Bismarck Battleship vs Modern Destroyer

How would one of history’s most feared battleships, the mighty Bismarck of the 1940s, fare if it went head-to-head against a modern destroyer? Could the pride of Nazi Germany’s navy, armed with its massive guns and heavy armor, stand a chance against today’s sleek, missile-equipped warships?

What would happen if the Bismarck, the biggest warship ever built by Nazi Germany, were to go head-to-head with today’s modern destroyer? Would it even stand a chance?

On the surface, it doesn’t sound half bad today, as most of today’s battleships are like tin cans. They almost have no armor in comparison to the Bismarck’s up to 320mm armor. The monstrous guns of the Bismarck could easily penetrate it. The majority of weapons systems that modern destroyers use are not designed to penetrate fake heavy armor. Usually, they use high-explosive fragmentation warheads instead of armor penetration warheads, so surely a Bismarck can destroy a modern destroyer? Well, it’s more complicated than that.

Unfortunately, things aren’t quite that simple. There’s a reason why battleships went out of service during the early 90s. Battleships became obsolete due to several reasons. There were several high-maintenance vessels costing a lot to operate, and the crew of thousands was just too big. However, the main reason they went obsolete was because of the weapons systems. The Bismarck’s main battery consists of eight 38cm guns, each of which fires an 80 kg shell. projectiles with a maximum distance of 22 miles. The armor-piercing shells could penetrate up to 742 mm of armor, which is enough to penetrate any modern destroyer with ease.

The issue with these battleships is the range of these immensely powerful guns. Having a range of just over 20 miles is really nothing in comparison to the modern-day weapon systems that are found in today’s destroyers. Furthermore, a modern destroyer also has a radar that can detect ships up to 100 miles away. The Bismarck, on the other hand, has a radar with a maximum range of just 13.5 miles. In today’s world, the Bismarck and its entire fleet would be detected by radar long before it could ever get into range using its powerful guns.

Thus, when hit by a modern destroyer, it wouldn’t know where it’s being hit from and by whom. If somehow, the Bismarck manages to  get in the 20-mile range, which in today’s world would be practically impossible, it will still have to shoot many unguided rounds. Of course, if several of these 38 mm shells hit, it could potentially sink a modern destroyer with ease.