Bismarck hit the bridge of
Prince of Wales. Although it did not explode, it killed several key personnel, and for a short period disrupted command of the ship.
The British Admiralty Board of Enquiry into the loss of the battlecruiser HMS
Hood, presided over by Vice Admiral Sir Geoffrey Blake, concluded, “The sinking of
Hood was due to a hit from
Bismarck’s 15-inch shell in or adjacent to
Hood’s 4-inch or 15-inch magazines, causing them to explode and wreck the after part of the ship.”
Director of Naval Construction Sir Stanley Goodall, however, found this conclusion unsatisfactory and in his report pointed out the explosion was observed near the mainmast 65 feet further forward from the aft magazines. A second board of enquiry was convened under Rear Admiral H.T.C Walker. Even given eyewitness accounts that described fires on deck, that board still found a hit by Bismarck being the likely cause, although finishing with, “The probability is that the 4-inch magazi