"How the Bismarck sank HMS Hood"

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paulcadogan
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"How the Bismarck sank HMS Hood"

Post by paulcadogan »

New documentary for broadcast on Channel 4 in he UK on Sunday 9th December:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/how- ... k-hms-hood

For those able to watch, please give us feedback!
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RF
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Re: "How the Bismarck sank HMS Hood"

Post by RF »

I believe that this is a repeat of a programme that when previously broadcast was criticised by some of its participants on this forum for inacuracies.

In particular was the claim on the programme that the forward magazine on Hood detonated - it was clarified on the forum that this was incorrect.
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paulcadogan
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Re: "How the Bismarck sank HMS Hood"

Post by paulcadogan »

If so, then it's a re-name and/or re-edit of the documentary on the first expedition to Hood "The Battle of Hood and Bismarck" from 2002. It was in that that the discredited theory of a double explosion was put forward.

Elsewhere I've seen it described as "another hugely disappointing programme on the loss of Hood" and that there were "lots of nice shots of Repulse" in it!
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Mir.Nyet
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Re: "How the Bismarck sank HMS Hood"

Post by Mir.Nyet »

Lots of lovely footage - including some awesome colour footage of Hood (And Repluse), but very poor documentary on the title subject. Lots of assumptions - and another 'plunging fire' report... A cobbled together documentary from the visit to the site eariler in the year to recover one of her bells.

The most embrassing 'fact' being that Hood was in the middle of her turn - regardless of the actual fact that she couldn't have been...
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Re: "How the Bismarck sank HMS Hood"

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The most embrassing 'fact' being that Hood was in the middle of her turn - regardless of the actual fact that she couldn't have been...
Why do you say that? While I have not seen the program, there appears to be evidence and testimony that Hood had started her turn, and PoW had begun to follow even though the execute order had possibly not been given.

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Mir.Nyet
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Re: "How the Bismarck sank HMS Hood"

Post by Mir.Nyet »

tommy303 wrote:
The most embrassing 'fact' being that Hood was in the middle of her turn - regardless of the actual fact that she couldn't have been...
Why do you say that? While I have not seen the program, there appears to be evidence and testimony that Hood had started her turn, and PoW had begun to follow even though the execute order had possibly not been given.
Couple of reasons:

Firstly, the captain of the POW stated that while the Hood had signalled the turn, she had not started it, neither had the POW. While the rudder of HOOD was actually in her turn position, a ship of that size would have taken a short while to respond to the rudder.
Secondly, as the Hood was sinking, the POW had to turn to avoid the wreckage of the HOOD, something that she would not have had to do if both were in a 40 degree turn as the POW would have automatically steered past the then stationary HOOD.
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Re: "How the Bismarck sank HMS Hood"

Post by tommy303 »

Hood, from tests during shake down, took about 20 seconds to begin a turn once the helm was put over, and as the ships were en echelon, a turn to port by Hood and PoW would have brought PoW into line astern of Hood. If Hood had not begun her turn, and if Pow had not begun hers, there would have been no need for PoW to take evasive action to avoid the wreckage. Testimony from Signalman Briggs on Hood's compass platform and Able-Seaman Tilburn on the shelter deck agreed that Hood had begun to turn when she was fatally struck. The helmsman on PoW who was keeping station, might have put the helm over automatically to follow Hood or Captain Leach may have ordered the turn. Within a matter of a few minutes Leach was very nearly killed by a hit through the compass platform and might well have lost some of the memory of those moments. He had no notes to fall back on as the officer detailed to write them down was killed, along with nearly everyone else present. At any rate, if I am not mistaken, Schneider in Bismarck detected a turn in progress and ordered corrections which were overheard by von Muellenheim-Rechberg over the gunnery circuit. Personally, I think there is a good chance that Hood was already into her turn at the moment the explosion ripped her apart. The corrected salvo was fired just as Hood began to blow up and was seen to land ahead of Hood where she would have been had disastor not intervened.

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Re: "How the Bismarck sank HMS Hood"

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tommy303 wrote:Hood, from tests during shake down, took about 20 seconds to begin a turn once the helm was put over, and as the ships were en echelon, a turn to port by Hood and PoW would have brought PoW into line astern of Hood. If Hood had not begun her turn, and if Pow had not begun hers, there would have been no need for PoW to take evasive action to avoid the wreckage. Testimony from Signalman Briggs on Hood's compass platform and Able-Seaman Tilburn on the shelter deck agreed that Hood had begun to turn when she was fatally struck. The helmsman on PoW who was keeping station, might have put the helm over automatically to follow Hood or Captain Leach may have ordered the turn. Within a matter of a few minutes Leach was very nearly killed by a hit through the compass platform and might well have lost some of the memory of those moments. He had no notes to fall back on as the officer detailed to write them down was killed, along with nearly everyone else present. At any rate, if I am not mistaken, Schneider in Bismarck detected a turn in progress and ordered corrections which were overheard by von Muellenheim-Rechberg over the gunnery circuit. Personally, I think there is a good chance that Hood was already into her turn at the moment the explosion ripped her apart. The corrected salvo was fired just as Hood began to blow up and was seen to land ahead of Hood where she would have been had disastor not intervened.
There is another possibilty which I don't think has been considered in the various discussions on this subject - as to why Hood started to turn without the Blue 2 flag being hauled down as the "execute" signal:

From the testimony of Bob Tilburn and from the observation of the Sunderland aircraft, Hood received a hit at the base of the bridge shortly before the final blow. Ted Briggs too recalled hearing screams through the voice pipes, including his "oppo" Ron Bell (on the flag deck at the base of the bridge) calling for help. It could very well be that after the first turn, the flag was rehoisted in preparation for the second. Then came the hit, the resulting fire and then there was no one able to haul down the flag. Hood would have gone into her turn, with PoW obliged to follow, though the flag was still flying.....

Of course this is speculative, but....FWIW
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Re: "How the Bismarck sank HMS Hood"

Post by tommy303 »

Excellent point, and one I had not thought about.

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They stood and Earth's foundations stay;
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paulcadogan
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Re: "How the Bismarck sank HMS Hood"

Post by paulcadogan »

Sometimes it's amazing how, with a bit of thought, little bits of evidence from various sources brought together can rationally explain what appeared irreconcilable! :think:
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Re: "How the Bismarck sank HMS Hood"

Post by tommy303 »

Indeed. It is a wonderful thing how rational discussions in which different people with different sets of knowlege can contribute and bring all that together to form a coherent picture of an overall event.

Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
They stood and Earth's foundations stay;
What God abandoned these defended;
And saved the sum of things for pay.
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Re: "How the Bismarck sank HMS Hood"

Post by jorgea »

I missed this documentary. Thanks any how.
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