Calling all Bismarck and Tirpitz fans

[81542]

Thegreenmachine,

You will need someone better versed in the practices of the Kriegsmarine (a German) than I but with the best will what follows might help:

Re: Question 1. The date on which Luetjens (Sorry, can't find the u umlaut) and his staff finally moved onboard BISMARCK to take command of the "battle group" is known. You will find it on the bismarck.org website. That date together with that of hoisting his flag will be good enough for a model. The problem is: what was the German practice? Theoretically, the admiral could shift his flag between a ship and his shore office as and when he saw fit.

Re: Question 2. It is difficult to be precise. BISMARCK hoisted her Reichskriegflagge at the ensign staff (stern) when she formally commissioned. However, if she followed the practice used by the Royal Navy, it would have been shifted to the mainmast gaff once outside pilotage waters whereupon the ensign staff and its metal frame would have been unshipped. That would be the peacetime practice but in war the Royal Navy hoisted the ensign at the mainmast and left it flying at all times of the day and night. The Kriegsmarine seems to have followed the same practice. BUT and there always is one, that did not stop the Royal Navy shifting the White Ensign back to the ensign staff for ceremonial/propaganda purposes occasionally. The Kriegsmarine seems to have done the same thing too: think of the wartime photograph of ADMIRAL SCHEER under weigh after her large refit; which saw her fitted with a capped funnel.

Re: Question 3. The bow draught marks (Ahmings) are known to have been painted up whilst the ship was still in her '96 Grey scheme. They were in Arabic numerals and appear to have been either white or light grey. I have seen no photographs of them in place with the ship in the Baltic scheme (no one seems to have bothered to photograph them specifically) so it's a case of paint them up and be damned! However, they are just as likely to have been painted over: provided the numerals were separate to the hull and fixed there (welding?), painting over them should not have caused a problem. I think that the Royal Navy's practice was only to formally record the draught marks just before going to sea.

I hope this helps, however, I am prepared to stand corrected.

[Bob the Stug]

Can someone help?

Building Tamiyas Tirpitz with the Eduard PE and have just made up the two sentry boxs, Bismarck had them too.

Were they permanent or just used in port??

Thanks in advance
Bob

[Bob the Stug]

Afternoon

Spenr a while going through my large book collection. Both Bismarck and Tirpitz had them as permanent fixtures. In the Super 3D drawing book, they seem to show the shadow of a binocular stand. So they appear to be a shelter for lookouts?

[bgire]

Comparing Flyhawk DKM Bismarck (2018) and Tirpitz (2025) they introduced new previously unseen features on underwater body.

First: on this picture (Bismarck, top, Tirpitz, bottom on all pictures) in addition to the passive sound detector (horseshoe) one can notice on the left two small protruding edges which mark the forward end of the flat bottom. This is perfectly visible on official plans but never has been reproduced on any kit before AFAIK.



Second: on the aft end the central skeg on Tirpitz is larger and triangular shaped, closely and better matching the pictures of the real ship wreck in 1945



Third: here comes my question. On Tirpitz stem bottom Flyhawk reproduced a recessed feature which looks like another sound detection device, but I've been unable to find pictures of the real equipment and official 1939 plans only show a flush stem;
So is this feature real or not?





BTW, Flyhawk pushed accuracy to represent the numerous openings on hull bottom as per the plan... a rivet-counter aimed feature as 99.9% of assembled kits won't show them:



_Bruno

[bgire]

OK, I got my answer to my question about the structure located at the foot of the bow:
It is a Bug-Schallanlage, in other words, an active sonar.
You can clearly see the openings in this original plan of the Tirpitz's hull development:



Seems Bismarck also carried the same equipment...

[Joachim]

Good morning!

There is some new wreck footage on youtube - and more to come announced.
https://youtu.be/-nBgfzw-P1s?si=z_uBr4CnHHZatt5L

best regards from cold Wetzlar!
Joachim