Bismarck:


Tirpitz:

A few years ago, I read somewhere online that Bismarck's 10,5cm FlaK were a mix of two variants, which created issue for the AA fire-control onboard. Now I finally thought to post about it, but I cannot find the exact verbiage anymore. All I can find is the http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNGER_41-65_skc33.php page that mentions that the 10,5cm mounting with the half-covered breeches was the newer C37, which were apparently mounted on the after section of the Bismarck while the older C31 was the variant mounted on the forward half. The two variants have different train/elevation/cross leveling characteristics. So the question is, did this mix of large-caliber FlaK contribute to Bismarck's ineffectiveness against the attacking Swordfish? I see there is an often-repeated claim online that the Swordfish was so slow that it caught the Bismarck's ("advanced", by comparison?) AA fire-control by surprise. I am also aware that the German 3,7cm/83 SK C/30 onboard the Bismarck was in itself a rather ineffective FlaK (http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNGER_37mm-83_skc30.php), especially after seeing footage of it in action in Die Deutsche Wochenschau aboard Vorpostenboote where gunners were feeding rounds (can't help but think: "Like carrots!") one at a time into the twin breeches, after taking delivery from ammunition personnel standing by with ammo pouches hanging on the chest (no wonder the Fleet Air Arm fighters had a field day decimating Tirpitz's AA personnel during Operation Tungsten).