Daily Post - 30.05.1941, Page 2

9

DAILT P9BT
New Details of Bismarck Battle.
LONDON, May 29th.
The final phase of the destruction of
th« Bismardk has now been desioribed in
an Admiralty communiqué. It appears that
the Gommander of the Home Fieet had
intended the two battleships “Rodney“and
“George V" to dose with the eaiemy. This
plan was abandoned owing to bad visi-
bjlity. i
At dawn on Tuesday morning the two
battleships opened fire and at 9 o’dloidk
“Bismarc!k’s“ guns had been silenoed- Then
the Dorsetshire was ordered to toírpedo
the Bismarck.
Over one hundred men and officers wtere
picked up.
On the day after enemy bombers made a
heavy attack on the British ships and one
destroyer was sturk. Most of her oepw'
w®re saved.
A Pilot’s Storjr ot Atlantio
Iicennter
The pursuit of the Bismarck was carried
out over a distanoe of 1750 miles, lasting
n»arly five days- Her piosition was niot
known fnom 3 a. m. on May 25 until
10,30 a. m. on May 26. During this period
the Royal Canadian Airforoe, with aincraft
of Newfoundland participated in the search,
as well as Ooastal Command and Fleet
Ararm oraft.
: No capital ship ever had sutch a briá"
caneer as the Bismahck.
A Catalina flyingboat which played a
part in the destructaon of the Bismapck
\vas built in the United Stated by the Gon-
solidated Aircraft Company. It is in ser-
vioe with the U. S. Airarm, and a number
have been flown over the Atlantio for ser-
vioe with the R. A. F.
Lord Haw Haw threw off his scoffing
•tyle when describing the loss of the Bis-
nwuwtt.
The great value of airoraft oarriers ín
the operations against the Bismarck has
been pointed out by the “Times“ naval
oorrespondent, who also mentions the value
of this arm in the battle of Cape Matapan.
Off the ooast of Greenland it was only
the aircraft from the Victorious which
Could overtake the fleeing Bismarck and
inflict on her damage which oontributed
to her final defeat. It might well have
been that she could have reaiched the refuge
of French occupied port, but for the damage
inflicted ion her by the Ark Royal’s striking
fonce while stiil 400 miles out in the At-
lantic. It was that which enablied first th«
Oossack’s flotiila and later Admiral Tovey’s
heavy ships to bring her into action, and
“oomplete the business.” ‘
Air Ministry stated that one of the n«w
Catalinas pilots, describing his experienioa,
when he was forced to leave oover neair
the Bismarck said: “It was the hottest fir«
I have ever been under. There was plentty
of ciouds and the weather was misty and
hazy. We had ducked into the clouds and
were trying to edge round the Bismarck.
Suddenly \ve came out of our particuiar
bloud and I found myself flying over th«
ship, which was only about 400 yards away.
I thought they had us. She put up th«
worst barrage I have ever seen. She seem-
ed to be one big flash from bow to stem,
and must have heen turning on us every-
thing she had."
“The Bismarck apparently thought w«
were going to bomb her, foir she turn«d
fully 90 degrees off her coUrse, when sh«
spotted Us- i
“I really don’t know ho'w) we managed
fco dodge all the stuff she trevr Up. It
was a ticklish moment and we were luiqky
fco get back into the cioud, but the Catalina
went lon flying throughout the operation
d«spit« holes in h«r hul'l. I had seveml