Evening star., 1941-05-27
BISMARCK SUNK AFTER Il BIG WARSH|PS
JOIN BRITISH PLANES IN REVENGE ATTACK
|Adma|tys Story Of Naval Battles in North Atlantic
In Which British Hood and Nazi Bismarck Were Sunk
BY the Associated Press.

which they had previously 10
Gated in the Norwegian port of
Bergen had sailed.
Certain dispositions were
therefore ordered and as result
H. M. S. Norfolk Capt. A. ]. L.
Phillips, R. NJ wearing the flag
of Rear Admiral w. F. Wake
Walker &C. B., o. B. e. and H.
M. S. Suffolk Capt R. M. Ellis,
R. NJ were ordered to take up
a position in the Denmark
Straits.
On the evening of May % Ad-
miral Wake-Walker reported
sighting an enemy force of one
battleship and one cruiser pro-
ceeding at high speed to the
southwark.
Visibility in Denmark Strait
was bad and extremely variable.
The range of the enemy was only
6 miles when he was first sighted
and storms of snow and Sleet
and pitches of mist at times re-
duced visibility to l mile. De-
spite difficulties of visibility, H
M. S. Norfolk and Suffolk shad-
owed the enemy successfully
throughout the night.
Units Take Up Positions.
Meanwhile, other units of the
Royal Navy were taking up dis
positions at high speed with a
view to intercepting the enemy
and bringing him to action with
our heavy forces.
Early in the morning of May
"a, H. M. S. Hood (Capt. r. Kerr
C. B. E., R. NJ wearing the flag
of Vice Admiral L. E. Holland
c. B., with H. M. S. Prince OF
Wales (Capt. ]. c. Leach, M. v.
c., r. NJ in company made con-
tact with the enemy. Action was
Immediately joined.
During the ensuing engage
ment the Bismarck received
damage and was at one time
seen to be on fire.
H. M. S. Hood, as has already
been announced, received a hit
in the magazine and blew up.
H. M. S. Prince of Wales sus-
tanned slight damage.
The chase was continued on a
southwesterly course with H. M.
S. Norfolk and H. M. S. Suffolk
shadowing the enemy and main
tanning contact despite all his ef-
forts to shake off pursuit.
Speed Reduced.
It appeared at this time that
the enemy's speed had been
slightly reduced, and reconais-
sance aircraft of the coastal
command reported that she was
leaving a wake of oil.
On the evening of May "a H.
M. S. Prince of Wales again
made contact with the enemy
and action was Joined for a
short time.
The German ships at once
turned away to the westward
and then swung round on a
southerly course with our forces
still in pursuit.
Other of our naval forces were
now approaching the enemy and,
during the night, naval torpedo
bombing aircraft from H. M. S.
Victorious (Capt. H. C. Bowel, R.
NJ, delivered a torpedo attack
on the enemy from a consider
able distance and one torpedo
was seen to hit the Bismarck.
H. M. S. Norfolk, H. M. S. Suf-
folk and H. M. S. Prince of Wales
continued to shadow the enemy
successfully until shortly after
3 am. on May Is.
Touch with the enemy was
now lost in low visibility. The en-
emy was then approximately $50
miles south-southeast of the
southern point of Greenland.
Search Dispositions Taken.
Searching dispositions were at
once taken up by other units of
the Royal Navy. The main body
of the home fleet, under the
command of Admiral j. c. Tovey,
K. C. B., d. s. o., with his flag
flying on H. M. S. King George
v Capt. w. r. Patterson, c. v.
O., r. NJ, was Steaming at high
speed in a southwesterly direc-
ton from northern waters
Another force, under the COM
mand of Vice Admiral Sir James
F. Somerville, K. c. B., D s. o.,
with his flag flying on H. M. S.
Renown (Capt. r. r. McGrigor,
r. NJ, was steaming northwest