THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 31, 1941.
AMAZING END OF "BISMARCK" Crew Swarm On Sinking Ship's Hull Eye-Witness Story Of Dramatic 'Kill' Of Battleship
EIGHT OR NINE TORPEDOES HIT THE GERMAN BATTLE- SHIP BISMARCK BEFORE SHE FINALLY HEELED OVER, WITH HER CREW SWARMING LIKE BLACK DOTS OVER THE HULL. THIS WAS RELATED IN LONDON YESTERDAY BY OFFICERS AND MEN WHO TOOK PART IN THE "KILL.”
LITTLE HOPE FOR THE EXILE OF DOORN
The possibility of the
the recovery of Ex-Kaiser, who is suf- fering from a serious cold and intestinal ailments, is doubted in circles close to the former Emperor, says a Berlin despatch to the "New York Times." quoted by Reuter.
Lesson For The Germans
"
"The enemy fought with great bravery,” 'Apparently, one of these men declared. even to the last, the German officers and men all believed the Bismarck actually was unsinkable and they were hoping for relief from the land, having been told that 200 'planes had been sent to their assistance.
"While survivors were being picked up a warning was received that submarines might be in the vicinity and the British vessels moved
on.
"Bismarck gave no sign of surrendering and kept her battle colours flying to the end, and until her guns were put out of action she replied for some time to the British salvoes with the whole of her armament.“
It
now
were
Another London hospital vas damaged in another attempt
The attempt was follod, how. by Nazi raiders to fire London.
fire-watchers, who extin- ever, by the prompt action of the guished the Incendiaries before they could obtain a hold. There no casualties among the patients of the hospital which Photo later
was eet on fire as well as hit by a high explosivo. that ed fire and two minutes revealed
of the damaged is
George V
thows members of the staff inspecting part H.M.S. Hood blew up two min-, the battleship King
hospital. Also simultane-
(Copyright, Fox). did the same. utes after being hit.
in ously the Bismarck returned the An officer who look part the Battle
in fire. of Greenland. which Hood was sunk, said the Bismarck was first sighted the Denmark Strait on May 23, at about 7.30 p.m.
Night Chase
121
Yawing From
Side To Side
"Our first view of her gave that she was the impression
"It was રા most Inconvenient hardly under control and steer- time as I was about to have mying very wildly.
dinner," he commented.
She appeared
or
to be going about 12 knots
R.A.F.
CONTINUE
SYRIA BOMBING
YESTERDAY'S R.A.F. Middle East com-
With the Bismarck was the so on an even keel and was yaw-munique stated that in the Mediterranean,
The ing from side to side.
cruiser Prince Eugen.
BİX
weather was fairly thick and visibility was limited to or seven miles. "All the time
visibility
was
NO BUT
SHE MADE
IT ABOUT STRAIGHT TOWARDS US. HEP
attacked the
German- BONES R.A.F. bombers CAME occupied island of Scarpanto during the night FIRST SALVO FELL ABOUT of May 28 and 29, a large number of bombs SECOND STRADDLED US AND falling on the landing grounds causing a big One explosion threw HER THIRD, OWING TO MEA fire and explosions. SURES WE THOUGHT NECES- SARY TO TAKE, FELL OVER" flames 600 feet high. throughout the night, which never
danger
of 1,000
Yotes Stilling, of the low and there was
running into the enemy at close declares range." United Press, that the sinking of the The enemy was kept in sight great new German battle-really became dark.
"Soon after 5 a.m. on May 24 ship Bismarck by com- smoke was seen by one of our bined British naval forces cruisers (Norfolk) and she knew one of the ships was Hood, which intercept the was a triumph of organi- was expected to sation, experience ability.
and
enemy.
End Of Hood "VERY SOON HOOD OPENED; The fact that the Bismarck.FIRE, FOLLOWED BY THE BIS- MARCK AND PRINCE OF was able last Saturday to sink
WALES. IN A SHORT TIME the great British battle-cruiser
HOOD WAS HIT AND FIRE Hood, lent drama to the action BROKE OUT. TWO MINUTES but did not essentially
LATER SHE BLEW UP. change the decision, which is a British victory.
"Prince of Wales continued the to was compelled action but
The turn away.
enemy reduced to about 24 knots altered course south."
was
The
YARDS SHORT. HER
the officer said that in ensuing fight the Bismarck at one time closed range sc rapidly that it approached to 10,000 yards in in about eight (minutes.
bombed were both fained patrols throughout the day and machine-gunned.
in Libya, a large enemy form- advancing our
ation raided Tobruk on Thursday, four being shot. down by A.A. fire
In Iraq. R.A.F. fighters main-1 and Di Ya
support of
Oops.
"All our guns were bearing on the enemy, ahd during the next] Three Italian machines were in- and several others being damaged. quarter of an hour he took very 'tercepted by RAF. reconnaissance severe punishment. One ship fired, aircraft near Khan Nahkta, que from one angle and another from of the enemy machines being shot
down. another direction.
Enemy Fire Inaccurate
"His fore turret was soon out
However
Deir Ez Zor, in Syria, .was Buccessfully attacked.
The communique also reports
Transport
and
From all operations five British aircraft failed to return-Reuter.
BANNS MAY HELP ENEMY, BANNED
of action and a large fire broke out amidships but was quickly the harassing of Italian forces in Eubdued.
often the the region of Jimma, Abyssinia, 'planes, direct Bismarck was hit there was by South African
on a road
WHEN A SOLDIER AND HIS never any sign of a large rend-hits being made
THE PUT UP ing and
BRIDE-TO-BE explosion suoh As would buildings being set afire.
north vehicles
of BANNS THEY MAY UNWIT- -- From
viewpoint the German
have caused the ship to sink. "She continued to move
GIVE INFORMATION at Alghe were destroyed, and in the TINGLY action the problem before the
about 12 knots, and after the first Gondar area the forts of Azomo OF VALUE TO THE ENEMY. started was to establish whether "Enemy In Sight"
33 minutes ОГ БО her. fire was We a ship of the Bismarck's size,
of the intermittent and inaccurate. speed und gunpower .could
Bismarck, blasted by gunfire did not receive one direct hit.
"The enemy made no action to break the British blockade, reach and torpedoes from British war- the high scas, raid the Canadian ships, was described by officers. surrender and we closed. to 4,000 and British merchantship lanes of the ships which followed the yards, firing our guns and tor
pedoes. One torpedo scored a hit chase to the final stage. and get back to port.
amidships.
The last half
hour
other officer.
A War Office warning to chur- ches points out that proclama- of banns and marriage being followed by a sharp explo- tions
registers may, give such informa- The extraordinary sogne which tion and that it is essential to sion. followed was described by an- take immediate steps to prevent
its disclosure. "SUDDENLY, ALL OVER THE
The Registrar-General, there- firing with guns and torpedoes HULL, WE COULD SEE A NUM- and the battleship King George V BER OF BLACK DOTS HUN-fore, has issued instructions that a soldier's unit must no longer, be with guns. The position of the DREDS OF THEM IT SEEMED en-
THEY WERE HUMAN BEINGS recorded, and that only the name MAKING A LAST EFFORT TO of the town in which he is station- enemy was unenviable.
ed should be given as his address. AVOID DEATH.
a
In the words of one eya. The Blamarok did reach the witness "the enemy fought with northern ship lanes but ahe great, bravery but he had
hopeless proposition." was destroyed probably be. fore she has done much dam- An officer spoke of the age other than winking Hood. thusiasm among the entire ship's Hence it was a British vic: company aboard his vessel when the words "enemy in sight" were tory.
passed to all quarters after
"The cruiser Norfolk was also
"THE BRITISH WARSHIPS CLOSED IN, RAINING SHELLS the ON THE DOOMED VESSEL"
For if the Bismarck could long chase which terminated at || Extraordinary Scene
Hot succeed there is no reason dawn on May 27.
unpleasant.
"As the vessel heeled over fur- ther the dots crawled along the hull, anywhere out of reach of the water.
The vessel took the plunge and sank stern foremost while dots were for a time seen on the face This officer estimated there of the water"
Reuter were over 2,000, men aboard the
to think that other powerful The weather was
After this pounding · hạd con- German, units would fare better. It was blowing hard in squalls
and with frequent rain showers tinued for some time the cruiser I imagine the Germans have when, with the approach of Dorsetshire, which had closed in learned a lesson from this ac- light, the Bismarck was reported to about two miles, asked permis-
That. lesson is that the sighted at a range of 18 miles,sion to fire torpedogs. British Navy, still controls the Very shortly afterwards," Three, torpedogs struck, the Bis AtlanticR
I continued this officer, "we open-l marck, the first below, the bridge: Bismarck.
tion.
_AIR_CHIEF'S SON KILLED
Pilot-Officer M. F. B. Halahan, son of Alr Vice Marshal F. C. fying accident, Halahan, has been killed in a