Bismarck Sinks: Germany's Mighty Battleship Lost at Sea
Royal Navy warships cornered the German battleship Bismarck on May 27, 1941, after a three-day chase across the North Atlantic. The Bismarck had sunk HMS Hood, the pride of the British fleet, two days earlier with a single salvo that hit the magazine and killed 1,415 of 1,418 crew. A lucky torpedo hit from a Swordfish biplane jammed the Bismarck's rudder, leaving her sailing in circles. The next morning, HMS King George V and HMS Rodney pounded the Bismarck with over 700 shells at close range. After an hour, the ship was a burning wreck but refused to sink; the crew opened the sea cocks to scuttle her. Of 2,221 crew, only 114 survived. The Royal Navy picked up survivors from the water but stopped when a U-boat alarm forced the rescue ships to leave. Hitler never risked his remaining capital ships in the open Atlantic again.
May 27, 1941
85 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on May 27
Simeon ruled Bulgaria for thirty-four years and died in bed—a rarity for medieval emperors who usually met swords or poison. He'd forced Byzantium to pay him tr…
Tsar Simeon the Great died of heart failure, leaving behind a Bulgarian Empire that stretched from the Adriatic to the Black Sea. His death triggered a rapid de…
The Bulgarian army didn't just lose—they evaporated. King Tomislav's Croatian forces caught them in the Bosnian highlands, and what should've been a pitched bat…
The Jewish community of Mainz paid the bishop protection money to shelter them in his palace. Didn't matter. Count Emicho's crusaders broke through the walls on…
Richard III of Capua received his anointing as Prince of Capua on his deathbed, two weeks before pneumonia killed him. He was nine years old. His father had die…
Malcolm IV inherited Scotland at twelve years old, making him one of Europe's youngest reigning monarchs. His grandfather David I had just died, leaving the boy…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.