Bismarck was the first of two Bismarck-class battleships built for the German Kriegsmarine. Named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the primary force behind the unification of Germany in 1871, the ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1936 and launched two and a half years later in February 1939. Work was completed in August 1940, when she was commissioned into the German fleet. Bismarck and her sister ship Tirpitz were the largest battleships ever built by Germany, and two of the largest built by any European power. About Top Drawings This series of highly illustrated books present detailed scale drawings of aircraft and vehicles, with supporting colour profile artwork. With detailed captions on the history, combat action and development of each machine, each volume is an exceptional reference tool for modellers.