In May 1941, the British battleships HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales intercepted the German battleship Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen in the Denmark Strait. Due to interwar limitations, the Royal Navy was forced to modernize old ships instead of building new ones, leaving the Hood vulnerable to long-range "plunging fire" and the Prince of Wales underpowered with conservative designs.
As the two British ships approached the Germans, they engaged in a long-range artillery duel. However, the Hood's weak horizontal defense made it vulnerable to German fire, and it was hit by a shell from the Prinz Eugen, detonating an ammunition locker and starting a fire. The Hood's crew tried to re-target the Bismarck, but it was too late. A salvo from the Bismarck hit the Hood, causing a massive explosion that tore the ship in two, killing over 1,400 crew members.
The Prince of Wales, now alone, continued to fight but was heavily damaged. Its commander, Captain Leach, ordered an evasive maneuver and eventually withdrew from the battle, making smoke to cover his retreat. The Bismarck did not follow, and the Prince of Wales joined the cruisers shadowing Bismarck.
The sinking of the Hood sent shockwaves through the British Admiralty, but it was followed by a determined rage to sink the Bismarck. Prime Minister Churchill issued a personal order to every able ship in the Atlantic, and the aircraft carrier Ark Royal, the Home Fleet, and the battleship Rodney all received the signal to sink the Bismarck.
Here are the key facts from the text, without opinions, in short sentences:
1. The HMS Hood and Prince of Wales were sent to intercept the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen in the Denmark Strait.
2. The British had located the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen on May 24th.
3. Admiral Tovey and the rest of the Home Fleet were hundreds of miles away from the Hood and Prince of Wales.
4. The Hood was the pride of the Royal Navy, but it had a weak horizontal defense, especially on Deck 25, which was only 76mm thick.
5. Plans to strengthen the Hood's horizontal armor were developed in 1927, but were postponed due to financial problems and never happened.
6. The Prince of Wales had teething problems, including its quadruple-gun turrets being prone to break down under strain.
7. The Prince of Wales had modern rangefinders and was more technologically advanced than the Hood.
8. Both the Hood and Prince of Wales were fast, with speed being what the Royal Navy needed for an interception force.
9. The Hood and Prince of Wales engaged the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen on May 24th at 05:37 hours.
10. The Hood targeted the wrong ship, thinking it was the Bismarck, but it was actually the Prinz Eugen.
11. The Prince of Wales gunnery officer targeted the Bismarck, despite the Hood's order to target the Prinz Eugen.
12. The Hood's guns malfunctioned, and one of its guns was taken out of action.
13. A shell from the Prinz Eugen hit the Hood's upper deck, detonating an ammunition locker.
14. The Hood's bridge crew was unaware of the extent of the damage.
15. Admiral Holland ordered the Hood to re-target the Bismarck and turn to port to bring its aft turrets to bear.
16. The Hood's turn exposed it side-on to the enemy, but it was too late.
17. A salvo from the Bismarck hit the Hood, and it erupted in flames.
18. The Hood sank in a V formation, with only a few minutes passing between the salvo and its sinking.
19. The Prince of Wales was left alone to engage the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen.
20. The Prince of Wales' commander, Captain Leach, ordered an evasive maneuver to avoid colliding with the Hood's sinking stern.
21. The Bismarck did not follow the Prince of Wales as it retreated.
22. The Prince of Wales signaled the Admiralty that the Hood had blown up.
23. Only three survivors were rescued from the Hood's crew of 1,418.
24. The Admiralty received the news of the Hood's sinking and responded with a personal order from Prime Minister Churchill to sink the Bismarck.
25. The order was broadcast to every able ship in the Atlantic, including the aircraft carrier Ark Royal, Tovey's Home Fleet, and the battleship Rodney.