Sink the Bismarck! by Dr. Ed Gordon

The clash and subsequent sinking of two behemoth ships, the HMS Hood and the German battleship Bismarck, in May 1941 had decisive consequences for the future of naval warfare in World War II. At the Battle of the Denmark Strait on May 24, 1941, gunfire from the Bismarck rapidly sunk the HMS Hood, long the pride of the British Navy, inflicting a severe blow to British morale. Just three days later, the Bismarck which had suffered damage during the battle was sunk by British naval forces. This heralded the end of the battleship era, highlighted the importance of naval aviation, and led to a dramatic shift in German naval strategy. Presenter Dr. Gordon will show how winning the Battle of the North Atlantic was critical to the Allied war effort. It kept supply lines open enabling Britain to repel the threat of Nazi invasion and to amass the manpower and materials needed to launch the Normandy invasion that substantially contributed to Germany’s defeat.

Presenter: Dr. Edward Gordon