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Bismarck Wreck Debris Images

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 11:17 pm
by hellomartin
Debris Images

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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 9:35 pm
by José M. Rico
I have just uploaded some of Martin's photos of the wreck site. Enjoy!

Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:05 pm
by hellomartin
Thanks Jose, These are large pieces from the debris field, can any shed light on what they are?

Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:32 pm
by 30knots
Thanks to Martin and Jose for these.

Could the fourth one down show parts of the gearing and a shaft of the cranes that were on the funnel ?

Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 12:14 am
by hellomartin
30 knots, that was my thought. This was a large piece that was lying some way from the wreck. I think it may have been the remains of the funnel, which as far as I know, had not been identified.

Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 3:17 am
by Jack B.
I'll give it a try.

The first picture shows a station with round handrails. I believe this is the after HA rangefinder station. The boxes by it are the ready use amo lockers for the 2cm guns.

The second picture looks like some deck grating that allowed access to the boats above the aircraft hanger, or funnel.

The third picture I thought was a boot, but after looking at it further, I think it is some sort of mug.

The forth picture is looking at the underside of the search light platform on the funnel. That is the crane used to spot the planes on the catapult.

The fifth picture is the base of one of the search lights.

Jack

Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:28 am
by hellomartin
The third picture is almost certainly the shell casing from a main gun (it is quite large), presumably from the British (I don't believe Bismarck expelled hers overboard) The sea bed around the wreck is littered with shell casings of all sizes. It gives quite a dramatic impression of the battle.

Good guess on the others...

I will see if I can dig out a couple more debris shots

Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 12:33 pm
by 30knots
Yep, 4th one down is one of the cranes on the funnel:

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p.s. hope this works - 1st time posting a pic.

Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 3:03 pm
by Bgile
hellomartin wrote:The third picture is almost certainly the shell casing from a main gun (it is quite large), presumably from the British (I don't believe Bismarck expelled hers overboard) The sea bed around the wreck is littered with shell casings of all sizes. It gives quite a dramatic impression of the battle.

Good guess on the others...

I will see if I can dig out a couple more debris shots
The British used bags on their big guns, so if it's a main gun shell casing it came from Bismarck. There would have been a number of them laying about the deck when she capsized.

Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 4:40 pm
by 30knots
Here's another view:

http://tinyurl.com/3x68qx

Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:04 pm
by 30knots
And here's a picture of a searchlight.

Jack B. looks like he was 'spot on' with that one. You can clearly see the three panels on the side.

http://tinyurl.com/2s2fcg

Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:52 pm
by 30knots
Here's a picture of the aft AA rangefinder station.

http://tinyurl.com/26s4s7

There are also some (ammunition?) boxes to the left of the picture, which may well have been closer to the rangefinder on the starboard side due to absence of the vent.

In this one you can see plenty persons standing in the station.

http://tinyurl.com/yuud8p

The diameter of the top looks much bigger than that of the first of Martin's excellent pics.

All the best.

Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 10:28 pm
by hellomartin
That second shot is just great '30 knots", Bismarck is passing through the Kiel Canal on its way to the North Atlantic....

Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 11:21 pm
by 30knots
Hi Martin,

Are the shots you posted from the same area ?

I ask this because on a quick review, in your first photo and the archive one of the seachlight, the hand/guard rails look remarkably similar.

Boxes remain a mystery though. Electrical junction boxes ?

All the best.

Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 1:02 am
by José M. Rico
More debris images from Martin's collection.

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