Commander-in-Chief Leaves Scapa

The Commander-in-Chief in the King George V left Scapa at 2245/22; with him were the aircraft carrier Victorious, the cruisers Galatea, Aurora, Kenya, Hermione and seven destroyers. The Victorious had only just commissioned; she had been on the point, of leaving for Gibraltar with a large consignment of crated Hurricanes and had only a small number of operational aircraft onboard. The battle, cruiser Repulse, hastening up from the Clyde, joined the Commander-in-Chief off the Butt of Lewis in the forenoon of 23 May. All that day the fleet was steaming steadily to the westward. The weather was bad and the air patrols asked for could not be carried out. The Commander-in-Chief was some 230 miles northwest of the Butt of Lewis in about. 60° 20’ N., 12° 30’ W., when at 2032/23 a signal came in from the Norfolk. The Bismarck had been sighted in Denmark Strait.

Führer Conferences on Naval Affairs 1941

If the visual reconnaissance in Scapa Flow in the afternoon correctly observed the actual situation, it must be presumed that the British forces, including the Prince of Wales the Hood, and the Victorious left Scapa Flow in the evening of 22 May and proceeded at high speed to take up waiting positions in the area southwest of Iceland.

On 23 May the Fleet Commander proceeded north of Iceland to break through via the Denmark Straits. The weather conditions were extremely favourable for his pupose; East wind, overcast, rain, moderate to poor visibility. At times visibility went down to 200 metres. Cruising speed of the group was 24 to 27 knots. The Fleet Commander considered the enemy disposition favourable. Air reconnaissance over Scapa Flow was impossible because of the weather. Again on 23 May the investigation of ice conditions in the Denmark straits had to be abandoned.