The two famous losses had very different effects at fleet level. Hood's destruction removed an important fast capital ship, yet the much larger Royal Navy retained most of its heavy surface strength. Bismarck represented roughly half of Germany's working battleship strength at that moment, making her loss operationally crippling. A ship's strategic value therefore depends on the depth of the fleet behind it.
Notable Point · 14:35-14:59
Hood and Bismarck mattered differently to their fleets
Hood's destruction was a severe British loss, but Bismarck's destruction removed a far larger share of Germany's usable heavy surface force.