Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 39:29-40:13

Could earlier King George V completions have kept Hood from Denmark Strait?

The counterfactual puts completed and worked-up King George V-class battleships in Hood's place against Bismarck.

Alternate HistoryDenmark StraitHMS Duke Of YorkHMS HoodHMS Prince Of WalesKing George V Class Battleships (1939)
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Question

What could have kept Hood away from the Denmark Strait action?

Short answer

Earlier completion and working-up of King George V-class battleships, especially Duke of York, could have made two ships of that class available to take the lead.

Notes

The proposed change is to complete Duke of York earlier and avoid pauses in the King George V-class construction programme. That could make two ships of the class available to take the leading role against Bismarck. The scenario also assumes that the ships have had time to work up, which changes their readiness as well as their availability. It therefore connects Hood's deployment to construction schedules and fleet readiness rather than treating the battle solely as a choice between individual ships.