Chapter 4: The Battle of the Denmark Strait (part 2)

Hood goes out from the ship bridge to see the shell heading toward her. With her brave and fury heart she gain after the first hit she taken, she look out directly to the shells that still in the skies I shall not hit by it. Seconds later, she then hear a splash of water beside her. No shells were hitting her. They all misses. 2 minutes later another salvo from Bismarck came. And they missed again. Everytime Bismarck shoot another salvo toward her, Hood prepare herself for everything that could go wrong. But so far they all miss.

The blond woman still gracefully unmoved as she holding her position while firing toward Bismarck (and keep missing in the process). She watch the young ship, Wales, standing in the deck outside, shouting to coordinate her crew, meanwhile fighting right beside her. All of the German shells were going toward her, while all of the British shells are going toward the Bismarck. They all equally trying to take out each other Flagship. Despite about the raining shells to Her boat, the situation make Hood a bit relieve as she won't get worried about the young ship getting shot at.

XOXOXOXO

Meanwhile Wales was worrying about her 'big sister' who are being targeted by both ship. No single shell was focused on her. She was unscathed for long time now at same time her guns keep breaking up each volley, making her firepower weaken against the Bismarck. Not to mention the Vice Admiral Holland who ride on Hood ship became more and more anxious. Wales only land 4 shots. 1 shot was hit the Bismarck thick heavy hull. Making it not very effective.

Wales keep trying to coordinate her unexperience crewmates and properly giving order to their task as she fighting Bismarck in the front.

In the other side, The battle are stalemate after no landed shells hitting their target from both sides. The Vice-Admiral resting his chin on his arm while thinking about a new plan to take out the Bismarck effectively.

Hood recommend the Vice Admiral to use the rear gun that had not been used since the start of the battle, but knowing well that they will exposed the rear side of the ship making it vulnerable. The Vice Admiral quickly have an improvise idea where they will turn right when they hit the 14 km marks to use it as a shield cover. At same time try to shoot with her rear gun that she have not been used since the start of the battle.

The Vice Admiral execute the plan and making Hood goes full speed turning. While the blond woman turn her "ship" into 10 degrees to the left, Bismarck shoots another salvo. The salvo landed right into where Hood last position 10 seconds ago. Hood was trying to quickly turn the ship before the enemy shoot another one and hitting the exposed rear side.

Meanwhile in the German side, Bismarck was waiting for the shells to loaded. She see Hood exposing her side ship in short range. Erwischt. She fire another salvo and see her shells flying toward the Royal Navy icon who was trying to turn as fast as she could.

She smirk under her breathe as she see the last seconds before "The Largest Battleship in The World" got hit by her upcoming shells "auf Wiedersehen, Freund" as she said last farewell to her enemy before tipping her officer hat and shadowing her face from the moonlight.

Wales was following Hood movement. If she turn, then she will too. As she turn to her side, she sees a lot of flash from the Bismarck guns. Oh no.. no no no.. She suddenly have a gut that the salvo will hit Hood directly. Wales hopelessly see the shell in the early skies. She knows it will hit Hood. And that is going to be a leave a huge scars for sure.

While Hood turning into 20 degrees to the left in the 14 km of fire range, she heard another salvo again by the Bismarck, *BANG 1 or 2 shells landed and hit and penetrate the ship deck, but no one felt it and only thought it was a dud despite the sound from the hit.

Except Hood. She felt something's wrong with her body. As Hood try to steer the ship, a surprise pain caught her off and it felt like an heart attack, making her body suddenly collapsed and making everyone in the bridge panic and surprise. Something is definitely wrong with her. Hood breathe heavily as she touch her heartbeat, she feeling burning like there is a flame inside it, meanwhile her captain try to see what's wrong with the ship after seeing the human version of Hood fell. Then suddenly a flame erupts in the centre of the ship deck. Hood bloods suddenly rush into her neck, filling it up and making her cough it a lot than she ever experience before. And she feels her heart pumping the blood out of the body.

The Captain try to help her as much as he can while the situation outside of the bridge are chaotic from the erupting flame. Hood knows this is a critical damage right in her heart, and it is a very bad sign for everyone in the ship.

The usual brave, elegant, beautiful, blonde woman. Suddenly turned into bloody, wounded, and very weak. Her mouth still have blood stuck in the lips as she breathe heavily while trying to fight the pain coming from her body, she try to stand up to see what happening outside of the room, but her pain make her balance off and fell to the ground. She have a flash of memories running through her mind, she see the first time when she was launched, exercise, and having a great time with the other girls. Is this it... she look back to her captain

*BOOM The centre of the ship explode and creating from 1 ship into 2 split part. The front ship where the bridge are still intact. But the rear of the ship is not. The front split still going forward by the momentum. The rear split sink immediately. Many bodies are throwing from the explosion in the middle of the ship.

Hood still alive. With very bad wounded as she see her clothes have blood from inside. She felt her stomach are sliced from the splitting, deep enough to make lot of blood get out but not enough to touch her organ, a lot of blood rushing out of her body. If she's normal human being, She would die instantly from the pain she got. The crew still unaware of what happened while the smoke covering the room and searching where the smoke comes from. But Hood, she knows what happened very clearly. Her mind suddenly hearing full of screaming people of her crew from falling down in the decks. Seeing lot of bodies part everywhere in the front deck. Her face turned into horror of what she just seeing in her mind as she tried to look away.

The front ship then goes 60 degrees turning into the ocean. Simple explanation, Sinking.

The crew line-up and jump one-by-one into the cold sea of Denmark Strait. Her Captain are nowhere to be seen in the decks. But she did remember her body felt like a string had been cutted half a minute after the splitting. Is he.. Dead? She can't found his body anywhere. But it's normal to feel like a connection of a string has been cut if the Captain leave from commanding the ship.

Hood checked her body for one last time. Her wounds are still staying In her body. If I'm not a ship, I may have died after the first collapsed. Hood stand up by hugging a wall and try to help Vice-Admiral Holland by evacuating the crews first. After a minute, There's the last person left and he see Vice-Admiral Holland sitting in the chair, while Hood was standing right behind him.

Hood walk slowly toward him and grab the last seaman shoulder before he leaves "I hope you for the best to survive until the rescuer arrive. Tell the rest of the survivor to survive in this cold sea, to tell the tales of our journey's together...!" she stop because a sudden heart pain from the damage, as it calm down a bit Hood give him warm weak smile. She felt happy that some crew able to made it out. Now she just pray for them to survive in the sea as long as they can until the rescue arrive. The last man nod and jump from the ship.

Hood see behind her, a lonely man with his Navy officer uniform sitting in the chair. Thinking deeply about his life, his choice, and his mistakes. Everytime she walks, she hiss by feeling the pain in the stomach. She walks slowly to the poor man while adding pressure in the stomach. "Sir Holland.. Thank you for your brilliant services." Hood touch his left shoulder. Holland was still sitting there, looking at the floor with little emotions.

"Sir... I'm very grateful that you able to lead us into the very end.. leading Me and Wales into the very end.." She looking at the ground with weak emotion. She just wanted to hear the man that leading her boss for one last time.

Then she hear a word from him "I'm sorry.. I'm sorry.." The man was in low tone, making it barely heard from her ears. Hood sees the side of the man face who keep looking down. "If only I wait for them.. you wouldn't sink.. no one would died.. atleast not this much.." The man continue as he try to look at her standing in her feet, wounded.

"I'm sorry Hood.. I'm sorry for my incompetent.." Holland try to touch her bloody left hand. Feeling her cold temperature as the water teach into their feet. Hood travel her hand slowly and passionate in the man shoulder as she try to comfort him "Sir.. Not everyone is perfect.." she hold the sentence for a second "Even I too.." Hood know that she's outmatch by the newly modern Bismarck warship. But she tried her best to keep survive till the end of the war for the Nation and her Allies.

"I should have not push your luck so close to her." she look at the cold water rising up into her thigh. The Blonde woman fixing the Union Jack around her, she think about all experience she felt back in the day "It was my fate to sink in this battle. Sir." She said while forcing her smile hoping to make it better

he slam his thigh "It is not your fate!" Holland scream make her surprise "If only I wait for Victorious and King George, you wont be sink in this fucking cold ocean!" the man begin to curse as he more thinking about his previous judgement and plans he had.

"Agh!" the man slam his fist into the table. He didn't felt the cold water because his anger overlap his mind. "I couldn't even save half of the crew.." He remember the image of what happen after the explosion. Many crews died. Even he see some body part flying around.

Holland sigh making a smoke under his nose "I'm such a shitty commander." Hood wrapping gently and closely around his neck with her both hand, trying to comfort him. She felt the man warmth as her face contact his face skin "No one expect it will be end like this." whisper her as Holland feels her breathe in his ear. She's so close with him, every breathe of her is very clear. "If only I was stronger like others, then it may not be ended up like this." Hood close her eyes as she felt his warmth.

The Vice Admiral became silence. Hood was enjoying the last moment with her admiral. She wondered in her mind... what does it feels like to be dead as a ship? She question herself for quite a while since World War 2 begin. She then felt his hand touching her hand.

He see her face one more time "Hood.. I order you.. to be dismissed from any action.. you may now be free..." he stuttered as he felt the coldness of the sea "and thank you.. for... serving in the.. Royal navy.." he complete his words and looking at Hood with a big smile planted on her face.

"Thank you for leading me and the Royal Navy into this glory era.. Sir Holland." Hood replied back, looking down to his face and showing her most appreciation of experience to him.

As they wait for the water to consume them both (which was height of the neck), they hear a gun shot still firing. "Wales..." She see the window, and she still see a glimpse of the German warship. "If she die.. I-I deserve... to be er-erased from history... of the Royal Na-Navy.." said Holland as he keep hearing the gun fire outside. "She will survive." Hood shake her head and correcting her last sentence "She must survive".

Moments later, the water reach their mouth. Then, fully consuming them with the cold water. Holland tries to hold his breathe as much as he could and see Hood begun sinking faster than him. He tried to grab her hand, but her weight felt like a heavy weight than normally and starting to lose his grip.

Hood see him holding her hand, she open her mouth one last time "Thank You.. For giving me life." He release her hand after not being able to hold that much weight she just have. 'Hood..' he see her eyes still open and look directly toward him as her body getting completely pulled to the deep sea, vanishing in to the dark oblivion.

HMS Hood was sunk in May 24th, 1941. 05:57 AM local time. In the Battle of the Denmark Strait.

Wales POV

Wales see the shell hit her sister ship deck. Seconds after, a flame erupt in the middle of the ship. The next minute, it explode into 2 part. The explosion make Wales reaction speechless and shock from the scene. Hood has been defeated. She's now only piece of metal and steel floating in the sea ticking down seconds before she sink completely. This is the first time Wales ever seen a ship death right before her eyes. And it was the most unexpected ship that sunk.

"Hood!" She run fast going toward the outside of the bridge and want to jump into the sea to save her sister, but her captain stop her in the track with very strong grip holding it. She was surprise from her captain sudden action "No, let me go!" she try to release his hand from her with the other hand she got left, "please.. I just want to save her.." She keep resisting from the captain hand but it was too strong like a glue and her strength weakening as it goes on, as her grip weakened her captain turn to speak up "There's nothing we can do.. she's already defeated. Wales." Her captain try to calm her down, 'No.. why.. why her.. why not me..?'

She feels sudden rush of emotion running into her eyes. She can't look anymore longer as her sister pieces start to sink. She rush toward the captain body and rest her face in his chest. "Hood.." she give a low sob sound that only can her Captain hear it as she cover her whole face. Her eyes starting to tear up in the captain chest, making his clothes a bit wet.

She start to whisper "Why am I... so weak... captain?" Wales thinking about her strength, her captain begun to wrap her body into a comfort position "Your not weak, Wales." the blonde replied quick "then why can't I.. protect her..?" she continue to sob in his chest and making a few crew realising they are hugging eachother. "Because it's not your job. Hood able to defend herself" Her captain pat her head and giving her comfort as best as he could "She's not weak you know?" the captain continue while the blond keep remembering her past "Let it out quickly. The enemies are still in front." as he said it, they hear another shot, forcing Wales back to the cruel reality

XOXOXOXOXO

The battle are not over yet. Wales quickly removing her tears and go back to face her enemies. Now with a huge fury of anger, sadness, and revenge mixing up inside her mind and emotion "I swear to Royal Navy and Hood.. I will avenge your death.. WE will avenge your death.." Wales patting her chest as a spirit and to make her remember the death of her 'big sister', the icon of the Royal Navy Battleship, HMS Hood.

Her captain order to turn and avoid the Hood wreck. But as Wales reach her, there are no sign of pieces left. Only a few survivor still swimming in the cold sea. Wales can't help them under enemy fire. Leaving them helplessly drifting in the sea waiting for rescue to arrive. She really hate to let anyone even enemies crew drifting in the sea. After all, most of them got conscripted by the military without any vision of the risk they will soon have.

Wales are adjusting her position and revealing her side completely. At same time using the last 6 guns that still available after many of her auxillery broken down from salvos. Wales continue concentrating fire to Bismarck and ignore Prinz Eugen in front.

"Fire!" More salvo were been made from Wales. The latest salvo she had fired has hit Bismarck hull, the Captain confirm the hit and-*BANG!-a shell hit the bridge room.

XOXOXOXOXOX

The Navigation Officer who right below the deck of the bridge shout at the voice pipe to check what happened, but it only answered by blood dripping from the voice pipe. He then runs toward the upper bridge and see the unexpected.

He open the door and see lot of smoke coming out from the room. he waves his hand and see more clear as the smoke cleared to the outside. He was shock from what he just saw. He see the inside of the bridge wall tainted with red blood. He see body parts everywhere, Lot of blood splatter everywhere into the glass. Then he see a woman and the captain laying on the ground not moving. Everyone inside the bridge was dead by the shot..

But wait.. he saw the woman make a movement. She survive from the attack with a blood in her face,the officer quickly goes to her and check her state. No wound were spotted, it was a surprise to him. Her clothes did get messy though.

The blonde woman head was dizzy and her hearings is still buzzing from the loud noise "What.. Happened?" Wales cough from the smoke and dust before opening her eyes slowly. Her eyes became wide open as she see lot of bodies laying down. Blood everywhere.. it was like a horror scene in horror story as she see a parts of dead body lying around. The man help her by giving his hand, and then she see the captain laying down in the floor unconscious. "Captain!" She tried to to wake him up and see his state of body.

His clothes are bloody. She doesn't know if it's from him or others, but her captain is not moving. she check his breathing, hoping for a life sign.. it still breathe! She keep shaking his body until an eye movement twitching Wales react quickly "captain! Captain John!" the captain hear her voice and starting to open his eye. There it was, his Navigator Officer and Wales right infront of him with worried face. He felt a burning pain in his stomach "Ahh.." he tried to sit down with Wales and the navigator help.

He see the room who was busy of crews a seconds ago into a bloody and empty one. In the pile of dead bodies, a miracle has shown as one of the crew wake up uninjured. He was shocked of what happened to the other mates. Captain John Leech with an injury on his stomach order a full retreat. Wales turn 160 degree and retreating by deploying a smokescreen. They have been defeated, but they have not yet being destroyed.

XOXOXOXOXO

To her surprise, the germans ship are not following them. If they got 2 more hit in the ship, they would sunk for sure. But the Germans is not interested to chase the last british ship. It was a good news for Wales, atleast she could retreat to the twin cruiser who still following them without any trouble.

The rest of the crew are trying to fix and cleaning the messy red room as they retreat. Wales cannot forget the image of the death of her crews. Not to mention 90% of them is newly recruits with 4 months training. Her mind just want to throw up by the sight of bodies in the room. She and them got forced to go into the battle with very minimum of training. but she must hold every emotions till she reach land again.

Wales remembering the fight as she control the ship, the sinking of almighty Hood, the most shocking thing the Royal Navy—no, The world will ever remembered. 'you are an absolute monster Bismarck.. the world shall remember your action..' Wales curse under her breathe as she see a bright sky starting to show up. Her cold emotion are showing up after the fight, she will learn a lot from this experience she gain. The death of her crews and the death of a ship right in front of her, she will surpress her emotion from now on in the rest of the war time.

The Battle of Denmark Strait is over. Bismarck won the first round.