The German battleship Bismarck is one of the most famous warships of World War II. She was named after the 19th century German chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Her keel was laid down at the Blohm & Voss Shipyard on July 1, 1936. On February 14, 1939, she was launched, christened by Dorothea von Loewenfeld, granddaughter of Otto von Bismarck. In April of 1940, the first crew members went aboard, and on August 24, the ship was officially commissioned.

On September 15, 1940, Bismarck left Hamburg for the first time. At 4:58 pm, while steaming down the Elbe, she collided with the bow tug Atlantik. Neither ship was damaged. On May 5, 1941, Bismarck was visited by Adolf Hitler, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keital, Chief of Fleet Admiral Gunther Lutjens, and other personalities. On May 13 and 14, she conducted refuelling exercises at sea with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen and exercises with the light cruiser Leipzig, respectively.

On May 24, 1941, at approximately 5:30 am, as the German squadron was about to leave the Denmark Strait, Prinz Eugen's hydrophones detected the presence of two additional ships some distance to port. It turned out to be a British battle group comprising of the new battleship Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser Hood. At 5:52 am, Hood opened fire and the Battle of the Denmark Strait began. Bismarck fired her first salvo at Hood, followed shortly by Prinz Eugen. Hood blew up and sank at 6:01 am.

Determined to avenge the sinking of Hood, the British committed every possible unit to hunting down Bismarck. During the early evening of May 24, an attack was made by a small group of Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier Victorious. One hit was scored, resulting in a single fatality. Bismarck remained under long distance observation by the British for some time. On May 25, she was able to escape her pursuers. In the mid-morning of May 26, however, she was spotted. Throughout that night, Bismarck was the target of incessant torpedo attacks by the Tribal class destroyers Cossack, Sikh, Maori and Zulu, with the Polish Piorun. Bismarck sank at 10:39 pm. The wreck was discovered by an expedition led by Dr. Robert D. Ballard on June 9, 1989.

With the Bismarck wooden ship model, one can almost hear the roar of the ocean waves. It is an exact replica of the original, handmade with vigilance, from the very first to the last step. Master craftsmen diligently carve high quality mahogany to create the ship's form. After it is sanded and puttied, skilled artists paint on the intricate details. Hand-casted resin and handmade metal parts also constitute the model. Clear lacquer provides the finishing touch and long-lasting protection. Each ship comes on a a display base with brass pedestals and a brass name plate. All items then undergo quality control and are delivered to eagerly waiting customers in professionally-packaged wood crates via FedEx Next Day Air. More than just a display piece, the Bismarck ship model is a work of art.