GamingDiver / WoWs Legends Ships / Bismarck B

World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Bismarck B

Also called: 俾斯麦 B Beta

Germany · Tier VII · Battleship · Premium · Bismarck Variant

Secondary battleshipA brawler: close the distance and the secondaries work alongside the mains.

Playstyle

Push to within secondary range (~7.7 km) so the secondary battery starts contributing damage
Avoid: Torpedo Boat Brawling; with no torpedoes you cannot trade back a fight fought inside enemy torpedo range

Key characteristics

Improved HE penSonarSpotter planeExtended secondary rangeTurtleback armorWeak AA

On this page

Community stats
Playstyle
How to get Bismarck B
Builds
Cohort position
Stats and specs
Charts
Background
Armor
Exteriors

Community Data

Bismarck B Community Stats

Across 4,600+ Standard battles from 120+ players, Bismarck B averages a 58% win rate, 71,600 damage and 0.9 kills per battle, and survives 29% of them.

Community Data

Bismarck B Community Stats

Log in to GamingDiver and upload your data to see Community Data for Bismarck B: community win rate, damage, survival, spotting, and your own comparison.

Playstyle

Overview

Bismarck B is a Tier VII German secondary battleship with top-decile secondary reach out to 7.7 km: the kit rewards closing inside secondary range and letting the auto-fire battery work alongside the mains, not holding mid-range AP lines. HE pen sits at the 1/4 caliber ratio instead of the standard 1/6. Her main-battery HE volume is low on its own, but inside 7.7 km the secondaries join in: 17.1 fires/min combined (17th of 53 T7 BBs). In a brawl, HE keeps fires burning on the target while she works into position for an AP finish. Standout traits: AP guaranteed-ricochet angle in T7 BBs (65°, 3rd of 49). The trade is bottom-decile AA DPS in T7 BBs (241).

Positioning

Push to within secondary range (~7.7 km) so the secondary battery starts contributing damage. A secondary BB at mid range is wasting half her kit; the geometry that pays out is close enough that the secondaries DPM peer BBs instead of the main battery alone.

Potato Avoidance

Torpedo Boat Brawling

With no torpedoes you cannot trade back a fight fought inside enemy torpedo range. Hold the band where your guns and secondaries punish them while their fish still fall short, and lean on armor and volume of fire instead of closing the last few kilometers into a spread you have no answer for.

Signature Traits

ELITE SECONDARIES ↗

Extended secondary range · 7.7 km
Secondary brawler BB

Turtleback armor

Deck armor angled downward over the citadel, forming a roof outside it. Deflects shells arriving at a low angle up and away, so flat-trajectory fire from close range struggles to reach the citadel.

Improved HE penetration

HE pen at the 1/4 caliber ratio instead of the standard 1/6. HE-spam is a real damage option here, not just a fire-starter, shared by 15/49 T7 BBs.

Weak AA ↗

241 AA DPS, bottom decile of T7 BBs. Aircraft chew through with impunity; lean on positioning over AA.

Short gun range ↗

16.6 km main battery reach, bottom decile of T7 BBs. Outranged by peers; close distance or lean on terrain.

No torpedo backup

A brawler with no torpedoes: every trade is guns and secondaries. The sweet spot is inside secondary range but outside easy torpedo range -- close enough that the auto-fire battery works, not so close that a destroyer or torpedo cruiser lands a salvo you can't answer.

Acquisition

How to get Bismarck B

Bismarck B is a Premium ship and not available to unlock in the Tech Tree. Acquisition path: Containers. Container chances are shown as the listed odds of receiving this exact ship, dividing grouped ship-pool odds across the resolved ships and including nested container paths when a crate can drop another crate.

ContainersAppears in official container odds below; availability depends on the container being sold or awarded.

While you save up, check active promo codes for free doubloons, camouflages, and other rewards.

Best listed chance for this ship

Black Friday '22 crate 1.5% VII Bismarck B Event · Black Friday '22 crate
Champion's Box 0.3% VII Bismarck B Archived · Champion's Box → Black Friday '22 crate
Black Friday Ultimate Crate 0.2505% VII Bismarck B Event · Black Friday Ultimate Crate → Black Friday '22 crate

Show all 6 containers (3 more)

Piñata Chest 0.157895% Tier V, VI, or VII Premium ship Event · Piñata Chest · 1 of 19 ships
Ultimate Crate 0.15% VII Bismarck B Archived · Ultimate Crate → Black Friday '22 crate
Explorer's Chest 0.111111% One of these ships Event · Explorer's Chest · 1 of 27 ships

Official WG availability sources

November Update: Under the Black Flag Store / event post Start: 2022-11-03
- This season, Black Friday discounts will be available throughout the entire update, with additional deals dropping in the Store at later dates. Most importantly, it will feature as many as five new black ships:
- German Tier VII Premium battleship Bismarck B with upgraded secondary battery (ATBA) range at the expense of main battery range.

Show direct source rows

Black Friday '22 crate 1.5% · VII Bismarck B
Explorer's Chest 0.111111% · One of these ships
Piñata Chest 0.157895% · Tier V, VI, or VII Premium ship

Want the full picture? Each container page charts the odds as you open more crates - including ~~pity~~ guaranteed-reward timers and, for GD Supporters, pack math personalized to your port.

Builds

Pair with a commander whose unique skill complements her main armament; check the build tool for current recommendations.

Open in Build Tool →

Have a build you swear by? Open it in the Build Tool and hit Save build to share it here, or browse the Ship Builds guide for proven loadouts across the fleet.

Cohort position

Hide ▾

Where Bismarck B sits among Tier VII BBs (49 ships). Notable standouts are shown first; the rest of the cohort-ranked stats are in the expand below. Acquisition variants (Black Friday, Founders Edition) are counted once with their base ship, not as separate peers.

Top 10%AP auto-bounce angle65° (3/49) Top 25%Hit points69,200 HP (11/49) Top 25%Main battery reload26 s (12/49) Top 25%Sigma1.95 (11/49) Top 25%AP arming threshold63 mm (11/49) Bottom 25%Main battery caliber380 mm (39/49) Bottom 25%HE DPM81,231 (41/48) Bottom 25%Secondary HE alpha1,700 (41/46) Bottom 25%Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)127,815 (37/48) Bottom 25%AA range4.5 km (39/49) Bottom 25%Citadel belt245 mm (41/48) WorstNo torpedoes (33 of 49 in cohort)

See 37 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Bismarck B -- here's where she sits on every other ranked stat in the cohort. Stats tagged NORM are tied across more than half the cohort, so the value is the cohort default rather than a standout.

Max speed31 kt(17/49) Concealment15.44 km(34/49) Smoke fire bloom14.12 km(19/49) Air detection12.35 km(34/49) Rudder shift16 s(37/49) Turning circle850 m(27/49) Main battery range16.56 km() HE fire chance34%(33/48) Fires per minute6.28(29/48) AP shell damage11,600(35/49) AP DPM214,154(33/49) Main dispersion228.3 m() Secondary DPM (per side)248,830(15/49) Secondary fire chance8%(29/46) Secondary HE pen37 mm() AP velocity820 m/s(23/49) HE velocity820 m/s(25/48) Time to 90% speed34.3 s(31/49) Acceleration (0-12 kt)13.2 s(28/49) Engine power163,000 hp(20/49) Power / turn radius191.8 hp/m(21/49) Displacement49,406 t(32/49) Power-to-weight3.3 hp/t(26/49) AP pen at 10 km549 mm(37/49) Secondary range7.7 km() AA DPS241() AA threat860() Flak damage per salvo (expected)1,575(17/49) Repair charges3(23/49) Max armor350 mm(35/49) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(34 of 49 tied at this value) NormSecondary sigma1(48 of 49 tied at this value) NormAP fuse timer0.033 s(40 of 49 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(47 of 49 tied at this value) NormRepair heal rate0.5 %/s(35 of 49 tied at this value) NormBow armor32 mm(36 of 48 tied at this value) NormStern armor32 mm(35 of 48 tied at this value)

Peers in this cohort

Compare Tier VII Battleships

Show all 49 peers

Stats & specs

Customize in the Build Tool →

Survivability

Hit Points69,200

Displacement49,406 t

Hull dimensions

Length x beam at the waterline, plus draft. Length matters when dodging torpedoes; beam and draft shape how hard the ship is to hit.

251 x 36 m (same hull as bismarck)

Armor range19–350 mm

Plate armor thicknesses19, 20, 25, 32, 38, 45, 50, 57, 60, 80, 100, 110, 120, 145, 150, 160, 180, 220, 245, 320, 350 mm

Armor material/layer entries48

Fire resistance

top hull: 1 − 0.6337 fire coefficient = 36.6%. Lowers how often hits set you on fire. It does not reduce the damage a burning fire does per second; fires burn at the full rate on every ship.

36.6%

Fire duration60 s

Fire damage

One unattended fire: 0.003 of max HP per second (0.3%) × 60 s = 0.18 of the pool; 0.18 × 69,200 HP = 12,456 HP on this ship. 4 fire points can burn at once.

0.3% of HP per second

Flood duration40 s

Flood damage

One unattended flood: 0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 40 s = 0.2 of the pool; 0.2 × 69,200 HP = 13,840 HP on this ship.

0.5% of HP per second

Torp Reduction

1 − 0.26 hull torpedo-damage coefficient / 0.333 unprotected baseline = 22%. Reduces torpedo hit damage. It does not affect flooding: floods start as often and tick at the full rate.

22%

Magazine HP

Per-turret powder-magazine HP, a separate pool from the ship's. Penetrating hits wear it down and the turret is likelier to be knocked out as it falls, so a larger pool keeps the guns firing through punishment that silences a peer's.

32,300

Steering gear HP

Durability of the steering gears. As this pool drops, hits are likelier to jam the rudder; unlike most modules the steering can be knocked out and repaired but is never permanently destroyed.

19,400

Effective HP

Base 69,200 HP plus everything Repair Party can restore: 0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 28 s × 69,200 HP = 9,688 HP per charge, × 3 charges = 29,064 HP. Ceiling, not a prediction: a charge only restores damage actually taken, and only the regeneratable share of it. In practice ships realize about half of this, mostly because half the charges go unspent; a charge that is used returns about 97% of the per-charge figure above.

76,889–98,264

Repairable: penetration50%

Repairable: citadel10%

Repairable: steering gear50%

Bow section HP

Damage saturation pool for the bow: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 2,000 = 4,000), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.

2,000

Casemate section HP

Damage saturation pool for the casemate: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 11,600 = 23,200), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.

11,600

Hull section HP

Damage saturation pool for the hull: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 48,400 = 96,800), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.

48,400

Superstructure section HP

Damage saturation pool for the superstructure: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 4,400 = 8,800), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. The superstructure is not exempt: it saturates exactly like the bow and stern, so shells aimed at it stop dealing full damage once this pool is used up. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.

4,400

Stern section HP

Damage saturation pool for the stern: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 1,300 = 2,600), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.

1,300

Citadel section HP

This section has no practical saturation cap: every hit here keeps dealing its normal share of damage (on most ships the citadel; on many destroyers the casemate).

No saturation cap

Main Battery

ModuleArtillery: 380 mm L/52 SK C/34

Mounts / barrels4 mounts / 8 barrels

Reload time26 s

Firing range16.6 km

Turret traverse5.2 °/s

Turret armor360 mm

Turret traverse arcs

How far each mount can train, in degrees to either side of the mount's own facing. A rear turret with ±150° leaves a 60° blind wedge over the bow; one-sided arcs are wing mounts that cover a single side. The data does not say which way each mount faces, so the arcs are listed per mount without bow/stern angles.

3x ±145°, ±138°

Guns to bear

180° − 145° (the most restricted aft-facing mount's arc) = 35° off bow; 180° − 138° (the most restricted forward-facing mount's arc) = 42° off stern. How far off the bow (or stern) the ship must angle before every main turret can fire: the widest blind wedge among the rear-facing (or forward-facing) mounts, from each mount's trainable arc.

35° off bow / 42° off stern

See the firing-arcs diagram ↓

Shell Grouping (σ)1.95

Dispersion type

In practice: 1% wider (worse) horizontal dispersion and 1% more vertical spread at max range (16.6 km) than a standard battleship: about 228 m wide × 137 m tall, against 226 m × 135 m. Also on this curve (55): AL Vittorio Veneto, Alsace, Andrea Doria, BA Binah, BA Tirpitz, Bayern, Bismarck, Brandenburg, Bretagne, Cavour, Centurion, Cristoforo Colombo and 43 more.

European battleship

Max Horiz Disp

Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the dispersion model:

σ_{H} = (\frac{R}{30} \cdot \frac{idealRadius - minRadius}{idealDistance} + minRadius) \cdot 30

= (\frac{16560}{30} \cdot \frac{12 - 2.2}{1000} + 2.2) \cdot 30 = 228.3 m

228.3 m at 16.6 km

Max Vert Disp

Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range:

σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot radiusOnMax

= 228.3 \cdot 0.6 = 137 m

137 m at 16.6 km

Med Horiz Disp

50%-hit horizontal radius:

σ_{H, 50} = σ_{H} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 228.3 \cdot \frac{0.6}{1.95} = 70.2 m

70.2 m at 16.6 km

Med Vert Disp

50%-hit vertical radius:

σ_{V, 50} = σ_{V} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 137 \cdot \frac{0.6}{1.95} = 42.1 m

42.1 m at 16.6 km

Turret turn time

180 degrees / 5.2 deg/s traverse speed = 34.6 s.

34.6 s

Shells/min

Zero upgrades: 8 broadside guns x 60 / 26 s base reload = 18.5. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 8 broadside guns x 60 / 23.429 s (23.4 s = 164 ticks) all-upgrades reload (26 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 23.4 s) = 20.5.

Initial: 18.5 → 20.5

HE shells

HE alpha4,400

HE Velocity820 m/s

Fire Chance34%

HE fire DPM vs T7 BB46561

Effective HE DPM vs T7 BB127792

HE penetration

95 mm ≈ 380 mm caliber / 4 (improved HE penetration: German BBs, Yamato-class, and a handful of others).

95 mm

HE full-salvo alpha

4,400 HE damage x 8 broadside guns = 35,200.

35,200

HE DPM

Zero upgrades: 35,200 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 26 s base reload = 81,231. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 35,200 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 23.429 s (23.4 s = 164 ticks) all-upgrades reload (26 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 23.4 s) = 90,146.

Initial: 81,231 → 90,146

Fires/min

Zero upgrades: 18.5 shells/min × 0.34 (34% fire chance) = 6.28. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 20.5 shells/min × 0.34 (34% fire chance) = 6.97.

Initial: 6.28 → 6.97

AP shells

AP alpha11,600

AP Velocity820 m/s

Min Ricochet45 deg

Guaranteed Ricochet65 deg

Fuse Timer0.033 s

Fuse Threshold63 mm

AP pen max range454 mm

AP overmatch

floor(380 mm caliber / 14.3) = 26 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).

26 mm

AP Pen Close

AP formula evaluated at muzzle velocity:

P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v_{0}^{1.38}

= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2550 \cdot 800^{0.69} \cdot {0.38}^{- 1.07} \cdot 820^{1.38} = 759.2 mm

759.2 mm point-blank

AP Pen Far

Same formula at the ship's max firing range (16.6 km), where the shell has slowed to 565.1 m/s:

P = 10^{- 7} \cdot 2550 \cdot 800^{0.69} \cdot {0.38}^{- 1.07} \cdot {565.1}^{1.38} = 454.2 mm

454.2 mm at 16.6 km

AP full-salvo alpha

11,600 AP damage x 8 broadside guns = 92,800.

92,800

AP DPM

Zero upgrades: 92,800 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 26 s base reload = 214,154. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 92,800 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 23.429 s (23.4 s = 164 ticks) all-upgrades reload (26 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 23.4 s) = 237,659.

Initial: 214,154 → 237,659

AP AOE Radius

AP shell over-penetration splash radius; scales with shell mass. Wickes 102mm = 3, standard 152mm CL ~ 20, Iowa 406mm ~ 270, Yamato 460mm = 400, Incomparable 650mm = 550 (max). Larger value = bigger splash damage area when AP over-pens.

120

AA Defense

AA mount points22

Maximum AA range

Longest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 3.5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.

4.5 km

37 mm Flakzwilling 308×2 37mm

20 mm Flak 3812×1 20mm

20 mm Flakvierling 382×4 20mm

105 mm L/65 Dop. L. C/31 (DP)

Dual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.

4×2 105mm

105 mm L/65 Dop. L. C/37 (DP)

Dual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.

4×2 105mm

Guns105 mm L/65 Dop. L. C/31 (DP) + 105 mm L/65 Dop. L. C/37 (DP)

Continuous DPS

Effective DPS in in-game units (raw aura damage × 3.5 × hit probability, summed per contributing aura) - matches the Close-range AA DPS headline's currency. Includes 134 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.

134

Range4.5 km

Guns37 mm Flakzwilling 30

Continuous DPS

Effective DPS: 11 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.75 hit probability = 29 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

Range3.5 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 134 + Medium 29 = 163

163

Guns20 mm Flak 38 + 20 mm Flakvierling 38

Continuous DPS

Effective DPS: 32 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.7 hit probability = 78 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

Range2 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 134 + Medium 29 + Near 78 = 241

241

AA explosions

Each ~2 s salvo fires 2 AA explosions in quick succession, each leaving 4 clouds ahead of the attacking squadron, plus 2 stray clouds farther out that appear off-beat between salvos - up to 10 clouds per salvo × 210 damage each. Planes that fly into a cloud take its damage; clouds dissipate before the next salvo lands. Defensive AA Fire, where fitted, multiplies the AA explosions within each salvo, and commander skills that raise the Number of AA explosions add to it.

2 per salvo, 4 clouds each + 2 outer clouds

Cloud damage

Damage a plane takes for flying into one flak cloud, before any reductions.

210

Cloud spawn chance

Each cloud in the pattern rolls this chance to spawn, so salvos average fewer clouds than the maximum. Often called flak 'hit chance', but spawned clouds always damage planes that fly into them - the roll is on spawning.

75%

Salvo interval

A new flak salvo (the AA explosions above) fires roughly every 2 s.

every ~2 s

Fired by

Flak keeps firing while at least one secondary battery mount is operational - even losing every dedicated AA mount does not stop it.

Secondary battery

Flak zone

The activation band: flak fires while attacking planes are inside it. Clouds are placed ahead of the planes' path, so clouds can land short of 2.5 km or past 4.5 km - once planes get inside the band, new salvos stop. AA range bonuses push the outer edge out; the 2.5 km inner edge does not move.

2.5-4.5 km

See the AA layers diagram ↓

Secondary Battery

Mounts14

Firing range7.7 km

Shell Grouping (σ)1

Total secondary fires/min (per side)

Sum of each gun family's fires/min (per side): 3.5 + 3.5 + 3.8 = 10.8. Per side: the barrels that bear on one broadside target (mounts × barrels / 2). A ceiling: assumes every shell hits and ignores the four-fire cap and Fire Prevention.

10.8

Secondary DPM (per side)

Sum across all secondary families of (per-side barrels × 60 / reload_s × alpha), with each reload counted in whole 1/7 s ticks (guns fire on the first tick after the reload), where per-side barrels = mounts × barrels-per-mount / 2 (the guns that bear on one broadside target). Per-family: 4×2 105 mm (4/side) × 60/3.429 s (3.35 s = 24 ticks) × 1200 = 84,000 + 4×2 105 mm (4/side) × 60/3.429 s (3.35 s = 24 ticks) × 1200 = 84,000 + 6×2 150 mm (6/side) × 60/7.571 s (7.5 s = 53 ticks) × 1700 = 80,830. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).

248,830

Secondary fire DPM vs T7 BB (per side)

Fires/min (per side) 10.8 × (1 − 0.366 fire resistance) × 60 s × 0.003 of max HP per second × 65,000 HP = 80,140. Per side: the barrels that bear on one broadside target (mounts × barrels / 2). A ceiling: assumes every shell hits and ignores the four-fire cap and Fire Prevention.

80,140

Total secondary DPM vs T7 BB (per side)

Secondary DPM (per side) 248,830 + secondary fire DPM 80,140 = 328,970: shell damage plus fire damage against one T7 battleship, every shell hitting.

328,970

Secondary dispersion type

Max dispersion = range (km) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.

Standard

Max secondary dispersion @ 7.7 km

7.7 km × 57 + 30 = 468.9 m.

468.9 m

Caliber105 mm

Reload time3.35 s

HE alpha1,200

Muzzle Velocity900 m/s

Fire Chance5%

Secondary fires/min (per side)

4×2 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 3.429 s (3.35 s = 24 ticks) × 0.05 (5% fire chance) = 3.5. Per side: the barrels that bear on one broadside target (mounts × barrels / 2). A ceiling: assumes every shell hits and ignores the four-fire cap and Fire Prevention.

3.5

HE Pen20 mm

Show 2 more gun families

Caliber105 mm

Reload time3.35 s

HE alpha1,200

Muzzle Velocity900 m/s

Fire Chance5%

Secondary fires/min (per side)

3.5

HE Pen20 mm

Caliber150 mm

Reload time7.5 s

HE alpha1,700

Muzzle Velocity875 m/s

Fire Chance8%

Secondary fires/min (per side)

6×2 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 7.571 s (7.5 s = 53 ticks) × 0.08 (8% fire chance) = 3.8. Per side: the barrels that bear on one broadside target (mounts × barrels / 2). A ceiling: assumes every shell hits and ignores the four-fire cap and Fire Prevention.

3.8

HE Pen37 mm

Maneuverability

Engine power163,000 hp

Maximum speed31.0 kt

Turning circle radius850 m

Rudder shift time16 s

Engine power-boost threshold7.0 kt

Engine spool-up time23 s

Reverse spool-up time11.5 s

Reverse speed

top speed / 4 + 4.9 = 31 / 4 + 4.9 = 12.7 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.

12.7 kt

Crash stop

Seconds from top speed to a dead stop after ordering full reverse: reverse power winds in over the reverse spool-up while water drag does most of the braking, using the ship's own reverse-power ratio. The full curve is on the acceleration chart. Full reverse stops about a quarter faster than a plain Stop order from top speed.

45.3 s

Engine boost threshold (reverse)

Speed below which the engine's built-in power boost applies in reverse.

9.0 kt

Acceleration 0-90%

Time to reach 90% of top speed (27.9 kt of 31.0 kt).

34.3 s

Acceleration 0-99%

Time to reach 99% of top speed (30.7 kt of 31.0 kt). 99% rather than 100% because true top speed is asymptotic (thrust meets drag), so the last fraction of a knot is never quite gained.

53.9 s

Guns in a full turn

With the rudder hard over the hull turns 4.2°/s, so a target drifts across the bow at that rate. Turret traverse minus hull turn: 5.2 − 4.2 = +1.0°/s, so the guns hold the target through the turn. Main Battery Mod. 2 (+20% traverse) and Mod. 3 (−15%) move this line.

hold target (+1.0°/s spare)

See the full acceleration curve ↓

Concealment

Detectability by sea

Base value, no camouflage. With a Grade IV permanent camo (or any disposable camo): 15.44 km x 0.955 = 14.75 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.

15.44 km

With Grade IV camouflage (sea)

Detectability by sea 15.44 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 14.75 km.

14.75 km

Detectability by air12.35 km

Smoke firing penalty14.12 km

Detect when firing (sea)

max(main battery range, sea detectability 15.44 km) = 16.56 km. Equal to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach.

16.56 km

Detect when firing (air)

Air detectability 12.35 km + gun-firing bloom 7.6 km = 19.95 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber 380 mm × 0.020 = 7.6 km.

19.95 km

Detect when on fire (sea)

Sea detectability 15.44 km + 2.0 km while burning = 17.44 km.

17.44 km

Detect when on fire (air)

Air detectability 12.35 km + 3.0 km while burning = 15.35 km.

15.35 km

Guaranteed Detect2 km

✦

Consumables

Damage Control Party∞ charges · 80 s reload · 15 s active

Repair Party3 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 9,688 HP (14% of max HP) total heal (per charge)
ƒ
0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 28 s effective active time = 0.14 of max HP × 69,200 HP = 9,688 HP: up to 14% of max HP restored per charge.
· 29,064 HP (42% of max HP) total heal (all charges)
ƒ
0.14 of max HP per charge × 3 charges = 0.42 × 69,200 HP = 29,064 HP: up to 42% of max HP if the whole Repair Party loadout is used.
· 346 HP/s (0.5% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ
0.005 (0.5% of max HP) × 69,200 HP = 346 HP/s. WoWS heals a flat percent of MAX HP each second, so this rate holds at any health level.

Choose one

Catapult Fighter4 charges · 80 s reload · 60 s active · 5 km patrol radius
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{167 \times 30}{1000} = 5 km$
· 1 squadron size

Observation Seaplane4 charges · 200 s reload · 30 s active · 1 squadron size · Tightens main-battery shell grouping

Enhanced Secondary Targeting3 charges · 160 s reload · 30 s active · +100% grouping · -50% dispersion

Sonar2 charges · 180 s reload · 96 s active · 4.44 km ship detect
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{148 \times 30}{1000} = 4.44 km$
· 3.12 km torpedo detect
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{104 \times 30}{1000} = 3.12 km$

Under the hood

Show ▾

All values are ship base stats with modifications and upgrade changes denoted inline.

The constants behind the formulas and the long tail: shell and dispersion inputs, fixed-range anchors, salvo math, layered AA. Click the formula chip on any row to see how it is calculated.

Main battery formulas

vs standard BB1% wider H · 1% taller V

H = horizontal, V = vertical spread. This ship's curve against the standard battleship curve, both evaluated at this ship's max range (16.6 km) with the same model as Max Horiz/Vert Disp: horizontal 228 / 226 m − 1 = +1%, vertical 137 / 135 m − 1 = +1%. Shell grouping (σ) is separate: it sets how shells bunch toward the centre of this ellipse.

Shell scatter width @ 5 km115 m

(166.7 × (12 − 2.2) / 1000 + 2.2) × 30 = 115 m. Horizontal scatter at a fixed 5 km, from the same dispersion model as the rows below - a knife-fight-range anchor comparable across ships.

Shell scatter width @ 10 km164 m

(333.3 × (12 − 2.2) / 1000 + 2.2) × 30 = 164 m. How wide your shells scatter at 10 km, from the same dispersion model as the max-range figure above. Picking a fixed range makes this number directly comparable from ship to ship: max-range dispersion makes a longer-range gun look worse even when it's tighter at any common range. The interactive Dispersion tab on the Charts card plots the full curve from 0 to max range.

Shell scatter width @ 15 km213 m

(500 × (12 − 2.2) / 1000 + 2.2) × 30 = 213 m. Horizontal scatter at a fixed 15 km, from the same dispersion model - the long-range anchor. Only shown when the ship's guns reach 15 km.

Shell scatter height @ 5 km43.8 m

How tall the scatter ellipse is at a fixed 5 km, from the same model, comparable from ship to ship. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data:  $radiusOnZero = 0.2$  at 0 m,  $radiusOnDelim = 0.5$  at  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 16560 = 8280$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 16560 m. Below the kink:  $k = 0.2 + (0.5 - 0.2) \cdot \frac{5000}{8280} = 0.3812$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 115 \cdot 0.3812 = 43.8 m$ .

Shell scatter height @ 10 km85.4 m

How tall the same scatter ellipse is at 10 km. Comparable from ship to ship for the same reason as the width value above. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data:  $radiusOnZero = 0.2$  at 0 m,  $radiusOnDelim = 0.5$  at  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 16560 = 8280$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 16560 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{10000 - 8280}{16560 - 8280} = 0.5208$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 164 \cdot 0.5208 = 85.4 m$ .

Shell scatter height @ 15 km123.8 m

How tall the scatter ellipse is at a fixed 15 km, from the same model. Only shown when the ship's guns reach 15 km. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data:  $radiusOnZero = 0.2$  at 0 m,  $radiusOnDelim = 0.5$  at  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 16560 = 8280$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 16560 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{15000 - 8280}{16560 - 8280} = 0.5812$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 213 \cdot 0.5812 = 123.8 m$ .

AP pen 5 km644 mm

AP penetration at a fixed 5 km, from the same ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the AP formula  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2550 \cdot 800^{0.69} \cdot {0.38}^{- 1.07} \cdot {727.5}^{1.38} = 644 mm$ , where 727.5 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 5 km (from 820 m/s at the muzzle). Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.

AP pen 10 km549 mm

AP penetration at a fixed 10 km, from the same ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the AP formula  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2550 \cdot 800^{0.69} \cdot {0.38}^{- 1.07} \cdot {647.9}^{1.38} = 549 mm$ , where 647.9 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 10 km (from 820 m/s at the muzzle). Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.

AP pen 15 km474 mm

AP penetration at a fixed 15 km, from the same ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the AP formula  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2550 \cdot 800^{0.69} \cdot {0.38}^{- 1.07} \cdot {582.7}^{1.38} = 474 mm$ , where 582.7 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 15 km (from 820 m/s at the muzzle). Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.

AP flight time @ 10 km4.99 s

How long an AP shell takes to reach a target at a fixed 10 km, from the same numerically integrated trajectory the Charts card plots. The shell slows under quadratic air drag,  $a_{drag} = k ρ v^{2}$ , where  $ρ$  is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and  $k$  bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.2763 \cdot {0.38}^{2}}{8 \cdot 800} = 1.96 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 820 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77 because the game clock runs faster than real time. Lower is better, since a faster shell is harder to dodge and needs less lead.

HE flight time @ 10 km4.99 s

How long an HE shell takes to reach a target at a fixed 10 km, from the same numerically integrated trajectory the Charts card plots. The shell slows under quadratic air drag,  $a_{drag} = k ρ v^{2}$ , where  $ρ$  is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and  $k$  bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.2763 \cdot {0.381}^{2}}{8 \cdot 800} = 1.97 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 820 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77 because the game clock runs faster than real time. Lower is better, since a faster shell is harder to dodge and needs less lead.

Improved HE PenYes

This ship's HE shells use a 1/4 (~0.25) caliber-to-pen ratio instead of the standard 1/6 (~0.167) - 0.249 in this case. Lets HE pen ~95mm armor instead of ~63mm. Hits every German cruiser (150mm CL, 203mm CA) and BB (350mm+), British heavy cruisers / Lion / Nelson, a handful of other premiums.

Guns per full salvo (alpha, DPM)8

4 mounts × 2 barrels = 8; all 8 bear on the broadside.

Model inputs

Krupp (AP)2,550

Armor-penetration constant of the AP shell; penetration scales straight with it, so a 10% higher Krupp is 10% more penetration at every range.

AP shell mass800 kg

Enters penetration as mass^0.69 and slows the shell's drag deceleration, so a heavier shell keeps more velocity at range.

AP drag coefficient0.2763

Air drag on the AP shell in flight; lower keeps velocity, and with it penetration, at long range.

AP muzzle velocity820 m/s

Starting speed of the AP shell; penetration scales with velocity^1.38.

HE muzzle velocity820 m/s

Starting speed of the HE shell; sets its flight time and lead.

idealRadius12

Horizontal dispersion growth per idealDistance of range, in 30 m units; the slope of the scatter-width line.

minRadius2.2

Horizontal dispersion at zero range, in 30 m units; the intercept of the scatter-width line.

idealDistance1,000 m

Range step over which horizontal dispersion grows by idealRadius.

taperDist4,000 m

Inside this range the scatter width tapers toward minRadius instead of following the line.

radiusOnZero0.2

Vertical scatter as a share of horizontal at zero range.

radiusOnDelim0.5

Vertical scatter as a share of horizontal at the delim point.

radiusOnMax0.6

Vertical scatter as a share of horizontal at maximum range.

delim0.5

Where the vertical-scatter curve bends, as a share of maximum range.

AA defense

AA DPS at max range134

Only families that reach 4.5 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 37mm SKC 30 twin 8x2 -> 29 DPS @ 3.5 km; 20mm Flak 38 12x1 -> 67 DPS @ 2 km; 20mm Flack 38 quad 2x4 -> 11 DPS @ 2 km; 105 mm SKC 33 4x2 -> 67 DPS @ 4.5 km; 105 mm SKC 37 4x2 -> 67 DPS @ 4.5 km.

AA DPS layered by range134 DPS @ 4.5 km, 163 DPS @ 3.5 km, 241 DPS @ 2 km

@ 4.5 km: 67 + 67 = 134; @ 3.5 km: 29 + 67 + 67 = 163; @ 2 km: 29 + 67 + 11 + 67 + 67 = 241. Cumulative AA DPS at each family range threshold. Inner ranges stack the outer families, so a target closing the distance hits stronger AA bubbles as it crosses each band.

AA DPS at point-blank241

29 + 67 + 11 + 67 + 67 = 241 DPS: the sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (2 km).

AA threat index860

29 × 3.5 + 67 × 2 + 11 × 2 + 67 × 4.5 + 67 × 4.5 = 860. SUM over AA auras of (aura DPS x aura range km). A plane crossing the AA bubble is exposed to each aura for a time proportional to that aura's range, so long-reach DPS is worth more than the same DPS in a short bubble. Units: DPS*km; used to rank overall AA threat across the cohort.

Near aura range2 km

Secondary battery dispersion

Secondary dispersion @ 5 km315 m

Same per-type line evaluated at a fixed 5 km: 5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.

Secondary battery firepower

Max HE alpha1700

max(1200 (105 mm), 1200 (105 mm), 1700 (150 mm), 1700 (150 mm)) = 1700. Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1700 from the 150 mm family.

Max HE fire chance8%

max(5% (105 mm), 5% (105 mm), 8% (150 mm), 8% (150 mm)) = 8%. Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 8% from the 150 mm family.

Max HE pen37 mm

max(20 mm (105 mm), 20 mm (105 mm), 37 mm (150 mm), 37 mm (150 mm)) = 37 mm. Maximum HE armor penetration across secondary HE families (caliber × 1/6 for most nations; 1/4 for German/UK BBs). Shells whose pen falls under a plate's armor thickness shatter for 0 hull damage though fire chance still applies. Best on this ship: 37 mm from the 150 mm family.

Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Background

By the start of World War II, Bismarck was one of the mightiest battleships in the world, owing to her advanced gun fire control system and powerful artillery. Her rugged construction, elaborate subdivision into compartments, and extensive armor ensured a high level of endurance.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 69,200, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds. HP caps are estimates.

Bow & stern32 mm

Overmatched by AP from only MusashiARP Musashi. Angled, everything else bounces.

Belt / citadel320 mm

Citadels come from a flat broadside at close range; held past ~30° of angle, AP shatters or bounces.

Farming19 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 37%, fires burn 60s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section	Plates	HP cap	Threats	Tactic
Bow	32 mm primary (range 20–60 mm)	≈ 3,460 (~5% of HP)	Overmatched by 460mm+ AP (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm32 mm: HE pens from 203mm+	Bow-tank fits behind this exterior plate. Saturation is FAST here; the cap is often only a few thousand HP.
Hull (midship)	110 mm primary (range 38–320 mm)	≈ 51,900 (~75% of HP)	No common AP caliber overmatches110 mm: standard HE shatters; improved HE (DE / FR BB) pens from 460mm+	Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern	32 mm primary (range 32–110 mm)	≈ 3,460 (~5% of HP)	Overmatched by 460mm+ AP (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm32 mm: HE pens from 203mm+	Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel	320 mm primary (range 25–245 mm)	no cap	Citadel pen: full damageOver-pen: ×0.10 damage	Effectively no cap; citadel pool sits at ~165k HP on every ship. An AP citadel penetration deals the shell's full damage, the biggest single hit available; only over-penetrations are damped, to ×0.10.
Superstructure	19 mm primary (range 19–50 mm)	no cap	Any HE ≥16 mm pens at full damage	Any HE ≥16 mm pens at full damage. HE-spam target, and the section saturates fast (often only a few thousand HP).

Saturation cap = HP a section can absorb before further damage to it is reduced (the "bow-tank" effect). Citadel pool is ~165k on every ship (effectively no cap); damage is gated by pen/over-pen multipliers instead. Superstructure saturates fast but HE always pens regardless of the plate thickness. Rudder (and other module HPs) are a separate pool from ship HP: damaging a module doesn't drain ship HP. Incapacitated modules like the rudder and engine are restored by DCP, but secondary and AA mounts destroyed at 0 HP stay out for the rest of the battle.

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Bismarck B can equip.

DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior

Primary official WG sources

Filtered to official World of Warships: Legends pages where this ship is a focus, reward, line member, or high-context variant mention.

2022-11-07 · Official ship feature / stats Black Friday: Ships & Deals Variant source 2022-11-03 · Patch notes November Update: Under the Black Flag Patch notes

Bismarck B

Bismarck B Community Stats

Bismarck B Community Stats

Bismarck B Community Stats

Playstyle

Overview

Positioning

Potato Avoidance

Signature Traits →

How to get Bismarck B

Best listed chance for this ship

Builds

Cohort position

Peers in this cohort

Stats & specs

Under the hood

Main battery formulas

Model inputs

AA defense

Secondary battery dispersion

Secondary battery firepower

Ship Charts

Background

Armor Beta

Skins & permanent camouflages

Primary official WG sources

Signature Traits