Now, I may be reaslly confused here but, if the Hood was sunk with one shot, how come her ammo casing was hit to do that? I mean, the same thing happened with the Arizona, but it didn't just blow up. Please help.
WW2buff its been well passed down over the years as to how the armour plateing or lack of it in some areas corresponded to the Hoods Demise. I have a ships of the Royal Navy book brought in a flea market, that describes all classes of RN ships and has accompanying b/w pics of all ships in service in the 3os printed in 35. Even then , this book pulls no punches on the shortcuts taken with this ship by the admiralty and shipyards. Its a great pointer in just one paragraph to what the writer thought were its flaws and a flaming good pointer to what was going to happen to the ship in battle. Ill post what it says about the Hood when I dig it out tomorrow.
There was a quite fascinating documentary on British TV about a year ago which included a very good computer reconstruction of the fatal shot to the HOOD. As urqh says, it's been well-documented - the problem in basic terms was plunging fire followed by explosion of a magazine due to the fundamental design flaw of the British Battlecruiser concept. This was the same weakness evident at Jutland - deck armour sacrificed to the demands of speed and insufficient isolation of the magazines.
Sinking of H.M.S. Hood Painting by J.C. Schmitz-Westerholt U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph # NH 50741-KN Loads of info on the Hood´s sinking and like with Bismarck....I guess the truth will be hard to know...Just read the site! http://www.warships1.com/W-INRO/INRO_Hood_p2.htm HMS Hood Artist:Wesley Lowe The British battlecruiser HMS Hood is destroyed by an explosion during the Battle of Denmark Straits (May 24, 1941) http://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/history/bisdenmarkstraitbattle.html
Taken from Oscar Parkes Ships of the Royal Navy sometime in early 30,s cant trace date. Has a page on design and class build history etc. One paragraph sticks out even in early 30's: Although nominally a post Jutland ship, the Hood does not emobdy the most modern ideas as regards protection, which demand a far greater percentage of the total displacement than was allowed to armour in her disign. In the two new ships which are under the Washington Agreement a different system of armour disposition will be introduced, protection being regarded as a greater asset than extreme speed-with its consequent increase in hull length and area to be armoured-so that thicker armour can be concentrated where requred.... A disaster wainting to happen??? Ends with following: No ship has ever before presented such an appearance of the embodiment of power and speed and no future capital ship is likely to equal her in beauty and proportion.. Should have put a big bow round her and left her in port....
I recall having read that the deck armour of the HMS Hood was to be strengthened at several occasions except that it had to go to from one "celebration" to another to keep up the Fleet´s honour and never got to the repairs...
have been doing a bit of investigating the last two years and in some of the German publications it mentions that the Prinz Eugen may have dealt the fatal blow to the Hood, not the Bismark E ~ ♠
Wow! That would be quite an interesting twist of sea battle history,Erich! Propaganda wise Bismarck would be the "right ship" to sink Hood so who knows, Prinz Eugen might have had more to sinking Hood (??) than mentioned.
Kai I need to look further but since the Prinz was "wounded" during the engagement and limped off, this was of her prime concern and not that they may have sunk the Hood. It is still so very hard to say, except that Prinz evidently fired in unison with the Bismark.
By what I have read, the Prinz Eugen did hit the Hood once, in the stern, I think, then the Hood turned to prevent another shot like that and also, put her stern guns into action, but by doing that she put herself in the Bismarck's range. Besides, I'd doubt that an 8" of the Prinz Eugen could have caused the fatal explosion...
Hated? Was it? If it was I suposse it was because of 10 years of British propaganda... "the best ship of the world"...
