Three of

'Sfeel Fish' ed Hell" Out Huge Target

HOOD AVENGED
An English Port, May 30 ((;1='): Hundreds o German seamen floundered helplessly in the sea with no life rafts to cling to after forty British salvoes and three "steel fish" sent the 35,000-ton battleship Bismarck, pride of the German Navy, to the bottom last Tuesday, the chief petty officer of a British warship said today, The warship arrived here with j approximately 100 German officers and men who survived the Bismarck. In the words of the petty officer, the Rodney and - another British battleship "banged hell out ofher" and two torpedoes lifted her bodily out of the water before the third sent the new dreadnought to the bottom, in revenge for destruction of Britain's 42,10GIon battle cruiser Hood A Britlsh naval officer declared today that the Bismarck's tonnage tvas "far above" her listed 35,000, The officer. aboard one of the pursuing ships, said ",I should. think her tonnage ryas sornething like 50X0 to give her the necessary strength to withstand the punishment -she received, "She was undoubtedly far above anything we had thought of." Such tonnage would have made the Bismarck the world's largest warship. The Hood long had been classed as the world's largest. "ferries in Water:' . "'.'here were a lot of Jerries in the water," said Chief Petty Officer It. R. Crocker, "and there was nothing for them to hold on to, not even a, raft, although some of them were wearing Japanese lifebelts." (The exact complement of the Bismarck was not known, but a ship of her purported size normally would carry from 1,000 to 1,300 men. The latter was the number aboard the Hood, and only three so far are reported to have survived .) Crocker said rescue efforts were halted by attacks of German submarines and aircraft on British ships attempting to pick up the survivors : He quoted one Nazi officer as saying ; "It is a bad policy to pick up survivors in wartime." "I couldn't understand a ship o% the type of the Bismarck not having rafts," Crocker continued, "The big-

gest thing I saw afloat. %vas a piece of timber about six feet. long." Telling his story, Crocker said ; "As the went in closer to do our stuff, I saw our shells knock the brains out of the Bismarck . We smashed her after-control and the firs aboard here was spreading. "But the Nazis had guts . Turret Blown Loose. "The Rodney knocked her afterturret clean out, until it was hanging over the side . The Bismarck was now ablaze from stem to stern, and her guns at last were silent . "The order came to sink the Bismarck, and we banged her like the devil with our guns, giving her roughly forty salvoes. "After that, we put tvro steel fish into the starboard side . 1 saw many of the Nazis waving coats as the Bismarck's stern was awash, The weather was blowing hard by this time and visibility was low. That's how we'd surprised her. "The torpedoes lifted her bodily out of the water. What s% sight! Then a cruiser from port side slammed a third torpedo' into her, and that finished her off. It was the last shot fired. "The Bismarck stood up for a few seconds and gradually keeled over toward the port side . "Then she turned right over, showing her keel, and slid back . As she disappeared she seemed to break up . "There were a lot of Jerries in the water and there was nothing for them to hold on to-not even a raft-although . some of them were wearing Japanese lifebelts. . "If they had had rafts or boats more of them would have been saved. "We steamed up to the survivors and started picking them up . "There were roughly about eight (in one group) and they were punch drunk with gunfire and didn't know whether they . were coming or going. ""German submarines and aircraft were reported, and this caused rescue work to be stopped. We beat it . "There were no casualties in our ship. Nazi Burled at Sea. "The survivors were given restoratives before being put up to bed. Most of them were. fairly young.

"I couldn't understand a- ship of the type of the Bismarck not having rafts: The biggest thing I sate afloat in the water was a piece of timber about six feet long . "Orz. the run back to this +_,ountry. , one of the survivors died and was buried at sea. "We didn't have the Nazi ensign to use at the burial, sown old German Imperial ensign was used . "All Nazi officers and men on deck gave the Nazi salute as the remains went - over the side. Full naval honors were carried out by the British officers and men. "Actually the Nazis were glad to be aboard our ship after the terrific hammering they received. Their attitude was pretty good and they showed no signs of truculence. . "Orse of the officers told me he end the crew were convinced that the Bismarck was unsinkable . Well, they learned differently. "A British officer told- me some ,of the survivors gave the - Hitler salute to the British ensign on being pulled aboard . "A former Nazi naval attache in London, who was one of-those saved gave short thanks to the British officers. He said, 'It is a bad policy to pick up any survivors in war- 1 time' That Nazi seemed very in- 2 r different whether he was rescued 1 or not. "After recovering, some of the prisoners played the piano in our recreation. room and, sang the 'Blue I Danube .' Then they received a plate of soup with bread. They were H under the impression it was the Z, whole meal . Roast beef and ve4eF tables followed, That gave them a 71 shock. When pudding was served tT they seemed flabbergasted."