One of the most feared ships during World War II was the German battleship Bismarck. On May 24 the HMS Hood, known as the pride of the British fleet, along with the HMS Price of Wales caught up with Bismarck in the Denmark Straight. After a short exchange of fire the Hood’s armor was pierced by a shell from the Bismarck and detonated in the aft magazine. The resulting explosion broke the ship’s back and she quickly sank leaving only three survivors. The loss of the Hood was a great shock to the nation and the pursuit of the Bismarck became top priority. On May 26 the Bismarck was struck by a torpedo from a British Swordfish aircraft jamming her rudder. Having damaged their quarry, the British fleet closed in for the kill the next day. The battleships HMS King George V and HMS Rodney sighted the Bismarck and opened fire. The Bismarck was sunk in a battle lasting approximately 2 hours. The Hood was avenged.