The Renown was with the Ark Royal and Sheffield. They had had a rough passage against a heavy sea, high wind, rain and mist. The three screening destroyers had put back to Gibraltar at 0900/25. Two hours later, at 1100/25, in about 41° 30’ N., 17° 10’ W. (about 300’ W. of Oporto) came a signal from the Admiralty to act on the assumption that the Bismarck was making for Brest. Course was altered accordingly to 360° and preparations made for a comprehensive air search. That evening the wind and sea increased and speed had to be reduced to 17-knots. At dawn on 26 May it was blowing half a gale from the north-west. They were in the latitude of Brest, and as no information of the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau had been received since 23 May, a security patrol was flown off by Ark Royal at 0716/26 in 48° 26’ N., 19° 13’ W. to search to the North and West.45 At 0835/26 there followed an A/S patrol of ten Swordfish. With the ship plunging against a north-westerly gale the rounddown was rising and falling through a height as high as a house46 while the planes were sliding bodily across the spray-drenched deck. The planes took off, landing on again at 0930. They had seen nothing. An hour later came the turning point of the chase.
Führer Conferences on Naval Affairs 1941
British reports stated that carrier aircraft from the Ark Royal sent to carry out a torpedo attack on the Bismarck in the afternoon, met with no success. Obviously, due to the prevailing weather conditions the planes did not get near the Bismarck but passed her.
45. An air reconnaissance of Brest made by Plymouth at 1930/25 had reported the battlecruisers still there. This went out from the Admiralty at 2108/25 and was passed to Gibraltar for the Renown. It was received at Gibraltar 2226/25. The Renown however had shifted to Home wave at 0034/26. (M.09199/41).
46. 56 ft.