The destruction of the Bismarck

The destruction of the Bismarck - David J.Bercuson

IN "The Destruction of the Bismarck, noted historians Holger Herwig and David Bercuson make use of recently opened archives and the most up-to-date research to tell the dramatic story of one of the most extraordinary turning points of the Second World War--the pursuit and sinking of the German battleship "Bismarck. Finally, here is the full story of the sinking of the "Bismarck, from the key strategic decisions of the national leaders, to the gripping hour-by-hour account of the battle. This is history of the best sort, vivid and authoritative. Late in the morning of May 27th, 1941, the German battleship "Bismarck was sunk by an overwhelming British armada in a fierce battle that lasted ninety minutes: 2,206 men of her crew were lost; only 115 survived. Five days earlier, an RAF reconnaissance plane flying low off the coast of Norway spotted four large war-ships in the sea below. At 32,000 tons apiece, the sight of the sight of the 42,000-ton sister ships--the pride of the German navy--"Bismarck and "Tirpitz. Ships shrouded in myth, the were awe-some and mysterious behemoths of destruction and their purpose in these waters was obvious and chilling. The German navy was sending this powerful four-battleship task force to seize control of the North Atlantic sea lanes. The fate of Britain and the United States--the fate of the free world--hung in the balance as the German flotilla made for the open seas. All knew that the destruction of the "Bismarck, and the menace she symbolized, would be a dramatic turning point in the war