World War: AT SEA: End of the Bismarck

For three days last weekend, the brand new 35,000-ton German battleship Bismarck was mistress of the seas. Against seemingly heavy odds, she had blown to bits Britain's largest warship, the 42,100-ton Hood; fought off one of Britain's newest and mightiest, the Prince of Wales. The fight lasted only 300 seconds; took place last Saturday morning in Denmark Strait between Greenland and Iceland.

But 78 hours later the Bismarck went down fighting after the briefest and wildest career of any modern battleship. With all the available sea power of Britain mobilized to intercept her before she could...

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