At 0555 hours, after being fired upon for over three Minutes without a reply, the Bismarck unleashed her first salvo against the British Battlecruiser HMS Hood. The first salvo fell short, however the Prinz Eugen's fire scored hits along the mainmast of the Hood that caused severe fires along her deck extending to her funnel, At 0600, the Hood and Prince of Wales commenced a 20 degree turn to port in order to bring their rear turrets around and place them into action. At this time, at a range of 18,236 yards, the fifth salvo from the Bismarck found its mark. At least one shell found its way thru the armored belt and exploded in the Hood's magazine. The German observers onboard the Bismarck were awestruck by the enormity of the resultant explosion. The Hood, the Mighty Hood, pride of the Royal Navy and for over 20 years the largest warship in the world, split in two and sank in three minutes. Of a crew of over 1,416 men, only three survived. Immediately after the sinking of the Hood, Bismarck turned its attention to the HMS Prince of Wales. Hitting the bridge of the P of W. Bismarck was clearly at the advantage in this engagement. At 0603, the Prince of Wales initiated a smoke screen and retreated from combat. At 0609, the Bismarck fired its final salvo. (Narrative taken from the Kbismarck.com website). Due to damage from hits scored by the Prince of Wales, Bismarck found that a significant oil leak developed that severely impacted her ability to carry out its primary mission. The resultant damage forced Admiral Lutzens to make a hard choice, continue the mission or return to a friendly port for necessary repairs. Lutzens choice of sailing to the French port of St. Nazairre led to the greatest ship-to ship-engagement in World War II. For the British, "Remember the Hood" became the battle cry of the Royal Navy. The hunt for the Bismarck took a new and desperate tone. They had to "Sink the Bismarck." |
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S/N Prints - (300) |
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Artists Proofs - (30) |
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Giclees on Canvas - (10, 24" x 36") |
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