Sink the Bismarck

Factual error: Here's a big historical mistake. The character of German Admiral Lütjens is depicted overall in this film as a wild-eyed Nazi fanatic. In real life, he was distinctly anti-Nazi, vehemently protested the anti-Semitic actions of Hitler's regime, and was himself subject to intense Nazi scrutiny as he was a quarter Jewish and his wife was half Jewish. He was one of many German naval officers who fought only for their country, not Hitler.

Factual error: The battle of the Denmark Strait is wrong in that both sides are heading and shooting in the wrong direction. The Germans are shooting to starboard rather than port, and the British are shooting to port rather than starboard.

Factual error: In the film, the Bismarck destroys a British destroyer. She also shoots down one or more Swordfish torpedo aircraft. In reality, she sank only one ship (Hood) and lightly damaged a few others. No aircraft were shot down.

Factual error: The destroyer allegedly sunk by the Bismarck is named as the Solent. She would not have been much use in a 1941 torpedo attack, as she had no torpedoes and was not completed until 1944.

Factual error: The admiralty gets a priority message that two ships have been seen leaving the Baltic. The admiral and his chief of staff discuss "the Crete business", however the Bismarck sortied on 18 May, 1941, and the invasion of Crete happened two days later.

Factual error: HMS Rodney which along with KGV sank the Bismarck is wrongly portrayed. Her 16 inch guns were all forward of the main superstructure.

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: The Rodney was a Nelson class battleship all her guns were forewarning of the superstructure.

Factual error: The Director of Operations is handed a fuel state for KGV and Rodney, and is advised they are 140 miles astern of Bismarck. He asks if they steam at full speed can they catch her. Since Bismarck can steam at 30 knots, and the British ships at 28 and 23 knots respectively, it was a question that shouldn't have even been broached.

goofyfoot

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: Because of damage to her fuel tanks from Prince of Wales Bismarck had to reduce speed to 20 knots.

Factual error: Just prior to the sinking, men are scrambling on the burning deck, beneath a tall, fairly slim (and lonely) funnel that bears no resemblance to that of the Bismarck.

Continuity mistake: The Bismarck is sighted by a British agent in southern Norway, sailing out of the Baltic into the North Sea - east to west. But the view through the agent's binoculars shows the ship sailing from right to left on the screen - which would be sailing west to east from the point of view of an observer on the Norwegian coast.

More mistakes in Sink the Bismarck

Edward R. Murrow: This is London, Ed Murrow reporting. This island, which is no stranger to bad tiding, received news today that HMS Hood largest warship in the British fleet and pride of the British navy, has been sunk by the German battleship Bismarck. From the Hood's compliment of 1500 men, there were three survivors.

More quotes from Sink the Bismarck

Trivia: Esmond P. Knight, the actor who portrayed Captain Leach of the battleship "Prince of Wales" was a crew member on the ship during the real battle where he was badly injured, suffering a period of blindness.

Larry Redfield

More trivia for Sink the Bismarck

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.