HMS Hood: Pride of the Royal Navy

When the battle cruiser HMS Hood was sunk by the Bismark and her consort Prinz Eugen in May 1941, the shock to the Royal Navy, Britain, and the world was immense. The Hood had seemed invincible and the epitome of naval power with her eight 15-inch and eight 4-inch guns. She would prove be anything but, and would become the tomb of 1,418 men. Basing his narrative on primary sources at the Royal Naval Museum and in Germany, plus a unique interview with one of only three survivors of the disaster, Andrew Norman offers his own theory for the ship's fantastically rapid loss. Doubts were immediately raised over the official verdict. Just how could an inboard fire break a ship this large in two? And why did she sink in just seven minutes? Andrew Norman suggests a new answer.