HMP Slade playing fields, Mr Barraclough is waving his flag around giving – then not giving – offside:
Mr Treadaway: What’s he doing?
Fletcher: I think it’s a message coming through in semaphore, sir. There you are look, Sink The Bismarck!
No, but seriously folks, a splendid depiction of the chase to sink the dreaded Bismarck which in it’s time was the world’s largest and most powerful battleship and which, given the opportunity, would have decimated allied merchant shipping (we’ve read a book on this, can you tell?). On it’s first outing it sank the HMS Hood and was making for Brest in France when it was tracked down by the Royal Navy and sunk, all excellently portrayed here. Interestingly, it features Esmond Knight who was himself blinded during the action itself. Also with Kenneth More, Michael Hordern, Maurice Denham, Ed Murrow as himself, Sam ‘Orlando’ Kydd, Ian Hendry and Graham Stark. And did you know, fact fans, that dear old Ludovic Kennedy was on one of the destroyers trying to sink the ship and was denied permission to film its demise?
