Admiral_Karasu Posted May 31 Share Posted May 31 For discussing the battle tactics involved in the hunt for Bismarck as well as the ships and their armament. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_battle_of_Bismarck https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DT0NqBgoAs A lecture for background studies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J2jsgFQwI0 Here's actual footage of HMS Hood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj61TS8zY-8 Bismarck (part of this footage is the same as the first one above in color about Bismarck sinking the Hood but in B/W): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wxeuGGWbNc The historical ships/units involved in the battle: The German Forces Bismarck https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_battleship_Bismarck Prinz Eugen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_cruiser_Prinz_Eugen The British Forces HMS Hood https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Hood HMS Prince of Wales https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Prince_of_Wales_(53) HMS Ark Royal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Ark_Royal_(91) HMS King George V https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_King_George_V_(41) HMS Rodney https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Rodney_(29) HMS Norfolk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Norfolk_(78) HMS Dorsetshire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Dorsetshire_(40) HMS Mashona https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Mashona 825 Naval Air Squadron https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/825_Naval_Air_Squadron Polish Forces ORP Piorun https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ORP_Piorun_(G65) Additional ships were involved and/or ordered to join the hunt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral_Karasu Posted June 10 Author Share Posted June 10 (I added above two additional YouTube clips, one of HMS Hood and the other of Bismarck.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfswetpaws Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 🙂👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I_cant_Swim_ Posted June 14 Share Posted June 14 Tactics-wise, we don't get to see a great deal. But the HMS Hood and Prince of Wales are incorrectly shown as flaunting skirt the entire time. In fact, the were bow in most of the time until that fateful decision by Admiral Holland of the Hood to give the Bismarck a jolly good wallop. Amazingly, it appears that both the Bismark and Prinz Eugen actually did go broadside to Hood and Prince of Wales, basically the entire time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral_Karasu Posted June 14 Author Share Posted June 14 1 minute ago, I_cant_Swim_ said: Tactics-wise, we don't get to see a great deal. But the HMS Hood and Prince of Wales are incorrectly shown as flaunting skirt the entire time. In fact, the were bow in most of the time until that fateful decision by Admiral Holland of the Hood to give the Bismarck a jolly good wallop. Amazingly, it appears that both the Bismark and Prinz Eugen actually did go broadside to Hood and Prince of Wales, basically the entire time. The Hood was approaching bow on to show as narrow a profile as possible. This tactic was intended, apparently, to allow the Hood get closer when it should have been safer to broadside the Bismarck and bring all the guns to bear on the target. I read the explanation, and the Hood exploding essentially happened because while the Hood was angled toward the Bismarck during her turn, her vulnerability was temporarily exposed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I_cant_Swim_ Posted June 14 Share Posted June 14 1 minute ago, Admiral_Karasu said: her vulnerability was temporarily exposed and that vulnerability being what? Magazines? In the movie, it was essentially one broadside salvo from the Bismark. Pretty frightening punch, if correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral_Karasu Posted June 14 Author Share Posted June 14 4 minutes ago, I_cant_Swim_ said: and that vulnerability being what? Magazines? In the movie, it was essentially one broadside salvo from the Bismark. Pretty frightening punch, if correct. Unknown. Here's a good account of the myths and what the eyewitnesses reported. The facts as known seem to be that it was a single hit at about 9 miles range that didn't hit the magazines, and the explosion occurred with some delay ripping through both the deck and the bottom. https://www.quora.com/What-were-the-HMS-Hoods-weaknesses-that-made-her-vulnerable-to-the-German-battleship-Bismarck-during-World-War-II Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I_cant_Swim_ Posted June 14 Share Posted June 14 @Admiral_Karasu That link you provided is absolutely awesome! I wonder if we can get the author's ok to reproduce that post here... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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