Read Online The Sinking of the Bismarck by William L. Shirer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: William L. Shirer
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the risk of losing the King George V and the Rodney because of reduced speed on the way home. The Hood was sunk, the Prince of Wales crippled. His flagship was the only ship left in the British navy which could stand up to the Bismarck in speed and gun power. In a few months, Tovey knew, the Germans would have the Bismarck ’s sister ship, the Tirpitz , ready for action. As commander in chief he could not risk so weakening the British Home Fleet as to give the Germans complete superiority in fast, heavy ships. He must preserve the King George V at any cost. The future demanded it.
Reluctantly and no doubt with heavy heart he radioed the Admiralty in London and Vice-Admiral Somerville on the Renown . He told them that unless the Bismarck was slowed up considerably by midnight the King George V would then break off the chase and return to home base to refuel. The Rodney would continue the pursuit until daylight.
As Sir John Tovey took his dinner in his cabin on the King George V with darkness beginning to fall that evening of May 26, he could not hide his gloom. He had been after the elusive Bismarck for four days and nights. He had chased her formore than 2,000 miles through the stormy Atlantic. He had lost the Fleet’s most powerful ship and seen one of its two newest battleships crippled and forced to return for repairs. He had come so near to his prey and then lost her. And because of a schoolboy’s mistake in arithmetic, after radio-direction bearings had relocated her, he had sailed off in the wrong direction and fallen behind in the chase. Now, when he was only a hundred miles from the enemy, he must abandon the pursuit because of a shortage of oil. He must admit failure and defeat.
Nor could Sir John prevent his discouragement from spreading to the crew of his flagship. It was a dark, bitter hour for all of them. They could not know that out of the gathering night and the storm, fortune at that very moment was beginning—at last—to smile on them.
Germany’s largest battleship, the Bismarck , is launched at Hamburg. (Wide World)
Left . Admiral Guenther Luetjens, top-ranking German naval officer aboard the Bismarck. (Wide World)
Right . Admiral Sir John Tovey, commander in chief of the British Home Fleet. (Imperial War Museum)
This aerial photograph, taken by a British reconnaissance plane, revealed the location of the Bismarck in a Norwegian fiord. (British Information Service)
The British cruiser Suffolk steams full speed ahead after the Bismarck. (Wide World)
The powerful guns of the British cruiser Norfolk fire at the Bismarck. (Wide World)
The Hood was the largest vessel in the British navy at the time of the Bismarck chase. (Wide World)
Crew members on the Hood clean one of the battle cruiser’s huge guns. (Wide World)
A German crew member aboard the Prinz Eugen adjusts the firing angle of one of the forward 8-inch guns. (Wide World)
Crew members aboard Admiral Tovey’s flagship, King George V , prepare a towing cable during general drill. (British Information Service)
An aerial view of the 35,000-ton King George V , a floating arsenal. (Wide World)
Three British naval commanders who took part in the sinking of the Bismarck : left to right—Captain F. H. G. Dalrymple-Hamilton of the Rodney ; Captain H. C. Bovell of the Victorious ; Rear Admiral Wake-Walker of the Norfolk. (Wide World)
Crew members on the Sheffield point to splinter holes caused by a near miss from the Bismarck guns. (Imperial War Museum)
A Swordfish from the Ark Royal returns after making torpedo attacks on the Bismarck. (Imperial War Museum)
A member of the torpedo crew aboard the Dorsetshire in the act of taking sights. (Wide World)
Torpedoes from this British cruiser, the Dorsetshire , finally sank the mighty German battleship. (Wide World)
A direct hit blasts the 42,800-ton Bismarck shortly before her sinking in the Atlantic. (Wide World)
German sailors from the sunken Bismarck cling to rescue lines
Reluctantly and no doubt with heavy heart he radioed the Admiralty in London and Vice-Admiral Somerville on the Renown . He told them that unless the Bismarck was slowed up considerably by midnight the King George V would then break off the chase and return to home base to refuel. The Rodney would continue the pursuit until daylight.
As Sir John Tovey took his dinner in his cabin on the King George V with darkness beginning to fall that evening of May 26, he could not hide his gloom. He had been after the elusive Bismarck for four days and nights. He had chased her formore than 2,000 miles through the stormy Atlantic. He had lost the Fleet’s most powerful ship and seen one of its two newest battleships crippled and forced to return for repairs. He had come so near to his prey and then lost her. And because of a schoolboy’s mistake in arithmetic, after radio-direction bearings had relocated her, he had sailed off in the wrong direction and fallen behind in the chase. Now, when he was only a hundred miles from the enemy, he must abandon the pursuit because of a shortage of oil. He must admit failure and defeat.
Nor could Sir John prevent his discouragement from spreading to the crew of his flagship. It was a dark, bitter hour for all of them. They could not know that out of the gathering night and the storm, fortune at that very moment was beginning—at last—to smile on them.
Germany’s largest battleship, the Bismarck , is launched at Hamburg. (Wide World)
Left . Admiral Guenther Luetjens, top-ranking German naval officer aboard the Bismarck. (Wide World)
Right . Admiral Sir John Tovey, commander in chief of the British Home Fleet. (Imperial War Museum)
This aerial photograph, taken by a British reconnaissance plane, revealed the location of the Bismarck in a Norwegian fiord. (British Information Service)
The British cruiser Suffolk steams full speed ahead after the Bismarck. (Wide World)
The powerful guns of the British cruiser Norfolk fire at the Bismarck. (Wide World)
The Hood was the largest vessel in the British navy at the time of the Bismarck chase. (Wide World)
Crew members on the Hood clean one of the battle cruiser’s huge guns. (Wide World)
A German crew member aboard the Prinz Eugen adjusts the firing angle of one of the forward 8-inch guns. (Wide World)
Crew members aboard Admiral Tovey’s flagship, King George V , prepare a towing cable during general drill. (British Information Service)
An aerial view of the 35,000-ton King George V , a floating arsenal. (Wide World)
Three British naval commanders who took part in the sinking of the Bismarck : left to right—Captain F. H. G. Dalrymple-Hamilton of the Rodney ; Captain H. C. Bovell of the Victorious ; Rear Admiral Wake-Walker of the Norfolk. (Wide World)
Crew members on the Sheffield point to splinter holes caused by a near miss from the Bismarck guns. (Imperial War Museum)
A Swordfish from the Ark Royal returns after making torpedo attacks on the Bismarck. (Imperial War Museum)
A member of the torpedo crew aboard the Dorsetshire in the act of taking sights. (Wide World)
Torpedoes from this British cruiser, the Dorsetshire , finally sank the mighty German battleship. (Wide World)
A direct hit blasts the 42,800-ton Bismarck shortly before her sinking in the Atlantic. (Wide World)
German sailors from the sunken Bismarck cling to rescue lines
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