How the Bismarck Sank HMS Hood

[Jockster]

I got to see the programme too, thanks for the heads up Chewitt! Jockster.

[scotsfangman]

I watched a TV show some time ago with Ted Briggs being taken to the site. I remember ROV images of the wreck and that there didnt seem to be 2 bits that looked right, one of the talking heads who happened to be a retired Admirality salvage expert and his comment was that the damage was so massive that he doubted that anyone would ever be able to give a exact cause of the main explosion. Lol at least the aliens havent been blamed for her loss YET

[Dan B]

At the time HMS Hood exploded, the Prinz Eugen wasn't firing at her. The cruiser had been ordered earlier to shift fire to Prince of Wales, and she was taking fire from 8" shells when Bismarck's presumably-fatal salvo fell on Hood. Even while Prinz Eugen WAS firing at Hood, the 8" hit which started the boat-deck fire was from an HE (contact fused) shell, and not from an AP round, which would have plunged deeper and exploded inside (assuming it would not have been a "dud", which a fair number of German shells were, at the time).

The mystery involves what exactly caused that explosion...was it a hit by Prinz Eugen, directly?...NO; did the boat-deck fire cause a subsequent event that led directly to the explosion?...possibly, but not likely; Did a shell from Bismarck penetrate to a 15" magazine?...possibly, and more likely than the boat-deck fire; Did the explosion result from a 4" magazine going off, triggering a 15" magazine in turn?....again, possibly, and perhaps more likely than the boat-deck fire; Could the explosion have been caused by cordite exploding WITHOUT being initiated by a German shell hit, such as mis-handling of charges, or some other direct, non-enemy attributable event aboard Hood? These are important considerations, because a number of things do not add-up with regard to the circumstances surrounding Hood's loss.

A sophomoric "Lol at least the aliens havent been blamed..." is both peurile and inappropriate.

Edited January 26, 2013 by Dan B

[scotsfangman]

lol get a sense of humour dan. I lost a uncle that day on her

[AMD]

New book coming out,wonder if this will be better compared to the others. I suppose there's only so much you can write about the same subject

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bismarck-Hood-Denmark-Technical-Analysis/dp/1781552312/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1365075194&sr=8-15&keywords=denmark+strait

Was the doomed HMS Hood really sunk by a shell that penetrated her wooden decks to explode in one of her magazine compartments? Others believe that Bismarck's fortunate shell detonated in Hood's cordite supply - the powder that propelled 82-lbs shells some staggering 17,700 yards - suggesting that damage examined on the wreck indicates a more distinct explosion. Or was the Hood's destructive and violent demise a new, and until now, unexplained act of war?

Aliens?

Edited April 4, 2013 by AMD

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

New book coming out,wonder if this will be better compared to the others. I suppose there's only so much you can write about the same subject

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bismarck-Hood-Denmark-Technical-Analysis/dp/1781552312/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1365075194&sr=8-15&keywords=denmark+strait

Was the doomed HMS Hood really sunk by a shell that penetrated her wooden decks to explode in one of her magazine compartments? Others believe that Bismarck's fortunate shell detonated in Hood's cordite supply - the powder that propelled 82-lbs shells some staggering 17,700 yards - suggesting that damage examined on the wreck indicates a more distinct explosion. Or was the Hood's destructive and violent demise a new, and until now, unexplained act of war?

Aliens?

Which shells were 82lbs? Sounds about the right weight for one of Prince of Wales' 5.25inch shells.

thanks

Mike

[AMD]

Which shells were 82lbs? Sounds about the right weight for one of Prince of Wales' 5.25inch shells.

thanks

Mike

Hood's 5.5 inch were 82lbs but IIRC they were all removed by 1940??