This series of computer drawings was created using Microsoft “Paint” to give the viewer an idea of what the Battle of the Denmark Strait may have looked like from the German side. They are built around the three famous photographs taken from the Prinz Eugen, now generally known by their U.S. Naval Historical Center designations NH69724, NH69731 and NH69725.
I have extrapolated backwards from NH69724 – the photo of Hood blowing up – to show the British ships approaching, opening fire, and Hood burning after being hit. I have also tried to show the transition from NH69724 to NH69731 and NH69725 and afterwards based on the description of the German witnesses and the reconstruction and timings determined by the work of Antonio Bonomi.
Please note that they were drawn by the “eye” without precise measurements of distances and may not all be to scale.
I realize that there may be other opinions as to the interpretation of the NH photos, but I have done them in the manner which I believe to be the most plausible and correct.
Paul Cadogan ©2008
Description of the drawings
#1 – 05:50 AM: Hood and Prince of Wales, turning onto a course of 300o to close in on Bismarck and Prinz Eugen
#2 – 05:52:30 AM: Hood opens fire with her forward guns.
#3 – 05:53 AM: Prince of Wales opens fire.
#4 – 05:57 AM: Hood has received her first hit and is on fire amidships. She and Prince of Wales have completed a 20° turn to port to open the A-arcs of both ships.
#5 – 05:59 AM: Hood burning as she prepares for another 20° turn to port. Prince of Wales is now under fire from Prinz Eugen
#6 – 06:00 AM: Hood blows up. Interpretation of NH697254.
#7 – 06:01 AM: Prince of Wales has closed the gap with Hood’s wreck and has turned to starboard to avoid the debris. She fires a salvo from her forward guns. Interpretation of a scene from the Schmalenbach film.
#8 – 06:01:30 AM: Prince of Wales passes in front of the sinking Hood whose bow towers over the battleship. This is depicted in the Schmitz-Westerholt painting.
#9 – 0602 AM: Prince of Wales continues under heavy fire with Hood having disappeared leaving a patch of burning oil and debris.
#10 – 0604 AM: Interpretation of NH69731 – To the left, a heavy column of smoke marks the spot where Hood sank. Prince of Wales retreats under fire on the extreme right, while her 19th salvo – the first fired in local control – falls a couple thousand yards short.
#11 – 0607 AM: Interpretation of NH69725 – Smoke from Hood’s sinking site to the left and Prince of Wales’ smoke screen on the right.
#12 – 0625 AM: The view that Prinz Eugen’s Gunnery Officer Jasper might have seen when he climbed to the foretop gallery for a panoramic view of the battle scene: Smoke from Hood’s sinking site on the far left, Norfolk on the horizon in the middle and Prince of Wales heavy smoke trail on the right.