military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) (05/23/91)
From: military@att.att.com (Bill Thacker) Saturday, 24 May, 1941 HMS Hood and Prince of Wales intercept the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen and a battle ensues. After a brief duel, the Hood is hit and explodes, with the loss of all but three of her crew of 1416. The Prince of Wales, damaged and suffering from mechanical failures, withdraws and begins shadowing the Germans. The Bismarck is damaged in the fight, with one fuel tank holed and another contaminated, and Admiral Lutjens elects to make for France to effect repairs, and dispatchs the Prinz Eugen to conduct independent operations. A late evening attack by Swordfish from HMS Victorious scores one hit on the battleship, with little effect. The submarine HMS Upholder sinks the 18,000-ton Italian troopship Conte Rosso; 800 of its passengers drown. Germany continues to reinforce her Maleme position as Allied troops consolidate themselves near Galatas. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Bill Thacker military@att.att.com Send submissions for "50 Years Ago" to military-request@att.att.com "But let Britain be driven out of the Mediterranean and forced to adopt a freer sea strategy, with part of the fleet going to the British Isles and the bulk of it to Singapore, and Japan will then face the prospect of being squeezed between two powerful antagonists." - Admiral William V. Pratt, USN, Ret.