24/05/2026
Eighty-five years ago today... At dawn on the 24th of May 1941 one of the most significant naval battles of WWII was fought over a period of four days commencing with an initial engagement between Bismarck and Prince Prinz Eugen of the German Navy and HMS Hood and the Prince of Wales.
Hood blew up following the 5th salvo from Bismarck. Prince of Wales was struck by seven shells and obliged to retire. Bismark although struck by only three shells was also severely damaged causing a list to starboard and flooding in the bow section.
Over the following two days the aircraft carriers HMS Victorious and Ark Royal launched Swordfish torpedo aircraft achieving a total of four hits which critically disabled Bismarck.
This is the subject of Geoffrey Huband's dramatic painting in oil on canvas - "Winged Es**rt"
On the 27th of May at 08.47 hours HMS King George V and HMS Rodney together with the cruisers Norfolk and Suffolk engaged Bismarck, ultimately at a range of only three to four thousand yards. Two hours later Bismarck sank. Only 116 of her crew survived.
This Painting is available for sale at artmarine.co.uk