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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.BZ 2 00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:09,760 May 1941. 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.BZ 4 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:12,680 The world's biggest and deadliest warship, 5 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:15,160 the Bismarck, roams the seas. 6 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:18,400 Its mission - to cripple Allied shipping. 7 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:28,960 Its first victim, HMS Hood, 8 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:31,320 is sunk in just eight minutes. 9 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:34,520 We couldn't believe it. 10 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:35,960 Just couldn't believe it. 11 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:38,000 There were only three survivors. 12 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,520 This is a devastating blow to the Allies. 13 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:45,360 Hood had been the pride of the Royal Navy. 14 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:49,560 So, to lose her quite so suddenly was a very great shock, indeed. 15 00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:00,320 What follows is one of the biggest hunt-and-destroy missions 16 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:01,880 in naval history. 17 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:03,720 Course 1-3-5. 18 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:06,320 Coast to intercept, 1-3-5. 19 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:10,120 Using never-before-seen testimony from the veterans of the British 20 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:12,720 fleet who took part in the battle... 21 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:15,920 It was getting hit regularly. 22 00:01:15,960 --> 00:01:20,600 There was smoke, there was fire, there was...oh, God. 23 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:23,400 I was scared, certainly. 24 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:25,440 You'd be a fool not to be. 25 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:28,800 Take nothing away from the Germans, 26 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:32,880 their gunnery was out of this world, really. 27 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:35,960 ..and powerful recreations of the battle. 28 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:42,280 We would be straddled with 15-inch shells. 29 00:01:42,320 --> 00:01:45,200 And then, it was up smoke and out as fast as we could go. 30 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:50,440 It was quite a day you'll never forget. 31 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:53,760 You'll never forget the date, you know, the 27th. Never. 32 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:01,440 This is the story of the dramatic final 24 hours 33 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,400 of the German battleship Bismarck. 34 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:19,840 It's 1941. 35 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:25,800 Germany's Navy is destroying thousands of tonnes of merchant 36 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:29,640 shipping carrying essential supplies to Britain. 37 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:32,480 There was a major threat to shipping in the Atlantic. 38 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:39,560 There were several East-West convoys in the Atlantic. 39 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:43,480 Hitler's plan is to win the war by starving the Allies. 40 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:52,840 The convoys were being destroyed so easily, 41 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:54,440 and so badly... 42 00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:00,120 ..that England was hungry. 43 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:05,720 In fact, we were almost on the point of suing for peace 44 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:07,640 because we were so hungry. 45 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:14,480 Two massive German battleships, the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, 46 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:17,040 are already decimating convoys. 47 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:20,840 Scharnhorst and Gneisenau rampaged around the North Atlantic, 48 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:22,440 off to Africa. 49 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:26,000 Came back, they sank 270,000 tonnes and sank 48 vessels. 50 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:32,120 Now, the Nazis unleashed the mighty Bismarck into the Atlantic. 51 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:40,440 41,700 tonnes, 241 metres long. 52 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,600 It is armed with eight 15-inch guns. 53 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:46,960 It has a range of nearly 10,000 miles, 54 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,040 and has a top speed of 30 knots - 55 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,520 faster than any British warship. 56 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:56,440 It's the most formidable battleship yet built. 57 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:58,560 And for this mission, it's accompanied by 58 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:01,040 the light cruiser Prinz Eugan. 59 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,280 Their first target is HMS Hood. 60 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:11,320 The Hood could do little against such might. 61 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:21,240 Bismarck landed a 15-inch hit under the armour belt of the vessel. 62 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:26,680 That penetrated an ammunition magazine aft at 63 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:27,920 the back of the ship. 64 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:31,080 This then detonated, and there was a chain explosion 65 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:33,920 all the way through the ship that tore Hood apart. 66 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:39,280 In just eight minutes, the British ship is lost, 67 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:44,000 along with the loss of 1,415 crew. 68 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,880 Hood had been a flagship of British naval supremacy. 69 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:51,680 So, when that vessel was destroyed in a matter of minutes, 70 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:53,200 it was profound. 71 00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:00,040 The terrible news reaches Britain. 72 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,520 Hood had been the pride of the Royal Navy. 73 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:07,080 So, to lose her quite so suddenly was a very great shock, indeed. 74 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:21,160 The British Navy acts quickly and, within hours, the carrier 75 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:25,680 HMS Victorious locates the Bismarck and launches its torpedo bombers 76 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:28,320 in a desperate attack on the battleship. 77 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:33,640 But they were up against one of Germany's finest commanders, 78 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:36,320 Admiral Gunter Lutjens. 79 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:39,760 He's considered by his contemporaries to be the ablest, 80 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:43,360 most logical and shrewd Admiral in the German Navy. 81 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,640 Gunter Lutjens is a formidable commander. 82 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:49,800 He oversaw Operation Berlin as an Atlantic raider, 83 00:05:49,840 --> 00:05:52,560 sinking 22 Allied merchant ships, 84 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:55,200 and commanded the battle fleet during the invasion 85 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:56,520 of Denmark and Norway. 86 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:01,640 The British didn't really have an idea what he was going to do next. 87 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,720 Was he going to prey on the convoys which were in the Atlantic? 88 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:07,400 Was he going to turn back towards Norway, like some of 89 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:08,720 the raiders had done? 90 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:11,160 Or was he going to make for France, like the Scharnhorst 91 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:12,480 and the Gneisenau? 92 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:16,680 The valiant torpedo bombers scored one hit, 93 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:18,640 but failed to disable Bismarck. 94 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:27,720 Barely 24 hours after the sinking of the Hood, 95 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:31,280 amid mountainous seas and poor visibility, 96 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:34,640 Admiral Lutjens slips the hounds on his trail. 97 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:38,360 So, once again, 98 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:41,240 Bismarck is on the loose. 99 00:06:48,840 --> 00:06:52,960 Churchill orders the Royal Navy to find Bismarck. 100 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:57,080 There were two ways, really, that the Royal Navy could track her. 101 00:06:57,120 --> 00:06:59,880 By sending out an aircraft that would search a 102 00:06:59,920 --> 00:07:04,160 particular area of sea, and spotting her with the eyeball, 103 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:08,200 or a ship escorting a convoy, or out there patrolling on the hunt 104 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:10,840 for her might see her coming over the horizon. 105 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:15,000 The hunt is on. 106 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:28,200 The Women's Royal Navy Service intercepts wireless messages 107 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:30,200 sent from a German warship 108 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:32,920 to its naval headquarters - and Hitler. 109 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:39,120 Lutjens had verbal diarrhoea. 110 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:42,560 He couldn't stop sending these wireless messages. 111 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:47,000 The Wrens identified Bismarck as the source. 112 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:50,720 We'd already identified to the person who the sender was 113 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:52,640 of that wireless message, 114 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:56,960 and that enabled us to get bearings on Bismarck. 115 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:01,160 They decided that Bismarck had to be going to the South East. 116 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:04,800 So, that meant that Royal Air Force Coastal Command aircraft was sent 117 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:08,040 out to search certain areas of sea. 118 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:09,680 Using this information, 119 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:13,120 an RAF Catalina reconnaissance plane is sent to confirm 120 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:15,040 the German warship, 121 00:08:15,080 --> 00:08:18,360 around 690 miles to the west of Brest. 122 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:23,720 The discovery of Bismarck seals its fate. 123 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:26,800 It only has 24 hours left to live. 124 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:37,200 The Admiralty orders warships across the Atlantic to converge 125 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:39,320 on Bismarck's position. 126 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:41,920 Sailing up from Gibraltar is Force H, 127 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:47,400 a battle fleet that includes the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. 128 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:50,200 Coming down from the north is the Home Fleet, 129 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:55,400 led by Admiral John Tovey aboard HMS King George V. 130 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:59,400 He commands the British forces hunting Bismarck. 131 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:04,560 Tovey is a classic example of the, sort of, product that the Royal Navy 132 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:06,920 produced from the start of the century. 133 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:10,120 He's solid, he's dependable, his professionally very adept. 134 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:16,280 Among the vessels seeking to join the home fleet in Confront Bismarck 135 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:19,240 is the battleship HMS Rodney, 136 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:21,800 commanded by Captain Dalrymple-Hamilton. 137 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:28,000 Captain Dalrymple-Hamilton was from a distinguished military family 138 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:31,080 of Scottish aristocrats who knew the Bowes-Lyon family well, 139 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:34,240 and indeed, Dalrymple-Hamilton had known Queen Elizabeth 140 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:36,080 since childhood. 141 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:39,720 To the south, Force H is approximately 75 miles 142 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:41,920 to the east of the German warship. 143 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:48,720 Aboard HMS Ark Royal is 21-year-old Terry Goddard, 144 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:52,360 one of the observers in a squadron of Swordfish torpedo bombers. 145 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:57,640 Terry Goddard is typical of the aviators of his day. 146 00:09:57,680 --> 00:10:00,080 Very pragmatic, matter-of-fact, 147 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:03,000 there's a job to be done, and he's just going to get on and do it. 148 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:06,240 We were well aware that... 149 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:08,200 ..Bismarck had to be stopped. 150 00:10:11,680 --> 00:10:15,200 Swordfish aircraft are launched by HMS Ark Royal to 151 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:17,880 maintain contact with Bismarck. 152 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:22,200 The main thing was to keep track of her until the warships 153 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:23,440 could get close enough. 154 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:34,960 When they arrive, the Swordfish are spotted by German lookouts. 155 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:40,120 And, whenever they get in range, 156 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:42,760 Bismarck's anti-aircraft guns open fire. 157 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:46,360 The planes weave and dodge the flak. 158 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:53,440 Admiral Lutjens now knows that enemy warships are on his tail. 159 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:57,200 He must escape the Allied pursuers and reach safety. 160 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:06,880 Meanwhile, the British fleet is facing a fuel crisis. 161 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:10,440 Weather conditions are extremely bad, and the warships, 162 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:15,080 moving at high speed, are rapidly burning through precious fuel. 163 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:20,560 Conditions were very bad for that time of year. 164 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:23,200 By this stage, you've got very high seas, 165 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:26,200 King George V, Rodney - all suffering, 166 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:27,840 and they're running out of fuel. 167 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:36,840 Aboard HMS Ark Royal, the Swordfish have returned 168 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:39,240 from their reconnaissance mission. 169 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:42,480 The crew are now preparing them for a torpedo strike 170 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:43,840 on the Nazi raider. 171 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:47,880 The British biplane is affectionately nicknamed 172 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:51,880 the "Stringbag" because it can carry just about any weapon. 173 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:57,360 The Swordfish could carry a whole variety of weapons 174 00:11:57,400 --> 00:11:59,600 and was very difficult to shoot down. 175 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:03,320 So, although looking like some kind of World War I aircraft, 176 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:07,240 Swordfish was relatively modern and also quite formidable 177 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:09,160 in its roles as a torpedo bomber. 178 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:15,240 Despite atrocious weather conditions, orders are given 179 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:16,840 to launch the Swordfish. 180 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:34,320 In poor visibility, they spot what they believe is the Bismarck 181 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:36,120 and begin their attack. 182 00:12:37,680 --> 00:12:41,040 But, in fact, this is the British cruiser Sheffield, 183 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:43,080 which is shadowing Bismarck. 184 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:49,520 Now, for heaven's sakes, the Sheffield is a two-stack, 185 00:12:49,560 --> 00:12:51,760 11,000-tonne cruiser. 186 00:12:53,520 --> 00:13:00,680 Bismarck is a single-stack, 50,000-tonne battleship. 187 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:04,000 Three times the size of Sheffield. 188 00:13:05,560 --> 00:13:07,800 And they attack the Sheffield. 189 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:10,840 The Sheffield's commander, Captain Charles Larcom, 190 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:13,000 manages to avoid the torpedoes, 191 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:16,400 and he restrains his anti-aircraft gunners from firing 192 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:17,880 on their own planes. 193 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:22,040 Terribly sporting and not firing on the idiots 194 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:23,400 that were attacking them. 195 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:33,920 Bismarck has another lucky escape. 196 00:13:33,960 --> 00:13:38,760 But the relentless clock counting down to doom is still ticking. 197 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:01,360 The Swordfish biplanes have returned to Ark Royal 198 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:04,360 after their mistaken attack on HMS Sheffield. 199 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:09,600 Admiral Tovey is now burning precious fuel as his fleet 200 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:13,040 battles rough weather, trying to catch up with the Bismarck. 201 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:19,360 Admiral Tovey and Captain Dalrymple-Hamilton were both worried 202 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:22,760 that if they went too fast, then they would simply have to stop 203 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:26,200 the pursuit of Bismarck, because you can't have a battleship 204 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:28,680 running out of fuel in the middle of the Atlantic. 205 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:34,120 The British warships converge from all direction. 206 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:36,720 Aboard his flagship, King George V, 207 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:40,480 Admiral Tovey now has the concentrated firepower necessary 208 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:43,120 to destroy his target, the Bismarck. 209 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:44,920 If he can just catch up. 210 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:55,160 Now, a Luftwaffe Condor long-range scout plane 211 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:57,120 discovers the Home Fleet. 212 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:00,960 It sends a message to Bismarck, identifying HMS Rodney as one 213 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:02,760 of the approaching ships. 214 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:09,840 The Home Fleet is now aware that they've been located. 215 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:14,200 Their greatest fear is an attack by German U-boats before they can 216 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:16,720 reach the Bismarck. 217 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:20,520 On board the Bismarck, Admiral Lutjens is informed. 218 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:24,600 Admiral. 219 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:28,080 SPEAKS IN GERMAN 220 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:15,280 As Lutjens' attention is focused on the Rodney to the north... 221 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:22,000 ..he is unaware of HMS Sheffield steaming ahead of Force H 222 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:24,200 coming up from the south. 223 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:27,640 Sheffield is now in visual contact with Bismarck. 224 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:33,680 She cautiously edges her way around the distant German battleship. 225 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:37,160 Sheffield reports the speed and position of Bismarck 226 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:39,520 to the home fleet. 227 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:42,560 Now, Admiral Tovey knows that the Bismarck is travelling 228 00:16:42,600 --> 00:16:45,080 too fast for the British fleet to catch her. 229 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:50,760 New orders are issued. 230 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:54,040 The Swordfish torpedo bombers must target the propellers and rudders 231 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:56,960 in a bid to disable her and slow her down. 232 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:03,320 This is a highly dangerous mission. 233 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:05,960 The mighty Bismarck bristles with guns. 234 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:09,680 All will be brought to bear against the Swordfish. 235 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:12,200 The odds are stacked against the pilots. 236 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:18,160 Well, I think we knew we were leaving fairly fast. 237 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:21,160 I don't think we had any fear of dying. 238 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:26,040 Generally, the guys who bought it just got married... 239 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:27,440 ..or just had a baby. 240 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:36,280 We knew perfectly well we were going to fly. 241 00:17:38,120 --> 00:17:41,040 Because if we didn't fly, there would be no tomorrow for us. 242 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:52,280 Once again, despite the stormy conditions, 243 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:55,360 Ark Royal's aircraft launch. 244 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:58,160 As far as flying off the Ark Royal, 245 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:02,000 there's no other aircraft could possibly have taken off 246 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:05,200 and landed in the conditions which we did. 247 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:08,360 And, while three squadrons of Swordfish head towards 248 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:09,840 the German warship... 249 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:15,760 ..enemy commanders in France have ordered its U-boats 250 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:18,000 to rendezvous with the Bismarck. 251 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:21,520 First on the scene is U-556, 252 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:23,640 commanded by Captain Herbert Wohlfarth. 253 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:28,040 U-556 is so close, 254 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:32,600 the German U-boat almost has its periscope crushed by the Ark Royal. 255 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:37,080 Mein Gott. 256 00:18:37,120 --> 00:18:39,320 Prior to Bismarck sailing, 257 00:18:39,360 --> 00:18:42,400 she had sunk 30,000 tonnes of shipping. 258 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:45,920 But she'd also used all her torpedoes up. 259 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:51,600 It's really ironic that 556 is very close to the action, 260 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:53,560 but she's run out of torpedoes. 261 00:18:56,640 --> 00:18:59,040 So, she can only report what is going on. 262 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:02,200 She can't actually save her big brother at this stage. 263 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:04,080 SPEAKING IN GERMAN 264 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:17,080 Wohlfarth reports the position of Ark Royal and Force H 265 00:19:17,120 --> 00:19:19,960 to U-boat force headquarters. 266 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:24,440 Now, the Nazis know the powerful aircraft carrier can do 267 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:26,440 decisive damage to Bismarck. 268 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:36,520 The squadron of British torpedo bombers begin their attack runs. 269 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:40,280 Down we went. 270 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:43,240 Ice peeling off the wings. 271 00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:49,600 The altimeter is spinning, spinning, spinning. 272 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:53,280 And then, we break... 273 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:55,360 ..into the clear about 600 feet. 274 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:01,040 There's Bismarck. 275 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:04,920 On our starboard bow. 276 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:10,440 She was a... 277 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:13,440 ..fire-spitting monster. 278 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:15,360 MUFFLED GUNFIRE, EXPLOSIONS 279 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:27,080 All around us, there is thundering noise. 280 00:20:31,560 --> 00:20:33,720 The whole aircraft shook. 281 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:40,800 As if a number of express trains were roaring by us. 282 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:44,280 DISTANT GUNFIRE 283 00:20:49,120 --> 00:20:52,600 She was just ablaze with everything firing at us. 284 00:20:56,040 --> 00:20:57,760 And she was illuminated. 285 00:20:59,120 --> 00:21:00,640 Awesome. 286 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:02,880 But... 287 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:07,320 ..this ship was just magnificent. 288 00:21:07,360 --> 00:21:11,080 It looked exactly like a battleship should look like. 289 00:21:11,120 --> 00:21:13,800 I mean, scary and everything, 290 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:16,440 but...oh, just a beautiful ship. 291 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:21,840 The flak was bursting well above us. 292 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:23,920 Despite their enormous firepower, 293 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:28,280 the Germans are finding the British planes difficult to hit. 294 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:32,640 The Swordfish presented them with a very difficult target, 295 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:36,120 because it flew slowly, and then, would act like a leaf, 296 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:38,920 going from side-to-side, floating up and down. 297 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:41,240 They found that very difficult to shoot down. 298 00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:47,880 The Swordfish is one magnificent airplane. 299 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:53,920 Now they must hit the steering and disable Bismarck at any cost. 300 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:56,280 You're not thinking you're going to be killed. 301 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:00,400 You're going to hit the bastard, and that's it. 302 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:06,080 We got as low on the deck as we could - which was low - 303 00:22:06,120 --> 00:22:08,360 and went straight in. 304 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:14,320 At about 1,200 yards, we dropped the torpedo... 305 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:23,360 ..did a violent turn. 306 00:22:26,360 --> 00:22:31,520 I see a large, black-and-white explosion. 307 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:39,840 It's high and wide. 308 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:44,400 Obviously, it's a torpedo hit. 309 00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:48,040 There was no other aircraft anywhere near us, 310 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:53,880 and there's no doubt that it was the torpedo that we had just dropped. 311 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:57,120 The returning Swordfish crew excitedly claim a strike 312 00:22:57,160 --> 00:23:00,000 against Bismarck, but doubts remain. 313 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:11,280 Command were very reluctant to believe that we had scored a hit. 314 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:16,040 They wanted more confirmation than just these young, 315 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:18,880 enthusiastic aviators claiming they had the glory. 316 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:24,400 Then a report comes in from Sheffield - 317 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:26,800 Bismarck is steering erratically, 318 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:30,560 and has changed course from southwest to northeast 319 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:33,840 on a collision course with the British fleet. 320 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:38,800 So, Bismarck suddenly turned and, instead of heading away from 321 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:42,480 the oncoming British battle fleet, she sailed towards it, 322 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:45,160 or appeared to be sailing towards the enemy. 323 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:47,160 And it seemed a bit of a crazy thing to do. 324 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:56,440 Bismarck's change in direction could not be deliberate. 325 00:23:56,480 --> 00:24:01,360 In fact, she seems to be steering in a series of crazy S-turns, 326 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:05,800 heading away from France and straight towards the British fleet. 327 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:09,200 There can only be one conclusion. 328 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:13,200 That meant Bismarck had very little control over her destiny. 329 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:17,560 Even though her propulsion was working, she couldn't steer. 330 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:33,360 It's clear to Admiral Tovey that the Swordfish's mission was successful, 331 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:36,280 wrecking the Bismarck's steering as intended. 332 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:42,760 But news of the damage to Bismarck had yet to reach other units. 333 00:24:42,800 --> 00:24:46,080 And aboard Rodney, Captain Dalrymple-Hamilton makes 334 00:24:46,120 --> 00:24:48,000 a broadcast from the bridge. 335 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:52,160 Attention, all hands. 336 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:54,880 Ark Royal's attack... 337 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:56,080 ..has failed. 338 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:04,480 But then, he receives new orders from the flagship. 339 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:09,160 Sir. King George VI signals that Admiral TV is ordering a course to 340 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:12,800 intercept the enemy. Ring on. Full speed ahead. 341 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:15,040 Revolutions for 23 knots. 342 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:16,840 Course 1-3-5. 343 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:18,120 Sir. 344 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:22,400 Course to intercept, 1-3-5. 345 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:24,080 Very good. 346 00:25:24,120 --> 00:25:25,840 Course 1-3-5. 347 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:35,120 As Rodney steams towards its destiny with Bismarck, 348 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:38,120 the crew take up battle stations. 349 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:39,600 We never went to bed. 350 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:43,040 We stayed at our action stations, sat round the gun all night. 351 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:44,720 And you couldn't sleep. 352 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:47,520 Well, you can't sleep, really, it's too blinking cold, 353 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:48,920 anyway, in the turret. 354 00:25:54,120 --> 00:25:58,120 Meanwhile, Bismarck's crew worked frantically to repair the damage 355 00:25:58,160 --> 00:26:00,360 to the stricken vessel's rudder. 356 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:04,240 In the hours after the fateful hit on the steering, 357 00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:06,760 they did try and un-jam the rudder. 358 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:09,320 They tried to put divers down into the compartment 359 00:26:09,360 --> 00:26:10,760 to free the rudders. 360 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:13,040 They even talked about putting people over the side - 361 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:15,840 but the weather was so bad, they were being flooded 362 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:17,240 in the engine compartment. 363 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:23,480 20-year-old Len Nicholl sees the Bismarck floundering. 364 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:27,480 She was wallowing around in circles. 365 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:30,640 She was a sitting duck, as far as we were concerned. 366 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:33,800 After that torpedo strike, her fate was sealed. 367 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:39,200 Bismarck is now unable to escape a battle. 368 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:42,800 An injured animal with a pack of wolves gathering 369 00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:44,560 to tear her to shreds. 370 00:27:01,120 --> 00:27:03,560 Bismarck has been seriously damaged. 371 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:07,320 Its rudders smashed by a Swordfish torpedo bomber. 372 00:27:17,120 --> 00:27:19,240 Steering out of control, 373 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:22,920 it's heading straight for the British fleet. 374 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:28,640 Admiral Lutjens sends a signal to German naval headquarters in France. 375 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:30,920 SPEAKING IN GERMAN 376 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:45,040 But, although wounded, his ship is still a fearsome battleship. 377 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:49,400 And the British must advance with extreme caution. 378 00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:52,560 Admiral Tovey's plan is to stage a daylight attack 379 00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:55,200 using the weather as cover. 380 00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:58,320 His vessels will be obscured by gloom in the west, 381 00:27:58,360 --> 00:28:01,760 as King George V and Rodney go into the attack 382 00:28:01,800 --> 00:28:05,440 with a climbing sun in the east silhouetting Bismarck. 383 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:12,520 The order is given to fire at will. 384 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:23,320 She was firing the 15-inchers. 385 00:28:23,360 --> 00:28:25,720 She didn't touch us, but very close. 386 00:28:27,360 --> 00:28:31,760 We made 2-3 attempts to fire torpedoes, 387 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:33,960 going head-on into the sea. 388 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:37,480 And then, turning and firing head-on. 389 00:28:37,520 --> 00:28:40,720 We would be straddled with 15-inch shells, 390 00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:43,640 and then, it was up smoke it out as fast as we could go on. 391 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:47,360 And it was going all over the place. 392 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:54,240 From U-boat U-556, 393 00:28:54,280 --> 00:28:57,480 Captain Herbert Wohlfarth watches the onslaught. 394 00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:01,520 SPEAKING IN GERMAN 395 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:08,960 Commander of U-556 must've been very frustrated, 396 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:10,560 but there was nothing he could do. 397 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:11,600 He had no weapons. 398 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:13,960 He couldn't participate in this battle at all. 399 00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:18,280 But U-556 will not be alone. 400 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:21,960 Captain Wohlfarth is informed that other U-boats are on the way. 401 00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:27,720 British intelligence is also aware that German submarines 402 00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:29,640 could be in the area. 403 00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:31,640 The Admiralty sent out a signal 404 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:34,560 which the warship captains at sea could tune into, 405 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:38,160 which said there were four U-boats known to be in the vicinity. 406 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:43,120 The British warships had very little time to attack and destroy 407 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:46,640 the Bismarck before they are attacked by Nazi U-boats. 408 00:29:54,800 --> 00:29:59,440 Aboard Bismarck, Admiral Lutjens believes all hope is lost 409 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:03,480 and signals to have his war diary collected by a U-boat. 410 00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:06,440 One of the things that Lutjens was really keen to do was that 411 00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:08,560 his war diary should survive 412 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:11,240 to show the high command that he'd done exactly the right thing 413 00:30:11,280 --> 00:30:12,280 in every case. 414 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:18,400 His message is transmitted to German high command. 415 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:24,320 As the home fleet prepares for the coming battle, 416 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:27,720 Len Nicholl considers his chances of survival. 417 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:34,800 If the Rodney was, say, heading straight towards the ship, 418 00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:41,440 to the enemy, and they fired and hit the Rodney, 419 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:44,960 it could've caused the same damage as it did to the Hood. 420 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:56,840 From HMS Rodney, the obscure shape of Bismarck on the horizon 421 00:30:56,880 --> 00:30:59,160 looms into view. 422 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:01,880 To me, it was quite a day you'll never forget. 423 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:04,720 You'll never forget the date, you know, the 27th. Never. 424 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:10,520 The British fleet take up attack positions. 425 00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:15,320 King George V and HMS Rodney move in from the west, 426 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:19,160 with Dorsetshire coming from the east, and heavy cruiser Norfolk 427 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:21,440 joining the battle from the northeast. 428 00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:29,480 Bismarck is confronted with the chilling sight of King George V 429 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:31,200 and HMS Rodney. 430 00:31:42,040 --> 00:31:46,880 We fired the first shot about 8.30. 431 00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:50,720 A single shell is hurled at the Bismarck to test accuracy - 432 00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:53,480 the range, around 13 miles. 433 00:31:56,160 --> 00:31:58,400 It splashes wide of the target. 434 00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:00,800 Then, with calculations adjusted, 435 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:04,080 Rodney's big guns send their shells towards Bismarck. 436 00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:15,760 60 seconds later, the King George V fires a salvo 437 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:17,640 with her 14-inch guns. 438 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:24,720 The British shells miss their mark, creating gigantic splashes 439 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:28,320 around the Bismarck, but causing no harm. 440 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:31,720 Captain Lindemann concentrates on knocking out the most dangerous 441 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:34,840 of his opponents - HMS Rodney. 442 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:46,000 I must admit, I was scared to death. 443 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:53,680 I was just waiting, so... expecting it the whole time. 444 00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:58,280 Rodney's gunner, Len Nicholl, watches from his turret. 445 00:32:58,320 --> 00:33:00,120 Take nothing away from the Germans, 446 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:03,320 their gunnery was out of this world, really. 447 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:11,200 You could see the shells coming towards you, 448 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:15,360 and you could see our shells going away from us. 449 00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:18,240 You could be blown away at any minute. 450 00:33:22,720 --> 00:33:28,680 As Bismarck shells plunge in, smoke obscures the fate of HMS Rodney. 451 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:32,080 Due to very clever manoeuvring, 452 00:33:32,120 --> 00:33:37,040 our captain, Dalrymple-Hamilton, avoided shells. 453 00:33:38,560 --> 00:33:41,080 The Bismarck fails to score a hit on the Rodney - 454 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:45,120 a testament to the skill of Captain Dalrymple-Hamilton. 455 00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:48,800 He kept a salvo levelling all around, 456 00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:52,080 and he would just shift his ship, 457 00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:57,280 almost as if he knew where the next shot was coming. 458 00:33:57,320 --> 00:33:59,080 He was very astute. 459 00:34:11,200 --> 00:34:15,000 By now, the Home Fleet is engaging in a fearsome battle 460 00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:16,640 with the Bismarck. 461 00:34:26,240 --> 00:34:30,400 It was a long battle, and very frightening. 462 00:34:32,720 --> 00:34:35,920 I was 20, I think, at the time. 463 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:40,320 And I must admit, I was scared to death. 464 00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:46,240 The fleet is firing on Bismarck with high-explosive shells. 465 00:34:46,280 --> 00:34:48,840 With high-explosives, a shell will go in, 466 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:51,120 and then, explode inside the ship. 467 00:34:51,160 --> 00:34:54,320 But they aren't very effective, because the German battleship 468 00:34:54,360 --> 00:34:56,080 is so well-protected with armour. 469 00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:03,120 The order is given to switch to armour-piercing shells. 470 00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:05,920 Armour-piercing shells will literally do what it says 471 00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:07,520 on the tin - they'll go through. 472 00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:09,520 And, with a ship like Bismarck, 473 00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:13,600 some parts were so vulnerable that the armour-piercing shells 474 00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:16,120 went straight through like a knife cutting through butter. 475 00:35:16,160 --> 00:35:19,000 They would just go in and cause carnage. 476 00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:22,640 The torrent of shells from British guns inflict 477 00:35:22,680 --> 00:35:24,960 serious damage on Bismarck. 478 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:30,240 We noted that our shells, which were one tonne in weight, 479 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:34,080 and the biggest in the world at sea, 480 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:38,120 was making quite a number of hits on Bismarck. 481 00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:42,800 The Rodney is the closest to Bismarck. 482 00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:45,800 What we were facing is about 2,000 yards away from us. 483 00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:47,120 No more. 484 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:51,080 Some of the lads on the AA guns 485 00:35:51,120 --> 00:35:53,760 could've hit her with potatoes. 486 00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:55,440 She was that close. 487 00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:01,000 When the shells from HMS Rodney came in, 488 00:36:01,040 --> 00:36:03,280 they destroyed most of the command team, 489 00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:07,360 and also the communications and what's called command and control. 490 00:36:07,400 --> 00:36:10,440 And another officer in the ship described this as having 491 00:36:10,480 --> 00:36:12,240 Bismarck's brains blown out. 492 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:16,440 But Lutjens is determined to stay fighting, carrying out 493 00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:19,400 his orders from Admiral Raeder at German high command. 494 00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:21,680 Rader had said quite explicitly, 495 00:36:21,720 --> 00:36:24,440 "If you're cornered, you fight to the death." 496 00:36:49,600 --> 00:36:51,800 Weather conditions in the Atlantic 497 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:55,400 have finally improved enough for the Swordfish to fly. 498 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:01,120 Terry Goddard is circling Bismarck. 499 00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:03,240 By the time we arrived, 500 00:37:03,280 --> 00:37:06,480 she was being mercilessly pounded. 501 00:37:10,240 --> 00:37:13,080 Bismarck was obviously out of control. 502 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:20,320 After her long dash from the south, 503 00:37:20,360 --> 00:37:23,640 the heavy cruiser Dorsetshire storms into the fight. 504 00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:29,320 Swinging broadside, she fires all her eight-inch guns. 505 00:37:32,840 --> 00:37:36,440 The bridge and the gunnery command positions in the forward section 506 00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:38,880 of the Bismarck are being shredded. 507 00:37:50,120 --> 00:37:53,840 I actually saw the back of the turret explode, 508 00:37:53,880 --> 00:37:55,840 and flipped up in the air like a penny. 509 00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:02,400 Shelling is relentless. 510 00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:17,280 They were creating dreadful havoc. 511 00:38:23,160 --> 00:38:26,000 The Bismarck was getting hit regularly. 512 00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:30,760 There was smoke, there was fire, there was...oh, God. 513 00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:41,680 Quite a lot of the shells actually tore into Bismarck from short range 514 00:38:41,720 --> 00:38:44,840 from King George V and Rodney, there's no question about that. 515 00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:53,880 I saw the ship itself burning from stem to stern. 516 00:38:56,080 --> 00:38:58,520 We did a tremendous amount of damage. 517 00:39:06,200 --> 00:39:09,760 It's highly likely that Lindemann and Lutjens were killed 518 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:12,720 within 20 minutes or so of the battle starting. 519 00:39:12,760 --> 00:39:14,880 So, when the brains were blown out, 520 00:39:14,920 --> 00:39:17,800 that included the command team. 521 00:39:17,840 --> 00:39:22,200 All Bismarck's big guns are now silent. 522 00:39:22,240 --> 00:39:24,760 Once you get a lot of percussive shells hitting a ship, 523 00:39:24,800 --> 00:39:27,480 particularly armour-piercing ones, it distorts the ship. 524 00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:30,440 You can't get through hatches, people are disorientated. 525 00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:34,880 The battle is turning into a massacre. 526 00:39:36,080 --> 00:39:39,480 Hundreds of German sailors were jumping off the burning inferno 527 00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:40,920 that was the Bismarck, 528 00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:43,840 desperate to escape, but with little chance of survival. 529 00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:50,160 Some people aboard Rodney, and I think including the captain, 530 00:39:50,200 --> 00:39:54,600 felt rather sickened by the whole process and wanted it to end. 531 00:39:58,960 --> 00:40:01,280 It was ugly. It was dirty. 532 00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:04,480 In my opinion, we might almost classify it as murder. 533 00:40:06,080 --> 00:40:07,560 It was slaughter. 534 00:40:08,920 --> 00:40:11,440 It was dreadful to see. 535 00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:17,080 He came on the bridge, 536 00:40:17,120 --> 00:40:21,360 and said to the captain to "stop, desist" 537 00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:26,000 just firing shells at a ship that can't reply. 538 00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:33,320 Captain Hamilton said, "You go mind your own business... 539 00:40:33,360 --> 00:40:35,560 "..and get off my bridge." 540 00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:41,520 Captain Dalrymple-Hamilton has no choice but to continue firing, 541 00:40:41,560 --> 00:40:44,960 as he has strict orders to sink Bismarck. 542 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:48,520 But also, Bismarck is flying its battle flag - 543 00:40:48,560 --> 00:40:50,560 a sign that it's not surrendering. 544 00:40:50,600 --> 00:40:52,760 It's still ready to fight. 545 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:55,240 I recollect... 546 00:40:55,280 --> 00:40:57,040 It seems to be, in my mind, 547 00:40:57,080 --> 00:40:59,360 the battle flag flying above this smoke. 548 00:41:01,360 --> 00:41:05,520 You have this swastika on the main mast, and this creates 549 00:41:05,560 --> 00:41:07,400 a big one on the foremast. 550 00:41:12,240 --> 00:41:13,640 This was war. 551 00:41:13,680 --> 00:41:17,000 You can't aim to wound, you were to aim to kill. 552 00:41:22,520 --> 00:41:24,600 The Bismarck had to be sunk. 553 00:41:24,640 --> 00:41:28,720 It wasn't just to be left crippled. 554 00:41:28,760 --> 00:41:32,240 She'd have been repaired and got out again. 555 00:41:33,960 --> 00:41:37,200 Time was also running out for the British fleet. 556 00:41:37,240 --> 00:41:42,000 They know German U-boats and warships are heading towards them. 557 00:41:42,040 --> 00:41:44,240 King George V and Rodney, and all the other ships 558 00:41:44,280 --> 00:41:46,880 want to finish the job because they're running out of fuel. 559 00:41:46,920 --> 00:41:49,520 They do not want to be out there in the Atlantic 560 00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:51,600 at the mercy of U-boats. 561 00:41:51,640 --> 00:41:55,360 This is a mighty battleship that, so far, has resisted being sunk. 562 00:41:55,400 --> 00:41:57,800 You want to get rid of it. There's no question about that. 563 00:41:57,840 --> 00:42:02,240 So, the signal went out, then, for anybody with torpedoes to go in 564 00:42:02,280 --> 00:42:04,160 and end the Bismarck's agony. 565 00:42:13,000 --> 00:42:16,400 HMS Dorsetshire delivers the final blows. 566 00:42:26,760 --> 00:42:29,040 I wouldn't have liked to be on that ship. 567 00:42:34,480 --> 00:42:39,480 The dying moments of the Bismarck are witnessed by Terry Goddard. 568 00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:42,320 The bridge was gone, the island was gone, 569 00:42:42,360 --> 00:42:45,200 and it was just a big, black hole, 570 00:42:45,240 --> 00:42:47,440 billowing black smoke. 571 00:42:50,280 --> 00:42:53,520 She started to go down by the stern. 572 00:42:53,560 --> 00:42:56,640 Up came the bow, as if to say "up yours". 573 00:42:59,760 --> 00:43:03,680 Amidst a great big mass of bubbles, 574 00:43:03,720 --> 00:43:05,160 she went down. 575 00:43:08,080 --> 00:43:12,160 Over 2,000 German sailors lose their lives. 576 00:43:14,320 --> 00:43:17,880 The water was full of hundreds of bobbing sailors. 577 00:43:19,280 --> 00:43:22,200 The attack turns into a rescue mission. 578 00:43:25,120 --> 00:43:28,280 There are pictures of German sailors being hauled on board 579 00:43:28,320 --> 00:43:30,240 alongside Dorsetshire. 580 00:43:30,280 --> 00:43:33,000 Other destroyers are looking for survivors. 581 00:43:34,720 --> 00:43:39,080 But the rescue mission is abruptly brought to an end. 582 00:43:39,120 --> 00:43:41,560 There is a perpetual fear of U-boats. 583 00:43:41,600 --> 00:43:44,880 And then, someone thinks they see a submarine periscope. 584 00:43:46,760 --> 00:43:49,200 The British are wary, they don't want to get sunk. 585 00:43:50,920 --> 00:43:56,640 The captain of the cruiser that was picking these chaps up 586 00:43:56,680 --> 00:44:01,200 realised that, you know, he had to move away, 587 00:44:01,240 --> 00:44:03,480 otherwise he'd be sunk, as well. 588 00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:10,840 Admiral Tovey orders the Home Fleet to withdraw immediately. 589 00:44:10,880 --> 00:44:13,480 Leaving these people in the water. 590 00:44:13,520 --> 00:44:15,480 Really sad. 591 00:44:15,520 --> 00:44:18,040 Because, once your enemy has been defeated, 592 00:44:18,080 --> 00:44:21,040 the Law of the Sea, the custom of the sea requires you to 593 00:44:21,080 --> 00:44:22,680 stop and aid your enemies. 594 00:44:26,520 --> 00:44:29,280 It was heart-wrenching, really, 595 00:44:29,320 --> 00:44:34,800 to leave all these sailors in the icy sea, 596 00:44:34,840 --> 00:44:37,560 who were obviously going to die. 597 00:44:38,760 --> 00:44:40,200 Just drown. 598 00:44:51,480 --> 00:44:53,280 The sinking of the Bismarck 599 00:44:53,320 --> 00:44:55,880 has far-reaching consequences for Germany. 600 00:44:59,480 --> 00:45:03,280 The effect of the sinking of the Bismarck was to stop 601 00:45:03,320 --> 00:45:06,320 Atlantic raiders coming in, 602 00:45:06,360 --> 00:45:09,080 like the Admiral Scheer like Tirpitz, 603 00:45:09,120 --> 00:45:13,120 or the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau ever doing that again. 604 00:45:13,160 --> 00:45:14,760 With the sinking of the Bismarck, 605 00:45:14,800 --> 00:45:18,240 America realises that the British cause is worth helping 606 00:45:18,280 --> 00:45:20,400 with crucial war supplies. 607 00:45:20,440 --> 00:45:23,320 Taking the Bismarck was a pivotal moment, because it showed 608 00:45:23,360 --> 00:45:26,640 not only the world that Britain wasn't a lost cause, 609 00:45:26,680 --> 00:45:32,200 but ending Bismarck encouraged President Roosevelt to carry on 610 00:45:32,240 --> 00:45:33,800 supporting the UK. 611 00:45:34,920 --> 00:45:38,720 On the evening of 27 May, 1941, 612 00:45:38,760 --> 00:45:42,480 President Roosevelt makes an address to the American nation 613 00:45:42,520 --> 00:45:46,520 in which he declares an unlimited national emergency. 614 00:45:47,680 --> 00:45:51,920 Roosevelt tells his nation that the USA will help the British 615 00:45:51,960 --> 00:45:55,320 with American naval escorts for the convoys. 616 00:45:55,360 --> 00:46:02,280 I say that the delivery of needed supplies to Britain is imperative. 617 00:46:02,320 --> 00:46:05,720 I say this can be done. 618 00:46:05,760 --> 00:46:11,000 It must be done, and it will be done. 619 00:46:11,040 --> 00:46:16,920 We will not accept a Hitler-dominated world, 620 00:46:16,960 --> 00:46:24,800 and we will not accept a world like the post-war world of the 1920s, 621 00:46:24,840 --> 00:46:30,560 in which the seeds of Hitler-ism can again be planted 622 00:46:30,600 --> 00:46:32,520 and allowed to grow. 623 00:46:54,240 --> 00:46:56,800 Subtitles by Red Bee Media 48520

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