"Robert Green" wrote in
:

"Han" wrote in message
...
harry wrote in news:e23006f4-6e3d-4083-928e-
:

The Bismarck was sunk on
it's maiden voyage less than three months after launching

The Bismarck was scuttled by her crew after a torpedo hit by a lucky
WWI Swordfish plane jammed her rudder (and other damage from a
prolonged battle).

True, but by the time she was scuttled, she was beyond repair, was no
longer seaworthy and was being abandoned.

Did the Dorsetshire's torpedoes sink or her or did the scuttling crew?
The Bismarck with its jammed and unfixable rudder was alreadly
defeated and would not be able to make safe haven so I am willing to
give the credit to the Brits on this one. They certainly paid for the
victory in blood when the HMS Hood was sunk. IIRC, the Ballard
expedition did find that the inner hull remained intact and that the
"torpedo bulges" had indeed absorbed much of the torpedo blast so it
seems likely opening the seacocks sank her. At least that's what the
German survivors claim. Still, they wouldn't be opening any seacocks
unless they were dead already. It's sort of like jumping out of 10th
story window and then shooting yourself on the way down. Cause of
death: largely irrelevant. (-:

If there was ever anything that convinced me of the utter futility of
war it was the reunion of the survivors of the Bismarck and the
British sailors involved in the battle. It was so heartbreaking to
see all those men in their 70's and 80's weeping for the men lost on
both sides of the battle. The grief was still fresh and enormous, over
50 years later. Sadly I don't think we've seen the end of the sinking
of huge naval ships. Or war.

--
Bobby G.

Agreed!!
Possibly the scuttling was to prevent German technology from falling into
Allied hands.

--
Best regards
Han
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