BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC 1941 The "KING GEORGE V" and the "RODNEY" catch up with the crippled "BISMARCK" and in less than two hours it is done. The Cruisers "NORFOLK" and "DORSETSHIRE" finish her with torpedos.The "BISMARCK rests 16,000 feet below the waves.
Walt I saw a documentary recently on that subject. The Dorsetshire was sent in to pick up survivors, a U-Boat was reported in the area and its captain abandoned the rescue. Many of the surviving german sailors drowned before German assistance arrived. I dont know how much evidence exists to back up this claim. It was a British documentary.
Hello Smoke...Yes it's very sad. No Sailor should be left to drown.But of course the Captain of the British Cruiser did what he had to do. Survivers were offten left to fend for themselves.Just one such case was during the Guadalcanal Campaign. The Crusier "JUNEAU"was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-26.The rest of the ships with her did not stop to pick up survivors for fear of more Jap subs.Most of the seven hundred men of the crew went down with the ship ( including the five Sullivan brothers)or were killed by sharks.
