Winston S. Churchill, The Grand Alliance
Posted on 05/25/2011 4:55:27 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
Winston S. Churchill, The Grand Alliance
News of the Week in Review
Twenty News Questions – 16
Air Power Makes Bid for First Place in War – 17-18
The Struggle for the Eastern Mediterranean Focuses on the Isle of Crete (map) – 19
Answers to Twenty News Questions – 20
http://www.kbismarck.com/histoperi.html
25 May 1941 (Sunday):
0028. Bismarck reports: “Attack by carrier-based aircraft. Torpedo hit on starboard side.”
0037. Bismarck reports to Group West: “Further attacks are expected!”
0131. Fires two salvoes against the Prince of Wales. No hits.
0153. Bismarck reports to Group West: “Torpedo hit of no significance.”
0310. Turns to starboard and the British lose contact with her.
About 0500. New course 130º.
0727. Bismarck reports to Group West: “0700 hours quadrant AK 55. One battleship, two heavy cruisers are continuing surveillance.”
0912-0948. Bismarck reports to Group West and Seekriegsleitung: “Possession of radar equipment by opponent, effective range at least 35,000 meters, adversely affects to the highest degree the operations in the Atlantic. Ships were located in the Strait of Denmark in dense fog and were continuously tracked. Disengagement failed even in favourable weather conditions. Oil replenishment is generally no longer possible, if disengagement of opponent cannot be accomplished with higher speed. Running battle between 20,800 and 18,000 meters. Opponent Hood concentrates fire on Bismarck. After five minutes, Hood is destroyed by an explosion; thereafter, change of target to King George who then turns away in black smoke caused by definitively observed hits. He remains out of sight for several hours. Own munitions expenditure: 93 rounds. Later, King George took on the fight only at extreme distances. Bismarck received two hits from King George; of those one hit below the side armour belt at sections XIII-XIV. Hit in compartment XX-XXI impaired speed and caused a 1º bow burying forward and destruction of oil cells. Release of Prinz Eugen possible by engagement of cruisers and battleship by Bismarck during fog. Own EM-2 [radar] instrument prone to failures, especially during firing.”
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1941/may41/f25may41.htm
Royal Navy finds the Bismark
Sunday, May 25, 1941 www.onwar.com
In the North Atlantic... British commanders do not know the Bismark’s location but Lutjen breaks radio silence to report and is picked up on the British direction-finding equipment. This information is passed to Admiral Tovey but is at first misinterpreted. Tovey now has King George V and Rodney, but both are short of fuel and by this mistake they lose their chance of meeting the Bismark unless her speed can be reduced.
In the Mediterranean... On Crete, German forces begin to advance westward toward Galatas. The fighting is very intense and the town changes hands several times.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/25.htm
May 25th, 1941
UNITED KINGDOM: Boom defense vessel HMS Barsound launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
EUROPE: 100 troop trains are moved every 24 hours as the German High Command builds up its attacking forces on the Russian border.
GERMANY:
U-983, U-984, U-985, U-986, U-987, U-988, U-989, U-990, U-991, U-992, U-993, U-994 ordered.
U-653 commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)
GREECE: CRETE: The Wehrmacht High Command announced:
Since the early morning of May 20, German paratroops and airborne troops have been fighting British army units on the island of Crete. In a bold aerial assault, the Germans conquered tactically important points on the island with the support of German fighter, destroyer, bomber and dive-bomber aircraft. After receiving further reinforcements by army units, the German troops went on the offensive. The western part of the island is already solidly in German hands. The German Luftwaffe smashed the British fleet when it attempted to intervene in the struggle for Crete, drove it out of the sea territory north of the island, sank and damaged a large number of enemy war vessels and won control of the air over the entire battle zone.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: Sloop HMS Grimsby and the supply ship she is escorting on the run to Tobruk are both sunk by bombers northeast of the port.
BRITISH WEST AFRICA: Night of 25/26 May 1941 U-69 (Jost Metzler) enters Lagos Harbor, going between the armed moles on the surface and lays seven mines. She leaves undetected, and to the consternation of the British, the dredge Robert Hughes is sunk in the entrance after striking a mine on 4 Jun 1941. (Dave Shirlaw)
FRENCH INDOCHINA: Haiphong: Japanese soldiers remove $10 million worth of American goods from two warehouses.
U.S.A.: The U.S. State Department advises the German Charge d’Affaires in Washington that a U.S. Navy enlisted man has been tried and convicted by court-martial for tearing down the flag over the German consulate in San Francisco, California on 18 January. The sailor is serving “an appropriate sentence.” (Jack McKillop)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: In the early hours of the 25th, the BISMARK alters course to the southeast for France and the cruisers lose contact. At this point Admiral Tovey’s heavy ships are only 100 miles away.
BISMARK holds her southeasterly course but breaks radio silence. Unfortunately the British radio direction finding service put her on a northeasterly heading. Adm Tovey sails in that direction for a while before turning to the southeast in pursuit. Now he is well astern of his quarry. Only be slowing her down can her destruction become possible. In the meantime, Force H continues to sail north to take up a blocking position between BISMARK and her new goal of Brest.
At 1631, the unescorted Radames was hit in the stern by one torpedo from U-103 after being chased for about five hours and sank slowly by the stern.
SS Wangi Wangi sunk by U-103 at 05.24N, 12W. (Dave Shirlaw)
http://www.hmshood.com/history/denmarkstrait/bismarck3.htm
On 25th May, Bismarck was once again able to shake off her pursuers, this time by cleverly looping around them. After losing radar contact with Bismarck, the British attempted to locate her using radio direction finding gear. Based on misplotted raw direction finder data, it was erroneously assumed that Bismarck had turned north to effect a return to Germany. Accordingly, Tovey turned his force in that direction. Meanwhile, Bismarck had actually continued on course to France. For reasons unknown, Bismarck foolishly poured out long radio messages to Germany. Once again using radio direction finding gear, the British soon got a better (but still rough) idea of Bismarck’s position. Based on this, Tovey realised that Bismarck had not turned and was apparently headed directly for France. By the time this mistake was realised, Bismarck had a lead of at least 150 miles. Unless something was done to slow her down, it would soon be within the range of U-boat and Luftwaffe protective screens.
After the Swordfish attack, the Bismarck reduced her speed to 16 knots to alleviate the pressure in the forecastle and carry out repairs. The distance between both forces decreased, and at 0131 on 25 May (Lütjens' 52th birthday), the Prince of Wales opened fire on Bismarck. The battleships exchanged two salvoes each at a range of 15,000 meters (16,400 yards), but due to the poor visibility neither side scored any hits. The morale aboard the Bismarck was high and sometime about then, the crew wished the Chief of Fleet a happy birthday by the ship's loudspeaker system.
Admiral Lütjens Makes His Move.
All three British ships that were shadowing the Bismarck from the port quarter had begun to zig-zag in case of a possible U-boat attack. At 0306, taking advantage of the enemy’s disposition and the darkness, Lütjens saw his opportunity to break the contact with his pursuers. The Bismarck increased her speed to 27 knots and turned to starboard, in a manoeuvre very similar to the one executed the previous afternoon when the Prinz Eugen was detached. The Bismarck succeeded in breaking contact and established a new course of 130º due southeast, to Saint-Nazaire. The British ships tried in vain to re-establish contact with the Bismarck, and at 0401 the Suffolk reported: "Enemy contact lost."
Vice-Admiral Wake Walker's order to change the position of Suffolk in the previous afternoon (24 May) now had its consequences. It gave the Bismarck room to manoeuvre, and Lütjens did not waste this opportunity. With the Suffolk stationed on Bismarck's starboard quarter, it would have been much more difficult for the German battleship to break contact.
Nevertheless, on board the Bismarck they did not realize that the contact had been broken, and at 0700 Admiral Lütjens sent the following message to the Group West: "One battleship, two heavy cruisers keeping contact." At 0900, Lütjens sent another long message to the Group West. Neither message reached Group West until well after 0900. Ironically, Group West had previously sent (at 0846) a message confirming that the British had lost contact. After this, Bismarck kept strict radio silence, but the British had already intercepted her signals allowing them to calculate her approximate position.
At 1152, Lütjens received a personal message from Admiral Raeder: "Heartiest Birthday Wishes! In view of your recent great armed feat, may you be granted many more such successes [as you enter] a new year of your life!" Minutes later, at noon, Lütjens delivered the following speech to the crew by the loudspeakers:
"Soldiers of the battleship Bismarck! You have achieved great fame! The sinking of the battlecruiser Hood does not only have a military, but also a morale [psychological] value [significance], because Hood was England’s pride. The enemy will now attempt to gather its forces and deploy them toward us. Therefore, I released Prinz Eugen yesterday noon so that he can conduct his own war on merchant vessels. He has accomplished to evade the enemy. By contrast, because of the hits we have sustained, we have received the order to head for a French harbour. The enemy will gather on the way and will engage us in battle. The German Nation is with you [in spirit] and we will fire until the barrels glow and until the last projectile has exited the barrel. For us soldiers [the battle cry] as of now is: “Victory or death!”
At 1625, Lütjens received yet another message of congratulations, this time from Hitler: “I send to you today my very best congratulation for your Birthday!" That same afternoon, Bismarck's Chief Engineer, Lieutenant-Commander Walter Lehmann and several crewmen began to construct a dummy funnel. This would give the battleship two funnels and hopefully confuse the enemy, should Bismarck be detected again. During the night of 25/26 May, the Bismarck maintained her course and there were no incidents on board.
I believe that the British battleship was the Prince of Wales, not the King George.
If I remember correctly, there were only three survivors from HMS Hood.
Ted Briggs, the last survivor of HMS Hood, died aged 85.
Yes, that is accurate. However, The Germans believed the ship to be the KGV. That is understandable, as their silhouettes were near identical.
Dana Wynter, who just died recently, started in the great Brit war film.."Sink the Bismark"
As grabbing as the NY Times headlines are about the sinking..suggest you turn to the archives of some of the Brit papers, and read their stories about that day. The Hood was a national symbol..revered by the country..
All things HMS Hood here.
http://www.hmshood.com/
The Mighty Hood (1959)
by Erne Bradford
http://www.archive.org/details/mightyhood007042mbp
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