Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:52:55-1:54:54

Why Bismarck's citadel was so long

Bismarck's long protected area reflected a distributed armor scheme rather than the compact all-or-nothing approach used by many contemporaries.

Armour SchemesBattleshipsBismarck Class BattleshipsKriegsmarine
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Question

Why was Bismarck's citadel about 70 percent of its length when many Second World War citadels were shorter?

Short answer

Because Bismarck used distributed armor rather than all-or-nothing protection, extending the armored portion of the hull.

Notes

The German design did not follow a true all-or-nothing armor scheme, so more of the hull needed protection. It also presents an unverified anecdote about industrial and political preferences behind the choice, carefully distinguishing that recollection from a formal source.