Once recalled, Dalrymple-Hamilton left Eskimo with Britannic and took Somali, Mashona, and Tartar into the hunt. He consulted senior officers and the American naval attaché before judging that Bismarck was likely making for Brest. When a misinterpreted signal drew other forces northwest, he continued on the route that a slower Rodney could still usefully cover, and the Admiralty later confirmed the southerly danger. The attaché recorded speeds above 25 knots even as machinery failures accumulated. Rodney passed within about 25 nautical miles of Bismarck, creating a missed possibility in which her destroyers might have fixed the raider until Philip Vian's force, including Piorun, arrived.
Chapter · 1:23:53-1:31:26
Rodney breaks escort to intercept Bismarck
Dalrymple-Hamilton left one destroyer with Britannic, took three Tribals toward Brest, persisted through conflicting information, and drove Rodney above 25 knots toward a near interception.
AdmiraltyAtlantic ConvoysBattleship MachineryBrest Naval BaseFrederick Dalrymple HamiltonGerman Battleship BismarckHMS EskimoHMS MashonaHMS RodneyHMS SomaliHMS TartarJohn ToveyLast Battle of BismarckMission CommandNaval IntelligenceNaval InterceptionORP PiorunPhilip VianTribal Class Destroyers (1936)US Naval Attache