80 years ago May 24, 1941– HMS Battleship Hood sinks by Kaye Spencer #prairierosepubs #sinkthebismarck #classiccountry

Classic country music singer Johnny Horton had a Top 10 song in 1960 called Sink the Bismarck. The song is a ‘novelty’ song, and it was inspired by the movie of the same name, which was also released in 1960. The movie was based on the 1959 book by C. S. Forester, The Last Nine Days of the Bismarck. The song was not included in the movie, but it was used in the U.S. movie trailers.

(Side Note: C. S. Forester wrote The African Queen.)

Johnny Horton
April 30,1925 - November 5, 1960
Image License: Fair Use

There were production concerns for the song because it was feared the history/story of the Bismarck was too obscure in the U.S. to be a success. That issue didn't materialize, because the song reached No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles, and No. 1 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles.

So, what does the song Sink the Bismarck have to do with the sinking of the British battleship Hood?

A brief explanation:

Coming into World War II, the Bismarck was one of two ‘Bismarck-class’ battleships. Her sister ship was the Tirpitz. They were named for the German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. At the time, these two ships were Germany’s largest battleships with all the bells and whistles that made them coveted by the world’s navies, even while still in blueprint status.

The HMS Hood, an Admiral-class battlecruiser, launched in 1918 and was Britain’s largest battle cruiser. According to Wikipedia, it was the lead ship of her class of four battlecruisers built for the Royal Navy during World War I. 

The outbreak of World War II in September 1939 interrupted the Hood's planned rebuilding to outfit her with the latest technology. She was brought back into service without the upgrades, which made her vulnerable.

The Bismarck was a battleship to be reckoned with. It was part of the German Operation Rheinübung, which was a plan to block merchant shipping to the United Kingdom. If Germany could successfully set up a blockade to prevent ships from reaching the UK with the food, supplies, and essentials they needed, then Germany reasoned the British Empire would negotiate a surrender, so to speak, and Germany would then control Western Europe.

Consequently, British cruisers were on the lookout for the Bismarck. She was spotted in the North Atlantic. In the ensuing engagement in the Battle of the Denmark Strait, the HMS Hood was sunk, taking 1500 crew with her. Only three of the crew survived.

The Bismarck sailed for the French coast with a seriously damaged fuel tank. Three days later, British war ships caught up with the Bismarck and torpedoes finished her off. Among the casualties was Admiral Lutjen.

Operation Rheinübung was abandoned after which Germany depended upon the U-boat for sea warfare. 

Investigations into why the Hood sank so quickly turned up differing theories.

1. aft magazine had exploded after one of Bismarck's shells penetrated the ship's armor.

2. explosion of the ship's torpedoes

3. accidental explosion inside one of the ship's gun turrets that reached down into the magazine

The remains of the Hood were discovered in 2001. It is generally accepted that the magazine explosion was the cause, however, the reason the magazines detonated can't be determined, because that area of the ship was destroyed in the explosion.

Here is this World War II sea battle immortalized in song by Johnny Horton.

Sink the Bismarck

This is the YouTube link if the video doesn’t appear on your device. https://youtu.be/M1Ufc2hI4FM

 

Until next time,
Kaye Spencer

Writing through history one romance upon a time

 

Digital | Print | KindleUnlimited

 Additional References:

This Day in History - Bismarck sinks the Hood 
Sink the Bismarck song 
Operation Rheinübung 

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