With Bismarck slowed, Tovey reduced his own force's speed to conserve fuel and delayed the battleship engagement until daylight. Dawn would favour British gunnery and leave more time to sink the German ship before darkness offered another opportunity to escape. Vian's Fourth Destroyer Flotilla, with the Polish Piorun, maintained pressure throughout the night. Repeated approaches from different directions boxed Bismarck in and kept torpedo attacks coming. That method drew on the Mediterranean exercises in which Dalrymple-Hamilton had helped develop the flotilla's tactics.
Notable Point · 2:11:47-2:13:16
Tovey saves fuel while destroyers contain Bismarck overnight
Waiting for daylight conserved battleship fuel and gave the British more time to finish an opponent already under continuous destroyer pressure.