Balkan stripes on Bismarck

The Bismarck had the white/black Baltic stripes added in several stages in early 1941 due to frost. By the start of the Baltic manoeuvres (March to May 1941) this was completed. The battleship at this time had stripes on both the upper hull and superstructure, dark grey areas at the bow and stern, plus false waves painted in white at the bow and stern.

The Bismarck left Gotenhafen on the 18th May 1941 and arrived at Grimstadfjord on the 21st Mat 1941. During this sailing (18th to 21st) the stripes on the superstructure were painted over. So, by the time the Bismarck dropped anchor in Grimstadjord in Norway, there were stripes on the hull only.

When the Bismarck left for the Atlantic these stripes, and the dark grey at the bow and stern, had been thinly painted over. But due to the thin paint the stripes and the dark grey at the bow/stern could be determined underneath. Sources disagree whether the false white bow wave was also painted over, or whether it was left in white.

The article by Daniel H. Jones at the website below suggests that the stripes were for identification rather than camouflage. He says: "Actually it appears that this painting style was a recognition marking and it was only used in the Baltic. Whenever fleet units based in the Baltic came out into the Atlantic the stripes were always painted out."

The article is at -

http://smmlonline.com/articles/kriegsmarinecamo/kreigsmarine.html

Cheers,

Dougie

That was interesting about the identification only purpose for the stripes. I always had the idea that the stripes were designed to make it difficult for optical ranging and to confuse optical observation by submarines and surface ships. I still believe that they were painted both purposes.


Scott

check this link http://www.kbismarck.com/perfili.html

The recent book on the history of the Hood talks about the tons of paint she accumlated over the years. The Bismark was well on its way.

You can imagine the thrill of the sailors being ordered to paint on stripes then being order to paint over the stripes.

Welcome to the Navy, ANY navy. It it doesn't breath or requires to be saluted, you paint it.

Also, captains to their ships are like wives to their houses, they change their minds daily on how they like their ships to appear.

We had one captain that ordered all the brass rails and stainless fixtures on the ship to be painted over. When he was releived, the new skipper ordered all the brass and stainless to be scrapped of fresh paint and polished.