“Unslnkable” Bismarck Sent To The Bottom Battle Cruiser Hood Avenged As Torpedoes Strike Home

Northern Advocate, 28 May 1941, Page 5

“Unslnkable” Bismarck Sent To The Bottom Battle Cruiser Hood Avenged As Torpedoes Strike Home

Dorsetshire Finishes Atlantic Chase LONDON, May 27. THE NEW GERMAN 35,000-TON BATTLESHIP BISMARCK HAS BEEN SUNK. THIS NEWS WAS ANNOUNCED THIS MORNING BY THE PRIME MINISTER (MR. CHURCHILL) AND WAS LATER CONFIRMED BY AN ADMIRALTY COMMUNIQUE WHICH SIMPLY SAID: “The German battleship Bismarck has been sunk by our naval forces. Details of the operations will be announced as soon as possible.’’ Ll was an unlucky shell, or a salvo, from Ihe Bismarck which, in the action with a British squadron off the on Saturday morning, sent the British battle-cruiser Hood to the bottom by exploding a magazine. Since then the Gorman squadron had been pursued by some of Britain’s most powerful warships in the almost continuous daylight of this time of year in the far north Atlantic, and had been harried by torpedo bombers of the Fleet Air Arm. The sinking of the Bismarck is now admitted by the official German news agency.

Prince ®£ Wales’ Debut

Among the British warships which toolc part in the operations were the new 35,000-ton battleship Prince of Wales and the aircraftcarrier Ark Royal, one’ of whose aircraft secured a torpedo hit on the Bismarck. The Prince of Wales is the latest British battleship to have been put into commission, this being announced only a month ago. The German warships were operating in an endeavour to intercept merchant shipping in convoys from the United States. The Bismarck was sighted by the British warships on Friday night and was intercepted by the Prince of Wales and Hood at dawn on Saturday. After the Hood was lost the weather became worse and the Bismarck was able to shake off her pursuers. She was picked up again, however, yesterday morning by an American-built Gatalonia aircraft, when she appeared 1o be heading for the bases of either Brest or St. Nazaire, on the coast of enemvoeeupied France. She was at lacked yesterday afternoon by aircraft from the Ark Royal. Four torpedoes hit the Bismarck, slowing her up. She was steaming round in circles, out of control. Two more torpedoes brought her to a standstill, and scon afterwards she was sent to her doom by gunfire from the cruiser Dorsetshire. iNo news has been received of the other vessels accompanying

Struck Twice Another account of the destruction of the Bismarck, says that the Bismarck was sighted by British cruisers with the new Bin.-gun cruiser Prince Eugen on the night of May 23-24. After the Hood had been sunk and the British ships were shadowing the Bismarck, two torpedoes struck the Bismarck, one amidships and the other astern. The second apparently damaged the Bismarck's steering gear. She was not only reduced to a very low speed, but continued making un-