Hitler inspects the Bismarck

5th May 1941: As the 'most powerful battleship in the world' prepares for her first operation, Hitler discusses the plan to attack convoys in the Atlantic

The most modern battleship of the day, the Bismarck, according to Nazi propaganda ‘the fastest and most powerful warship in operation.

From a sequence of images taken on the 5th May 1941.

Admiral Lutjens, somewhat infamously, was pictured giving a naval salute rather than the Nazi ‘Heil Hitler’.

The latest German battleship, the Bismarck, commissioned in August 1940, had completed her sea trials and was now ready for her first operational voyage. On the 5th May 1941, Hitler visited the ship and discussed the plans for a raid against convoys in the Atlantic. Burkhard Von Mullenheim-Rechberg¹, was a gunnery officer on board the Bismarck:

Hitler, looking somewhat pale, and [Field Marshal] Keitel, followed by [Admiral] Lutjens and [Captain] Lindemann, reviewed the crew. The party then inspected some of the ship’s equipment, which gave the responsible officers a chance to brief the “Fuhrer” in their own areas.