'We Got Orders lo Infercepf The Bismarck' ; Naval Officer Describes Great Engagement

Ottawa, June 12 (CP)~Details of the Battle of the Bismarck were recounted today in the cabin of a British warship whose officers witnessed the destruction of the 35,000-ton German dreadnaught.-A senior officer of the Royal Navy, now in a Cand= than port, sat at his desk, portraits of the King and Queen on the steel wall behirid him and the inevitable copy of the London Times at his elbow, and unfolded the story of the drama. Ws finger traced the pursuit on a chart as he spoke . This officer saw the Rodney and King George V fight a weaving battle in which they suffered not a single casualty, in which the Bismarck's shells never got closer than twenty yards, and in which their only wounds were "four or five holes" from bits o1 exploding shell . Here is his account of the drama whose last chapter was written May 27 on the stormy North Atlantic 400 miles west of the German-held harbor of Brest, France : "We got orders May 23 to intercept the Bismarck i1 she came south, so steamed westward. Early in the morning (of the 24th) we heard the Hood and the Prince of Wales were in sight of the enemy, and later heard the Hood had blown up and that the Prince of Wales had been damaged. "We were informed the enemy had broken through and was steaming south at about twenty-six knots. We continued on the night of the 24th to steer an intercepting course . "Late the next night the Comnlander-in-Chief aboard the King George V signalled he would engage the enemy at 9 o'clock the next morning . At 3 a.m. of the 25th the shadowing cruisers lost sight of the Bismarck and the cruiser Prince Eugen, so, instead of engaging the enemy, the Commander-in-Chief and all others involved had to go in search of him. Battle Certain ; Crew Cheers. "Our position that morning was favorable for interception if the enemy made for France . We remained roughly in that area all day, 'steering a course across the ex. pected line of advance by the Bismarck. "On the 26th, about 10 :30 a .m ., the Bismarck was reported by a Catalina flying boat and soon by aircraft from the Ark Royal . She was still going over twenty knots and it became obvious that unless something was done to reduce her speed she would almost certainly elude us. "Two torpedo-bombing attacks were launched from the Ark Royal but no hits were reIIa'ted . The ship's company was _informed at 9 :30 that night that it was unlikely we would get into action. "But a few minutes later a report was received that the Bismarck was turning in circles and making smoke. A little later this was amplified to say the enemy was steering north at about twelve knots . This put a completely different complexion on the situation as the enemy obviously was disabled and now was steering directly toward us . "The glad news was given to the ship's company and they were suit. ably gratified to send up a tre. mendous cheer. Soon after dark, we received reports from the captain or a destroyer flotilla that he was in touch with the enemy. During the night destroyers of this flotilla made torpedo attacks on the Bismarck, one at a time, while the remainder kept in shadowing positions . ' Enemy's Guns All Firing. "The destroyers Cossack and Maori both scored hits and the Cossack reported the enemy nearly stopped. At this time we were under some apprehension that the Bismarck might sink before we got at her. But this fear was soon dispelled by a signal from the Cossack that although much reduced in speed the enemy was in full possession of his main and secondary armaments. "The Bismarck was now some 400 miles to the west of Brest, surrounded by destroyers who reported her every movement. The commander-In-chief decided to steer westward so as to have her against the morning light and to attack at dawn of the 27th . "The ship's company went to as tion stations in readiness for anything that might happen during the night . When light came, visibility was poor and there were heavy squalls and showers sweeping across the horizon. "The commander-in-chief therefore postponed the attack until the visi . bi1ity improved, which it slid about 9 a.m., when it was possible to see some fifteen miles all around. There was then a strongish wind from the northwest and a rough sea. "At about 8 :40 the commander-In . chief turned the battleships King George V. and Rodney in to find the enemy . The first ship , sighted was one of the shadowing cruisers who had pursued the Bismarck from the Denmark Strait. "She reported the enemy in sight from her and shortly after, at 8 :43 a.m ., to be exact, the Bismarck was sighted to the east of the Rodney and King George V. steering toward them at a distance of 12% miles . Opened at 23,000 Yards. "Our hattleshlps were proceeding toward her in a line abreast and almost immediately opened fire at a range of 23,000 yards . The Bismarck, which did not appear very manageable, turned to the south and shortly after back to the north . "The enemy opened fire on the Rodney and that ship turned to port so as to get all her guns bearing on the Bismarck. The first enemy salvo fell about 1.000 yards short. Shortly after it appeared the Rodney was straddled by a salvo, the nearest shell falling about twenty yards short, just in line with the bridge "By now both British battleships were in full action, steering a southerly course, while the Bismarck steamed north . On this course-considerable interference was experienced from smoke, both cordite and funnel, as the wind was nearly right astern. For this reason the Rodney, it appears, decided to turn to the north and engage the enemy on simi. tar courses and to cut him off if possible. This was made easier as about then the Bismarck changed its fire to the King George V. "When the Rodney turned around the range closed very rapidly, and during the next quarter hour the Bismarck was very severely. hit by cross fire from the Rodney on her port bow and the King George V on her port quarter. some Salvoes Close. "The enemy salvoes still continued to arrive and some fell pretty close to the Rodney. But fires could be seen aboard the Bismarck and her fore turret was pointing in the wrong direction and apparently unable to move . "She was soon hit in the fore part and another turret was seen to be out of action with the guns dew-Wasost down to the deck. "13y this time the Bismarck was moving much slower and in order to keep close to her the Rodney and King George V had to turn completely around two or three times. The Bismarck's after turret was still firing but at longish intervals. The range closed still more and frequent hits were scored on the enemy both with main and secondary armament. "More fires were observed and the back of one of her turrets blew right off and went over the side . Another spectacular hit wasl seen on her bridge and yet another on her quarter deck. "At the end of this phase the enemy's fire had apparently ceased -it was about 9 :30 a.m. but her colors were still flying and courses were steered . a s it was necessary to try to sink her by gun and torpedo as quickly as possible as both submarine and air attack were to be expected. "Now torpedoes, I am told, were fired from the Rodney, two of which hit the Bismarck amidships. The enemy was a mass of flames and black smoke and was very low ill the water. Firing ceased. "The Commander-in-Chief ordered the cruiser Dorsetshire, which i had arrived from the south, to fire torpedoes at the enemy, which she did, and the Bismarck sank shortly after, about ii a.m . "I believe the first hit was scored on the enemy by the third salvo from the Rodney which had opened fire with her "A" and "B" turrets . There were no casualties on either the Rodney or the king George V." The talk turned to how the Bis. marck's men had fought her. "An extremely good fight," the Royal Navy man said . "She was in a hopeless position, and she carX on and fired as long as she could ." And what of the size of the mountainous German, reputed by some in the battle to be all of 50,000 tons. "She looked bigger to me than the King George V (Britain's 35,000tonner), but I came to no definite conclusion. Just let's say she was a good lump of a ship ." Another officer chimeZl%-w11'~ "I thought she was enormous ." Then, with perhaps the tinge of a seafaring man's regret at the loss of a ship that might have sailed under
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