Bismarck´s steam plant was a high temperature/high pressure on, at 58 kg/cm2, while the American´s was a little lower at 40 kg/cm2. Bismarck´s steam would attain a higher steam jet velocity, what would need a matching high rpm turbine for efficiency, which Bismarck´s single reduction gearing could not reach.
If Bismarck had trouble steering with propellers alone, other factors caused that most likely: Her big size when compared with P.Eugen? Convergent design of her propeller shafts? Did the Hipper or Scharnhorst classes have convergent shaft designs too?
Re: Bismarck and her contemporaries by Bgile » Wed 5:50 pm There seems to always be a significant number of duds when heavy armor is encountered. However, a dud can sometimes be even more damaging than a bullet which explodes. For example, suppose a shell failed to explode and instead was deflected through the bottom of the ship?
Re: Bismarck at DS after the second turn by Antonio Bonomi » Wed 4:17 am
Bismarck at DS after the second turn - Page 16 - Naval History Forums
Lest we forget, Sink the Bismarck was based on the 1959 historical novel Hunting the Bismarck by C.S.Forester. Forester made no pretense about it being anything more than a novel.
Bismarck straddled Rodney at 3rd salvo, around 8:51, causing minor splinter damage, followed by an immediate course alteration performed by Rodney (slightly to the N-E), and by KGV (slightly to the S-E).
Anyway, with Dumas or without it I regard that, if Bismarck and Tirpitz were clearly superior to the USN Treaty battleships it will be next to impossible for the french vessels to be superior to thosse German ships.