Bismarck Class Battleship (1948 Modernization)

The Bismarck class was a pair of battleships built for the German Navy shortly before the outbreak of World War II. The ships were the some of the largest warships built for the Kriegsmarine, only outsized by the Friedrich Barbarossa class fleet carriers and follow-on Friedrich der Große class battleships. Bismarck was laid down in July 1936 and completed in September 1940, while her sister Tirpitz's keel was laid in October 1936 and work finished in February 1941. The sisters saw extensive action in several theaters and were the "workhorses" of the fleet. With a good top speed of 32 knots and 32cm of armor, they served in a myriad of ways from fleet actions to shore-bombardment. The ships were given a scheduled overhaul in 1946 and a new radar configuration to bring them in-line with the younger Friedrich der Große class. Two ships were ordered and both were completed by 1941: Bismarck (SS-5) Tirpitz (SS-6)