Alternative version: could the German battleship Bismarck survive in May 1941
In May 1941, in its first and last raid, the battleship Bismarck was destroyed - pride fleet Third Reich. But could things have turned out differently for the monstrous warship?
On May 24, 1941, a German formation consisting of the battleship Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen was moving through the Denmark Strait. Their target was British transport ships in the Atlantic Ocean.
At 5:35 a.m., a British detachment consisting of the battlecruiser Hood and the battleship Prince of Wales established visual contact with the Germans. During the ensuing battle, Hood was sunk by a well-aimed hit from a German battleship, which was an extremely painful loss for the British.
In turn, the Bismarck suffered damage to the fuel line, which caused a fuel leak and sea water to enter the ship. In this situation, the German command decides to split the naval group. Thus, the cruiser Prinz Eugen continued the raid, and the battleship Bismarck went to France occupied by the Third Reich for repairs and refueling.
It was from this moment that the British hunt for the pride of the German fleet began.
On the morning of May 26, a British reconnaissance aircraft tracked the Bismarck along an oil trail on the water. Throughout the day, British aircraft made a number of unsuccessful sorties, but at 20:47 the battleship was attacked by 15 Swordfish aircraft and, as a result of being hit by one of the torpedoes, suffered damage to the steering gear, losing the ability to maneuver.
On May 27, the British battleships Rodney and King George V, as well as the cruisers Norfolk and Dorsetshire, came within striking distance of the Bismarck. During a fierce battle, the practically immobilized German battleship was sunk.
But what if the Bismarck and the Prinz Eugen had not separated in the Denmark Strait, but had sailed to France together?
According to experts, the ships would definitely have been able to fight off the British air attack. Moreover, the British squadron that caught up with them on May 27 would most likely have initially concentrated fire on the less armored German cruiser, which would have given carte blanche to the battleship.
Probably, the Bismarck would have emerged victorious from this battle, and the Prinz Eugen would have been sunk. But there is no guarantee that the German battleship would have reached France, since, left without cover, it could become a victim of the next British attack.
However, in this scenario his chances of survival would be much higher.
Information