Bismarck Episode [Illustrated Edition]

As breathtakingly exciting as the most thrilling mystery...This epic story begins May 21, 1941, when the British Admiralty received the report that two large German warships had been seen steaming northward through the Kattegat, between Denmark and Sweden. Six days later the shattered hulk of the Bismarck turned bottom up and disappeared beneath the waves a few hundred miles from Brest.In those six days an awe-inspiring drama played itself out. The morale of our British allies was at its lowest ebb. For them, standing alone against the German might, the sinking of the Bismarck was a matter of life and death. But before they could engage her, they had first of all to find her-to hunt her down in the stormy sea-wastes. So mighty an undertaking required some inspired guesswork, and the use of 8 battleships, 2 aircraft carriers, 4 eight-inch gun cruisers, 7 other cruisers, 21 destroyers, and 6 submarines. It also meant the sinking of the battleship Hood and the destroyer Mashona, with the loss of many hundreds of lives.The story of this terrible chase is a story of ups and downs, hopes and anxieties, bitter disappointment and miraculous recovery-a marvelous picture of naval action such as we rarely find in true stories. In addition the battle is illuminated with comments on strategy and tactics which every reader can appreciate. It is hard to imagine that anyone who opens this book will put it down unfinished.Illustrated with maps and plans