Bismarck

The Battleship Bismarck was the flagship of the Kaiserliche Marine for the German Empire. The battleship was designed to be the largest at the time, with the largest guns of any warship, capable of firing shots for up to 20 miles.

The Battle ship was named for the Chancellor of the German Empire Otto von Bismarck, and was constructed in the interwar period between the Great War and the World War. It was believed the warship would be the envy of the world's navies. It was planned that the Bismarck would be the flagship in an invasion of the British Isles.

This was proven to be wrong during the start of the Anglo-German War, wherein the Battle of Jutland. The Battleship Bismarck was destroyed and sank during the battle, proving the capabilities of aircraft carriers against other classes of warships. Of the 2,000 men serving on the Bismarck, most were lost at sea during the battle, with only 115 surviving, all becoming prisoners of war.

Following the destruction of the battleship, Germany and Kaiser Wilhelm III attempted to switch tactics with their navy, believing that their submarine fleet would be the deciding factor and facing a defensive naval war. This tactic was meant to be a temprorary one as the German high command wished to buy time until the Kaiserliche Marine could be rebuilt and the Kingdom of America to reinforce them.