In May 1941, the German battleship Bismarck headed out into the North Atlantic to raid Allied shipping. She was accompanied by the Prinz Eugen and her pursuit was an epic of naval warfare. Found and shadowed by British cruisers, she was engaged by the Hood and the Prince of Wales. Within minutes, she had sunk the Hood, pride of the Royal Navy, and damaged the latter. The next few days were agonising for both sides. The Bismarck was attacked by Swordfish of the Fleet Air Arm, lost then relocated, attacked once more and disabled. Now there was no choice for the pride of the Kriegsmarine but to run for safety and the French port of Brest. But then the battleships Rodney and King George V caught up with her.