Cost to build the Bismarck

[Tiornu]

Yeah, I know nothing about exchange rates. And if we want to micro-analyze, I can't tell you exactly what's included in the price tag. Sometimes a warship's price might be stated without the cost of the guns and armor--though I don't believe that's the case here. Sometimes yard overhead was grouped with a ship's cost. There were many variations, which would be hard to track down, and not worth the effort.

[Gary]

Hi guys.

Whilst we are talking about money, how much (just roughly) would it have cost for a battleship to have fired a broadside (the cost of the shells and cordite).

I'm sure that I once read that for HMS Rodney to fire a 9 gun volley it would cost 6 or 700 pounds
(Which was a bloody lot of money in those days!)

[MrModelshipwright]

The Bismarck cost RM 198 800 000.- to build which comes to $78 720 000.- in 1939
That would come to todays value at 1.299 117 858,99 ($1,3 billion 2012 dollars)

The newest Ford-class carriers are expected to cost around $9,47 billion each when ready for sea-trials!
(Not including the aircraft)

[marcelo_malara]

Bearing in mind that just 10 countries built (or have built by others) Dreadnought warships, 1.3 billions seems a little low.

Regards

[RF]

I thought it was at least 12 rather than 10.

Lets see - Britain, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Turkey, Russia, Japan, USA, Brazil, Argentina, Chile. Not sure about Spain and Greece.

[lwd]

Greece bought a couple of old US battleships but I think they were predreadnaughts. Turkey got bargain prices on at least one of hers.