But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. Live TV. This Day In History. History Vault. Recommended for you. How the Troubles Began in Northern Ireland. Contact with the Bismarck was lost for several hours on 26 May, until Lutjens unwisely radioed Hitler and betrayed his location. Antiquated Swordfish biplanes from HMS Ark Royal , by now part of the British flotilla, were used to prevent the Bismarck escaping, and a torpedo from one of these biplanes struck the decisive blow to the Bismarck , jamming her rudders.
Admiral Tovey arrived that evening aboard the flagship King George V and, unwilling to risk engaging the Bismarck during the hours of darkness, waited until the morning of 27 May before attacking. Unable to manoeuvre, the Bismarck stood little chance and was finally sunk by two torpedoes fired by HMS Dorsetshire , having withstood two hours of bombardment. Admiral Lutjens went down with the ship, along with 2, others. The battle, for now, was won for Bismarck but difficulties arose as the firing created holes in the warship and as a result, thousands of tons of water seeped into the deck and in addition, the radar-detection gear of Bismarck was knocked down bringing down its speed to 29 knots.
It was time again for some repair work so as to avoid Bismarck sinking. An air force plan yet again detected the battleship and the chase was on.
The ship was now, reduced to 20 knots so as to save fuel. On the dreaded night of the 26 th May, struck a squadron of Swordfish Torpedo from the British air carrier. The ship now lost control of many devices and moved in the wrong direction. The next day at am, the Bismarck sinking was witnessed after many battleships fired at it.
The Bismarck Wreck had just survivors out of the thousands that fought along with it. The short yet brave attempt by the German masterpiece was something that created ripples within the British army in no time.
On February 14, , the foot Bismarck was launched at Hamburg. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler hoped that the state-of-the-art battleship would herald the rebirth of the German surface battle fleet.
However, after the outbreak of war, Britain closely guarded ocean routes from Germany to the Atlantic Ocean, and only U-boats moved freely through the war zone. In May , the order was given for the Bismarck to break out into the Atlantic. Once in the safety of the open ocean, the battleship would be almost impossible to track down, all the while wreaking havoc on Allied convoys to Britain.
Learning of its movement, Britain sent almost the entire British Home Fleet in pursuit. In a ferocious battle, the Hood exploded and sank, and all but three of the 1, crewmen were killed. The Bismarck escaped, but because it was leaking fuel it fled for occupied France.
On May 26, the ship was sighted and crippled by British aircraft, and on May 27 three British warships descended on the Bismarck , inflicting heavy damage. By mid-morning, the pride of the German navy had become a floating wreck with numerous fires aboard, unable to steer and with her guns almost useless because she was listing badly to port.
Soon, the command went out to scuttle the ship, and the Bismarck quickly sank. Of a 2,man crew, only survived.
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