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The culmination of an episode during the Second World War, when the battleship 'Bismarck' was running for shelter in the occupied French port of Brest. She and the heavy cruiser 'Prinz Eugen' had sailed from Kiel on 18 May 1941, aiming to break into the Atlantic and threaten British convoys, but an air sighting as they refuelled near Bergen led to a massive naval and air operation to prevent this. They were next spotted in the Denmark Strait, and were engaged there on 24 May by the battle-cruiser 'Hood' and the untried battleship 'Prince of Wales'. The former blew up with the loss of all but three men when a shell from 'Bismarck' penetrated a forward magazine: the latter was damaged. 'Bismarck' herself was hit and, critically, lost access to 1,000 tons of fuel oil stored in a forward tank.
On the 25th the German ships separated, and 'Bismarck' ran for the shelter of Brest to remedy her fuel problem. Resighted by the British early on the 26th she was attacked that evening by Swordfish from the carrier 'Ark Royal'. Fifteen aircraft took off at 7.10pm in atrocious weather. Three torpedoes hit, with one jamming 'Bismarck's' rudders over and condemning her to circle at no more than seven knots. About 8.45am on the 27th, Admiral Sir John Tovey, commanding elements of the Home Fleet from the flagship 'King George V', opened fire. By 9.31am 'Bismarck' was no longer firing and by 10.15am she was a burning wreck. Short of fuel, Tovey then turned for home, ordering the cruiser 'Dorsetshire' to finish her off with torpedoes. A false U-boat sighting after 'Bismarck' sank curtailed the rescue of survivors: only 110 and the ship's cat were saved.
In the painting 'Bismarck' is shown listing to port. There is a huge hole in her fo'c'sle from which flames and smoke are pouring.
Title
The Sinking of the 'Bismarck', 27 May 1941
Date
c.1941
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 63.5 x W 76.2 cm
Accession number
BHC0679
Work type
Painting
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