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German Battleship Bismarck

Bismarck

German Battleship Bismarck

Bismarck was the first of two Bismarck-class battleships built for Nazi Germany’s Kriegsmarine. Named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1936 and launched in February 1939. Work was completed in August 1940, when she was commissioned into the German fleet. Bismarck and her sister ship Tirpitz were the largest battleships ever built by Germany, and two of the largest built by any European power.

In the course of the warship’s eight-month career under its sole commanding officer, Captain Ernst Lindemann, Bismarck conducted only one offensive operation, lasting 8 days in May 1941, codenamed Rheinübung. The ship, along with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, was to break into the Atlantic Ocean and raid Allied shipping from North America to Great Britain. The two ships were detected several times off Scandinavia, and British naval units were deployed to block their route. At the Battle of the Denmark Strait, the battlecruiser HMS Hood initially engaged Prinz Eugen, probably by mistake, while HMS Prince of Wales engaged Bismarck. In the ensuing battle Hood was destroyed by the combined fire of Bismarck and Prinz Eugen, which then damaged Prince of Wales and forced her retreat. Bismarck suffered sufficient damage from three hits to force an end to the raiding mission.

The destruction of Hood spurred a relentless pursuit by the Royal Navy involving dozens of warships. Two days later, heading for occupied France to effect repairs, Bismarck was attacked by 16 obsolescent Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal; one scored a hit that rendered the battleship’s steering gear inoperable. In her final battle the following morning, the already-crippled Bismarck was severely damaged during a sustained engagement with two British battleships and two heavy cruisers and sank with heavy loss of life.

Construction

At Sea

Detailed Photos

In Battle

ANZAC Memorial Sydney

ANZAC Memorial Hyde Park Sydney

The ANZAC Memorial was built  to commemorate the Australian Imperial Force of World War I. It is the focal point of the southern section of Hyde Park,  along with the Pool of Reflection.  On ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day, the memorial is the central focus of the ceremonies, so it can be extremely busy.

120,000 gold stars covered the domed ceiling, representing all those from New South Wales who served in World War One. The centre piece of the interior is a bronze statue of a deceased youth, representing a soldier, held aloft on his shield.

On the ground floor, a gallery has exhibits from military conflicts NSW citizens have been involved with. These range from the Sudan (1885) to Afghanistan, with an emphasis on the First World War.

To the north is the pool of reflection and a long tree-lined pathway. It is very shady and cool in the Australian summer. It is a great place to sit quietly and relax.

Australian National Maritime Museum

HMAS Vampire National Maritime Museum

Australian National Maritime Museum

Covering Australia’s maritime history from pre-colonial times to the present, the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney has an excellent collection of ships and artefacts on display. The most obvious displays are the ships and boats of the heritage fleet docked on Darling Harbour, but those inside also deserve a lot of attention.

Indigenous Watercraft

As the oldest users of the Australian coast and waterways, a large section is devoted to indigenous watercraft and heritage. Displays of canoes from around Australia and the Torres Strait are on display.

Kay Cottee and Blackmores First Lady

In 1989, Kay Cottee became the first woman to circumnavigate the world alone, without stopping, without assistance, by way of both hemispheres and the five southernmost capes. It took her 189 days in Blackmores First Lady, in a time before Social Media and with poor communications.

Visitors are able to enter the boat and experience how small it is. Getting on board really makes you realise what an incredible achievement it was.

Model Ships

One section of the Museum has beautifully made ship models relevant to Australia. As the museum is based in Sydney most of the Royal Australian Navy’s shops named HMAS Sydney are displayed. The largest and most impressive is the aircraft carrier, which has amazing detail.

Other models range from sailing ships to bulk iron ore carriers. All were important either for exploration or trade.

Other Exhibits

Interesting displays located throughout the museum include the ships bell from USS Canberra (AG-2) which was named after HMAS Canberra, a heavy cruiser sunk during the Second World War. A 40mm cannon from a Royal Australian Navy ship lets you get a close up look at this important anti-aircraft weapon.

HMAS Vampire

HMAS Vampire (II) D11 was a Daring class destroyer operated by the Royal Australian Navy.  Launched in 1959 and decommissioned in 1986. Entry to Vampire and the other ships is included in the ticket cost of the Maritime Museum (as of March 2024).

HMAS Onslow

HMAS Onslow was an Oberon class submarine of the Royal Australian Navy. Commissioned 1969 in and decommissioned in 1999. Walking through the submarine makes you realise how cramped the conditions are. This isn’t somewhere I would want to live months on end.

Historical Fleet

The historical fleet contains ships that have importance to Australia’s maritime heritage. Possibly the most impressive to still be preserved is the Krait. This ex-Japanese fishing boat was used by Australia Special Forces during the Second World War to sneak into Singapore Harbour where they damaged 37,000 tonnes of Japanese ships.