To Great Britain and Germany, the Battle of the Denmark Strait came like a thunderclap in the spring of 1941. The pride of the Royal Navy, HMS Hood, was utterly destroyed, and its newest battleship, Prince of Wales, severely damaged and forced to withdraw. This was at the hands of Germany's huge battleship Bismarck, on its first foray into North Atlantic waters. The blast of heavy shells between the behemoths resonated both in Whitehall and Berlin. However, despite the wealth of documentary information and photographic evidence available on the battle, there continues to be controversy as to how the conflict was actually fought. This book attempts to resolve the remaining issues by a detailed technical analysis of the circumstances, while new discoveries, revealed for the first time in this book, shed new light on the battle in which the best of both navies traded salvoes and over 1,500 Royal Navy sailors were killed. By carefully considering the factors affecting naval gunnery, such as flight time of shells to their target, reaction time for correcting the fall of shot, and recycle times of the various gun systems, the battle has been painstakingly reconstructed in this book within all of the established time and distance parameters. Not limited to the battle itself, the book also explores the relevant events leading up to the titanic clash, and the events associated with its aftermath, including the Bismarck's ultimate demise, as the Royal Navy avenged the Hood's destruction. With a professional career associated with fielded military weapon systems, the author is uniquely qualified to perform the analytic functions involved in the reconstruction of this battle. He not only brings the epic clash to life in real-time, he provides a wealth of information on the ships, tactics, and strategies involved on both sides.
About the AuthorRobert J. Winklareth is a graduate mechanical engineer and professional technical analyst with considerable experience in resolving technical and support problems with military weapons systems. He was a staff analyst with The Analytic Sciences Corporation where he participated in the development of the U.S. Strategic Missile Defense System. He is the author of Naval Shipbuilders of the World - From the Age of Sail to the Present Day, and currently lives in Woodbridge, Virginia.
ReviewsIt is well produced with many interesting details, a host of illustrations, including many sketches by the author and is certainly recommended. * Scuttlebutt *
Here is as detailed and exact an account of the career and destruction of the Bismarck as is ever likely to be printed and as such is a highly valuable addition to the corpus of WW2 naval history. * Army Rumour Service 07/05/2019 *
An incredibly detailed analysis of what happened to the Bismarck, Hood and many other large capital ships as a result of the technical developments of World War II. A most interesting read... * Baird Maritime 26/06/2019 *
Book InformationISBN 9781612007137
Author Robert WinklarethFormat Paperback
Page Count 336
Imprint Casemate PublishersPublisher Casemate Publishers