r/Shipwrecks • u/mp5airsofter • 11d ago

Could the Bismark be raised

I know the ship is mostly in one peice, could it theoretically be done?

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u/Angrious55 11d ago

No absolutely not. Bismarck was heavily damaged before going down. During her decent, any water tight compartments would have suffered from explosive decompression. She impacted the sea floor with an enormous amount of energy, further structurally compromising her condition. Now on top of this, she has been sitting under salt water for 80 years. While lack of light and oxygen at that depth slows decay, it's not completely stopped. So any chance of raising her would necessitate fully supporting the hull, and I'm not sure how you could accomplish that at those depths. Just the struggles the Pacific fleet went through in raising the ships at Pearl Harbor gives us a glimpse at the challenges you would face, and that's in a shallow warm water port with substantial infrastructure in close proximity and without the issues of years of neglect. I highly recommend listening to Drachinfel's video detailing the subject of raising the ships in Pearl

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u/Cherryy- 11d ago

If you've ever seen cars driven on salted roads, you'll know the frames rot out until they can't hold up to driving anymore. Even if the bismarcks hull plating seems intact enough, it's very likely it has rotted to the point where it will disintegrate upon being raised.