Death of the Bismarck

The Sinking of the 'Bismarck' - Charles Edward Turner. Image Credit : National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

A Tuesday in History - 27th May 1941

Construction of the Bismarck began in July 1936, as part of Germany’s ambitious Plan Z naval expansion. Completed in 1940, it was widely regarded as the most powerful warship in the world. Completed in 1940, the battleship was a formidable force: over 820 feet long, capable of 30 knots, with a range exceeding 11,000 miles and armed with eight 15-inch guns. She was considered one of the most powerful warships afloat.

Bismarck in 1940

Under Admiral Günther Lütjens, Bismarck, accompanied by the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, launched objective Rheinübung in May 1941. They were tasked with entering the Atlantic Ocean to disrupt Allied shipping lanes. This was a serious threat to British wartime logistics However, after being sighted by the Swedish cruiser Gotland, operational secrecy was compromised, prompting the Royal Navy to mobilise in order to intercept. On May 23rd 1941, the German ships entered the Denmark Strait - a narrow passage between Greenland and Iceland that served as the gateway to the Atlantic. This is where they were detected by British cruisers, HMS Suffolk and HMS Norfolk, which began shadowing the German vessels, transmitting their position to the British Admiralty.

By the following morning, the Bismarck encounter Vice-Admiral Lancelot Holland’s force: The famous British battlecruiser Hood and the newly-commissioned battleship Prince of Wales. Hood, a revered veteran of the interwar period, was the largest warship in the world for two decades and become a symbol for British naval prestige.

HMS Hood in 1924

The battle of the Denmark Strait was brief but catastrophic. At 05:52 on May 24th, Hood opened fire, followed closely by Prince of Wales. Although gunnery officer Adalbert Schneider requested permission to return fire, Admiral Lütjens hesitated. Captain Lindemann famously overrode this delay, insisting that the Bismarck respond, muttering "I will not let my ship be shot out from under my ass". At 05:55, Bismarck returned fire. Within minutes, a shell from Bismarck penetrated Hood’s deck armour, detonating the rear ammunition magazine. The resulting explosion broke the ship in two and sank within minutes, with only three survivors from a crew of over 1,400. The Bismarck had scored a devastating psychological victory.

Prince of Wales, damaged and outgunned, withdrew under smoke. managed to withdraw under its own power. Despite pressure from the crew to pursue the retreating British battleship, Lütjens chose to continue towards the Atlantic. Though Bismarck had inflicted serious damage, she had also suffered; one of her fuel tanks was punctured, leaking oil and making her traceable. Realising she could not proceed with the mission, under the cover of darkness on May 25th, Lütjens detached Prinz Eugen to proceed alone. Bismarck turned toward occupied France for repairs, aiming for the port of St. Nazaire.

During the night, Bismarck briefly evaded her persuers. However, Lütjens compromised their position by sending lengthy radio transmissions to naval command. The British intercepted these signals, and although there were initial plotting errors, Bismarck’s location was eventually rediscovered. Aware of the threat now closing in, Lütjens addressed his crew, praising their victory over Hood but warning that they now faced overwhelming odds. "For us seamen," he declared, "the choice is now victory or death."

On May 26th, a British Catalina reconnaissance aircraft spotted Bismarck. The only force within range for an attack was the aircraft carrier Ark Royal, which deployed Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers that evening. The Swordfish proved decisive. Two torpedoes struck Bismarck, one of which hit the stern and jammed the rudder. Crippled and unable to steer, the battleship veered back toward the pursuing British fleet. Lütjens radioed Berlin: “Ship unable to manoeuvre. We will fight to the last shell.”

The Fairey Swordfish tornado bomber

At dawn on May 27th, the British battleships King George V and Rodney opened fire. The engagement began at 08:47, with Rodney firing the first salvos. Though Bismarck returned fire, her accuracy quickly deteriorated due to her inability to maintain a stable course in the heavy seas. A shell from Rodney struck the forward superstructure, likely killing Lütjens, Lindemann, and much of the bridge crew. Another hit disabled her forward turrets. After an hour and a half of relentless bombardment, her guns fell silent. At 10:39 AM, Bismarck sank, either scuttled by her crew or finished off by torpedoes from HMS Dorsetshire. Of over 2,200 men aboard, fewer than 120 survived.

HMS Dorsetshire picking up survivors

The engagement marked the end of Germany’s attempt to deploy warships in the Atlantic. Five days later, the Prinz Eugen arrived in Brest - The only survivor of Operation Rheinübung. No German battleship or heavy cruiser ever again attempted to break out into the Atlantic.

In retrospect, the loss of the Bismarck was a significant blow to German ambition. While the Bismarck momentarily shook British morale with the sinking of HMS Hood, it did not weaken British naval seperiority. Conversely, Its destruction effectively curtailed Germany’s surface fleet ambitions. Germany would henceforth rely almost exclusively on U-boots in the Battle of the Atlantic - an admission that traditional battleships could not survive in a sea dominated by British naval and air power.

Course of Prinz Eugen and Bismarck and the ships that pursued them