In May 1941; the German battleship Bismarck; accompanied by heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen; broke out into the Atlantic; to attack Allied shipping. The Royal Navy's pursuit and subsequent destruction of Bismarck was an epic of naval warfare. In this new account of those dramatic events at the height of the Second World War; Iain Ballantyne draws extensively on the graphic eye-witness testimony of veterans; to construct a thrilling story; mainly from the point of view of the British battleships; cruisers and destroyers involved. He describes the tense atmosphere as cruisers play a lethal cat and mouse game as they shadow Bismarck in the icy Denmark Strait. We witness the shocking destruction of the British battlecruiser Hood; in which all but three of her ship's complement were killed; an event that filled pursuing Royal Navy warships; including the battered battleship Prince of Wales; with a thirst for revenge. While Swordfish torpedo-bombers try desperately to cripple the Bismarck; we sail in destroyers on their own daring torpedo attacks; battling mountainous seas. Finally; the author takes us into the final showdown; as battleships Rodney and King George V; supported by cruisers Norfolk and Dorsetshire; destroy the pride of Hitler's fleet. This vivid; superbly researched account portrays this epic saga through the eyes of so-called 'ordinary sailors' caught up in extraordinary events. Killing the Bismarck is an outstanding read; conveying the horror and majesty of war at sea in all its cold brutality and awesome power.
#1099268 in Books 2013-03-19Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 .90 x 6.10 x 9.30l; 1.15 #File Name: 1781590230224 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A fascinating account of the fighting conditions of a Russian soldier and tank commanderBy Kenneth J. ThynesI found this book to be very well written; it is factual; well organized; and detailed. I author is honest in his recounting of his experiences; and shows the reader what World War Two was like not only for the Russian military; but also; for the villagers and Russian people overall.I enjoyed this book a great deal.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Amazing that this guy survived all through Kursk and the ...By William M RussellVery interesting book. Amazing that this guy survived all through Kursk and the battles around Budapest through the end of the war. I am curious as to how they kept their logistics connection when they wandered through Hungary and Austria. Then the comments about how the Russians took note of the difference in life style from Russia and how they stock piled goods for the return home are right in line with other reports as well as the over blown enemy tanks destroyed reports. Good reading. Would have liked more in depth battle reports from the Russian perspective.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. because two of the last chapters read like the brigade logBy Herbert TaylorInteresting book. Essentially a lucky man as all survivors were; a German sniper killed a man standing next to him thinking that man was an officer while Bryukov although an officer was dressed as an ordinary soldier. Also he managed to jump out of two tanks destroyed under him. To ensure Bryukov survived the last few months of the war his brigade commander promoted him to the brigade staff; keeping him out of a tank; though he still faced some danger. I give it only 4 starts instead of 5; because two of the last chapters read like the brigade log; since Bryukov was no longer the commander of a tank.
