-History of H.M.S. Hood-
Extract from Prinz Eugen Machinery Log

Updated 07-May-2014

This is an extract from the engineering log of Prinz Eugen. It covers the time period of the Battle of the Denmark Strait. This was acquired by Frank Allen from the US National Archives NARA II facility in College Park, MD, USA. It was translated by John Asmussen and Ulrich Rudofsky in October 2002.

I. Text

03.06 | Kriegsmarschzustand 1 | An Schiffsführung: Kriegsmarschzustand im Bereich der Maschine ist hergestellt.
0406 hours | Combat readiness, condition 1 | To ship's command: Combat readiness in engine department has been established.

04.45 – "Alarm"
0545 hours | column blank here | "Alarm"

04.50 | Klarschiffzustand | LI an Zentrale und Brücke: Klarschiffzustand im Bereich der Maschinenanlage ist hergestellt
0550 hours | Clear-ship-for-action | Chief Engineer to Bridge: Ship's machinery is ready for action d.

04.55 – Vom Kommandanten: "Feuererlaubnis".
0555 hours – From the Commander: "Permission to fire"

05.10 – "Fliegeralarm"
0610 hours – "Air raid alarm"

05.11 – "Äußerste Kraft voraus"
0611 hours – "Full speed ahead"

05.18 – 30 sm/h
0618 hours – [Speed to] 30 knots

05.20 – Von Brücke: "Feuerpause", Gegner ist abgeschlagen. Ein Gegner ist gesunken (Schlachtschiff "Hood")
0620 hours – From the Bridge: "Cease fire". The opponent has been repulsed. One opponent has sunk (Battleship "Hood")

05.24 – Von Zentrale: Gefechtspause, alle Menschen und Materialausfälle an Zentrale melden.
0624 hours – From [communication's] Central : Cease-fire pause, report all human and material losses to Central [communications command].

. . .End of extract

II. Engineering "Speed" Graph
The graph shows various speeds and times. Speeds are measured vertically from 0 to 30 knots (although it technically reaches 40 knots). Hours are measured horizontally in 24 hour format. Speed increments are in .5 knots and time in 10 minute increments. The time is based upon of course, the ship's time (British time is in brackets). Assuming the speed was derived from the rpm of the screws, but this is not 100% clear. Could also be based on some sort of pitometer or external speed sensor apparatus.

Key Pieces of Information

• PG maintained 27 knots until roughly 0510 [0610].
• PG increased speed to 32.5 knots and maintained it until about 0520 [0620].
• PG decreased speed to 30.5 knots at 0520 [0620] and maintained this until about 0540 [0640).
• PG decreased speed to 26 knots at 0540 [0640].
• Interestingly, the times for 32.5 knots and 30.5 knots do more-or-less correlate to the times/orders mentioned in the Machinery Log excerpt above.