Palau – 2009 – 500 Dollars – The Bismarck Battleship Series (PROOF)

Description

Country: Palau
Year: 2009
Face value: 500 Dollars
Metal: Gold .9999
Weight: 2.5 OZ
Diameter: 42×42 mm
Quality: Proof
Mintage: 77 pcs.

In 1939 the Bismarck was considered the largest battleship in the world. Accompanied by the cruiser ?Prinz Eugen? she was sent to the Atlantic Ocean in order to disrupt the British maritime trade. Very soon they were discovered by the Swedish who in turn notified England.

On the morning of May 24, 1941 the Germans were caught off guard by the British battle cruisers ?HMS Hood? and the ?MS Prince of Wales?. A combat broke out. The Bismarck crew reacted faster than the British and hit the middle of the ?Hoods? main ammunition chamber with a 38 cm artillery shell from a distance of less than 30 km. They did not stand a chance and an enormous explosion ripped the ?Hood? in two. She sank a few minutes later. The ?MS Prince of Wales?was also hit several times, was however able to veer and flee.

Beforehand she hit the Bismarck, who then continued her journey with an enormous oil trail. The Bismarck?s admiral decided to call at an Atlantic port which consequently parted the two German ships and resulted fatal consequences. The Bismarck was threatened by several battle ships, who among others, were summoned from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.

In the night of May 26, 1941 she was again torpedoed repeatedly but was not hit. The Bismarck was able to flee again and the British lost track of her. A careless private radio message from the Bismarck to Hitler revealed the current location to the British and sealed the fate of the German battleship. In the same night she was detected again and was hit with torpedoes from the ?Fairey Swordfish?. She was then only able to travel at 5 knots in a big circle. On the morning of May 27, 1941 she came up with ?HMS King George V? and the ?HMS Rodney? who took the Bismarck under dreadful bombardment for over 30 minutes and made her incapable of sailing. Additional torpedoes from another cruiser gave her the rest.

By supposedly scuttling she disappeared in the depths of the Atlantic and with her over 1900 seamen. About 115 men were rescued. After discovering the wreck scuttling ought to be the likeliest thesis for the sinking of the Bismarck. The English declare that all in all 2?876 shells were fired at the Bismarck.