May 24, 1941

HMS Hood

Battlecruiser

48,360

UK

Only 3 survivors

Aug. 20, 1940

May 27, 1941

Kapitän zur See Ernst Lindemann

Christened by Dorothea von Loewenfeld, granddaughter of Otto von Bismarck.

Bismarck departed Hamburg for the Baltic Sea for trials.

Arrived at Kiel.

Departed Kiel and arrived at Gotenhafen (Gdynia) Poland.

Sea trials in the Baltic Sea.

Departs Baltic area for final fitting out.

Arrives at Blohm & Voss in Hamburg.

Final fitting out completed, 8 x 4.1" guns added. While Bismarck is ready by Jan. 24,
a sunken ship blocks her departure and Bismarck is held up at Blohm & Voss until
March 6.

Arrives at Kiel and takes on supplies and the ship is painted with a camouflage pattern.

Departs Kiel and arrives in Gotenhafen (Gdynia) Poland. Through April Bismarck
continues to conduct trials in he Baltic.

Adolf Hitler inspected both Bismarck and Tirpitz at Gotenhafen (Gdynia) Poland.
With Hitler is Admiral Lütjens.

Admiral Günther Lütjens and his staff arrive on the Bismarck.
Bismarck takes part in two exercises before deployment.

Bismarck makes a six hour maneuver with the Tirpitz, the only time the two ships
ever operated together.

Bismarck and Prinz Eugen depart Gotenhafen (Gdynia) occupied Poland for Operation Rheinübung.

Bismarck is sighted by the Swedish cruiser Gotland and her movement is reported.

Arrived at Grimstadfjord near Bergen, Norway. While there Bismarck is photographed
by RAF Flying Officer Michael Suckling. Later in the evening Bismarck and Prinz Eugen
depart for the Denmark Strait.

Bismarck and Prinz Eugen are sighted by HMS Norfolk and HMS Suffolk. Bismarck
fires five salvos at Norfolk, but scores no hits. The concussion of Bismarck's guns
damaged the radar and Bismarck had to drop behind Prinz Eugen. Bismarck then
made an attempt to engage Suffolk, but Suffolk picked up Bismarck making a turn
on her radar and was able to out run the Bismarck.

Battle of the Denmark Strait, engaged HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Hood,
HMS Norfolk and HMS Suffolk.
HMS Hood is sunk HMS Prince of Wales damaged.
Bismarck damaged by shell fire from HMS Prince of Wales (3 hits).
Later in the evening Bismarck is attacked by Swordfish torpedo aircraft from
HMS Victorious and hit amidships starboard side. While the ship was not damaged
one man inside the Bismarck is killed by falling off a catwalk caused by the
concussion of the torpedo.

Attacked by Swordfish torpedo aircraft, no hits.
Bismarck and Prinz Eugen separate.
British loose contact with Bismarck. However late in the evening Admiral Lütjens
sends a long radio message to Berlin. The message is heard by the British and her
position is given away.

Bismarck is located by a Catalina flying boat and later attacked by Swordfish
aircraft from HMS Ark Royal, receiving 2 hits. One amidships and one in the rudder,
jamming it while Bismarck was making a turn, this left Bismarck unable to maneuver
and running in a circle.
Later in the day Bismarck is attacked by Polish destroyer ORP Piorun G-65 but,
the attack is successfully driven off.
Bismarck is attacked again by HMS Cossack F-03, HMS Maori F-24, HMS Zulu F-18,
HMS Sikh F-82 and ORP Piorun G-65. Once again the attack is driven off.

Bismarck is sunk in action with HMS King George V, HMS Rodney, HMS Norfolk
and HMS Dorsetshire.
Bismarck's crew set scuttling charges and opened the valves to scuttle the ship to avoid capture.

HMS Dorsetshire picked up 86survivors but 1 died of his wounds on board.
HMS Maori F-24 picked up 25 survivors.
U-74 picked up 3 survivors
Sachsenwald (German weather ship) picked up 2 survivors.

2,106 of Bismarck's crew were killed in action
Crew list (off site link)