Q&A · 1:21:06-1:21:29

Completing Hood's turn changes probability, not certainty

A completed turn might have caused the fatal salvo to miss, but it would not make Hood safe once Bismarck's fire-control solution was already established.

Question

Would Hood have been safe if she completed her turn at Denmark Strait?

Short answer

No guarantee exists; the turn might make the fatal salvo miss, but Bismarck was already ranged on Hood and could continue effective fire.

Notes

Finishing the turn would not automatically save Hood. Altering course at the critical moment might change the geometry enough for the fatal salvo to miss. Bismarck's rangefinders and guns were already tracking Hood, so the British ship would remain under an effective fire-control solution. The turn changes the odds of one hit while leaving the wider tactical danger intact.