Vice Admiral Tovey, Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet flew his flag in the brand-new battleship HMS King George V, which rode at anchor in Scapa Flow. She was one of four capital ships in the great fleet anchorage, the others being her sister ship HMS Prince of Wales, the venerable battlecruiser HMS Hood and the Illustrious-class aircraft carrier HMS Victorious. The battlecruiser HMS Repulse was in the Firth of Clyde, where she was preparing to escort a convoy to Egypt. Victorious was due to join her in a few days, and her decks were already filled with Hurricane fighters destined for Malta. Two other capital ships – the powerful HMS Rodney and the obsolete Royal Sovereign-class battleship HMS Ramillies were busy escorting transatlantic convoys. HMS Revenge, another Royal Sovereign class, was in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Tovey also had two heavy cruisers under his command – HMS Norfolk and HMS Suffolk – which were already patrolling the Denmark Straits, plus several light cruisers and destroyers.
He could also call upon other naval commands for help, the most important of which was Vice Admiral Somerville’s Force H, based at Gibraltar, whose core was the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, the battlecruiser HMS Renown (Somerville’s flagship) and the light cruiser HMS Sheffield. The light cruiser HMS Dorsetshire was in the South Atlantic, while Plymouth Command included Captain Vian’s flotilla of destroyers: HMS Cossack, HMS Maori, HMS Sikh, HMS Zulu and the Polish destroyer Piorun.
HMS King George V, the flagship of Vice Admiral Tovey during the Bismarck campaign. Although her 14in. guns were considered inferior to the 15in. guns of the Bismarck, her radar, efficient fire control and extra guns gave her a slight edge.
The Home Fleet, 21 May 1941
In Scapa Flow
Battleships (2): King George V (Flagship of Vice Admiral Tovey), Prince of Wales
Battlecruisers (1): Hood (Flagship of Vice Admiral Holland)
Aircraft carriers (1): Victorious
Light cruisers (4): Galatea (Flagship of Rear Admiral Curteis), Aurora, Kenya, Neptune
Destroyers (11): Achates, Active, Antelope, Anthony, Echo, Electra, Icarus, Inglefield, Intrepid, Nestor, Punjabi
At sea or on detached duty
Battlecruiser: Repulse
Heavy cruisers (2): Norfolk (Flagship of Rear Admiral Wake-Walker), Suffolk
Light cruisers (5): Arethusa, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Hermione, Manchester
Destroyers (5): Eskimo, Jupiter, Mashona, Somali, Tartar
While the Home Fleet looked powerful enough, Tovey was well aware that it had its weaknesses. For a start, while his flagship King George V had been in service for six months, her sister ship Prince of Wales had only just been commissioned, and civilian contractors were still onboard her, trying to fix a problem with one of her turrets. Her crew was also inexperienced, and many of them had joined her just a few weeks before, straight from naval training. Both battleships carried ten 14in. guns, and their armoured belts were meant to be proof against hits from 15in. guns.
The two ships were modern, and benefited from the latest fire-control systems, but while the King George V was seen as a reliable weapon of war, the unfinished Prince of Wales with her raw crew remained an unknown entity. Captain Leach of the Prince of Wales had reported that his ship was ready for operational duties, but Tovey knew of the technical problems plaguing the new battleship, and so he was reluctant to allow the Prince of Wales to face the Bismarck on her own.
The battleship HMS Rodney, pictured while turning at high speed. The unusual configuration of her armament was the result of having to limit the size of her armoured belt and her weight in accordance with the inter-war Washington Naval Treaty.
The heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk, flagship of Rear Admiral Wake-Walker’s cruiser squadron. She was a bystander during the battle of the Denmark Strait, but she managed to add the weight of her 8in. guns during the final battle on 27 May.
The battleship Rodney and the older battleship Ramillies were escorting Atlantic convoys, and could be diverted if Tovey ordered it. Rodney was a Nelson-class battleship, carrying nine 16in. guns in three triple turrets. Her crew was well trained, and had seen action. She could fight the Bismarck on equal terms. By contrast Ramillies was a modernized World War I battleship, but she carried eight 15in. guns, and, although not fully modernized, her fire-control systems were adequate, and, like all British battleships, she was fitted with radar. If she was backed up by another battleship she could play her part.
Tovey also had battlecruisers at his disposal, the legacy of a flawed notion in naval design where armour was sacrificed for speed. Repulse and Renown were veterans of World War I, and had been modernized so frequently that sailors nicknamed them Refit and Repair. They both carried six 15in. guns, which meant they were both under-gunned compared with the Bismarck. While Repulse served with the Home Fleet, her sister ship Renown was part of Force H. Then there was the Hood, which was in a class all of her own. She entered service in 1920, but she was never modernized and she retained the light armour associated with a battlecruiser. In particular, her poorly armoured deck, only 3in. thick, made her vulnerable to long-range plunging fire – at ranges of more than 20,000 yards (10 miles) shells plunged almost vertically, meaning they were more likely to hit a deck than a well-armoured belt. Vice Admiral Holland was well aware of this, and it helped shape his tactics – he would order Captain Kerr of the Hood and Captain Leach of the Prince of Wales to close the range as quickly as possible, until they were safely inside the Hood’s ‘zone of invulnerability’. This doesn’t mean the Hood was a liability – far from it. She carried eight well-proven 15in. guns, and she had a well-trained crew. Once the battle began she could be relied upon to play her part in stopping the Bismarck.
Just as importantly, the Hood was the best-loved warship in the Royal Navy. During the inter-war years the battlecruiser had been used to ‘show the flag’, touring the world as a floating representative ambassador of the British Empire. She was perfectly suited to the role, as her sleek lines and elegant profile made her truly beautiful. She was dubbed the ‘Mighty Hood’ by the press, but this ignored the fact that she remained a warship of the 1920s rather than the 1940s.
In theory the aircraft carrier Victorious carried 36 aircraft, but that May her hangars were full of crated Hurricane fighters, bound for North Africa. However, she still carried a squadron of Swordfish torpedo bombers, obsolete biplanes crewed by inexperienced, trainee pilots, who had collectively made their first carrier landing just two days before the Bismarck left port. Still, these Swordfish represented a powerful offensive weapon, and, despite the lack of training of the aircrews, Tovey knew they might prove vital in the coming battle, as would be the far more experienced aircrews of the Ark Royal, which was attached to Force H. Ark Royal had the capacity to hold 60 aircraft, and although these were Skua fighters and Swordfish torpedo bombers, she could still launch a decisive air strike when needed.
Finally Royal Air Force and Coastal Command aircraft were available for naval operations as reconnaissance aircraft, or, if need be, as bombers. While these bomber pilots lacked experience of naval operations, they had the capability to launch a devastating air attack if the Bismarck were caught at anchor. Tovey therefore had the resources he needed – his real problem was how best to use them, without inviting a disaster if any of his ships or convoys were caught on their own by their powerful German foe.
The KMS Bismarck was the fourth German warship to bear the name of the ‘Iron Chancellor’, a symbol of German might and unity. She was the epitome of German engineering prowess, and arguably the most powerful battleship in the world when she first entered service. Design work began on the battleship in 1932, the naval architects drawing on German experiences gained during World War I, but adapted to suit new technology. The German design team had largely ignored the strictures of the Treaty of Versailles, and as a country with no sizeable navy Germany wasn’t constrained by the terms of any other international naval treaty. The Versailles treaty had imposed a limit of 35,000 tons, but the designers deliberately breached this ceiling, which meant that the finished battleship exceeded the limit by more than 6,000 tons. Her draught of more than 33ft (10m) barely allowed her to pass through the Kiel Canal – there were just two inches to spare. The canal still dictated the maximum size and displacement of German warships almost half a century after it was opened.
Bismarck was armed with eight 380mm (15in.) guns, produced by Krupp. The original design called for smaller 350mm (13.7in.) guns in accordance with the Treaty of Versailles, but in 1935 the design was modified to accommodate the larger and more powerful weapons. As a result the completed battleship was an extremely well armoured and powerful capital ship.
The Bismarck carried her eight 380mm guns in four twin turrets; two forward and two aft, labelled sequentially ‘Anton’, ‘Bruno’, ‘Caesar’ and ‘Dora’. They were linked to a superb optical fire-control system, which meant that Bismarck could fire her 800kg (1,764lb) projectiles with a higher degree of accuracy than her British counterparts. Their maximum range was 38,000 yards (19 miles). Her secondary armament of 12 150mm (5.9in.) guns were designed for low-angle use against surface targets, but they could also operate against aircraft. They shared the same fire-control system as the main armament. Finally she had a suite of 105mm and 20mm anti-aircraft guns, which gave her excellent all-round defence against attacking aircraft.
KMS Bismarck, pictured during her working-up exercises in the Baltic in early 1940. The distinctive ‘Baltic’ camouflage scheme shown here was replaced by an overall mid-grey scheme for Operation Rheinübung, deemed more appropriate for the Atlantic Ocean.
Her designers had been able to draw on extensive post-war research into the production of face-hardened steel, and the Bismarck was protected by a 13in. (325mm) armoured belt of Krupp cementite steel that covered 70 per cent of the ship’s hull along the waterline. It also sloped outwards slightly, to increase the effectiveness of the belt. Her upper deck was less well armoured, the result of displacement restrictions. Also, with the exception of her turrets and gun directors, her superstructure was only lightly armoured, which left equipment such as radars, optical gunnery systems and her upper deck passageways vulnerable to enemy fire.
The armoured belt extended well below the waterline to protect the hull of the Bismarck from torpedoes, while the hull itself was divided into 22 watertight compartments, all of which could be sealed to prevent flooding from spreading through the ship. She simply sealed off the damaged area, and carried on fighting.
Bismarck was launched by the ‘Iron Chancellor’ Bismarck’s granddaughter in February 1939, an event attended by Hitler and his leading followers. She was a delight to the eye – a warship that combined grace and menace in equal proportions. She was also the pride of the Kriegsmarine. After her sea trials Kapitän Lindemann trained his crew well. By the time Operation Rheinübung began her crew were at the peak of efficiency, and ready for anything the Royal Navy and the Atlantic could throw at them.
Her consort was the heavy cruiser KMS Prinz Eugen, named after Eugene of Savoy, the 18th-century Imperialist commander who fought alongside the Duke of Marlborough at the battle of Blenheim (1704). She was a cruiser of the Admiral Hipper class, a group of four warships which – like the Bismarck – were built in violation of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. These cruisers were designed to operate deep in the Atlantic as long-range raiders, or as consorts to German capital ships.
She displaced over 14,000 tons, and her appearance was similar to the Bismarck, making her effectively a scaled-down version of the larger ship. Her main armament of eight 205mm (8in.) guns was mounted in four twin turrets, and supported by an efficient and modern optical fire control system. She also carried a secondary armament of eight 105mm (4.1in.) guns, which could be used against both surface and air targets. The Prinz Eugen was the third vessel of her class, and she differed slightly from her predecessors, thanks to an improved propulsion system. She was launched in Kiel on August 1938, and was commissioned two years later.
The elegant lines of KMS Prinz Eugen, armed with eight 8in. guns, mounted in four twin turrets. From a distance she looked similar to KMS Bismarck, which caused problems for British gunnery directors during the battle of the Denmark Strait.
Just before her commissioning she was hit by bombs during an air raid. The damage was minor, and she entered service six weeks later. She was then joined by the Bismarck at Gotenhafen, and the two warships trained together. She almost missed Operation Rheinübung, as on 24 April she detonated a magnetic mine dropped by a British aircraft just outside Gotenhafen harbour. Again the damage was minor, and she was repaired in two weeks. While the Bismarck was powerful enough to take on any British battleship, the Prinz Eugen was superior to all British heavy cruisers. With a top speed of 32 knots she could outrun most enemy warships. Taken together, the two German warships were the most modern vessels of their type, and much was expected of them.
Shortly before the Seekampfgruppe sailed several support vessels slipped out of German ports and moved towards their assigned positions in the Arctic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The tankers Heide and Weissenburg were sent into the Arctic in case Lütjens needed to replenish his fuel. Another tanker – the Wollin – was stationed at Bergen, ready to replenish the two warships when they reached Norwegian waters. While the Germans could refuel ships at sea, these operations were conducted far more speedily in sheltered coastal waters, and at anchor rather than under way. Additionally, two more fleet tankers (Belchen and Lothringen) were deployed in the North Atlantic, and two more (Esso Hamburg and Freidrich Breme) were deployed in mid-Atlantic on the same latitude as the Azores. As well as fuel, these tankers carried extra provisions, ammunition and water, which could extend the range and endurance of the Bismarck, giving her the ability to remain at sea for up to eight weeks. Operation Rheinübung was an extremely well planned operation.
Finally, Admiral Dönitz, the commander of the Kriegsmarine’s U-boat fleet ordered his boats to act as an extra scouting force for Lütjens. Similarly, the Luftwaffe was ready to provide long-range air cover for the battleship in the Western Approaches or in the Norwegian Sea. When the Bismarck sailed, Lütjens’ staff duly included a U-boat liaison officer and a Luftwaffe staff officer. With his forces in place and his crews ready, all Admiral Lütjens and his men needed was luck.
Ship details of the major participants
KMS Bismarck
Commissioned: August 1940
Displacement: 41,673 tons (standard)
Dimensions: length: 823ft, beam: 118ft, draught: 33ft
Maximum speed: 30 knots
Armament: eight 15in. (380mm) guns (4 x 2), 12 5.9in. (150mm) guns (6 x 2), 16 4.1in. (105mm) guns (8 x 2), 16 37mm anti-aircraft guns (8 x 2)
Armour: belt: 12½in., deck 3½in., turrets: 14in. (front), 13in. (rear), 9in. (sides) 7in. (roof), conning tower: 14in.
Complement: 2,065
KMS Prinz Eugen
Commissioned: August 1940
Displacement: 16,974 tons (standard)
Dimensions: length: 681ft, beam: 72ft, draught: 20ft
Maximum speed: 32½ knots
Armament: eight 8in. (205mm) guns (4 x 2), 12 4.1in. (105mm) guns (6 x 2), 12 37mm anti-aircraft guns (6 x 2), eight 20mm anti-aircraft guns (8 x 1), 12 21in. (520 mm) torpedo tubes (4 x 3)
Armour: belt: 3¼in., deck: 1¼in., turrets: 6¼in. (front), 4½in. (rear and sides), Conning tower: 6in.
Complement: 1,600
HMS King George V and HMS Prince of Wales
Commissioned: September 1940 (King George V), March 1941 (Prince of Wales):
Displacement: 38,031 tons (standard)
Dimensions: length: 745ft, beam: 103ft, draught: 29ft
Maximum speed: 28 knots
Armament: ten 14in. guns (2 x 4, 2 x 2), 16 5¼in. guns (8 x 2), 32 2-pdr pom-poms (4 x 8)
Armour: belt: 15in., deck: 2–6in., turrets: 12¾in. (front), 6¾–8¾in. (sides and rear), conning tower: 4in.
Complement: 1,543
HMS Hood
Commissioned: May 1920
Displacement: 42,462 tons (standard)
Dimensions: length: 860½ft, beam: 104ft, draught 28¾ft
Maximum speed: 29½ knots
Armament: eight 15in. guns (4 x 2), eight 4in. guns (4 x 2), 24 2-pdr pom-poms (3x8)
Armour: belt: 5–12in., deck: 1–2in., turrets: 15in. (front), 11–12in. (sides and rear), conning tower: 11in.
Complement: 1,397
HMS Rodney
Commissioned: August 1927
Displacement: 42,462 tons (standard), 48,360 tons (fully laden)
Dimensions: length: 860½ft, beam: 104ft, draught 28¾ft
Maximum speed: 23 knots
Armament: nine 16in. guns (3 x 3), 12 6in. guns (6 x 2), six 4.7in. guns (6 x 1), 24 2-pdr pom-poms (3 x 8)
Armour: belt: 14in., deck: 3¾in., turrets: 16in. (front and sides), 9in. (roof), conning tower: 16in. (front and sides)
Complement: 1,397
HMS Norfolk, HMS Dorsetshire
Commissioned: April 1930 (Norfolk), September 1930 (Dorsetshire)
Displacement: 10,400 tons (standard)
Dimensions: length: 632ft, beam: 66ft, draught: 17ft
Maximum speed: 32 knots
Armament: eight 8in. guns (4 x 2), eight 4in. guns (4 x 2), 16 2-pdr pom-poms (2 x 8)
Armour: belt: 4½in. deck: 1½in. turrets: 2in., conning tower: 16in. (front and sides)
Complement: 679
HMS Suffolk
Commissioned: May 1928
Displacement: 10,310 tons (standard)
Dimensions: length: 630ft, beam: 68ft, draught: 16ft
Maximum speed: 31½ knots
Armament: eight 8in. guns (4 x 2), eight 4in. guns (4 x 2), eight 2-pdr pom-poms (2 x 4)
Armour: belt: 4½in., deck: 1½in., turrets: 2in.
Complement: 679