwise inexplicable elements of the Bismarck story much clearer, without diminishing the drama of the epic sea chase and its vivid, human details."World War II Magazine, 11/2009"A fresh look at the life and death of the most famous German warship of World War II."The NYMAS Review, Fall-Winter 2009

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, War, Naval History, Military Fiction, Military History

330 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 26, 2004

Reviews

[Jesper Jorgensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

While interested in Navy and Marine aviation I’m not a Navy-buff as such. However, I find the Battle of The Atlantic very interesting and – I believe – a bit overlooked in the vast numbers of battles, campaigns and events of WWII

Zetterling and Tamelanders book is a good and interesting book on the subject, dealing with the ‘cruiser war’ in 40-41 in general and Bismarck's raison d'etre.

Other books of interest could be:

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Niklas Zetterlingin ja Michael Tamelanderin "Bismarck : taistelu Atlantin herruudesta" (WSOY, 20015) on ruotsalaistutkijoiden kiinnostava tietokirja kuuluisan saksalaisen taistelulaivan ensimmäisestä ja samalla myös viimeiseksi jääneestä operaatio Rheinübungista.

Vuoden 1941 keväällä mahtavan Bismarckin oli tarkoitus murtautua Atlanttille häiritsemään brittien kauppalaivastoa, mutta tuli kuitenkin havaituksi. Se upotti Tanskansalmen meritaistelussa englantilaisten kansallisylpeyden HMS Hoodin, mutta vaurioitui sen verran itsekin, että joutui jättämään operaation kesken. Englantilaiset käynnistivät takaa-ajon, joka päättyi Bismarckin upottamiseen.

Zetterling ja Tamelander kuvaavat tapahtumia kiinnostavasti, informatiivisesti ja jännittävästi. Lukija oppii jotakin niin merisodankäynnin tekniikasta, taktiikasta kuin yleisen sattuman yllättävän suuresta merkityksestä, mutta myöskään inhimillistä näkökulmaa ei unohdeta: etenkin saksalaisen taistelulaivan viimeisiä hetkiä kuvatessaan tekijät onnistuvat hyvin maalaamaan kuvan siitä helvetistä, johon Bismarckin 2400 miehistön jäsentä joutuivat.

Suosittelen kaikille sotahistoriasta ja merenkäynnistä kiinnostuneille.

[Duane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who considers themselves fans of either WW2 or German/British navy history needs to read this book. The author does a magnificant job of giving the prehistory of Germany's WW2 navy thinking and actions and how it led up to the decision for the fateful only voyage of the magnificant battleship, Bismarck. With details about the people on the ship, to intricate timelines that shows how such little things led up to the demise of this ship. Filled with interesting people and fact filled descriptions, this is a must for any navy fan. A great bonus is the photo section in the middle of the book.

[Rwitoban Bhaduri · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books is "Bismarck: The Final Days of Germany's Greatest Battleship". It shows three naval operations of Germany, Operation Weserübung, Operation Berlin,Operation Rheinübung, which was the sortie in which the Bismarck participated. It tells us the lessons the Germans and the British learned from the Battle of Jutland, the only major naval battle of The Great War, or in other words, World War I, which led to the construction of many new and powerful warships, like battleships and aircraft carriers. Some of these were the Deutshland, Admiral Scheer, Admiral Graf Spee, Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Tirpitz and, the subject of this book, the mighty Bismarck, from Germany, and the Nelson, Rodney, King George V (my favorite battleship), Prince of Wales, Duke of York, Courageous, Victorious and, the aircraft carrier that crippled the Bismarck, Ark Royal, from Great Britain. Any warship built before the Battle of Jutland, such as the battle-cruisers HMS Hood, Repulse and Renown failed to benefit from these lessons and this led to the death of the Hood in the Battle of the Denmark Strait. It tells us about battle between the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau against the British auxiliary cruiser Rawalpindi. Seriously, who puts 2 giant battleships each armed with 9, 11 inch guns in battle against 1 tiny armed merchant ship armed with 8, 6 inch and 2, 3 inch guns at 5,000 m! In the battle, almost all the crew of the gallant HMS Rawalpindi perished. The Germans were crazy! A really good example is the man who started the Second World War ,our dear Führer, Adolf Hitler. The mysterious decisions made by Admiral Lutjens, the commander of both Operation Berlin and Operation Rheinübung, which are a mystery, even today, are shown, as neither Lutjens, Linderman (the captain of the Bismarck) nor any of the other senior officers on the Bismarck lived to tell the tale. It shows us the horrifying destruction of the HMS Hood and the ultimate demise of the KMS Bismarck . It shows us everything that happened on the only and legendary voyage of warship that was the pride of Germany and the greatest and most famous battleship in the entire world.

[Jeff Crosby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book, but two things reduced my enjoyment. I should note that I read it as both a Kindle title and audiobook.

First, the authors or their translators clearly struggled with proper English vocabulary and syntax. At times the text was clunky, and the narrator struggled. Second, the narrator read in a monotone which I ultimately turned off—finishing the book silently.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a battleship guy just to be upfront. Their power and symbolism are a form of majesty all on their own.

The hunt for the Bismarck has always been one of those fascinating events in history for me. The amount of resources that the British poured into the effort to find a single ship was staggering when you look at the time. Convoys stripped of their protection to add heavy ships to the hunt. Pretty much everything at anchor had set sail to join the chase.

The authors started out with the history of German surface warfare in World War II laying the groundwork of what was the intention of putting the Bismarck to sea. This becomes important later when in the last chapter they examine that while this chase was dramatic and climatic, in the end it had very little effect on the course of the war.

The description of the battle is well written and documented with maps showing how vast a region the "battlefield" was. Intentions, doubts, skepticism and concerns on both sides is laid to bare on how this was to all play out. Each side going back and forth as to thoughts of winning or losing.

The final portion of the battle was practically at point blank range, well at least for these sea-going mammoth beasts. Here the authors pull no punches in their descriptions especially the hell that must have been to be on the Bismarck as she was unmercifully pummeled with shell after shell. So much so that even at one point the British were realizing it was no longer a battle but a slaughter.

In the end the authors point out that as a whole the German concept of cruiser warfare was a failure. They did do one what if scenario and that is the German Navy waiting. Had the Bismarck and Tirpitz with proper escort sailed together even the British have admitted their was little they could have done to stop such a task force and that would have been an event that had an effect on the war.

[Dave Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most important battlefields of World War II was the Atlantic Ocean. But it's enormous, so while the plans and ideas made sense on paper, implementation was far more difficult. The Germans were eager to starve out England by sinking supply ships, but how to find them? The English soon realized that convoys were more efficient and could have Naval escorts for safety, but the Germans were convinced that roving bands of their own Navy vessels, led by Destroyers, could still accomplish the job. Enter The Bismark, an enormous Battleship that was expected to change the tide of war and allow the Germans to lurk near common shipping lanes and sink hundreds of ships.

Built at enormous cost and manned by thousands of German sailors, the Bismark was sunk only nine days into its very first mission. Why? How? All of that's covered in great detail in this fascinating book. The earlier portion of the book seems a bit irrelevant (the Bismark doesn't show up for quite a while) but Tamelander offers a fascinating insight into both the German and English strategies as it related to the Atlantic, including U-Boats, air defense, radar, and much more.

Very interesting read, definitely a great addition to anyone's WWII library.

[Zdravko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazingly detailed but grim mission of the battleship Bismarck. I doubt that this book will be read by those who have never heard of the Bismarck and know absolutely nothing about one of the largest battleships. But I recommend it to anyone who likes history.
Watching the news, it seems to me that we never learn from history. The sufferings that our great-grandfathers went through did not seem to have any influence on our decisions today.
4 stars. I don’t think I ever read a book with so many typos.

[Krissh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent account of the sinking of the Bismarck

Very balanced account of the action in the North Atlantic from both the German and British viewpoints. The incorporation of the sinking of both the Hood and the Bismarck within the wider strategy and tactics of the opposing countries worked well and added an extra dimension to this book.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sink the Bismarck!

I learned a lot about the construction, capabilities and sinking of the German WWII battleship Bismarck from this book. I would rather the author had limited the book to the Bismarck rather than include so much about other German battleships, though it would have made for a shorter book. Still, it was a good read. The narration was good, too.

[Eki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sika hyvä kirja toisen maailmansodan historiasta kiinnostuneelle. Kirjassa mukava yllätys oli kartat joista selventyi laivan viimeiset hetket ja laivan lopullinen lepopaikka Atlantin hyisessä vedessä.

[Dennis E. Flynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fills in a lot of history

This book flowed smoothly for filling a very large amount of facts and personal story's of both the Bismark and the Hood, plus the many men and ships involved in the drawn out battle and how it affected the men involved.

[Sid Little · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sinking of the Bismarck and the Hood

Well documented read of the hunt and final destruction of the great German battleship Bismarck. It details first the sinking of the Hood and finally the destruction of Bismarck. Well worth the time.

[Gregory Hostettler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

Enjoyable read with information I had not been aware of beforehand. The authors researched the movements of both sides well and presented a balanced view of their actions. The German thinking behind their actions was especially interesting.

[Biggus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't like it much to start, but then either it improved or I was more into it. Turned out a decent read, though the narrator was pathetic. Robot voice and some laughable pronunciations. Seriously, do producers/editors actually listen to what they are making. The guy is RUBBISH.

[Jim Blessing · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good friend gave me this book. The first and only sortie of the Bismarck showed the outdatedness of large battleships.

[David Bartachek · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too long.

40% of book before it gets to the point of the story. Was good information on other ships also never understood how tankers were always available too them?

[BETHANY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, covered all the bases.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoiler: The Bismark sinks.

[Marshall Rabhartaigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Often tedious interrupted by spectacular combat accounts.

[Neddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poorly written. So many typos

[Hug0 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book seems intresting 0_0

[Scott Minckler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative

An enjoyable, detailed and informative account of events. The numerous typos were definitely a distraction though. Maybe, the next addition could correct this.

[Pmuldary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent account of the history and sinking of the Bismarck.

[Georganne Lohman · Rating 5 out of 5]

naval warfare history

The fact that foreign policy is still being
Influenced by professional military elements makes the choice of war over
negotiation more likely.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great account of the Bismarck’s final battle. Well written and detailed.

[Darren F. Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best and most thorough historical novels I have ever read. The horrors of naval warfare on full display.

[Scott Pedersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The exhaustive amount of detail, much of it unimportant, makes this book a tedious read.

[Warren Chenoweth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bismarck: The final days is excellent!

This is an amazingly detailed history of an amazing ship and the end of the days of cruiser warfare. I highly recommend this book.

[Maximus Thurston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book. It showed the suspense that the British felt when they knew that a really powerful German battleship was aiming for their convoys of supplies from the United States. This battleship had more speed and more firepower than her British counterparts. But it also told how the the high command of Germany only liking the weaponry and not the rest of the ship. I feel like it did a good job explaining how the British felt after HMS Hood was sunk. I feel like it is crazy that at that time people still thought that battleships ruled the ocean when torpedo bombers fro the carrier Ark Royal did the main hit to cripple the Bismarck which helped the British surface fleet to sink the Bismarck. It was a really good book of the life to death of Germanyś greatest battleship.