Bismarck is a two-player naval wargame simulating the historic hunt for the German battleship Bismarck in May 1941. One player commands the German forces (Bismarck and potentially Prinz Eugen), while the other controls the British Royal Navy forces attempting to locate and destroy the Bismarck. The game uses a double-blind search system where the German player plots secret movement while the British player searches the North Atlantic. Once contact is made, tactical naval combat is resolved on a separate battle board.
Components
Strategic game board (North Atlantic map with sea zones)
Tactical battle board
Counters for ships, aircraft, and markers
Search charts and plotting sheets
Dice
Rules booklet
Setup
Place the strategic map board.
The German player secretly places the Bismarck’s starting position.
The British player deploys Royal Navy forces in their historical starting positions.
Set up the tactical battle board nearby for combat resolution.
Turn Structure
Each game turn represents a period of time and includes:
German Movement Phase: The German player secretly plots movement for the Bismarck (and Prinz Eugen if in play).
British Movement Phase: The British player moves naval units and deploys search aircraft.
Search Phase: The British player attempts to locate the Bismarck using ship searches and aircraft reconnaissance.
Contact Phase: If the Bismarck is located, combat may occur.
Combat Phase: Tactical combat is resolved on the battle board when forces are in the same sea zone.
Actions
German Actions
Plot secret movement across the North Atlantic.
Attempt to reach a friendly port (France) while avoiding detection.
Engage British ships in combat when necessary or advantageous.
Break away from combat if possible.
British Actions
Deploy and move warships to patrol likely routes.
Launch air searches to cover sea zones.
Concentrate forces once the Bismarck is located.
Engage the Bismarck in combat to sink it.
Tactical Combat
When ships are in the same zone, combat uses the tactical board.
Ships fire broadsides based on their gunnery factors.
Damage is tracked on ship record sheets.
Speed and maneuvering affect combat.
Scoring / Victory Conditions
British Victory: Sink the Bismarck.
German Victory: The Bismarck reaches a friendly port (France), or the British fail to sink the Bismarck within the game’s time limit.
Partial victories may be awarded based on damage inflicted and time elapsed.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
The game uses a double-blind system: the German player’s position is unknown until detected.
Air searches cover large areas but may fail in bad weather.
The Bismarck’s fuel state must be tracked – running low on fuel limits movement options.
The Prinz Eugen may separate from the Bismarck to create a diversion.
Historical variant rules allow replay of the actual 1941 events.
Night and weather conditions affect search and combat effectiveness.
Player Reference
Force
Key Ships
German
Bismarck, Prinz Eugen
British
Hood, Prince of Wales, King George V, Rodney, Victorious, Ark Royal, and others