On This Day in History - May 24, 1941

Question

May 24, 1941

#OTD World War II: Battle of the Denmark Strait

The German battleship Bismarck along with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen attack the British battleship HMS Prince of Wales and the Battlecruiser HMS Hood (then pride of the Royal Navy). HMS Hood is later sunk later that day by the Bismarck, killing all but three crewmen. Three Canadian sailors also aboard HMS Hood also lost their lives.

Pictured: Last picture of Hood as a fighting unit. The four guns in the foreground of those of Prince of Wales 'A' turret.

Craig · Accepted Answer

As I recall, a shell from the Bismarck hit the Hood mid-ship, right above the waterline, and penetrated its munitions magazine. The resulting blast blew the Hood nearly in half.

The loss of the Hood meant that the Bismarck was the dominant power in the Atlantic, until it was severely damaged by an Allied torpedo launched from a low-flying plane (too low for the anti-aircraft guns to target), and eventually scuttled.

History is fascinating, isn't it?

On This Day in History - May 24, 1941

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