Monday, May 26
The Achilles’ Heel
A PBY Catalina in RAF service (Royal Air Force)
As Exercise Rhine entered its ninth day, the British were beginning to feel increasingly exposed. The risk of attacks by U-boats grew more severe with each passing minute, and accordingly Admiral Pound detached the 4th Destroyer Flotilla under Captain Philip Vian from the troop convoy they were escorting to join the Home Fleet as an anti-submarine screen. The addition of fast scout ships also would not hurt, in particular as the fuel reserves of the British fleet began to run low.
At 0345 a PBY from RAF Coastal Command took off from RAF Loch Erne, one of several that was to take part in the ongoing and increasingly frantic hunt for the Bismarck. In the pilot’s seat was RAF Flying Officer Dennis Briggs, with his copilot Ensign Leonard Smith, of the US Navy. Officially present to assist in training the British in the operation of the American built flying boats, he technically should not have present on an active search mission of this nature.
Royal Navy Swordfish torpedo bombers in flight (Royal Navy)
The PBYs would be joining swordfish operating from HMS Ark Royal, which along with Force H was closing on the Bismarck from the south, and had small flights airborne scouting the seas for the Germans. At 04030 an announcement came aboard the German battleship that soon they could expect aircraft of a more friendly variety:
“We have now passed three quarters of Ireland on our way to St. Nazaire. Around noon we will be in the U-Boats operational area and within range of German aircraft. We can count on the appearance of Condor planes after 1200”
This news greatly improved the morale of the sailors aboard, particularly following the dire announcement from Lutjens the day before. The weather also served to improve their spirits, as the gloomy sky and banks of fog promised good concealment from the prowling British warships. In further good news, at 0600 Prinz Eugen rendezvoused with the tanker Spichern, the enemy still unaware of her position, although the men of Bismarck did not know of this.
Swordfish over HMS Ark Royal (Royal Navy)
Almost four hours later, at 0945, the RAF PBYs reach their stations and begin to sweep the grey waters of the Atlantic for signs of the Bismarck. At 1010 Ensign Briggs, the American copilot of one of the planes spotted a large shape below, travelling alone. Knowing that British ships generally had escorts, he took the aircraft lower as the British pilot scrambled back into his seat after abandoning his breakfast. As they broke through the clouds low over the ship they encountered a fusilade of AA fire, punching a large hole in the bottom of the cockpit. They quickly banked away, reporting the position of the ship. The other British ships and aircraft narrowed their search areas accordingly.
A ladder leading to an anti-aircraft position aboard Bismarck (German Federal Archives)
Being spotted by a British plane was not the last of Admiral Lutjens’ woes this morning, as fifteen minutes later a message is received from command: due to poor weather the Luftwaffe is grounded. No air support will be forthcoming as they approach the coast. The icing on the proverbial cake came at 1130, when a swordfish from Ark Royal spotted the battleship.
Realizing from this report, Admiral Somerville knows the Bismarck is close to Force H, and hopes to engage the German with the HMS Renown, but his hopes are dashed as the orders come down to only do so if Admiral Tovey’s battleships from the Home Fleet are present to support him. Instead, he sets about preparing a carrier airstrike on the Bismarck.
Swordfish aircrew from HMS Ark Royal in warmer Mediterranean waters (Royal Navy)
At 1450, despite the terrible conditions, a flight of fifteen swordfish torpedo bombers take off from the decks of Ark Royal as they heave from the ten foot swells, with a high crosswind threatening to crash the planes. A half hour later Admiral Somerville detaches the cruiser HMS Sheffield from his force, ordering it to move to shadow the Bismarck.
The HMS Sheffield negotiates heavy seas (Royal Navy)
Unaware of the detachment of the cruiser, the swordfish launched from Ark Royal in the morning approached the ship they had spotted on radar as they neared the last reported position of Bismarck. They formed up and broke to attack from several directions, making a textbook torpedo run on the ship from multiple directions. Complete surprise had been achieved, it seemed, as the ship offered no flak during their runs. Something was amiss, and soon the pilots realized their horrible mistake, as the smaller, two funneled silhouette revealed her to be the Sheffield. Twelve of the swordfish deployed their torpedoes, forcing the cruiser to engage in evasive maneuvers, although none struck. The swordfish returned to their carrier, where the flight leader, Lieutenant Commander Stewart-Moore vented his frustrations.
“It was a perfect attack. Right height, right range, right cloud cover, right speed and the wrong fucking ship!”
At 1740 the Bismarck also sighted the Sheffield, another sign of rapidly failing fortunes. At 1903 he radios to OKM that his fuel situation is growing critical. The odds against Bismarck continue to steadily lengthen. In a twist of fate, the U-556, which had been commissioned close to Bismarck and had declared that they would always be at the side of her “big brother” found herself in a perfect position to attack the Ark Royal, but, caught on the return to base in France, had spent her last torpedoes on stragglers from a convoy days prior. Her captain, moved the submarine toward the battleship, helpless to stop the attacks on the flagship. U-48, however, reports to Bismarck that she is inbound and will soon engage the Sheffield.
A swordfish approaches to land on Ark Royal (Royal Navy)
Aboard Ark Royal the swordfish had landed at 1720, and at 1910 they took off once again to attempt to engage the Bismarck. 45 minutes later, the swordfish again sighted the Sheffield, but this time they correctly identified her and used her to vector their attacks on the German battleship. At 2030 the Germans open fire on the Sheffield through a gap in the fog, in turn sighting and engaging the oncoming swordfish. As shrapnel from the shells kill three sailors aboard the cruiser, the torpedo bombers move to attack.
As the swordfish attack in five subflights of three aircraft each, circling the battleship to attack from all angles. The AA batteries on the Bismarck open up in full once again, joined by the main batteries which once again fire into the water to attempt to catch the planes in deadly geysers, as well as to possibly deflect incoming torpedoes. Of the fifteen launched, three found their mark, hitting amidships and astern. Badly damaged, all the swordfish manage to make it home in the gathering darkness and land on the carrier, although several have to be pushed overboard due to the severity of the damage sustained.
The Bismarck’s rudders while in drydock (German Federal Archives)
The hit to the Bismarck’s stern caused significant damage, temporarily disabling the battleship’s engines and destroying her steering gear. The twin rudders of the massive ship were jammed, forcing the ship into a wide port turn. Attempts to repair the steering gear fail, as the heavy seas prevent divers from reaching the systems, and attempts to simply uncouple the rudders likewise fail, as the explosion has jammed them. Attempts to steer with the engines also fail. Admiral Lutjens reports to OKM that the ship is no longer maneuverable.
“Ship unable to maneuver. We will fight to the last shell. Long live the Fuhrer.”
Meanwhile, the situation was looking grim for the British. Admiral Tovey had reported to the Admiralty at 2100 that due to running low on fuel the Home Fleet would have to turn back unless the speed of the Bismarck was reduced. The air attack was well received, but it was nothing to what was to come; a report from an observation plane from the Ark Royal that Bismarck had adjusted course to sail due east. A confusing decision, but seven minutes later he seems to have changed to northerly course, directly for Tovey’s ships. As the reports keep coming in, it becomes apparent to the British that Bismarck is steering in circles. Admiral Tovey orders his ships to sail to engage the German battleship.
At 2140 the Bismarck again fires at Sheffield, disabling her radar, but the British no longer have need of a tailing ship. At 2142 Tovey’s ships begin moving to engage Bismarck at dawn. At 2330 the Polish destroyer ORP Piorun sighted the crippled battleship and stormed ahead of the rest of Captain Vian’s flotilla, engaging the Bismarck with her light guns and signaling “I am a Pole” as they commenced firing. The Polish destroyer exchanged fire with the battleship for an hour before finally pulling away as the Bismarck bracketed her. Meanwhile, as midnight comes, Vian moves to commence a torpedo run on the Bismarck with his remaining destroyers.
Bismarck’s steering gear is disabled, forcing the German ship to turn in circles
Force H approaches Bismarck from the south
Captain Vian’s destroyers engage Bismarck from the north after the air attack
Admiral Tovey and the Home Fleet steam southeast to engage Bismarck at dawn
Prince of Wales and Victorious set course for Iceland to refuel
U-556 shadows Force H