Bismarck Battle Film Analysis

by Robert J. Winklareth, M.E., September 2007

The Battle of the Denmark Strait, fought near Iceland on 24 May 1941, is undoubtedly one of the most famous and important naval battles of World War II.  The detailed examination of primary evidence associated with that battle would in itself be well worth the effort, and its results would be of considerable academic interest to serious naval history enthusiasts.  When such an analysis also contributes to a better understanding of how the battle was conducted and is instrumental in resolving an on-going controversy on that issue, it is of even far greater value to the naval history community.

The tactical maneuvers of the British force, consisting of the venerable battle cruiser Hood and new battleship Prince of Wales , are well documented and are universally accepted as being correct. On the other hand, the tactical movements by the German squadron, comprising the battleship Bismarck and her heavy cruiser consort Prinz Eugen , have been the subject of some controversy from the very beginning.

Initially, the prevailing German concept of the battle depicted the Bismarck as being on the starboard side of the Prinz Eugen during the period from 0602 to 0608, as shown in the book Battleship Bismarck by Bismarck survivor, Baron Müllenheim-Rechberg.  However, that version was contradicted by the Prinz Eugen's Second Gunnery Office, Paul Schmalenbach, who portrayed the Bismarck as being on the port side of the Prinz Eugen for the entire period from 0600 to beyond 0609 in his own battle diagram.

This discrepancy was probably due in part by the fact that seven of the twelve or so still photographs taken of the Bismarck from the Prinz Eugen during the battle show the Bismarck on the starboard side of the Prinz Eugen while the other five photographs in the series show the Bismarck moving up on the port side of the Prinz Eugen .  This has led to different interpretations of the photographic evidence that continues to this day.

The issue is now reduced to two basically different concepts of the battle.  While there may be some variations, the first concept is that the Bismarck was on the port side of the Prinz Eugen until 0602, and then the Bismarck turned to starboard and sailed behind the Prinz Eugen on the starboard side of the cruiser.  The Bismarck then re-crossed the wake of the Prinz Eugen at 0608, came back to the port side of the Prinz Eugen, and was between the Prinz Eugen and Prince of Wales by 0609 when the Germans ceased fire.

The second concept of the battle envisions the Bismarck as sailing on a straight-line course on the port side of the Prinz Eugen throughout the entire period of the battle.  This concept was first advanced in the book The Bismarck Chase by Robert J. Winklareth, and  while endorsed by some, this concept has not been universally accepted by the naval history community.

General Description of the Battle Film

In addition to the well known still photographs taken of the Bismarck from the Prinz Eugen during the Battle of the Denmark Strait, there was also a motion picture film taken of part of the action at the same time.   A digital version of that battle film was used for this analysis, and it covers a period of somewhat over two minutes. The authenticity of this version of the battle film was verified by comparison with the corresponding still pictures that have generally been accepted as being genuine. 

The battle film was apparently taken with a hand-held, 16mm motion picture camera with a normal focal length lens and a speed of 16 frames per minute.  In digital form, individual frames of the battle film can be printed in full-page size for detailed analysis.  Since the frames are consistent in size, they allow for direct comparison with one another, which is not always possible with enlarged still pictures.  There are several gaps in the battle film, probably caused by the temporary cessation of filming or by splicing.

Correlation to the Still Photographs

The battle film is inexorably linked to the seven known still photographs showing the Bismarck on the starboard side of the Prinz Eugen .  Each of those still photographs corresponds to a frame of the battle film, so the exact sequence in which the still photographs were taken can be established, as can the relative times that the pictures were taken.  All seven still photographs showing the Bismarck on the starboard side of the Prinz Eugen were taken during a period of 93 seconds, or an average of one photograph every 13 seconds.

Specifically, Photo NH69728 (BA 90/81/10A) was taken at 34.5 seconds into the battle film, Photo BA 68/15/26 was taken at 39.5 seconds, Photo BA 68/15/12 was taken at 57 seconds, Photo BA 68/15/20 was taken at 60.5 seconds, and Photo NH69726 (BA 85/24/12) was taken at 86 seconds.  Photo "X," an uncataloged photograph in the Paul Schmalenbach Collection, was taken 36.5 seconds later at 122.5 seconds, and finally NH68727 (BA 68/15/22) was taken shortly thereafter at 128 seconds.  The designation "NH" refers to the U.S. Naval Historical Center number, while "BA" designates the German Bundesarchiv catalog number for the photograph.

In view of the direct relationship between those particular still photographs and the battle film, they can all be examined together to arrive at a more comprehensive evaluation of the battle film.  Glossy prints of the still photographs allow for a far more detailed analysis of the features of the Bismarck due to the much higher resolution inherent in such prints over printed copies of the frames from the battle film.  Therefore, any conclusions reached from an examination of the still photograph would also be applicable to the corresponding frames in the battle film as well.

Compensating for Gaps in the Battle Film

To improve the accuracy of the time-line for the events depicted in the battle film, the gaps in the film had to be accounted for.  When comparing the frames on both sides of the splices, it was noted that in each case the Bismarck had moved a further distance away from the near edge of a clearly defined smoke cloud created by the firing of her main guns.  A series of measurements was made throughout the entire film segment, and they were sufficiently consistent to establish an empirical formula to determine the approximate size of the gaps in the film.

It was found that each 1/60-inch unit of measure represented an average of 21 frames with a range of values from1.9 to 2.3 frames. That range of values constitutes a margin for error of 10 percent, which is far better than simply ignoring the gap.  This formula would, of course, only be applicable to the specific set of circumstances depicted in the battle film itself.  Factors such as smoke cloud expansion, wind direction and velocity, and ship inclination would certainly vary under different circumstances, and therefore a separate analysis would be required for each situation.

As a result of this effort, an additional 13 seconds were accounted for, and it was then determined that the segment of battle film on hand actually encompassed a total period of time of about 130 seconds.  While the time difference between events seen on the film can be accurately determined to within a fraction of a second, tying these events to specific clock times is considerably more difficult.  For that, we have to look at other primary source documents for clues.

Timing of the Battle Film

An analysis of the battle film would be virtually meaningless unless it could be correlated to a specific time period during the battle.  Only in that way can the full potential value of the battle film be realized in arriving at the most probable scenario of the battle.  The battle film is an essential element in the integration of all of the documentary evidence into a fully supported concept of how the Battle of the Denmark Strait was fought. 

The battle film could not p ossibly have been taken between 0553 and 0602 for the following reasons.  Photo NH69722 (BA 68/15/24) clearly shows the Bismarck still at least 1000 yards directly astern of the Prinz Eugen at about 0556 when the Bismarck opened fire on the Hood .  Photos NH69729 and BA 90/61/27 show the Bismarck moving up on the Prinz Eugen on a course somewhat aport of the track of the Prinz Eugen at about 0558-0559.  And finally, Photo NH69730 (BA 86/118/20A) shows the Bismarck directly off the port quarter of the Prinz Eugen at about 0601.

The position of the Bismarck on the port side of the Prinz Eugen from 0553 to 0602 is also confirmed by the official Prince of Wales Salvo Plot, which shows the location of the Bismarck in relation to the Prince of Wales during that period.  The Prince of Wales Salvo Plot shows the Bismarck as traveling on a straight-line course estimated to be 212 degrees from 0553 to 0602.  This course is eight degrees aport of the course of 220 degrees sailed by the Prinz Eugen , and it is consistent with the other evidence.

The battle film could not possibly have been taken between 0603 and 0607.  At 0603, the Prinz Eugen began a series of three hard turns, which would have made picture taking, especially motion pictures, impossible.  Those turns are documented on the Prinz Eugen's Battle Sketch as well as in the Prinz Eugen's War Diary.  The battle film reflects a very steady progression of frames with no radical movements by either the Bismarck or the Prinz Eugen throughout the more than two-minute period covered by the battle film.

The images on the 16mm battle film, while significantly smaller than 35mm still photo negatives, are surprisingly sharp, indicating that the battle film was taken while the Prinz Eugen was sailing on a steady course and providing a stable platform for picture-taking.  In fact, after filming of the battle film segment began, the photographer held the Bismarck in the center of his viewfinder for a sustained period of 29 seconds.  If the Prinz Eugen had been making any sharp turns, the images on the battle film would have been blurred due to unavoidable camera movements in trying to track the Bismarck .

The familiar broadside view of the Bismarck was probably taken at about 0604-0605 when the Prinz Eugen was again parallel to the Bismarck for a very short period of time,  This gave the photographer a chance to photograph the Bismarck passing the Prinz Eugen off the port beam of the cruiser at that time.  As can be seen in that broadside view, the Bismarck was still firing full salvos with all four turrets, confirming the fact that this picture was taken earlier than the last few minutes of the battle.  The Prinz Eugen then made another series of turns, first to starboard and then back to port, which again precluded any photography of the Bismarck from 0605 to 0607.

The two-minute battle film could not possibly have been taken from 0602 to 0603 in view of the time constraints and its incompatibility with the views of the Bismarck prior to and immediately after that time frame.  That leaves the period after 0607 as the only time frame during which the battle film could have been taken.  By 0607, the Prinz Eugen would have completed her three hard turns and settled back on a course roughly parallel to that of the Bismarck .

The movie photographer began shooting the battle film shortly after the platform became stable enough to permit picture taking.  The first few frames of the battle film are slightly blurred as the Prinz Eugen settled down after her last hard turn.  Prinz Eugen's still photographer, Lagemann, began taking photographs 34.5 seconds later when he took NH69728 (BA 90/21/10A).  The fogging at the side edge of NH69728 suggests that Lagemann loaded a new roll of 35mm film into his camera just before that time and failed to advance the film by two full frames before resuming his picture taking.

The battle film confirms that NH69728 was the first in the series of photographs showing the Bismarck on the starboard side of the Prinz Eugen .  This is significant since it establishes NH69728 as being at the very edge of a film strip containing a number of frames of 35mm film.  It is common practice to cut developed 35mm film into strips of several frames to facilitate handling while being enlarged and printed.  This of course increases the possibility that an entire strip of six or seven frames may have been inadvertently placed upside down in the enlarger before printing and thereby causing all of the images from that strip of film to be printed in reverse.

Salvo Analysis

Firing of the Bismarck's main armament guns is characterized in the battle film with an initial frame that is mostly obscured by a circular flash pattern that overexposed the film by the intensity of the light.  The flash then quickly diminishes in succeeding frames until it disappears and a clearly defined fireball is seen for several additional frames.  The fireball is then transformed into a cloud of smoke that is created when the hot gases from the ignited propellant are cooled down by the surrounding air.  The length of time for the initial flash is indicative of the number of guns fired at the time, and the location of the fireball distinguishes the specific group of turrets that fired, whether forward or aft.

The salvo pattern fired by the Bismarck is known to have changed during the battle.  Baron Mullenheim-Rechberg, in his book Battleship Bismarck , quoted the First Gunnery Officer as ordering "full salvos good rapid" against the Hood .  Full salvos undoubtedly continued to be fired against the Prince of Wales , at least until 0604-0605, as evidenced by the broadside photograph taken of the Bismarck just after she fired both her fore and after turrets at the same time.

Admiralty Report ADM234-509 states: "Bismarck appears to have fired all of her fore group (i.e. "A" and "B" turrets) followed by the whole of her aft group ("X" and "Y" turrets).  Toward the end of the morning action, guns in a group were definitely observed to "ripple" as if one or more turrets were in gun layers' firing."  The pattern of salvos shown in the battle film is consistent with the observations from the Prince of Wales and further establishes the battle film as covering basically the last two minutes of the battle.

The first frame of the battle film shows two puffs of smoke directly above the stern of the Bismarck , indicating that she had just fired separate salvos from her two after turrets in quick succession. At 2.5 seconds into the battle film, one of the Bismarck's forward turrets fired a salvo characterized by two separate flashes with a total flash time of 1.4 seconds.  This indicates that there was a slight delay of about 0.5 second between the firing of the individual guns of that turret.

At 12.5 seconds into the battle film, the Bismarck fired a salvo from her other forward turret.  This time, there was a single flash with a duration of 0.7 seconds, indicating that both guns of that turret fired in unison.   At 27,5 seconds, one of the Bismarck's forward turrets fired another salvo with a flash duration of 0.7 seconds, and at 40.0 seconds, the other forward turret fired a salvo with a flash duration of 0.9 seconds.

The separation of 25.0 seconds between the first and third salvos and the separation of 27.5 seconds between the second and fourth salvos from the Bismarck's forward turrets is consistent with the established rate of fire for her guns.  Under ideal conditions, the guns of the Bismarck could fire a round every 20 seconds, but under sustained combat conditions, some slight delays for various reasons can be expected. 

The four salvos fired by the Bismarck's forward turrets were then followed by a salvo from one of her after turrets at 43.0 seconds with a flash duration of 0.6 seconds.  At 81.5 seconds, the Bismarck fired one of her forward turrets with a flash duration of 04 seconds.  This was followed by the firing of one of her after turrets at 85.5 seconds with a flash duration of 0.7 seconds and other firing by one of her after turrets one second later at 86.5 seconds with a flash duration of 0.5 seconds.

The very short duration of the flash during the firing of the last few salvos could indicate that the Bismarck may have been firing individual guns rather than two-gun salvos, further supporting the observations made from the Prince of Wales of the "ripple" effect of her firing.  No more salvos were fired from the after turrets of the Bismarck in the 43 seconds remaining to the end of the film segment.

One more salvo was fired from both forward turrets at 118.5 seconds, possibly just to clear the guns if they had already been loaded.  The slackening of fire from the Bismarck at this time suggests that it was becoming too difficult to acquire the Prince of Wales while she was retreating under a smoke screen and that this was probably the last salvo fired by the Bismarck .  The segment of battle film ended 11 seconds later at 129.5 seconds, and the Bismarck ceased fire at about 0609.

Salvos Fired by Prince of Wales

The Prince of Wales Salvo Plot shows the Prince of Wales turning nearly parallel to the Bismarck at 0602, about the time of her 18th salvo against the Bismarck , and then retreating from the scene of battle at 0605.  The Bismarck hit the Hood with its fifth salvo at about 0600, causing the Hood's after magazines to explode and the ship to sink.  The Bismarck had already fired its sixth salvo, and its splashes can be seen directly in front of the huge smoke cloud engulfing the Hood in Photo NH69731.

The earliest that the Bismarck could have fired on the Prince of Wales was at about 0601.  At a range of 16,000 yards, the time of flight of Bismarck's shells would have been about 25 seconds.  It is highly unlikely that he Bismarck could have hit the Prince of Wales four times in less than one minute before the latter purportedly turned at 0602.  All of the hits occurred at an angle, making it highly probable that they occurred over a somewhat longer period of time, possibly between 0602 and 0604.

Admiralty Report ADM234-509 states that the Prince of Wales fired 18 salvos in 8.58 minutes for a rate of fire of 1.895 salvos per minute.  While the number of salvos is confirmed by other reports, including the Prince of Wales Salvo Plot, the time frame is questionable for the reasons cited above.  The hit on the compass platform at about 0602  temporarily disrupted the "con" of the ship for a couple of minutes while Captain Leach recovered and reestablished control on the bridge of the Prince of Wales .  Under the circumstances, it is unlikely that maintaining an accurate record of time was of high priority.

William Garzke, in his book Allied Battleships in World War II, cites the rate of fire for the Prince of Wales' 14-inch guns as being one round every 40 seconds.  Since the Prince of Wales opened fire at 0553, she would have fired her 18th salvo after 0604 at that rate of fire.  With the limited training of her gun crews, it is not very likely that this rate of fire could have been improved upon during the battle.  The time of 0604-0605 for the beginning of the Prince of Wales' initial turn would also seem to be more consistent with the Bismarck's realistic gunnery performance.

The battle film shows conspicuously the huge columns of water created when two shells from the Prince of Wales landed 23 seconds apart near the Bismarck , reaching their peak at 35 seconds and 58 seconds into the film, respectively.  The first shell is seen to land at 26 seconds, but the fall of the second shell was out of camera range and was therefore estimated to land at 49 seconds, nine seconds earlier than the time of the peak of the splash at 58 seconds. During the final turn of the Prince of Wales , reported to be at 0605, her rear turret jammed. preventing any further firing.

Since no further splashes are seen during the last 72 seconds of the battle film, those two shots apparently were the last rounds fired by the Prince of Wales before her final turn away from the Bismarck . At a range of 14,500 yards, as reported in Admiralty Report ADM234-509, the time of flight of the Prince of Wales' shells would have been about 22 seconds, placing the time of firing for the first shell at 4 seconds into the battle film and the second shell at 27 seconds into the battle film.  Therefore, the time of Prince of Wales' last turn was probably closer to 0607:30 rather than at 0605, as shown on the Prince of Wales Salvo Plot.

Distance to the Bismarck

While the distance to the Bismarck from the Prinz Eugen cannot be determined with any degree of accuracy merely by looking at the battle film, it is possible to determine changes in that distance, and thereby relative movement between the two ships, with some degree of accuracy.  A vertical measurement is essential to avoid errors resulting from changes in ship inclination, and therefore the height of the Bismarck from the waterline to the top of her tower mast served as the reference for all measurements.

To measure the height of the Bismarck in the various frames analyzed, the images were first enlarged to twice their printed size to provide a larger image to work with.  A fine line was then drawn in red ink along the bottom of her bow wave and stern wake parallel to the horizon  From that line, the height of the tower mast above the water line to the top of the range finder was measured using a drafting scale with divisions of 1/60-inch.  Several measurements in both directions were made and then averaged to achieve a margin of error of 3 percent.

The height measurements of the Bismarck declined slightly from 55 units at the beginning of the film segment to 52 units at 10.5 seconds and 50 units at 27 seconds, where each unit of measure is equal to 1/60-inch.  The height remained 50 units at 41 seconds and 56 seconds, but then it increased to 52 units at 66.5 and 81 seconds.   The height measurements continued to increase to 53 units at 93,5 seconds, 55 units at 96.5 seconds. 57 units at 102.5 seconds, 57 units at 109 seconds, and 59 units at 114 seconds,

There is a gap in the battle film after 114.5 seconds when the camera was suddenly pointed downward.  When the filming resumed, the Bismarck was at the very top of the frame, and the first possible height measurement was 66 units.  When earlier measurements are plotted, and the curve extended to the first reading after the gap, the curve reaches the value of 66 units at 120,5 seconds, indicating the gap is about 6 seconds  This would be just enough time for the photographer to rewind the spring motor on the movie camera, if that was indeed the reason for the temporary halt in filming.

While the height measurements do not reflect precise distances between the Bismarck and the Prinz Eugen , actual measurements are provided to show the order of magnitude of the changes.  When plotted against time, these height measurements indicate that the Bismarck was moving away from the Prinz Eugen at the beginning of the battle film segment, but after 56 seconds into the battle film, the Prinz Eugen began to pick up speed and draw closer to the Bismarck .  By 127 seconds, near the end of the battle film segment, the Prinz Eugen was significantly closer to the Bismarck .

According to the Prinz Eugen's official speed chart, the Prinz Eugen maintained a steady speed of 27.0 knots throughout the battle, but after the action, she increased her speed to 32.5 knots and maintained that speed from 0610 to 0620. The speed chart, which was recorded on graph paper, had squares that represented 10-minute intervals horizontally and 0.5 knots vertically.  While adequate for tracking fuel consumption and certain other purposes, the scale used for the speed chart cannot b e regarded as absolutely accurate with respect to establishing the exact times of speed changes.

From a practical point of view, the Prinz Eugen could not have increased her speed from 27.0 knots to 32.5 knots instantaneously.  It would take at least a couple of minutes to do so, and therefore the process could have begun as early as 0608, making the battle film entirely consistent with the speed chart.  This would indicate that the decision to cease fire was made at about the same time that the Prinz Eugen began to pick up speed to catch up to the Bismarck and again take the lead of the German squadron.

Inclination of the Bismarck

Inclination is the angle at which the Bismarck appears to be traveling as seen from the Prinz Eugen .  An inclination angle of 0 degrees indicates that the Bismarck is traveling along the line of sight from the Prinz Eugen , either directly toward or directly away from the Prinz Eugen .  An inclination angle of 90 degrees indicates that the Bismarck was traveling perpendicular to the line of sight from the Prinz Eugen .

It is possible to determine the inclination angle of the Bismarck to the line of sight from the Prinz Eugen within a degree or two by trigonometric means.  The actual ratio between the overall length of the Bismarck to its height from the waterline to the top of the tower mast is 7.35.  When the ratio of the measured length to height of the Bismarck in a particular battle film frame is divided by the figure of 7.35, the result is the sin of the inclination angle, which can then be readily determined with a scientific calculator.  

The inclination angle of the Bismarck to the line of sight from the Prinz Eugen was calculated to be 53 degrees at 27 seconds into the battle film, 54 degrees at 41 seconds, 51 degrees at 56 seconds, 52 degrees at 66.5 seconds, 50 degrees at 81 seconds, 45 degrees at 93,5 seconds, 40 degrees at 102.5 seconds, and 36 degrees at 114 seconds.  As can be seen, the inclination angle is relatively constant for the first 80 seconds or so of the battle film segment, but then it begins to decrease notably after that.

As with the height measurements, the inclination calculations were then disrupted by the gap in the film at 114.5 seconds.  The first possible determination of the angle of inclination of the Bismarck to the line of sight from the Prinz Eugen after filming resumed resulted in a value of 30 degrees.  When the earlier values of the inclination angle were plotted, and the curve extended to the value of 30 degrees, the curve intersected that value at about the same time as the height measurement, further confirming that the gap in the film was about 6 seconds.

The slow and gradual changes in the Bismarck's inclination angle indicate that the Bismarck was sailing on substantially a straight-line course throughout the more than two-minute period covered by the battle film.  Any turns by the Bismarck would surely have been reflected by rapid and drastic changes in her inclination angle.

Orientation of the Bismarck

The images of the Bismarck in the battle film are essentially silhouette figures, and since they are all at a significant angle of inclination from the line of sight from the Prinz Eugen , they are subject to interpretation as to whether the Bismarck was sailing toward or away from the Prinz Eugen in those views.  Since the images of the Bismarck can be seen in two different aspects, other factors have to be relied on to determine the orientation of the Bismarck in the battle film.

At closer distances, the orientation of the Bismarck could have been determined by comparing the ratio of the forward half of the ship and the after half of the ship with the overall length of the ship in a photograph.  In that case, the nearest section of the ship would be elongated, and the farthest section of the ship would be shortened.  In the case of the battle film, however, the measured ratios corresponded to the actual ratios, indicating that the Bismarck was too far away from the Prinz Eugen , certainly over 1,000 yards, for this technique to be used in determining the orientation of the Bismarck .

As established above, the still photographs showing the Bismarck on the starboard side of the Prinz Eugen are linked directly to the battle film in time.  Photo NH69726 (BA 85/34/12), which shows considerable detail of the Bismarck as a result of illumination by the flash of her guns, corresponds closely to a particular frame of the battle film at about 86 seconds into the battle film.  Any detailed analysis of that photograph would therefore also apply to the corresponding frame of the battle film.

The pattern of bright spots in the Photo NH69726 is consistent with certain identifiable structural features of the Bismarck being illuminated by the fireball from the firing of her after main armament guns to starboard and as seen in a port quarter view of the ship.  Detailed examination of standard port bow views of the Bismarck shows no combination of structural features that could conceivably have been illuminated by the Bismarck firing to port and created the same pattern of bright spots as shown in NH69726.

Further evidence that Photo NH69726 is a port quarter view of the Bismarck is found in the two secondary gun turrets illuminated by the flash on the port side of the ship.  When the photograph is greatly enlarged, the rearmost secondary gun turret is slightly but measurably larger than the foremost secondary gun turret.  This clearly establishes the rearmost turret as the after secondary gun turret and the foremost turret as the center secondary gun turret, as can be seen only in a port quarter view of the Bismarck .

Direction of Fire by the Bismarck

The battle film offers a number of clues as to the direction in which the Bismarck fired her guns during the battle.  The battle film shows no bright illumination of the portside surfaces of the Bismarck when her big guns are fired.  Only a couple of frames show even faint illumination of the portside surfaces of the Bismarck while showing other nearby surfaces brightly lit up by the flash.  If the Bismarck had been firing to port, much of the portside surfaces of the ship would have been brilliantly illuminated by the flash.

The huge smoke cloud generated by the Bismarck firing her big guns extends for some 150 yards outward along the surface of the water, yet in no frame of the battle film does any smoke appear to be on the near (port) side of the ship.  In many frames, the stern wake of the Bismarck is clearly visible with the smoke behind it on the far (starboard) side of the ship.  If the Bismarck had been firing to port, a large portion of the ship, especially along the waterline, would have been obscured by the smoke cloud.

Another phenomenon associated with a battleship firing its big guns is the blast effect on the surface of the water.  The blasts churn up the surface of the water into a white froth extending outward for several hundred feet from the source of the blast and lasting for at least a couple of seconds, long enough to be picked up on a number of frames of the battle film.  Yet the battle film shows no signs of any blast effect that would have been seen if the Bismarck had been firing to port and toward the camera.

There is a complete lack of any reflection of the fireball created by the Bismarck firing her big guns in the water on the near (port) side of the ship..  If the Bismarck had fired to port, as some claim, surely a large oval reflection of the fireball would have been seen on the near (port) side of the ship in a number of frames of the battle film, but there is no sign of any reflection of the fireball on the water.  If the Bismarck fired to starboard, however, the reflection of the fireball would have been obscured by the ship itself.

There is clear evidence on several frames of the battle film that when the Bismarck fired her forward main gun turrets, the fireball created by that firing was partially obscured by the superstructure of the ship. The front tower structure and funnel are both silhouetted by the fireball on the far (starboard) side of the ship in those frames.  Some have tried to explain the bright areas surrounding the tower and funnel as fire from the Bismarck's secondary gun turrets, but most of those bright spots are not even located near the secondary gun turrets.

Time-Line of the Battle

The time-line of the battle is another factor that involves the battle film.  According to the Prinz Eugen speed chart, she traveled at a constant speed of 27.0 knots until the end of the battle.  The maximum speed of the Bismarck , according to her builder, Blohm & Voss, was 30.1 knots.  The Prince of Wales Salvo Plot indicates that the Bismarck traveled a distance at least 10 percent further than the Prince of Wales during the course of the battle, confirming that the actual speed of the Bismarck was up to 30 knots.

Even while traveling at her maximum speed, the most that the Bismarck could possibly have gained on the Prinz Eugen with a 3-knot speed advantage was 100 yards per minute while both ships were traveling in the same general direction.  It is generally agreed that the German squadron continued sailing in a southwesterly direction throughout the battle even though the Prinz Eugen made three hard turns from 0603 to 0607.

According to Photo NH69722 (BA 68/15/24), the Bismarck was directly astern of the Prinz Eugen at 0556.  In the 13 minutes from that point in time until 0609, when the Germans ceased fire, the Bismarck could have gained only 1300 yards on the Prinz Eugen if both ships had traveled together.  The Prinz Eugen's official battle sketch, however, indicates that the Prinz Eugen lost 200 yards in forward progress along her baseline course of 220 degrees as a result of her three hard turns from 0603-0607.

The loss in forward progress by the Prinz Eugen as a result of her turns allowed the Bismarck to gain an extra 200 yards on the Prinz Eugen during the course of the battle, giving the Bismarck a total gain of 1500 yards.  Any turns by the Bismarck herself would have reduced that gain accordingly.  With the Bismarck passing the Prinz Eugen at about 0604-0605, the Bismarck was probably about 1000 yards astern of the Prinz Eugen at 0556 and 500 yards ahead of the Prinz Eugen at 0609.

The first minute of the battle film confirms the slow progress that the Bismarck was making on the Prinz Eugen until the latter began to pick up speed near the end of the battle.  Allowing for a separation of at least 500 yards between the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen , it would have been impossible for the Bismarck to have crossed astern of the Prinz Eugen at 0608 and then have come between the Prinz Eugen and the Prince of Wales in just one minute, as claimed by some.  Realistically, it would have taken over six minutes to do so.

Other Related Evidence

No analysis of the battle film would be complete without an evaluation as to how the battle film and its associated still photographs fit in with the other documentary evidence relative to the battle.  The combination of the battle film and seven still photographs showing the Bismarck on the starboard side of the Prinz Eugen are truly unique.  They seem to have absolutely no correlation to any of the other still photographs taken of the Bismarck during the battle and which show the Bismarck directly astern of the Prinz Eugen or coming up and passing the Prinz Eugen on the port side of the cruiser.

There are no other photographs or film segments showing the Bismarck on the starboard side of the Prinz Eugen during the battle, and there are no photographs showing the Bismarck making any turns or changing position with the Prinz Eugen ,  Since the Prinz Eugen's   photographer Lagemann was taking photographs at an average rate of over one per minute during the battle, the absence of photographic evidence to support any turns by the Bismarck obviously makes that version of the battle highly questionable.

The battle film and its associated still photographs are also not consistent with the documentary evidence presented in the official Prinz Eugen's War Diary.  In that document, Prinz Eugen's First Gunnery Officer, Paulus Jasper, reported that after the series of hard turns by the cruiser, the Bismarck came into his sights.  That sighting indicated that the Bismarck would soon be directly between the Prinz Eugen and the Prince of Wales , leading to the order for the Prinz Eugen not to shoot over the Bismarck .

According to the Prinz Eugen's War Diary, right after that the order was given to cease fire, and fire was terminated at 0609.  This report clearly indicates that the Bismarck was already on the port side of the Prinz Eugen some time before the Germans ceased fire at 0609.  As pointed out above, it would have taken the Bismarck several minutes coming up on the port side of the Prinz Eugen to reach the point where she could come into Jasper's line if sight to the Prince of Wales .

Prinz Eugen's Second Gunnery Officer, Paul Schmalenbach, reported in the Prinz Eugen's War Diary that he took an occasional look at the Bismarck during the battle,  This would not have been possible if the Bismarck had been on the opposite (starboard) side of the Prinz Eugen away from the target area.  Schmalenbach later prepared a battle diagram based on his recollection of events which placed the Bismarck continually on the port side of the Prinz Eugen from 0600 to after 0609, which encompasses the period covered by the battle film.

Conclusions

The images in the battle film and associated still photographs show port quarter views of the Bismarck firing to starboard.  Since the British force was always on the port side of the German squadron, the battle film and associated still photographs must have been processed in reverse.

The battle film and associated still photographs, when properly oriented, conform to the other documentary evidence relative to the battle.  The battle film supports the revised concept of the battle that envisions the Bismarck sailing in a straight line along the port side of the Prinz Eugen throughout the battle.

The evidence presented in the Bismarck battle film helps to clarify the questions regarding the timing of the last salvos fired by the Prince of Wales .  It now appears that the Prince of Wales actually fired her final salvo at about 0607:30 and that she turned away from the scene of battle at about 0608.

The battle film helps to piece together the events that occurred during the battle to within half a minute or less in actual time and thereby establish a fairly accurate scenario as to how the entire battle was fought by both sides.