Rodney turns back to hunt Bismarck

Rodney was escorting Britannic toward Halifax when Hood's loss redirected her into the pursuit. Dalrymple-Hamilton's decision to steer for Bismarck's likely route brought the ships within roughly twenty-five nautical miles without Rodney detecting Bismarck; Catalina reconnaissance restored contact the following day. Rodney then joined Tovey's force in heavy weather. Victorious's newly assembled air group contrasts with Ark Royal's experienced squadrons, while the mistaken strike on Sheffield exposed the difficulty of identification at sea. A later torpedo attack disabled Bismarck's steering, and destroyers maintained pressure overnight until the battleships arrived.