British Forces

Home Fleet

  • Adm. Sir John Tovey
  • King George V (flagship)(flagship)
    Commanding officer: Capt. Wilfred Patterson
  • Repulse
    Commanding officer: Capt. William G. Tennant
  • Victorious
    Commanding officer: Capt. Henry C. Bovell
    • 825 Squadron
      Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. Eugene Esmonde
      Notes: 9 Swordfish
    • 800Z Squadron
      Commanding officer: Lt. Bruce Straton McEwen
      Notes: 6 Fulmars. McEwen was sick and could not fly.
    • 48 Hurricanes
      Notes: Crated and destined for Malta; off-loaded prior to sailing.

Cruiser Squadron 2

  • Rear-Adm Alban T.B. Curteiss
  • Galatea (2nd flagship)(2nd flagship)
    Commanding officer: Capt. Edward W. B. Sim
  • Hermione
    Commanding officer: Capt. Geoffrey N. Oliver
  • Kenya
    Commanding officer: Capt. Michael M. Denny
  • Aurora
    Commanding officer: Capt. William C. Agnew
  • Neptune
    Commanding officer: Capt. Rory C. O'Conor

3rd Destroyer Flotilla

  • Inglefield (2nd flagship)(2nd flagship)
    Commanding officer: Capt. Percy Todd
  • Intrepid
    Commanding officer: Cmdr. Roderick C. Gordon
  • Active
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. Michael W. Tomkinson
  • Punjabi
    Commanding officer: Cmdr. Stuart A. Buss
  • Windsor
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. J.M.G. Waldegrave
  • Lance
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. Ralph W. F. Northcott

Hood Force

BC1
  • Vice-Adm. Lance Holland †(killed)
  • Hood (flagship)(flagship) (sunk)(sunk)
    Commanding officer: Capt. Ralph Kerr †(killed)
    Notes: 1,415 killed; 3 survivors.
  • Prince of Wales
    Commanding officer: Capt. John C. Leach
    Notes: 14 killed

Destroyers

  • Electra
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. Cecil W. May
  • Anthony
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. John M. Hodges
    Notes: Detached for refueling 1400 23 May.
  • Echo
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. Cecil H. de B. Newby
  • Icarus
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. Colin D. Maund
  • Achates
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. Viscount Jocelyn
  • Antelope
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. Roger B. N. Hicks
    Notes: Detached for refueling 1400 23 May.

Force H

  • Vice-Adm. James Somerville
  • Renown (flagship)(flagship)
    Commanding officer: Capt. Rhoderick R. McGriggor
  • Ark Royal
    Commanding officer: Capt. Loben Maund
    • 807 Squadron
      Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. James Sholto Douglas
      Notes: 11 Fulmars.
    • 808 Squadron
      Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. Rupert Claude Tillard
      Notes: 12 Fulmars.
    • 810 Squadron
      Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. Mervyn Johnstone
      Notes: 9 Swordfish.
    • 818 Squadron
      Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. Trevenen Penrose Coode
      Notes: 9 Swordfish.
    • 820 Squadron
      Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. James Andrew Stewart-Moore
      Notes: 9 Swordfish.
    • 3 Swordfish in some state of disassembly.

Cruiser

  • Sheffield
    Commanding officer: Capt. Charles Larcom

Eighth Destroyer Flotilla

  • Faulknor (2nd flagship)(2nd flagship)
    Commanding officer: Capt. A.F. de Salis
  • Foresight
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. J.S.C. Salter
  • Forester
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. E.B. Tancock
  • Foxhound
    Commanding officer: Cmdr. G.H. Peters
  • Fury
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. T.C. Robinson
  • Hesperus
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. A.A. Tait

Destroyers were detached for refueling 24 May.

Denmark Straits Patrol

Cruiser Squadron 1
  • Adm. Wake-Walker
  • Norfolk (flagship)(flagship)
    Commanding officer: Capt. Alfred Phillips
  • Suffolk
    Commanding officer: Capt. Robert Ellis

Iceland-Faeroes Passage Patrol

  • Manchester
    Commanding officer: Capt. Herbert A. Packer
  • Birmingham
    Commanding officer: Capt. Alexander C. G. Madden
  • Arethusa
    Commanding officer: Capt. Alex C. Chapman
    Notes: On route to Reykjavik, Iceland.
  • Five trawlers

Various escort forces

Convoy SL-74

  • Dorsetshire
    Commanding officer: Capt. Benjamin Martin

Britannic

  • Rodney
    Commanding officer: Capt. Frederick H. G. Dalrymple-Hamilton
Sixth Destroyer Flotilla
  • Tartar
    Commanding officer: Cmdr. Lionel P. Skipwith
  • Mashona (sunk)(sunk)
    Commanding officer: Cmdr. William H. Selby
    Notes: 46 killed.
  • Eskimo
    Commanding officer: Cmdr. E.G. Le Geyt
    Notes: Detached to escort Britannic to USA.
  • Somali
    Commanding officer: Capt. Clifford Caslon
    Notes: Detached to refuel 24 May.

Troop Convoy WS-8B

Escorted by Fourth Destroyer Flotilla
  • Cossack (flagship)(flagship)
    Commanding officer: Capt. Phillip L. Vian
  • Maori
    Commanding officer: Cmdr. Harold T. Armstrong
    Notes: 1 killed.
  • Zulu
    Commanding officer: Cmdr. Harry R. Graham
    Notes: 1 killed.
  • Sikh
    Commanding officer: Cmdr. Graham H. Stokes
    Notes: 1 killed.
  • Piorun (Polish) Cmdr. E. Plawski

Convoy HX-127

  • Ramillies
    Commanding officer: Capt. Arthur D. Read

North-west of the Azores

18th Cruiser Squadron
  • Commodore Charles M. Blackman
  • Edinburgh (flagship)(flagship)
    Commanding officer: Commodore Charles M. Blackman
  • London
    Commanding officer: Capt. Reginald M. Servaes

At Londonderry

  • Jupiter
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. Norman V. J. T. Thew

Submarines

Off South-western Norway

  • Minerva
    Commanding officer: Lt. de Vaisseau P.M. Sommeville
    Notes: French boat.
  • P31
    Commanding officer: Lt. John B. de B. Kershaw
    Notes: Sortied from Scapa Flow 24 May. This boat was later named "Uproar" in 1943.

Between Brest and St. Nazire

  • Sealion
    Commanding officer: Cmdr. B. Bryant
  • Seawolf
    Commanding officer: Lt. P.L. Field
  • Sturgeon
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. D. St. Clair For
  • Pandora
    Commanding officer: Lt. Cmdr. J. W. Linton
  • Tigris
    Commanding officer: Cmdr. H.F. Bone
  • H-44
    Commanding officer: Lt. W.N.R. Knox

Air Forces

Strike

  • No. 22 Squadron
    Notes: 5 Beauforts at Kaldadarnes. 2 Beauforts at Wick.
  • No. 42 Squadron
    Notes: 8 Beauforts at Wick. 8 Beauforts at Leuchars.
  • No. 217 Squadron
    Notes: 10 Beauforts at St. Eval.
  • 30 Hampdens
  • No. 612 Squadron
    Notes: 6 Whitleys.
  • No. 828 Squadron
    Notes: 7 Albacores.
  • No. 201 Squadron
    Notes: At Reykjavik. Sunderlands.
  • No. 210 Squadron
    Notes: At Reykjavik. Catalinas.
  • No. 220 Squadron
    Notes: Hudsons.
  • No. 269 Squadron
    Notes: At Kaldadarnes. Hudsons.
  • No. 771 Squadron
    Notes: Hatston, Orkneys. Marylands

German Forces

  • Adm. Günther Lütjens †(killed)
    Position: Fleet Commander
  • Bismarck (flagship)(flagship) (sunk)(sunk)
    Commanding officer: Kpt. Ernst Lindemann †(killed)
    Notes: 2,211 killed.
  • Prinz Eugen
    Commanding officer: Kpt. Helmuth Brinkman

Escorting Destroyers

  • Hans Lody Z10
    Commanding officer: K.Kpt. Pfeiffer
    Notes: Detached to Trondheim on 22 May.
  • Friedrich Eckoldt Z16
    Commanding officer: K.Kpt. Schemmel
    Notes: Detached to Trondheim on 22 May.
  • Z23
    Commanding officer: K.Kpt. Bhöme
    Notes: Detached to Trondheim on 22 May.
  • Sperrbrecher 31 (?)
    Notes: Escorted ships out of Gotenhafen.

U-Boats

These boats were Ordered to assist Bismarck after she was crippled by Ark Royal. Of these, only U-74 and U-556 were close enough to assist prior to Bismarck's sinking but U-556 had already fired all of her torpedoes and U-74 had been damaged and had limited maneuverability.

  • U-48
    Commanding officer: Kptlt. Herbert Schultz
  • U-74
    Commanding officer: Kptlt. Eitel-Friedrich Kentrat
  • U-97
    Commanding officer: Kptlt. Udo Heilmann
  • U-98
    Commanding officer: Kptlt. Robert Gysae
  • U-108
    Commanding officer: Korvkpt. Klaus Scholtz
  • U-552
    Commanding officer: Kptlt. Erich Topp
  • U-556
    Commanding officer: K.Kpt. Herbert Wohlfarth

Support ships

By location. Supply (S), Tanker (T) and Reconnaissance (R).

Kalvanes, Norway

  • Wollin (T)

Arctic Ocean

  • Weissenburg (T)
    Notes: Located at 70'N, 1'W (Punkt "Hans".)
  • Heide (T)

South of Greenland

  • Belchen (T) (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Sunk by Aurora and Kenya 3 June.
  • Lotheringen (T)
    Notes: Captured by Eagle and Dunedin 15 June.
  • Gonzenheim (R) (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Carried prize crews and had accommodations for 300 prisoners. Sunk by Neptune 4 June.
  • Kota Penang (R)
    Notes: Carried prize crews and had accommodations for 300 prisoners.

Between the Azores and Antilles

  • Egerland (S) (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Sunk by London 5 June.
  • Esso Hamburg (T) (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Sunk by London 4 June.
  • Friedrich Breme (T) (sunk)(sunk)
    Notes: Sunk by Sheffield 12 June.
  • Ermland (T)
  • Spichern (T)

Sources

  • 'Pursuit' by Ludovic Kennedy
  • 'Verdammte See’ by Cajus Bekker
  • 'German Capital Ships of WWII' by W.J. Whitley
  • 'King George Class Battleships' by V.E. Tarrant
  • 'Battleship Bismarck" A Survivor's Story (revised edition)' by Burkard Baron von Müllenheim-Rechberg
  • ADM234/509, "Official Dispatch of Admiral J Tovey, Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet - Pursuit of the 'Bismarck'"
  • ADM116/4351-1941, "Loss of HMS Hood in action with German Battleship - Boards of Inquiry"
  • uboat.net
  • Original research by Mark E. Horan