A steering hit reduced Bismarck to seven knots under a night-long pursuit

Ark Royal's Swordfish followed Bismarck's oil slick and attacked at dusk. One torpedo jammed the steering gear and rudders, leaving the battleship able to maneuver only by changing propeller revolutions at roughly seven knots. Engineers considered detaching hangar doors to make temporary rudders, a measure that shows how few workable options remained. Lütjens quickly informed Germany that escape was unlikely even while Lindemann and the engineering staff continued searching for a repair. Cossack, Sikh, Maori, Zulu, and the Polish destroyer Piorun maintained attacks and position reports through the night. Rodney, King George V, Dorsetshire, and other cruisers could therefore close on a ship that could no longer evade them.