Blohm+Voss

Germany Est. 1877

Hamburg shipyard that built some of the most famous warships in German naval history, including Bismarck. Founded by Hermann Blohm and Ernst Voss, the yard has been building ships for nearly 150 years. During WWII, they built warships, U-boats, and flying boats. Today they specialize in superyacht construction and ship repair.

Heritage

Blohm+Voss built capital ships for the Imperial German Navy, the Reichsmarine, and the Kriegsmarine across three eras and two world wars. The Bismarck was their masterpiece. The yard survived Allied bombing, postwar disassembly, and multiple ownership changes. The name endures on the Hamburg waterfront.

Vessels (1)

Bismarck

Bismarck's operational career lasted eight days. In that time, she became the most famous warship of the twentieth century. On May 24, 1941, she engaged HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales in the Denmark Strait. A shell from Bismarck penetrated Hood's magazine. The explosion broke Hood in half. She sank in three minutes. Of 1,418 crew, three survived. Hood was the pride of the Royal Navy. Churchill's order was immediate and absolute: sink the Bismarck. The Royal Navy sent everything. Battleships, carriers, cruisers, destroyers. Swordfish torpedo bombers — fabric-covered biplanes that looked like they belonged in the previous war — scored the hit that jammed Bismarck's rudder. She could only steam in circles. The next morning, King George V and Rodney pounded her for ninety minutes. Bismarck's crew scuttled her. Of 2,065 men, 114 survived.

1940-1941 · warship