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Hi all,

Firstly, I hope this is the right forum! I really wanted an OTL questions forum, but the post-1900 was the nearest to that sooo..... Fingers crossed!

Basically, I am doing some research into The Battle of the Denmark Straight (1941), and just wanted to post the below, to see if I have missed any major event from sometime on the 23rd May (Just general events) until 06:01 hours on the 24th May, when HMS Hood's aft magazines detonate.

Thanks in advance! :)

Ships involved:
Bismarck - Kapitän zur See Ernst Lindemann, Fleet Chief Admiral Günther Lütjens
Prinz Eugen - Kapitän zur See Helmuth Brinkmann

Hood - Captain Ralph Kerr, Vice-Admiral Lancelot-Holland
Prince of Wales - Captain John C. Leach
Norfolk - Captain Alfred J.L. Phillips, 1st Cruiser Squadron Commander Rear-Admiral William F. Wake-Walker
Suffolk - Captain Robert M. Ellis
DDs: Achates, Antelope, Anthony, Echo, Electra & Icarus

I am aware that Antelope and Anthony were dispatched to Iceland to refuel before the battle and played no part.

23 May 1941
1939 Hours - Vice-Admiral Holland orders his vessels to raise steam for full speed and to change course to 295º
2000 Hours - Hood’s force is at 63º20N' 27º00'W
2004 Hours - Suffolk has positively sighted Bismarck and its consort in the Denmark Strait
2040 Hours - Suffolk's signal followed by a report from Norfolk. Plots put the Germans approximately 300 miles to the north of Holland’s force
2054 Hours - Hood’s force proceeding at 27 knots on a heading of 295º. As speed increases, destroyers struggle to maintain station in the heavy seas. VADM Holland signals the destroyers "If you are unable to maintain this speed, I will have to go on without you. You should follow at your best speed". The four tiny destroyers do their best to keep up with the old battle cruiser fairly well but take a horrendous buffeting in doing so
2200 Hours - Crews of Hood, Prince of Wales and their accompanying destroyers are officially notified of the Germans presence in the Denmark Strait. Interception and action was expected to take place between 0140 and 0200 hours that morning. All hands were ordered to be prepared to change into clean undergarments (To help prevent infection should they be wounded) and to don battle gear (Life vests, flash gear, gas masks, helmets and, where necessary, cold weather gear)
2230 Hours - 'Darken ship' ordered on British ships


24 May 1941
0015 Hours - Crews aboard both ships called to action stations and battle ensigns raised (Note: Hood raised one battle ensign only). They are an estimated 120 miles/222 km south of the German ships
0028 Hours - Suffolk looses contact with German ships
0030 Hours - Holland signals "If enemy is not in sight by 0210, I will probably alter course 180º until cruisers regain touch". He then once again signalled his battle plan: "Intend both ships to engage Bismarck and to leave [Prinz Eugen] to Norfolk and Suffolk". Due to the ban on radio usage, this message was not transmitted to either Suffolk or Norfolk. At about this time, Prince of Wales intended to send up her Walrus seaplane for reconnaissance purposes. Unfortunately, the weather quickly deteriorated, forcing the flight to be cancelled. The Walrus was de-fuelled and put back in its hangar
0141 Hours - German ships alter course to the west to follow the line of the Greenland icepack
0147 Hours - Holland signals "If battlecruisers turn 200º at 0205 destroyers continue to search to the northward". Due to the poor weather and restricted visibility, it is not known if all four destroyers received the order. This order gives an indication of the extent to which, just a few hours before the engagement took place the British forces were 'searching in the dark'
0203 Hours - Just after dawn (approximately 0200 hours in those latitudes at that time of year), Hood and Prince of Wales assume a more southerly course of 200º at a speed of 25 knots. The destroyers then part with the large ships to screen at 15 mile intervals to the north. This was to better the chances of locating the Germans should they successfully elude the Suffolk and Norfolk. Holland also orders Prince of Wales to use her Type 284 gunnery radar to search 020 - 140º. Unfortunately, Prince of Wales’s Type 284 radar was experiencing troubles which rendered it more or less defective. Captain Leach therefore requests permission to use the somewhat more powerful Type 281 radar, but his request is refused, as the transmissions/emissions would have caused great interference to Hood’s own Type 284 radar
0247 Hours - Suffolk regains radar contact with the fleeing German vessels. Her reports place the Germans approximately 35 miles/64.8 km north-west of Hood and Prince of Wales. Holland orders another heading change, this time to 220º. Speed is gradually increased to 28 knots (as high as 28.8 knots per Prince of Wales’s log for 24 May 1941)
0341 Hours - By this time, both UK vessels are on a course of 240º
0450 Hours - Prince of Wales taks over guide of the fleet (i.e. positioned herself ahead of Hood). It is recorded in Prince of Wales’s log as well as in the narrative of the operation written afterwards by Captain Leach
0505 Hours - Hood resumes guide and Holland quietly orders, "Prepare for instant action". The crews go to the first level of readiness. The command crew trains their binoculars and strains their eyes to the north, as they silently waited for contact to be made. Over the past few hours the sky had grown lighter and visibility gradually increased
0515 Hours - Hydrophones on Prinz Eugen detect ships port side and south-east. Information immediately signalled Admiral aboard Bismarck. Lookouts on both German ships ordered to scan horizon in that direction
0532 Hours - Germans change course to 220º maintaining a speed of 27 knots
0535 Hours - Lookouts in Prince of Wales visually sighted smoke and mast tops of the enemy vessels at a range of at least 38,000 yards (18.75nm/34.7km)
- Lookouts on Bismarck and Prinz Eugen sight smoke plumes from approaching British ships
0537 Hours - Enough of the ships can be seen to confirm they are the Germans. Prince of Wales transmits an enemy report at this time. Translated from code, it reads: "Emergency to Admiralty and C in C Home Fleet. One battleship and one heavy cruiser, bearing 335, distance 17 miles. My position 63-20 North, 31-50 West. My course 240. Speed 28 knots". Hood sights the Germans shortly thereafter
- Holland orders his vessels to turn 40º to starboard together. This puts vessels on a heading of 280º, and places the enemy fine off their starboard bows. The British ships are steaming at nearly 29 knots, with Prince of Wales roughly 800 yards/ 731.5 m off Hood’s starboard quarter
- British DDs approx 60km North pick up report and immediatly head South to battle area. Norfolk & Suffolk make no move to close battle
- Germans intercept PoWs enemy report
0541 Hours - Norfolk gets visible contact with the German squadron. Distance 15 nm (27,780 meters/30,393 yards) and issues report
0543 Hours - Hood transmits her enemy report
- Hood sighted by Germans and her enemy report is intercepted
0547 Hours - Alarm ordered on German ships. German crews prepare themselves and await orders. Admiral Lütjens orders an increase in speed of Bismarck
0549 Hours - Holland orders further turn of 20º towards the enemy. Range 24,000m (26,000yards). New course of 300º towards the enemy
0550 Hours - Holland gives order 'G.S.B. 337 L1' directing Hood and Prince of Wales to both engage the left hand German ship bearing 337º, which is presumed to be Bismarck. In reality, it is Prinz Eugen. Aboard Prince of Wales the mistake is quickly realised. Gunnery Officer, Lieutenant Commander Colin McMullen, correctly identifies the right-hand ship as Bismarck and orders her to be targeted
- Ranges are: Prinz Eugen to Norfolk is 26,000 meters (East), Suffolk is 30,000 meters (North) and Hood and Prince of Wales are 25,000 meters (Southeast)
0552 Hours - Range has decreased to (25,000 yards / 12.3 nm) 22,800m. The British vessels are now on a heading of 300º
0552 1/2 Hours - Holland informed by spotters that Bismarck is rear German ship. Orders GOB1 (Target Bismarck). Hood opens fire with forward 2 turrets still targetting lead ship (Prinz Eugen). First salvo lands near Prinz Eugen
0553 Hours - Prince of Wales opens fire on Bismarck. First salvo 1,500 yards long and aft of Bismarck
- Germans realize that British ships are infact capital ships and not cruisers (As assumed). Believe KGV Class ship is King George V, and horrified that the other ship is the famed and feared battle cruiser H.M.S. Hood, 'terror of their war games'
- From Bismarck, Admiral Lütjens issues report to Group North informing that he is engaged in battle on port side by Hood and King George V (In reality Prince of Wales)
- Ranges from Prinz Eugen to Norfolk is 25,000m (East), Suffolk is at 30,000m (North) and Hood and Prince of Wales are about 22,000m (Southeast)
0554 Hours - After two minutes of British shelling, Captain Lindemann has finally had enough. Due to Admiral Lütjens reluctance to open fire, he says "Ich lasse mir doch nicht mein Schiff unter dem Arsch wegschießen. Feuererlaubnis!" (I'm not letting my ship get shot out from under my arse. Open fire). JD (Jot Dora) flags raised in Bismarck's main mast giving the order "Permission to Fire"
- Prinz Eugen shoots first followed by Bismarck. Both vessels concentrated their fire on the lead British vessel, Hood
- Bismarck's first salvo falls to the front and starboard of Hood
- Holland orders 'Blue 2' (20º turn to port) hoisted, to open up their after gun arcs of fire
0555 Hours - Distance from Germans to Norfolk was 24,000m (East), Suffolk was 29,000m (North) and Hood and Prince of Wales was some 21,000m (Southeast)
0556 Hours - Bismarck gets a hit (1st) from Prince of Wales 6th salvo on the bow, oil starts to leak and sea water enters fuel deposits. Bismarck starts to leave an oil track behind her. Prinz Eugen fires 4 semi-salvos (A+B and C+D, A+B and C+D) at Hood. The second semi-salvo of the second salvo hits the Hood and draw first blood, causing fire on mid-ship aft
0557 Hours - Bismarck fires 2 semi-salvos (A+B and C+D) or the 3rd full salvo on Hood and this time hit the Hood. Port side 5.9" secondary guns on Bismarck open fire at Prince of Wales being at proper range, around 18,000 meters
- Prince of Wales fires her 9th salvo from 16,680 meters (18,250 yards) at Bismarck and hits the German battleship. PoW's secondary armament 5.25" starboard guns opened fire on Bismarck
0558 Hours - Admiral Lutjens orders Prinz Eugen to switch target from Hood to Prince of Wales
- Bismarck receives a second hit from Prince of Wales 9th salvo. The shell hit under waterline midship broke several compartments causing some flooding. Several compartments are damaged, generator and engines had problems and oil deposits were broken, a serious hit
- Hood hit by Bismarck. Fire develops midships close to the main tower
0559 Hours - Holland orders another 20º turn to port from 280° to 260°. This was the OTL 'Death turn'.
- The British RAF aircraft Sunderland Z/201 (Pilot Flight Ltnt R.J. Vaughn) passed above Hood and reported the 2 places on fire
0600 Hours - Bismarck receives 3rd hit from Prince of Wales 13th salvo. Damage occurred midship, small boat/catapult, then the shell went outboard
- RAF Sunderland Z/201 aircraft (Pilot Flight Ltnt R.J. Vaughn) now headed toward the German ships. Bismarck starts to shoot at the aircraft with her anti-aircraft guns
0601 Hours - Hood takes fatal hit to her aft 4" magazine during turn, which causes detonation of aft 15" magazine and sinks in 3 minutes with the loss of 1,415 souls. 3 Survivors.


So, after all of that, has anybody spotted any glaring errors in the chain of events? I hope not as it has taken a while to source things accuratly! lol ;)
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