Atlas of Battles

naval engagement, notable, interwar and Second World War

Last battle of the battleship Bismarck

Last battle of the battleship Bismarck was a naval engagement fought on 27 May 1941 at Atlantic Ocean. It was part of Operation Rheinübung. The recorded result: Allied victory.

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The German battleship Bismarck on fire in the distance, surrounded by shell splashes. The photo was taken from one of the Royal Navy warships chasing.
The German battleship Bismarck on fire in the distance, surrounded by shell splashes. The photo was taken from one of the Royal Navy warships chasing.. Lt. J.H. Smith, Royal Navy official photographer., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought27 May 1941
WhereAtlantic Ocean48.167N, 16.200W
OutcomeAllied victory
BelligerentsUnited Kingdom; PolandagainstNazi Germany
Part ofOperation Rheinübung1941

Record

Date27 May 1941
to 27 May 1941
PlaceAtlantic Ocean
48.167N, 16.200W
KindNaval engagement, interwar and Second World War
Strength1 aircraft carrier; Ark Royal; 2 battleships; King George V; Rodney; 2 heavy cruisers; Dorsetshire; Norfolk; 8 destroyers1 battleship; German battleship; Luftwaffe; I/Kampfgeschwader 28
Casualties and losses49 killed; 5 wounded; Mashona scuttled2,200 killed; 110 captured; 5 rescued by friendly forces; Bismarck scuttled
Commanders
  • John Tovey
  • Frederic Wake-Walker
  • Frederick Dalrymple-Hamilton
  • Günther Lütjens
  • Ernst Lindemann
Last battle of the battleship BismarckLast battle of the battleship BismarckGlorious First of JuneGlorious First of June100 km48.167N, 16.200W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

Elsewhere in 1941

Last battle of the battleship Bismarck is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q6497833, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Last battle of Bismarck, revision 1385085945, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.