Rodney left a civilian convoy escort to join the pursuit and drove her ageing machinery hard to reach the action. She opened fire at more than 23,000 yards and soon straddled Bismarck, with early hits disabling the German ship's forward fighting capability and badly damaging the bridge. Manoeuvring by both British ships complicated Bismarck's gunnery solution while Rodney continued to close. The segment also notes the strain of firing 378 heavy shells, including depressed deck plating, broken piping, loosened fastenings, flooding, and temporary turret trouble aboard Rodney herself.
Chapter · 3:28:38-3:34:33
Rodney's decisive fire against Bismarck
Rodney pushed beyond her expected speed to join the Bismarck hunt, then used nine 16-inch guns to cripple the German battleship.