Let's suppose the result is reversed and Hood sinks Bismarck with one shot. How does the world react, and what becomes of the rest of the Kriegsmarine's surface fleet?
Hood is probably a lot less famous ITTL. Aircraft from Ark Royal never get the opportunity to put the three torpedoes into the Bismarck either.Let's suppose the result is reversed and Hood sinks Bismarck with one shot. How does the world react, and what becomes of the rest of the Kriegsmarine's surface fleet?
Let's suppose the result is reversed and Hood sinks Bismarck with one shot. How does the world react, and what becomes of the rest of the Kriegsmarine's surface fleet?
Hmmmm, might that mean the overall British force in the Indian Ocean/Australia in 1942 is actually better off if the OTL units/+ Hood are dispatched after December 1941? I've not read many TLs where that's happened.Ironically if Hood sinking Bismarck with one or two shots leads to the British being less impressed with Tirpitz, it is possible there is no Force Z at Singapore because a big part of Churchill’s logic trail for the deterrent effect of Force Z was the brooding menace of Tirpitz in Norway.
Hmmmm, might that mean the overall British force in the Indian Ocean/Australia in 1942 is actually better off if the OTL units/+ Hood are dispatched after December 1941? I've not read many TLs where that's happened.
Hood, PoW, Repulse is a potent addition to (what would become OTL's) Force A for operations in that theatre. Coupled with butterflies impacting what happens with ABDA assets it makes the naval situation v.interesting.I am thinking that. There isn’t the pressure to deploy the fleet forward at Singapore so maybe local commanders can concentrate what heavy assets they have at Ceylon in early December 1941.
Actually Hood fired her torpedoes at the Germans very shortly before she was sunk, the Germans had been force to turn away which might be saved PoW from a further battering.Not as impossible as it may seem
Due to her main director basically being inundated with spray due to its position behind the B turret and in front of the Bridge, Hood was obliged to rely on her smaller Director mounted on the tower - and mis identified Bismarck as Prinz Eugen and so fired on the Cruiser with her first 4 round salvo and achieved a staddle.
Then realising her mistake she changed targets to the Bismarck but had to rework her solution
Had she fired on Bismarck first then maybe that first round straddle achieves a hit?
All that being said a first round hit destroying Bismarck is unlikely (And hood was hit several times before she was destroyed) but she did seem to have a glass jaw - maybe one of those fat green boys hits between Anton and Bruno knocking both guns out and halving Bismarck's firepower - and the ratio of 17 bigs guns verses 8 goes down to 17 verses 4 - and things go rapidly downhill for Bismarck from there.
Bismarck is lamed with her main guns knocked out and Prinz Eugen attempts a torpedo run but is rapidly put down by concentrated fire from both British ships before they turn their attention back to Bismarck wrecking her upper works - the Cruisers and DDs arrive and carry out close range torpedo runs sealing the German ships fate.
The surviving crew scuttle and abandon ship with hundreds being pulled from the water by the DDs and CCs before the cold takes them.
Hood having taken several hits during the battle is finally taken out of the line and given her long needed 'large repair' although it is likely that she would be given a lesser overhaul - possible by the West Ponders along the lines of the refit the Standards got post Pearl Harbour and obviously HMS Rodney does not have to break off her journey to the East Coast for her planned refit so starts it slightly earlier.
Pearl Harbour finds Hood working up on the East coast and then moving to join Warspite on the West coast.
After it becomes clear that the Japanese are not going to follow up with an attack on the West coast of the USA both ships complete their working up and Hood returns to the Home fleet
During the Summer HMS Hood remains in touch with the convoy PQ17 after Adm Pound detaches USS Washington and HMS Duke of York to intercept Tirpitz which had sortied to intercept - there had been talk of scattering the convoy but with Hood able to ride shotgun it is decided to keep the convoy together
Tirpitz does not press home her attack and returns to her base but 11 of the convoys ships are sunk by Submarine and air attack for the loss of 15 aircraft and 2 Uboats (interestingly both sides considered the convoy battle a loss at the time - with the British using it as an excuse to halt Arctic convoys until the winter)
When Arctic convoys do resume Hood is often part of the heavy escort and is present at the battle of North Cape where she is part of the SAG that sinks the Scharnhorst.
With a refitted Hood and Bismarck and Gneisenau sunk/crippled the on off construction of HMS Vanguard is stopped and this means more resources to throw at the last 2 Armoured Carriers possibly allowing them to enter service months earlier and subsequent all 4 Audacious class are 'built' by VJ day.
As for the KM surface fleet - they experience much the same fate as OTL (RAF Bombing the heck out of the German ships in the French ports and then the op Cerberus retreat to Germany when their baseing becomes untenable) except that the Germans are more wary of challenging the British - and this along with an extra heavy 'fast' unit in the home fleet results in 'safer' arctic convoys.
Hood worn out by Arctic convoy escort missions is given a refit in late 44 before joining the BPF in 45
Paid off into reserve in 1946 she is decommissioned and scrapped in 1948
Actually Hood fired her torpedoes at the Germans very shortly before she was sunk, the Germans had been force to turn away which might be saved PoW from a further battering.
Maybe those torpedoes hit Bismarck?
Actually Hood fired her torpedoes at the Germans very shortly before she was sunk, the Germans had been force to turn away which might be saved PoW from a further battering.
Maybe those torpedoes hit Bismarck?
Was that true?
http://www.kbismarck.com/denmark-strait-battle.htmlWhat was the range when she was sunk 16000 odd Yards?
Range of the MK IV carried by Hood was 8000 yards at 35 Knots and 13,500 Yards at 25 Knots
1x twin 21" tt on each side
So yes - it's possible if Hood get a good hit in early and closes the range