JRLauer
May 18th, 2009, 10:09 PM
“Who ever fails to learn the lessons of history is condemned to repeat them!” The words of Winston Churchill shortly after the sinking of the HMS Hood.
On May 24th, 1941 the British warships Hood and Prince of Whales engaged the German heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen and the legendary German battleship Bismarck for supremacy of the Atlantic. The Bismarck and Prinz Eugen were on a mission to sink allied shipping, a lifeline of food, medicine, supplies, and munitions that was keeping England in the war. Churchill knew that the Bismarck had to be sunk, for if the fearsome German battleship went unchecked, it would wreak havoc on the allied ships and further strangle England’s ability to defend itself against the Nazi advance.
At that time, the Hood was the most famous battleship in the world. It was the flag ship of the British Royal Navy and it represented the power and prestige of naval superiority. The Hood and her seasoned crew had been in many battles and had always come out on top and it was widely believed by the British people that the Hood was unbeatable. But on May 24th that belief would be shattered.
Contrary to popular belief, the Hood fired the first salvo when the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen were nearly 15 miles away, and the shot fell 1500 yards behind the Bismarck. The Germans returned fire and their first shots fell short. The battle continued for the next 8 minutes until the Bismarck dialed in on the Hood’s position. With the 5th salvo fired from the Bismarck it landed somewhere around the main mast of the Hood, penetrated the deck and ignited the ammunition magazine within the ship. A gigantic sheet of flame shot straight into the air “Like a welder’s torch” as one witness described it. The Hood quickly broke apart, rolled over to port and sank within minutes. Both the Germans and the crew of the Prince of Whales were astounded at what they just witnessed. The Prince of Wales, knowing that she was outgunned, had to retreat.
The sinking of the Hood stunned the people of England. To the British, the sinking of the Hood is equivalent to what Pearl Harbor is to the Americans.
Of the 1418 men on board the Hood when she sank, only 3 survived, 99.8% of her crew were killed. I wish to honor those men who died on board the Hood 68 years ago on May 24th (this Sunday). Men who were protecting their country from the evil that was taking over Europe at that time, men who were called to protect their families and their country.
Let us not forget anyone who serves in the military, the sacrifice that they make for our freedom. I wish war didn’t have to exist, but so long as there are countries and factions who kill innocent people in order to further their agenda, then war is a necessary evil.
So to the men of the Hood, and all those who have died in the wars that the world has waged, may they all rest in peace.
On May 24th, 1941 the British warships Hood and Prince of Whales engaged the German heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen and the legendary German battleship Bismarck for supremacy of the Atlantic. The Bismarck and Prinz Eugen were on a mission to sink allied shipping, a lifeline of food, medicine, supplies, and munitions that was keeping England in the war. Churchill knew that the Bismarck had to be sunk, for if the fearsome German battleship went unchecked, it would wreak havoc on the allied ships and further strangle England’s ability to defend itself against the Nazi advance.
At that time, the Hood was the most famous battleship in the world. It was the flag ship of the British Royal Navy and it represented the power and prestige of naval superiority. The Hood and her seasoned crew had been in many battles and had always come out on top and it was widely believed by the British people that the Hood was unbeatable. But on May 24th that belief would be shattered.
Contrary to popular belief, the Hood fired the first salvo when the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen were nearly 15 miles away, and the shot fell 1500 yards behind the Bismarck. The Germans returned fire and their first shots fell short. The battle continued for the next 8 minutes until the Bismarck dialed in on the Hood’s position. With the 5th salvo fired from the Bismarck it landed somewhere around the main mast of the Hood, penetrated the deck and ignited the ammunition magazine within the ship. A gigantic sheet of flame shot straight into the air “Like a welder’s torch” as one witness described it. The Hood quickly broke apart, rolled over to port and sank within minutes. Both the Germans and the crew of the Prince of Whales were astounded at what they just witnessed. The Prince of Wales, knowing that she was outgunned, had to retreat.
The sinking of the Hood stunned the people of England. To the British, the sinking of the Hood is equivalent to what Pearl Harbor is to the Americans.
Of the 1418 men on board the Hood when she sank, only 3 survived, 99.8% of her crew were killed. I wish to honor those men who died on board the Hood 68 years ago on May 24th (this Sunday). Men who were protecting their country from the evil that was taking over Europe at that time, men who were called to protect their families and their country.
Let us not forget anyone who serves in the military, the sacrifice that they make for our freedom. I wish war didn’t have to exist, but so long as there are countries and factions who kill innocent people in order to further their agenda, then war is a necessary evil.
So to the men of the Hood, and all those who have died in the wars that the world has waged, may they all rest in peace.