I had to vote "OTHER" because I believe the sinking was a combination of an 8" hit from PE that lit off the Rocket Magazine. It was just a coincidence of timing that a 15" round from Bismarck hit (in a different spot) when the rocket magazine burned through to the main magazines.
At least that's what Kapitan Brinkman testified at a different Naval Inquiry than the one quoted above that contained only one German survivor of Bismarck and the rest were all Brits.
Nobody wants to believe in a "lucky hit" where in fact at the ranges engaged, ANY hit is more luck than accuracy firing at one moving target from another moving target. But I'm a firm believer in Murphy's first law in that if ANYTHING can go wrong, it WILL. Therefore a chain reaction of fire from the rockets from a "lucky" 8" hit and the coincidental explosion of the main magazines when a "lucky" 15" hit is entirely plausible.
In truth, I don't think anyone will ever know for sure unless the Hood is raised and brought into a dry dock for thorough examination. Scooting around the wreckage with a push-button controlled mini-sub cannot give the whole story unless you can go all the way inside the ship.
At least that's what Kapitan Brinkman testified at a different Naval Inquiry than the one quoted above that contained only one German survivor of Bismarck and the rest were all Brits.
Nobody wants to believe in a "lucky hit" where in fact at the ranges engaged, ANY hit is more luck than accuracy firing at one moving target from another moving target. But I'm a firm believer in Murphy's first law in that if ANYTHING can go wrong, it WILL. Therefore a chain reaction of fire from the rockets from a "lucky" 8" hit and the coincidental explosion of the main magazines when a "lucky" 15" hit is entirely plausible.
In truth, I don't think anyone will ever know for sure unless the Hood is raised and brought into a dry dock for thorough examination. Scooting around the wreckage with a push-button controlled mini-sub cannot give the whole story unless you can go all the way inside the ship.
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