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Post by Administrator on May 24, 2021 17:23:31 GMT
Remembering The Mighty HMS Hood and The Men Who Perished:On the 24th May 1941 the mighty Hood, a unique battlecruiser of her day, sank within 3 minutes. There were only 3 survivors – 1, 415 died on that day. LINK
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Post by Administrator on May 24, 2021 18:59:50 GMT
On This Day in 1941: Royal Navy battle cruiser HMS Hood was sunk by German battleships Bismark and Prinz Eugen in the Battle of Denmark Strait, leading to the deaths of 1,415 men. Three days earlier, HMS Hood (commanded by Vice Admiral Lancelot Holland) and HMS Prince of Wales had been ordered to leave Scapa Flow, Scotland, immediately and head for Iceland to intercept the German battleships as they attempted to break out into the Atlantic through the Denmark Straits. In the early morning of 24 May, and after losing contact temporarily with the Bismark, HMS Hood met the opposing battleships head-on, opening fire on the lead German ship which was mistakenly believed to be the Bismark. The Prinz Eugen and Bismarck concentrated their fire on HMS Hood, which continued to steam towards them. HMS Hood was hit first by an eight-inch shell from the Prinz Eugen which ignited ammunition stored on her deck, and then by a 15-inch shell from the Bismarck which hit her magazine amidships, causing a massive explosion and breaking HMS Hood in two. HMS Hood sank almost instantly. British destroyer escorts raced in to rescue the survivors but only three were found by HMS Electra. Three days later, the Bismark was sunk by Royal Navy battleships following a signal from Churchill stating that it ‘must be sunk at all costs’. The HMS Hood Association Memorial commemorates the 1,415 Officers and Ratings who died, and can be found in the Naval Review at the Arboretum. This year, the HMS Hood Association is asking people to choose a crewman from HMS Hood and to light a candle of remembrance for them. For more information:  National Memorial ArboretumLINK |
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