Hello wadinga.
I have looked at the Map in detail and see the points you are making. I have identified the source of the Map,
The Pursuit: The Chase and Sinking of the Bismarck, Ludovic Kennedy, and am working on adapting it to provide a speculative time (circa 0900 TBC) and ship locations for this hypothetical engagement.
In the meantime please consider the following.
At 1000 hours [25 May] in approximate position 54N, 36W REPULSE, who was short of fuel, detached for Conception Bay, Newfoundland. Because of shortage of fuel REPULSE could only steam at 8 to 10 knots.
https://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chron ... epulse.htm
Admiral Tovey’s Despatch/Report shows that on 25 May 1941, at 0800,
KGV and
Repulse were at 54° 00'N., 35° 02' W.
Approx. 799NM from Conception Bay, Canada (47.50°N, 52.99°W), and approx. 891NM from Waterville, Ballinskelligs Bay, Southeast Eire (51.82°N, 10.17°W).
The distance between where HMS
Repulse was eventually detached (approx. 54.00° 00'N, 36.00°W) and Conception Bay, Canada (47.50°N, 52.99° W) where it refuelled is approx. 751MN.
The distance between where HMS
Repulse was eventually detached (approx. 54.00° 00'N, 36.00°W) and Ballinskelligs Bay, Southwest Eire, (51.82°N, 10.17°W) is approx. 939NM.
In going West, HMS
Repulse entered the Pan-American Security Zone, declared by the USA in October 1939, which had been extended to the meridian 26° West on 18 April 1941. At this time few German U-Boats operated in this Zone. Consequently, it was relatively safe for HMS
Repulse to steam at 8 to 10 knots.
I respectfully submit that HMS
Repulse would not have gone east and returned to the UK or Eire to refuel. It would have been extremely risky travelling at such a slow speed, not zigzagging, through an Ocean in which it was known that U-Boats were operating in. Dare I say, a suicide mission.
At best HMS
Repulse might have gone to Iceland with the distance between its detached position (approx. 54.00° 00'N, 36.00°W) and Reykjavík, Iceland (64.13°N, 21.83°W), being approx. 744NM. But, again, travelling at a slow speed, and at greater risk than going to Conception Bay, Canada.
https://www.omnicalculator.com/other/la ... e-distance
Consequently, I conclude that the ‘tinclad
Repulse’ can be ruled out of participating in this hypothetical encounter battle. However, I will place it on the Map in the event it does participate in the hypothetical encounter battle and subsequently gets towed back to port.
Kind regards, Michael L.