THE SINKING OF THE BISMARCK
(A Personal Account written by Telegraphist Eric Farmer onboard HMS COSSACK. Eric was subsequently lost, together with 158 of his shipmates, when the COSSACK was sunk on 25th October 1941)
The day was one of the typical Atlantic wintry days. A fairly strong wind, squally and, onboard any ship, not at all comfortable. Visibility was only a few miles, 6 at the most, and spray from the bows passing over the bridge obscuring everything.
The German battleship BISMARCK and cruiser PRINZ EUGEN had been reported as being at Bergen, Norway. This meant only two things. They had been sent there as reinforcements, or were about to proceed to sea, make their way into the Atlantic, and begin a series of convoy raiding expeditions.
On 23rd May 1940, two of our cruisers, HMS NORFOLK and HMS SUFFOLK were on patrol in the Denmark Straits (the strip of sea between Iceland and Greenland) when they suddenly saw two more dark forms ahead emerging from the fog. As they became clearer, it was seen that they were warships, and, as there were none of our own big ones in the vicinity, enemy warships.
20.15 on the 23rd. An enemy report was made that one battleship and one cruiser of enemy type were at large and had been sighted. The chase was on. Our cruisers knew they were no match for the Germans, so they at once took up shadowing positions. This was extremely difficult owing to the weather and at 22.15 contact was lost. About 22.30 contact was regained by RD/F (Radio Direction Finder) with a range of 11 miles. Visibility 8 miles approximately. From this time the cruisers kept contact until daylight giving occasionally a P C & S (Position, Course & Speed) of enemy. By now our big ones (ships) had arrived on the scene, and at 05.56 the Battleship HMS HOOD sends a report of enemy in sight. Visibility had cleared by now and the enemy were 18 miles away. A bit of manoeuvering and the engagement was on, which resulted in HOOD receiving a thousand-to-one hit in her magazine, and blowing up. At 06.32 a message was made to destroyers to proceed and pick up survivors, of which there were only three. A Midshipman, a Signalman and one AB.
HMS PRINCE OF WALES, a battleship, then took up the engagement but the enemy turned away and broke off. Not before PRINCE OF WALES had had Y gun turret (on the quarterdeck) put out of action, but only for the time being.
Cruisers NORFOLK and SUFFOLK took up the shadowing again for the day and kept contact. At dusk a striking force was flown off from the aircraft carrier HMS VICTORIOUS, which reported registering one hit. This, however, was only an 18in. torpedo and failed to reduce the speed of the enemy. They were still going at 22 knots.
The cruisers were able to shadow until about 03.00 on the 25th when at 03.06 a report was made that contact had been lost. This meant that the enemy had made a large turn, but it was not known in what direction. This made the situation rather awkward because our main fleet was closing in and were expected to meet at 08.00 or thereabouts.
The Fleet was then spread out in hope of regaining contact – aircraft were flown off from VICTORIOUS but to no avail. C in C Home Fleet on the battleship HMS KING GEORGE V made a signal. Her destroyer escort had run down to a small percentage of oil fuel. The 4th Destroyer Flotilla were forced to leave the convoy and proceed towards K G V as relief escort.
Visibility was still about 8 miles and the sea rough when, at 10.54, a signal was received from Catalina aircraft of the RAF stating: 1 Battleship in sight, course 180° and the position.
This was south of us, so we turned right around and made towards the spot at 27 knots, increasing to 30 knots. By now aircraft of the aircraft carrier HMS ARK ROYAL
had taken over and the Catalina proceeded on patrol.
Just after noon a Torpedo Bomber attack was made by ARK ROYAL’s aircraft and one hit was observed. All aircraft returned safely. Reports were made at short intervals throughout the day of position, course and speed of the enemy. Approximate course 180° speed 22 knots but she was leaving a trail of oil behind her. The 4th D.F. still carried on at 30 knots.
At about 1130 the 4th D.F. sighted the enemy, who immediately opened fire with everything she had. The fire was too good to allow us to close the range too much, so we took up a shadowing position.
The big ones were by now heading full speed in our direction and hoped to make a dusk attack, turning it into a night action. When dusk came, however, it was found that they were too far away for this, so it was summed up that if nothing drastic was done that night the enemy would be most probably lost, and, by dawn, even in Brest.
The cruiser PRINZ EUGEN was nowhere around now, so we concentrated on BISMARCK.
A plan of attack was decided on by the destroyers. A torpedo attack was to be carried out when darkness fell in an attempt to stop, and may be if enough torpedoes struck home to sink the enemy. One thing was certain though. The enemy had to be stopped, even if it meant the loss of the whole 4th D.F.
At about 0130 the attack started, but BISMARCK was ready and waiting. She opened fire on us by RD/F and it was so heavy and accurate that we had to retire to a safe distance. The 4th was then split up and told to make the attack independently, and at the most favourable time.
It was pitch black, and the only thing to be seen were the starshells fired by the destroyers to keep in touch with the BISMARCK. The sea had calmed down a bit, but visibility was still only about 8 miles at the most.
Approximately 0200, HMS ZULU (4th D F), reported having fired her fish (torpedoes), but no hits registered. BISMARCK was firing at ZULU and HMS MAORI (also 4th D F), concentrating more on the latter, and straddling every time. Now was our chance. COSSACK, full speed ahead, went into attack. We are spotted and BISMARCK opens fire on us. The first salvo was 50 yds short. The next one burst over the bridge causing everyone to duck. The range was less than a mile now. A sharp turn, several swishes as the torpedoes are fired, a thick smoke screen, and we are away into the night. A very loud explosion; and a large flash is observed in the after part of BISMARCK as one of our fish hit. Almost at the same time, MAORI reports having completed her run and getting one hit, which caused a large fire on the forecastle. A few minutes later ZULU reported:
‘Enemy on fire and stationary’.
By now it was found that one of our torpedoes had not left the tubes, so we went in again. The range closed rapidly as we sped in. Another sharp turn, another heavy smoke screen, and we are away again. A few seconds after our second run a huge sheet of flame was seen to come from BISMARCK. It is not known whether our second run had been a success, or whether the flash came from the 15in. guns of the enemy. Anyway the fish had all gone and BISMARCK had been stopped.
About an hour later she was on her way again. This time instead of 22 knots, the most she could muster was 8 knots. To add to her disablement, she was noticed to have a list of about 30°. All we could do now was to shadow till the big ones gained contact. At 0800 we lost contact but regained it again after a few minutes. She opened fire almost at once, but made no hits on any of us. 0855, there was a heavy explosion and after a few seconds a huge sheet of water rose alongside BISMARCK. The big ones had arrived and the final stage of the engagement was on. The battleship HMS RODNEY came into view firing 16in. salvoes, which were hitting home. Then came the K G V . The BISMARCK was fighting furiously to get away, but she could not do any more than 8 knots. It was a sorry sight to see Germans racing along the deck to jump over the stern.
They would sooner be in the open sea which was very rough, than in BISMARCK which was by now nothing more than a floating hell ship. The 16in. and 14in. salvoes of RODNEY and K G V were tearing into her continuously. Finally the big guns dropped down like dead flowers and ceased firing at our ships, who kept at it. There was no possible chance of her getting away now. She was on fire, and, at last, stopped amidst a cloud of steam.
Germans were seen jumping into the sea, and the 4th D F together with a cruiser, HMS DORSETSHIRE, were ordered to close in and pick up survivors – if any. During this errand of mercy, MAORI had a torpedo fired under her by a U Boat, so the 4th D F left without picking anyone up, DORSETSHIRE was able to pick up more than 100 survivors before she left, bringing them back to England as Prisoners of War.
On our way back with the big ones the German aircraft spotted us, as we expected, and attacked. No damage done and we arrived back safely.
Before the final battle took place, the Admiral commanding BISMARCK must have known his end was near because he sent a message to Germany saying that he would fight to the last shell. As she rolled over we had to take our hats off to the Germans, and admit that they had fought a magnificent battle, and had died as all sailors wish to do. Engaging a superior enemy and with all guns blazing.
Thus, the sinking of our Battleship, HMS HOOD was avenged in the way they would have wished had they been afloat. The 4th D F comprising COSSACK, ZULU, MAORI and SIKH had special mention for their part played.
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