http://www.hmshood.com/history/denmarkstrait/bismarck1.htm
The Veil is Lifted
Back at Scapa Flow on 22 May, Tovey was now faced with a decision about whether to sail himself. If the German fleet had left Bergen, they may already be nearing a breakout into the Atlantic. If he delayed sailing, then he may not be in time to assist in the battle to prevent the German breakout. On the other hand, if he sailed now and Bismarck was still waiting at Bergen for an improvement in the weather, he may find himself returning to port for lack of fuel at a critical moment.
To Tovey’s assistance came the small Naval Air Training Station at Hatston, Scapa Flow. The commanding officer, Captain Henry St. John Fancourt, thought it possible for a single aircraft to fly to Bergen to ascertain whether or not the German ships had sailed. Lieutenant Noel Goddard volunteered to pilot one of the base’s Marylands that were used for target towing. Accompanying Goddard would be the highly experienced navigator and observer Geoffrey Rotherham. Tovey’s permission for the venture was obtained, and at 1630 hours the aircraft took off. After a daring flight close to the sea, Goddard and Rotherham arrived at Bergen to find that the German vessels were no longer there. An urgent message was sent back to Hatston that Rotherham was able to confirm in person when he returned just before 2000 hours that evening.
So Admiral Tovey was at last certain that the German ships were no longer at Bergen, but the uncertainty about enemy intentions still remained. Various explanations could be offered about what might be taking place:
The German ships may be leading a convoy containing important stores or troops to northern Norway.
They may be part of a raiding force bound for Iceland.
They may be attempting to break out into the Atlantic.
He felt that the last possibility was still the most likely. It was also the one that posed the greatest potential risk. Tovey knew that the German ships would wreak havoc on the convoys if they were to succeed in breaking out into the Atlantic. Also, once out they would be almost impossible to track down. They had to be stopped before they got into the Atlantic.
New plans were urgently formulated to give the Home Fleet the greatest possibility of intercepting the German ships before they broke out. It had been 29 hours since Bismarck had last been sighted at Bergen – depending on when they had sailed, they may, even at that moment, be close to achieving their Atlantic objective. The following directions were issued to update Tovey’s previous disposition orders:
Suffolk at Hvalfjord, was ordered to sail immediately to join with RADM Wake-Walker in Norfolk, on patrol in the Denmark Strait.
The cruiser Arethusa, also at Hvalfjord, was to join Manchester and Birmingham. The three cruisers were to patrol the Iceland/Faeroes passage.
VADM Holland’s squadron of Hood, Prince of Wales and the destroyer screens were on their way to Hvalfjord to refuel before commencing their patrol. They were now ordered to proceed immediately to their patrol. They were to operate north of 62 degrees latitude and would be ready to react and cover the German ships should the cruisers patrolling either the Denmark Strait or the Iceland/Faeroes passage locate them.
Tovey himself sailed from Scapa Flow in his flagship King George V at 2245 hours on 22 May. They were accompanied by the aircraft carrier Victorious, the cruisers Galatea, Aurora, Kenya, and Hermione. The squadron also included seven destroyers (Inglefield, Intrepid, Active, Punjabi, Windsor and Lance). The group would be further reinforced off the Butt of Lewis when the battle cruiser Repulse and three more destroyers joined from the Clyde.
This latter squadron would act as a further backstop, operating behind Hood and Prince of Wales, south of the line of 62 degrees North latitude. Tovey gave consideration to detaching two of the cruisers of his squadron to patrol the Faeroes/Shetlands passage but decided against this. The chance of this passage being used by the German ships was small due to the proximity of the Home Fleet base at Scapa Flow in the Orkneys.
The naval units would be supported in their search by air reconnaissance patrols between Greenland and the Orkneys as well as sweeps along the Norwegian Coast.