After Suffolk lost contact with Bismarck, Dalrymple-Hamilton consulted his senior officers and the American naval attaché, then judged that the German ship would make for Brest. The American naval attaché believed Rodney was reaching 25 knots, roughly two knots above design speed, and the effort produced mechanical failures. Dalrymple-Hamilton ignored Tovey's general northwest instruction because Rodney could not catch Bismarck on that route, while continuing to obey the Admiralty's specific orders. The decision placed Rodney and three Tribal-class destroyers between Bismarck and the French coast. Bismarck passed within about twenty-five nautical miles without Rodney detecting her. Detection could still have mattered even if Rodney could not catch her: the faster Tribal-class destroyers could have followed Bismarck and guided the other pursuers toward her.
Notable Point · 1:57:11-2:02:48
Independent judgment puts Rodney across Bismarck's route
After Suffolk loses contact, Dalrymple-Hamilton predicts Brest, discounts a general northwest order Rodney cannot exploit, and places his slow battleship across Bismarck's likely route.