Thanks everyone for your comments and compliments.
Snoopy, I researched the Bismarck extensively before building her and there is a great deal of conflicting information out there. For example, the tops of the turrets. I have seen sources that claim they were dark gray, dark red, and even yellow! Photographic evidence is indeterminate. Even the survivors' accounts disagree with each other!
As far as the area around the swastikas, I have read that they are dark gray, but other sources say red. I've seen other models painted both ways. Tamiya's box art shows dark gray, which is what I went with. Some references say there was no swastika on the stern deck, but Ballard's photos of the wreck clearly show it was there - painted out, possibly, but it was there at one time.
If you do any research at all on this great ship, you'll find the same things. In the end, you'll probably do what I did, and choose a scheme that you think looks reasonably realistic.
I have to agree with you Snoopy - the Bismarck (and the Tirpitz, too!) were truly magnificent looking battleships. And you're right that if they were used properly the war might have turned out very differently.
Paul
"A man's GOT to know his limitations."