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Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 May 1941, Page 6

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BISMARCK’S LAST HOURS ADMIRALTY REPORT BRITISH DESTROYER LATER LOST. IN ACTION WITH ENEMY AIRCRAFT (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 12.30 0.m.) RUGBY, May 29. An Admiralty communique states: “It is now possible to give some details of the final phase of the destruction of the Bismarck. Torpedo attacks by naval aircraft and a destroyer attack during the night of May 26. in which H.M.S. Sikh took part, in addition to the ships already announced, resulted in the speed of the Bismarck being greatly reduced and her - steering gear being put out of action. Both her main and secondary armament, however, remained effective. The Commander-in-Chief of the Home intended to close with the Bismarck at dawn and sink her by gunfire from the King George V and the Rodney. This intention, however, was abandoned owing to the uncertain and variable visibility, which made it necessary to await full daylight before closing in. Shortly before 9 a.m. the King George V and the Rodney engaged the enemy with main armament gunfire. These two batteries silenced the enemy and the Comman-der-in-Chief then ordered H.M.S. Dorsetshire to sink the Bismarck with torpedoes. As already announced the Bismarck was sunk at 11.1 a.m. on May

“More than one hundred officers and men from the Bismarck were picked up by our forces and are now prisoners of war.

"On the day after the sinking of the Bismarck some of our naval forces which had taken part in the operations leading up to the destruction of the German battleship were heavily attacked by German aircraft. During these attacks his Majesty’s destroyer Masnona, belonging to the Tribal Class, was hit and the Admiralty regrets to announce that she subsequently sank and that one officer and 45 ratings are missing.”