Sailors on Britain’s biggest warship paid their respects to their forebears – 80 years after a terrible battle which stunned the Navy and nation.
The crew of aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales held a service of thanksgiving for the men of HMS Hood over the battle-cruiser’s wreck in the Denmark Strait.
More than 1,400 men were killed when the then pride of the Royal Navy joined battle with Hitler’s flagship Bismarck on May 24 1941.
Just three of Hood’s crew survived when she blew up – her magazine detonated by a German shell which tore the leviathan apart.
HMS Prince of Wales’ predecessor – a then brand-new King George V-class battleship – was also damaged in the action, but not before her guns had struck the Bismarck.
The damaged caused cut short the German battleship’s sortie and Bismarck was sunk three days later after being crippled by Swordfish torpedo bombers, allowing the guns of the Home Fleet to finish the ship off.
More than 80 years on, today’s HMS Prince of Wales sailed to Hood’s wreck site around 300 miles west of Reykjavik to commemorate the Battle of the Denmark Strait and honour all the lives lost.
All of the ships company mustered in the hangar of the aircraft carrier for the service, led by the ship’s Chaplain Mark Davidson, with Navigator Lieutenant Commander Chris Poulson outlining Hood’s last moments and Prince of Wales’ role in the action before a biodegradable wreath provided by the Royal British Legion was cast into the Atlantic.
Two messages of condolences accompanied the wreath, one from the captain and ship’s company, the second from the HMS Hood Association.
“When Hood was lost, when Hood foundered, when Hood died, she had one friend, one oppo, one shipmate and that was Prince of Wales. That is why Prince of Wales is back here today, why we are back here today to remember our friend, our oppo, our shipmate HMS Hood,” said Lieutenant Commander Poulson.
HMS Hood and her story is a core part of naval history, taught to all ratings and officers alike.
She was deemed one of the world’s most powerful ships for over 20 years after her commissioning in 1920, her prestige earning her the name ‘The Mighty Hood’.
Prior to the commissioning of the Queen Elizabeth class of carriers, Hood was the largest warship ever to sail under the White Ensign.
The tribute to Hood came on the back of a four-day visit to Iceland – the first by HMS Prince of Wales, in company with her escorting frigate HMS Richmond and tanker RFA Tiderace – after completing a huge NATO winter exercise in Norway, Cold Response.
The carrier hosted a reception of ministers and diplomats, while sailors took part in football and rugby matches against local sides.
“Being the first fifth-generation aircraft carrier to visit Iceland has been a proud moment for our ship’s company as we continue our operations, alongside NATO allies and Joint Expeditionary Force partners in the Arctic,” said Prince of Wales’ Commanding Officer Captain Steve Higham.
“Iceland and the people of the City of Reykjavik have been really welcoming to all of us, and, we are very grateful for the support we have received as we contribute to the delivery of the effects set out by the Defence Secretary in the new Arctic Strategy.”
