The secrets of the infamous “unsinkable” battleship of Nazi Germany during World War II have finally been unveiled after more than seven decades since its discovery.
The wreckage of the Bismarck, identified by retired US Navy officer Robert Ballard three decades ago, has recently yielded astonishing revelations, as depicted in a National Geographic documentary series.
Avery Brooks, a writer for National Geographic, elucidates: “When operational, the Bismarck was the largest warship of Nazi Germany, manned by over 2,000 crew members and armed with eight 380mm guns capable of firing nearly a ton of shells at a range of 38 kilometers.”
The Bismarck’s initial mission was to destroy British convoys in the North Atlantic.
On May 24, 1941, the HMS Hood, pride of the Royal Navy, launched an attack on the Bismarck. However, the entire crew of 1,418 aboard the HMS Hood perished, except for three individuals.
The loss of this iconic British warship deeply troubled Prime Minister Churchill, prompting him to order the sinking of the Bismarck.
Over 50 British warships pursued the Bismarck, and the vessel was hit three times and sank to a depth of nearly 5,000 meters.
The Final Battle
The documentary series further reveals breakthroughs in technology that have shed new light on the final battle of the ship.
Brooks continues: “If we could drain the ocean, would we see what truly sank the ‘unsinkable’ ship? Today, state-of-the-art underwater survey technology allows us to do just that. Billions of liters of seawater vanish to unveil long-hidden secrets, exposing the sunken wreck of the Bismarck on the ocean floor.”
“Seeing the ship, one astounding question arises: Did the British sink the ship, or did the Germans scuttle their own battleship?”
Brooks recounts the Bismarck’s final moments.
On May 26, 1941, the British intensified their search for the Bismarck, and eventually, aircraft from the HMS Ark Royal aircraft carrier targeted the ship with torpedoes. One of the Bismarck’s two rudders was jammed, rendering the steering equipment useless, while the other was completely blown off.
However, a technological breakthrough has brought a paradigm shift to the narrative. Brooks adds: “For the first time in over 70 years, everyone can see the damage sustained by the Bismarck. The relentless bombardment by the British destroyed guns and crew. But if the Bismarck had only been sunk by British shells, the water would flood the areas they attacked, intact sections would collapse under pressure, and the hull would be crushed.”
“However, data-based images reveal that the Bismarck was not crushed, and meticulous examinations indicate that the destructive power of the torpedoes weakened some sections of the hull, but the crew deliberately allowed water to flow in.”
The revelation suggests that the crew of the Bismarck deliberately scuttled the battleship to prevent it from falling into British hands and to limit further casualties.
However, most experts concur that the damage sustained in the final battle was the primary cause of the German battleship’s sinking.
