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16 - Naval & Maritime
Battle Of The Denmark Strait, HMS Hood... Marii Chernev
Without a doubt, the most famous Naval surface action of World War II saw the pride of the Royal Navy, HMS Hood, versus the terror of the German Kriegsmarine, KMS Bismarck. Action commenced at 0552 1/2 hours, as Hood's two forward turrets fired the first salvoes. Half a minute later, Prince of Wales forward turrets followed suit. Though it was at its extreme range, it is possible that Hood was attempting to use her Type 284 gunnery radar to direct her bombardment (this is subject to debate though). Prince of Wales, her Type 284 malfunctioning (attempts were made to use it, but it was believed to be defective), was forced to shoot optically. Note: this too is a source of debate - more on this in future revisions. Hood's first salvo fell near Prinz Eugen but did not actually hit. Prince of Wales's opening salvo was observed to be some distance away from Bismarck. The Germans were shocked to learn that the approaching vessels were not cruisers - they were in fact major combatants - a King George V class battleship (which they assumed was KGV herself, as Prince of Wales was thought to still be working up) and even worse, the famed and feared battle cruiser H.M.S. Hood (apparently the men aboard Bismarck knew it was Hood before the crew of Prinz Eugen). Her legend and reputation were great and she was well respected in the Kriegsmarine. This is backed-up by the statements of Bismarck crew who were later quoted as saying that Hood, in particular, was the 'terror of their war games'. In comparison, Hood was a well-built for her day (1920), but by 1941was nonetheless an aged battle cruiser. She had adequate protection in some key areas, but not all. Because of her machinery, she was filled with large, somewhat open spaces. Though her speed had been reduced over the years, at 29 knots, she was still fast for her size. Her guns were deadly, but she suffered from out-dated gunnery systems. She did boast advanced radar, but her crew had hardly enough time to become proficient in it's use. Simply put, in a one-on-one fight, Bismarck could absorb more damage while firing faster and more accurately than Hood. Bismarck could take AND give more in battle. Each ship had the ability to sink or severely damage the other, but the advantage clearly was with Bismarck. This is not totally a negative reflection on Hood, but simply an observance that Bismarck was 20 years more modern than Hood. Bismarck's design reflected all that had been learned between the times the two ships were built.*
* The above narrative is from the HMS Hood Association narrative of the battle.
Available as a limited edition fine are print, each print is signed by Ted Briggs, the sole surviving crew member of the HMS Hood.
Edition size: 300 signed and numbered
Print size: 30"w x 24"h
