Naval artist
Robert Taylor. Naval art print 'Sighting the Bismarck' by Robert
Taylor depicting the moment when RAF Coastal Command located the ill-fated
battleship.
In the early hours of May 24, 1941, as the mighty German battleships
Bismarck and Prinz Eugen slipped through the Denmark Strait, they were
dramatically intercepted by the Royal Navy battleships Hood and Prince
of Wales. Within six minutes of the first salvo being fired, the Hood,
pride of the Royal Navy, was blown out of the water in one of the most
gigantic explosions ever witnessed at sea.
Bismarck's fourth salvo landed a shell forward of the Hood's after
turrets, piercing her deck, exploding the 4-inch magazine.
Simultaneously this detonated the adjacent 15-inch magazine, and in one
mighty eruption the battleship broke in two. Within seconds she was
gone. Of the ships company of 14000 officers and sailors only three
survived.
Outraged at the grievous loss Winston Churchill signalled the
Admiralty just three words: "Sink the Bismarck!" Thus began
one of the epic sea chases in the history of naval warfare.
Damaged by shells from Prince of Wales' 14-inch guns, and losing fuel
oil, Admiral Lutjens broke off the engagement and steamed Bismarck
towards the anonymity of the North Atlantic. Evading the British
warships for 32 hours he had hopes of reaching the safety of Brest, but
when spotted by a Catalina of RAF Coastal Command, Lutjens knew it was
the beginning of the end for the mighty German warship. When an attack
by Ark Royal's Swordfish torpedo planes jammed her rudder Bismarck's
fate was sealed. As she limped haphazardly through the waves trailing
oil, the Home Fleet closed in for the final encounter. Overwhelmed by
British guns and torpedoes, Bismarck's crew fought a gallant last
battle, but the odds were too great. Watching Bismarck's final moments
from King George V's bridge, Admiral Tovey said: "She put up a
noble fight against impossible odds, worthy of the old days of the
Imperial German Navy."
Signatures: Hans Hellwig, Karl-August Schuldt, Josef
Statz, Johannes
Zimmermann.
