Chapter 3 – The Battle of the Denmark Strait (part 1)

Minutes goes by in the cold sea of Denmark Strait between Greenland and Iceland. Hood and Wales are closing in to Bismarck and Prinz Eugen. In very early morning of the dark sky, The Four ship is now at fire range. Seconds passed like half an hour. None of them fired any shell or bullet.

Bismarck see Hood and King George V—She thought—outside of the window. Her Captain and her Admiral didn't order any attack. The Captain did order to prepare fire if the enemy fire. This is going to be an interesting battle in history book thought Bismarck as she watch her outside window.

Meanwhile, Hood was speeding right toward Bismarck to close the range of her line of fire. She target her guns on the enemy front ship, which is Bismarck, while waiting for the confirmation an order. The captain see his Vice Admiral waiting for sign. The Vice Admiral shout "Fire!" Hood quickly pull the trigger and fire the first salvo to the Bismarck hull.

In the other ship beside Hood, Wales was watching the two ships in the distance. She realise that Hood was aiming at the wrong ship. Instead of aiming toward Bismarck, Hood aim at Prinz Eugen in the front. 'Oh no, Hood!' Wales grab the telephone and try to call Hood quickly as soon as possible before- *BAHM The sound of the main turret from Hood ship were fired. It was too late.

Back to Hood, The Vice Admiral noticed the wrong target from Hood mistake, but it was too late. In the next seconds they hear a sound of volley from Wales guns. Now they wait for the shells to hit.. they wait for 50 seconds until the shells landed around 1 km short from the target. Not only they chose the wrong target. They are missing the shots. The captain of Prince of Wales shake his head in defeat.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

While Hood targeting at the wrong enemy, Wales quickly open fire to the Bismarck with a volley. The captain count the seconds before the shell hit... then they both missed. Now that's not the only bad thing for Wales. The second bad thing is her front heavy guns are now jammed and need to be fixed. She only can use the side guns for now, which mean only 9 turret guns left that still available.

"Sir, the forward gun are jammed. The suspension in the barrel need to be fixed again." said Wales to her boss. The captain just slam his fist into the table and clenching his teeth under his lips, releasing his tense stress he had been hold after the very first sight of the Bismarck.

Wales felt her boss frustration. After all, many of the recruits are still new and lack of experience. Hell the ships itself still not 100% ready, many of the civilian mechanics still trying to fix the forward gun before the fight even begin. The result of releasing Wales early is showing off right now in the middle of the fight. "Keep firing." says by her captain. She left the room and continue fire toward Bismarck with her Concentration Fire.

XOXOXOXOXOX

After the third salvo, the Vice Admiral notice something different from the target. He take a closer look with binoculars and realising that they are actually targeting the wrong ship. Hood got notified from her Captain and notice the different ships in the distance, she was surprise of how wrong she was after she tried to shoot down "Supposedly-Bismarck" but instead, it was Prinz Eugen all a long.

Hood look at her boss and Vice Admiral, they both sighed "I-I am so sorry! My eyes are not that good and can't see the difference between Bismarck and Prinz Eugen.. in this foggy weather." The blond girl realised her mistake and quickly bowing apologizing, trying to ask forgiveness from her boss. "No, it's alright. It's not your fault. We didn't notice the difference by the silhouette" said by Vice Admiral himself as he try to make Hood stand up again.

Then, Wales and Hood heard a gunshot from the enemy side. It was from Prinz Eugen. She finally replied the shots from the British ships. She was targeting Hood salvo after salvo. No shell so far have hit by both sides straight 5 minutes into the battle.

Wales keep firing each minutes. After the sixth salvo, she finally hit the target. It make the crew and Vice Admiral glad that some shot finally land. But the damage was not heavy as they expected. 'This giant girl.. Her armour are so thick.. her Guns are twice as large than mine.. How can I defeat it?' Think Wales in her mind as she see the shots landed on the hull and deck of the enormous German battleship.

After a few salvo's from Hood side, Prinz Eugen was shooting back toward Hood few times. Hood, who was busy at trying to aim and hit the enemy, Mostly Bismarck, see few shells flying directly toward at her ship now. She brace for impact. and as soon as she did, She felt a punch in her centre chest. The enemy shell has landed on Hood weakest point, her front deck. She felt from the force and coughing. She see the deck few meters across her, flames are everywhere and spreading in the front deck.

Hood try to stand up and try to save many crew as she can while starting to cough a blood from the damage she had taken from the front shell. She heard a lot of screaming from the deck. She even see one of the crew are in fire, it was like a hell. This is bad.. the fire is so big... she coughed a lot from the smoke and the injury. As she evacuate the crew from surface of the deck, she look under the deck where there still many crew left in there, Screaming for help.

Her emotion is crawling into her as she heard the scream of the crew that she knew she can't save. Hood decide to go back to the ship bridge to grab a handkerchief for her bloody mouth and telling others to try and help the other crew members. Her captain see her going inside and walking while her hands and mouth have blood stain. He rush to her right before she fell and holding her body from hitting the floor. He offers a help for her injury and knowing fully aware she won't be fine like a normal human unless it got fixed.

Hood see her captain with squint from holding her tears getting out "The front deck has been damage pretty heavily-" She cough more from the smoke as she still breath and felt even though she was inside the ship bridge. "There still.. a lot of people under the deck.." she tried to stand up but her knee are weakening from the image she just seen. "I know Hood. We know. But we can't save them with the big flame still raging.." her captain try to comfort her by hugging her I'm sorry.. I'm sorry.. Hood try her best to surpress her emotion by covering her face in her captain shoulder.

Her captain give her handkerchief for her bloody mouth and her bloody hand. Hood quickly half recovered and rise up again and with full courage to see the outside front windows. The front deck was still on fire. But it make the blond woman with the Union Jack realise how far her deck armour power actually was. It was weaker than any HMS ship.

If it was the shell coming from Bismarck, she think she will felt more force in her chest.. no, her entire chest will be blown off (Not physically) from the damage. Blood will start leaking from her body too. 'No.' Hood try to remove her negative idea she had in mind right now and focus on the enemy infront of her.

Knowing that her front deck still on fire and there still crew inside it, she tried her best to think about every single faces of seaman serving as her crew that died in there, 'Thank you for serving as my crew.. I shall avenge your death.' She hold tight her Union Jack and see her both enemy with a fury eyes.

As both sides continue fire each other for few more times, Wales and Hood suddenly hear a huge sound coming from the front right side. Bismarck has just fired a salvo. And it was coming toward them.. no, it pass Wales pretty high. Which mean it's going to targeting the other ship right beside Wales. 'Hood!' She watch the shell fly pass infront of her and starting to fell on where the icon of Royal Navy flagship, HMS Hood is.

Germans POV

At the German side, a tall light blond woman see outside the window and watch the 2 british ship releasing a first shot. Bismarck see Hood and King George V releasing shots toward them. The shells landed short from their position. Bismarck are ready to fire back at any time, but her Captain and the Admiral didn't give any order to fire. Only allowed to Prinz Eugen, making her confuse at his decision.

Prinz Eugen fired back toward Hood ship. no shots were landed by both sides. The admiral order Prinz to focus on Hood than Prince of Wales since he see it as major threat.

As Prinz Eugen firing toward Hood, Bismarck got bombarded by missing shells that were landed on the sea by the two british ships. The Bismarck Captain ask permission to fire to his higher ups, but the Admiral reject it. Then after 5 minutes of exchanging shots, a shell has reach the target.

Bismarck who are watching the Captain talking to the Admiral, suddenly felt like a punch in her body. Her nose start to bleed after the shell hit her ship. Her captain see her sudden jolt and try to hold her from falling down on her back. She try to control her balance and standing up straight Verdammt. She able to hit me. As she try to block her running nose. "hey, are you alright Bismarck?" her captain grabbing both of her shoulders, "Ja. I'm okay. This is minor damage" she replied before accepting a handkerchief from one of the crew in the room

Prince of Wales has finally hit the Bismarck after couple of salvo. The tall woman try to see the damage of her ship, 3 shells hit her. 1 of them hit the underwater hull where the boiler room is, making it fully flooded. The total damage cause oil leak from the bow. Making her nose a running blood slightly and giving her a light bruise in the back.

The captain see Bismarck condition from the damage before he turn around to see his Admiral for last time "Asking permission to Fire!" the Admiral just silent, Not giving any words after what he just seen. The captain become impatiently frustrated and look away from his admiral "I'm not letting my ship getting shot out from under my arse, Open fire!" as Bismarck hear that, a sudden urge run into her whole body, she tip her officer hat as she placing her finger at the trigger Hood. Prepare your last moment. She press the trigger and send a first salvo toward the flagship of the fleet, who was the icon of Royal Navy, and the former largest battleship in the world, HMS Hood.

She is going to be her largest prey she will ever eat.

Author Note: There is a famous quote from the Captain Lindemann, the captain leading Bismarck ship.

"Ich lasse mir doch nicht mein Schiff unter dem Arsch wegschießen. Feuererlaubnis!" translated

"I'm not letting my ship getting shot out from under my arse, Open fire!"

Source: wikipedia and documentary