British Battlecruiser HMS Hood, circa 1924 (Naval Historical Center) On the 23rd of July, 2001, an expedition aboard a converted trawler located the battlecruiser HMS Hood, where she has lain since her loss May 24th, 1941. The expedition, costing over £2 million, was funded by the Royal British Legion, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Royal Naval Association, Ministry of Defence, HMS Hood Association and the Kameradschaft Schlachtschiff Bismarck. Aboard MV Northern Horizon were several naval experts, including Bill Jurens, an editor of Warship International and historian Dr. Eric Grove. The last surviving member of Hood’s crew, Mr. Ted Briggs, 78, was brought aboard Horizon after Hood was found to attend a ceremony where a plaque was placed on the wreck. It held the names of the 1,415 men who died when she was sunk by Bismarck during the Battle of the Denmark Straits. Hood’s sudden loss during the battle was the result of a magazine explosion, but which magazine was responsible has long been a source of controversy. Some believed it was a main battery magazine, but others have claimed Bismarck’s guns could not have penetrated the magazine armor at that distance and angle. They instead suggested that the shells had detonated the torpedo magazine, which was less well-protected, but had a much smaller store of explosive. Examination of the wreck, which lay shattered in 3000 meters of water, revealed that the after part of the ship was torn apart, consistent with an explosion in the after magazines. Unexploded torpedoes were also found near the wreck, and the section of the ship housing the submerged tubes was undamaged. Her rudder was over, showing Hood to be in a turn when she was hit. This would have changed the angle at which Bismarck’s shells struck, allowing them to penetrate. David Mearns says that the location of the wreck will be kept secret, and a “look but don’t touch policy” is being strictly enforced. A book about the expedition will appear later this year, along with two television specials about the expedition. Visit www.channel4.com/hood/ for more information. BT Back to The Naval Sitrep #21 Table of Contents Back to Naval Sitrep List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2001 by Larry Bond and Clash of Arms. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history and related articles are available at http://www.magweb.com