The Only Time a Battleship Scored a Direct Hit on a Tank

The entire British Royal Navy had joined the hunt for Bismarck, the pride of the Kriegsmarine. HMS Rodney was one of the many ships among them. On May 27, 1941, Rodney spotted the German battleship and commenced to engage her with the support of HMS King George V. A furious salvo exchange followed between the rival vessels. Bismarck scored no hits, but Rodney hit her twice during the third salvo, disabling the lower turret and the bridge. Exposed to more attacks from the colossus, Rodney rushed toward the enemy and opened fire at point-blank range. She fired full broadsides and launched three torpedoes to sink Bismarck for good. But the fight was not over yet; it would take more to vanquish Europe's biggest ship.