How did you come to be interested in Bismarck?

Discussions about the history of the ship, technical details, etc.

Moderator: Bill Jurens

Les
Junior Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2011 9:16 pm

Re: How did you come to be interested in Bismarck?

Post by Les »

Like many of the posts it seems here my fascination with KMS Bismark started from childhood.

I was first introduced to this ship at a naval war memorial in Germany, i cant remember the name of it but there was a U-boat purchased on concrete stands, next to which was a tower, in front of that was 'what seemed to me at the time an enormous' screw propeller. i believe it came from Bismark or was a replica i don't know... i remember thinking whatever that was attached to must have been huge.
Inside the tower was a large model of Bismark, it was pretty obvious from all the guns, and the complex mass of other things this ship was bristling with- that to provoke it would be a bad idea and have deadly consequences.
As a small boy i'm naturaly going to be impressed by such things, but there was more to it then simple boyhood fascinations with size and power. it was also about shape and form.
Bismark has a fairly distinct form, there is something about her slightly peeled up bow and stern, and the very complex looking superstructure perched perfectly on top of its elegantly formed hull, rising high up and back down from some angles and appearing as a triangular shaped mountains mass from other angles. there seems to be so much going on that its not possible to analyse it all at once, you have to take the ship one aspect at a time. it gives an impression that its to grand just to grant it a passing look.

you add that beauty and elegance to the enormous feeling of power the ship had about it, and while Bismark was not the biggest ship she was pretty bloody big, and that obvious weight sits like a house in a swimming pool, it all rounds up to something that can be likened to a very big piece of art, Bismark is perhaps even slightly romantic in that sense.

that's what for me makes Bismark stand out from all the others, as it did when i was a small boy.
User avatar
RF
Senior Member
Posts: 7759
Joined: Wed Sep 20, 2006 1:15 pm
Location: Wolverhampton, ENGLAND

Re: How did you come to be interested in Bismarck?

Post by RF »

Wwlcome to the forum Les.
''Give me a Ping and one Ping only'' - Sean Connery.
naggingfeeling
Junior Member
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2011 4:27 pm

Re: How did you come to be interested in Bismarck?

Post by naggingfeeling »

Hi there!

It's a great forum you've got here. Internet is good when I come across finds like this.

I come to be interested in Bismarck when I read about the great warship as a little kid. Since then, I read some books, heard some of my old people's war stories and so on.

N
User avatar
mike kemble
Supporter
Posts: 54
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 12:17 pm
Location: Sutton Coldfield England

Re: How did you come to be interested in Bismarck?

Post by mike kemble »

The film Sink The Bismarck with Kenneth More and Dana Andrews. Dated by todays standards but historically, at that time, accurate. Then I went on to build models of her (as well as tanks and aircraft). Then my models vanished into history as I went into the forces proper for 17 years. Getting onto the net, and building sites, rekindled my interest and I have a large section on the bismarck on my site with, thanks to Jose, a timeline.
User avatar
RF
Senior Member
Posts: 7759
Joined: Wed Sep 20, 2006 1:15 pm
Location: Wolverhampton, ENGLAND

Re: How did you come to be interested in Bismarck?

Post by RF »

Mike, this film is absolutely stuffed with inaccuracies. A good film, yes, but it is a fictional account only.
''Give me a Ping and one Ping only'' - Sean Connery.
User avatar
mike kemble
Supporter
Posts: 54
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 12:17 pm
Location: Sutton Coldfield England

Re: How did you come to be interested in Bismarck?

Post by mike kemble »

Understood. As I said, at the time of production, many things believed proved to be false. A good example of misleading truth is the explanation that a night fighterpilot, johnny cunningham, ate lots of carrots as it improved his eyesight - no mention of his airborne radar!! I suppose as more and more info becomes available, past items seem more and more incredulous.
User avatar
RF
Senior Member
Posts: 7759
Joined: Wed Sep 20, 2006 1:15 pm
Location: Wolverhampton, ENGLAND

Re: How did you come to be interested in Bismarck?

Post by RF »

Yes, but the mistake about HMS Solent was deliberate - no destroyer of that name was deployed against Bismarck and no destroyer was sunk by Bismarck, facts known to the RN and the recorders of history on the allied side from 27 May onwards.... so in my book this mistake was deliberate to spice up the film, as were the Swordfish being shot down.....
''Give me a Ping and one Ping only'' - Sean Connery.
User avatar
mike kemble
Supporter
Posts: 54
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 12:17 pm
Location: Sutton Coldfield England

Re: How did you come to be interested in Bismarck?

Post by mike kemble »

Things that are 'poetic licence' as they say. And as you will agree across the pond, Hollywood truth is far from that!! I have got sink the bismarck! I think I will have to run through it again.
Gerard Heimann
Supporter
Posts: 89
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 2:30 pm
Location: Bay Shore, NY, USA

Re: How did you come to be interested in Bismarck?

Post by Gerard Heimann »

And Mike, when you run through again, you will see the lovely Dana Wynter and not the long gone America actor, Dana Andrews. Just for the record. :D
User avatar
mike kemble
Supporter
Posts: 54
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 12:17 pm
Location: Sutton Coldfield England

Re: How did you come to be interested in Bismarck?

Post by mike kemble »

POOH!!! :stubborn:
Seekanone
Member
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2011 8:37 pm

Re: How did you come to be interested in Bismarck?

Post by Seekanone »

First of all, I read the SINKING of the BISMARCK, a children's book by William L Shirer. I was fascinated by the thrill of the chase and how near thing it was that the German battlewagon escaped. Secondly, I saw the movie SINK THE BISMARCK and enjoyed it thoroughly. Today, I know that there are a number of grave innacuracies in the story, especially about the sinking of the RN DD Solon.
I thought the models in that movie were well done. I purchased a model by AURORA of the Bismarck and was highly disappointed. Nonetheless, I remained fascinated by the story of the greatest of all German battleships and still am to this day. :D
User avatar
mike kemble
Supporter
Posts: 54
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 12:17 pm
Location: Sutton Coldfield England

Re: How did you come to be interested in Bismarck?

Post by mike kemble »

Aurora are not very good, you should have bought either the Airfix version or a Tamiya one. At least I think its Tamiya but it is Japanese.
Seekanone
Member
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2011 8:37 pm

Re: How did you come to be interested in Bismarck?

Post by Seekanone »

Oh, I agree, Mike, but when I obtained the Aurora they were just coming out with their surface ships, Bismarck, Yamato and a few others. If I had known better, I would have waited for Airfix and that model was not accurate either but was more so than the Aurora.
User avatar
mike kemble
Supporter
Posts: 54
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 12:17 pm
Location: Sutton Coldfield England

Re: How did you come to be interested in Bismarck?

Post by mike kemble »

I think accuracy depends on the scale involved. I have just built a U Boat, large and detail is quite reasonable.
User avatar
Hosse
Junior Member
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 12:36 am
Location: Louisville, KY USA

Re: How did you come to be interested in Bismarck?

Post by Hosse »

I became interested for a varity of reasons. First, I loved history, especially military history. While my interest was mainly landbased, I became interested in the Bismarck after seeing the film "Sink the Bismarck" (and hearing the popular song by the same name on the radio). Also, I suppose, because I was interested in her namesake, Otto Bismarck. Then, I learned I was related to one of her crew members, Werner Hosse. A little later, I bought a model of the Bismarck and Hood. I painstakingly painted both and kept them high on my bookself with my "prized" possessions...my books. When I grew older, I joined the Navy.
Hosse
Post Reply