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The author starts of by addressing the question of if there is any real need for another book on the hunt for the Bsimarck. His answer is that when he wrote this book (2019) there was a gap for a readable account of the Bismarck’s only mission, written by a naval historian. However his own bibliography includes the two recent books by Iain Ballantyne, one of which we’ve previously reviewed. It is true that some of the other recent books on Bismarck have been very technical, and too detailed for most readers (Battleship Bismarck – A Design and Operational History, William Garzke Jr, Robert O Dulin Jr and William Jurens, with James Cameron being one good but massive example of this!). A more honest answer might be that there is a gap in Osprey’s catalogue for this book, and I’d say that was a perfectly acceptable reason to write it.
The next obvious question is does the book achieve Konstam’s stated aim of producing a clear, accurate account of the battle aimed at the general reader? I would say yes – this is a good readable account of Bismarck’s only combat mission, with a good balance of British and German material. Compared to Ballantyne’s book there is far more from the German point of view. There is a good section on the development and construction of the Bismarck and the overall German naval strategy – looking at the pre-war plan to build a battlefleet by the mid 1940s and the alternative adopted after Hitler led Germany into a war far earlier than the Navy had expected. We follow the Bismarck on her entire voyage, from her training base in the Baltic, into the North Sea, and along the coast of Norway before we reach the famous battle in the Denmark Strait with the loss of the Hood, and the massive British attempt to catch the Bismarck before she reached the safety of French ports.
Konstam’s account makes clear just how close the Bismarck was to escaping. A combination of a carelessly lengthy radio message from the Bismarck, which allowed the British to find her after she had earlier eluded her pursuers, and one lucky torpedo that wrecked her steering, was all that prevented her reached safety. On the other hand in her final battle the Bismarck didn’t perform terribly well – despite starting with all of her weapons systems fully functional she failed to score a hit on any of the British ships, and her ‘all or nothing’ armour scheme meant that while the areas inside the armour remained largely undamaged, everything outside, from the bridge to the gunnery control systems, and even the main turrets, were soon wrecked. The Bismarck’s story also shows that the era of the commerce raiding warship was over – at least in the Atlantic. In an age of radar, air carriers and long range reconnaissance aircraft there would soon be no way for ships like the Bismarck to disappear into the open ocean
I would say that Konstam has achieved his aim. Compared to the other two books on Bismarck I’ve reviewed, this had a better balance between the British and German views that Ballantyne’s work, while Battleship Bismarck – A Design and Operational History is a massive book aimed at those who are very interested in the technical aspects of the Bismarck and every detail of her last battle. Konstam’s own detailed knowledge of naval warfare shines through, but without overwhelming the reader.
Chapters
1 – The Bismarck
2 – Germany’s Atlantic Strategy
3 – The Home Fleet
4 – Preparations
5 – Through the Baltic
6 – Sojourn in Norway
7 – Move and Countermove
8 – The Denmark Strait
9 – Duel at Dawn
10 – Hood Has Blown Up
11 – Breakout into the Atlantic
12 – Hunting for the Bismarck
13 – Air Strike
14 – Destroyers in the Night
15 – The Final Battle
Author: Angus Konstam
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 336
Publisher: Osprey
Year: 2019