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Sink the Bismarck!

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This article is about the 1960 film. For other things of the same name, seeSink the Bismarck (disambiguation).

Sink the Bismarck!is a 1960black-and-whiteCinemaScopeBritishwar filmbased on the 1959 bookThe Last Nine Days of the BismarckbyC. S. Forester.It starsKenneth MoreandDana Wynterand was directed byLewis Gilbert.[4]To date, it is the only film made that deals directly with the operations, chase and sinking of the battleshipBismarckby theRoyal Navyduring theSecond World War.[5]Although war films were common in the 1960s,Sink the Bismarck!was seen as something of an anomaly, with much of its time devoted to the "unsung back-room planners as much as on the combatants themselves".[6]Its historical accuracy, in particular, met with much praise despite a number of inconsistencies.[7]

Sink the Bismarck!
UK quad crowntheatrical release poster
byTom Chantrell
Directed byLewis Gilbert
Screenplay byEdmund H. North
Based onThe Last Nine Days of the Bismarck
1958 novel
byC. S. Forester
Produced byJohn Brabourne
Starring
CinematographyChristopher Challis
Edited byPeter R. Hunt
Music byClifton Parker
Distributed by20th Century-Fox
Release date
  • 11 February 1960(1960-02-11)
Running time
97 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1,330,000[1]
Box office$3,000,000 (US/Canada rentals)[2][3]

Sink the Bismarck!was the inspiration forJohnny Horton's highly popular 1960 song, "Sink the Bismarck",[8] credited byVarietywith boosting the film's American gross alone by an estimated half a million dollars.[9]

The film had its Royal World Premiere in the presence of theDuke of Edinburghat theOdeon Leicester Squareon 11 February 1960.

Plot

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In February 1939,Nazi Germany's most powerfulbattleship,Bismarck,islaunched,beginning a new era of German sea power. In May 1941, British naval intelligence discoversBismarckand theheavy cruiserPrinz Eugenare about to sail into theNorth Atlanticto attack Allied convoys. From an underground war room in London, Captain Jonathan Shepard (Kenneth More) coordinates the hunt for the dreadedBismarck.The two German warships encounterHMSHoodandHMSPrince of Walesin theDenmark Strait,and the four warships engage in a deadly gun battle.

The battle results in the annihilation and violent disintegration of theHood,shocking combatants on both sides.Prince of Walesis alone and is fired on by the two German ships. She manages to inflict damage onBismarck'sbow,butBismarckreturns fire, destroying thePrince of Wales'bridge.Prince of Walesemits a smoke screen behind which to retreat.BismarckandPrinz Eugenalso retreat, but they are shadowed by the cruisersHMSSuffolkandHMSNorfolkusing radar. On hearing of the loss of theHood,Winston Churchill issues the order to "sink theBismarck".Later,Prinz Eugenbreaks away and heads towards the port ofBrest,inoccupied France,whileBismarckturns and fires at the British cruisers to provide cover as she escapes. The attack forces the cruisers to retreat. An air assault from the carrierHMSVictoriousdamagesBismarck'sfuel tanks, but the vessel is otherwise largely undamaged.

Back at London's operations headquarters, Captain Shepard gambles that Admiral Gunther Lütjens, the Fleet Commander aboardBismarck,has ordered a return to friendly waters where U-boats and air cover will make it impossible to attack. He plans to intercept and attack the German vessel before she reaches safety. Shepard commits a disproportionately large force to the search, and his wager pays off whenBismarckis located steaming toward the French coast. British forces have a narrow time window in which to destroy or slow their prey before German support and their own diminishing fuel supplies will preclude further attacks.Swordfishtorpedo planes fromHMSArk Royalhave two chances. The first fails when the pilots misidentifyHMSSheffieldasBismarck,but thankfully their new magnetic torpedo detonators are faulty, with most exploding as soon as they hit the sea. Returning to the carrier and changing to conventional contact exploders, their second attack, this time on theBismarck,is successful. Onetorpedocauses only minor damage; but a catastrophic second hit near the stern jams the German battleship's rudder.

Unable to repair the rudder,Bismarcksteams in circles. During the night two Britishdestroyersattack the crippled battleship with torpedoes. One hits, butBismarckreturns fire, sinking the destroyer HMSSolent.[Note 1]The main force of British ships, including battleshipsHMSRodneyandHMSKing George V,findBismarckthe next day and rain shells upon her. Lütjens insists that German forces will arrive to save them, but he is killed when a shell strikesBismarck's bridge. The remaining bridge officers are killed and the crew abandon their sinking ship. On boardKing George V,Admiral John Toveyorders the newly joined cruiserHMSDorsetshireto finishBismarckoff. The cruiser fires torpedoes at the German battleship, causing the vessel to sink faster than her crew can escape. The captain ofKing George V,Wilfrid Patterson,lowers his head asBismarckdisappears beneath the waves. Admiral Tovey ordersDorsetshireto pick up survivors, finally saying tersely: "Well, gentlemen, let's go home."

Cast

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Ashore

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and

At sea

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Development

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Scripting

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C. S. Forester reportedly wrote the story as a screen treatment for 20th Century-Fox before even writing the book.[10]

WriterEdmund H. Northworked closely with Forester's story, compressing events and time lines to make the plot taut. Along with the director, he decided to use a documentary-style technique, switching back-and-forth from a fairly insular war room to action taking place on remote battleships.[11]The action is made more realistic when the human element of men in a game of wits and nerves is involved. The use of Edward R. Murrow reprising his wartime broadcasts from London also lends an air of authenticity and near-documentary feel.[12]Lewis Gilbert said it was a "very well written script" one of the few in his career that he barely altered. "It was more like a detective story," said Gilbert.[13]

Gilbert was offered the film by John Brabourne. They decided to shoot the film in black and white in order to intercut it with newsreel footage and to make it seem more authentic.[13]

The film credits identify the actual Director of Operations as Capt.R. A. B. Edwardsand "Capt. Shepard" as fictional. The Shepard-Davis interplay added human interest to the storyline.[14]In a similar manner, the battle between British and German forces is also recreated as a human drama, with Admiral Lütjens pitted against Captain Shepard in a "psychological chess match".[15]

Casting

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Lewis Gilbert suggestedKenneth Morefor the lead, with whom he had worked several times before.Dana Wynterwas under contract to 20th Century-Fox.[13]

Production

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Ships involved

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Sink the Bismarck!was made in 1960, as the last major Second World War fleet units were being retired. ProducerJohn Brabournewas able to use his influence as son-in-law ofLord Mountbatten,thenChief of the Defence Staff,to obtain the full co-operation of theAdmiralty.The soon-to-be-scrapped battleshipHMSVanguardprovided some footage of a capital ship's 15-inch gun turrets in action, and was used for scenes set on board HMSHood,Prince of Wales,King George V,andBismarckherself.[16]The cruiserHMSBelfast,now preserved in London, was used to depict the cruisers involved inBismarck's pursuit, includingHMSNorfolk,Suffolk,SheffieldandDorsetshire.ADido-classcruiser in reserve was used as the set forBismarck's destruction,[17]and one of her tall raked funnels is glimpsed in the final scenes.

The aircraft carrierHMSVictoriousis briefly shown as herself, despite the postwar addition of a large angledflight deckand a massiveType 984 "searchlight" radar;the same ship is also used to depict HMSArk Royalsailing from Gibraltar. All flying from both carriers was filmed aboardHMSCentaur– clearly marked with her postwarpennant numberR06 – and three survivingFairey Swordfishaircraft were restored, of which two were flown from her flight deck.[17]These three aircraft now form the core of theRoyal Navy Historic Flight.[18]A 2010 article inAeroplaneidentifies the Swordfish flown in the production:LS326,carrying its true serial, was marked as "5A" of825 Naval Air Squadron,whileNF389was marked asLS423/ "5B".[19]The same actor plays the leader of the Swordfish attack from HMSVictorious(in reality, Lt CdrEugene EsmondeVC, DSO), and also the pilot from HMSArk Royalwho later fired the torpedo which crippledBismarck's steering gear (in realityLt John Moffat RNR).

The destroyers used to depict the torpedo night attacks were theC-classHMSCavalier,representing the flagship of "Captain (D), of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla" (in reality,Captain VianinHMSCossack) and theBattle-class destroyerHMSHogue,representing the fictitiousHMSSolentwhichBismarckdestroys in the film. Theirpennant numberscan be made out quite clearly, although they are reversed because of the film's convention that British ships should move from left to right on the screen and German shipsvice versa.These were the last classes of destroyer built during the war, and the last to have the classicWar Emergency Programme destroyers' outline. HMSCavalierremained in service until 1972, the last RN destroyer to have served in the Second World War, and is now preserved atChatham Dockyardto commemorate all these vessels, but the newer and larger HMSHoguewas broken up shortly after the film was completed, following a collision off Ceylon with the Indian cruiserINSMysore(formerlyHMSNigeria).[17]

The large models of the major warshipsBismarck,HMSHood,HMSPrince of Wales,HMSKing George V,HMSRodneyand theCounty-classcruisers, are generally accurate, although HMSHoodis depicted in a slightly earlier configuration than that which actually blew up. The use of models in a studio tank was intercut with wartime footage and staged sequences using available full-size warships.[14]Bismarck'santi-aircraft guns, however, are represented bystock footageof BritishQF 2-pounder naval guns.[16]

Reception

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Critical

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For the most part, the historical accuracy inSink the Bismarck!was praised by critics, withVarietycalling it a "first-rate film re-creation of a thrilling historical event".[7]A contemporaryThe New York Timesreview by A. H. Weiler, likewise championed its realism in saying "a viewer could not ask for greater authenticity". However, it went on to criticise both the acting and the constant scene changes "from Admiralty plotting rooms to the bridges of the ships at sea", claiming that this lessened the "over-all effectiveness" of both scenes.[4]Film4praised its cinematography, noting that it "very realistically re-enacted scenes in the War Room of the Admiralty" as well as "excellently filmed episodes using miniature models".[20]

During the postwar period, war films were one staple of the British film industry, withSink the Bismarck!an exemplar, sharing the "common themes, actors... visual style and ideological messages" of the genre.[21]British magazineRadio TimesviewedSink the Bismarck!positively, stating that "this fine film fully captures the tensions, dangers and complexities of battle by concentrating on the unsung back-room planners as much as on the combatants themselves" while also praising More's performance. Attention was drawn to the ways in which it deviated from other war films of the period, specifically commenting on how "there is a respect for the enemy that is missing in many previous flag-wavers". The film was given afour-star rating.[6]

Gilbert's continual forays into events that shaped the British war experience mirrored his own background as a wartime filmmaker. His films merged historical episodes and the role of the individual, withSink the Bismarck!characterised as having an "emotional punch, not least because Gilbert's direction relentlessly focuses on the human dimension amidst the history".[22]

Box office

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Sink the Bismarck!was well received by the public and, according toKine Weekly,it was the second most popular film released inGreat Britainin 1960 (afterDoctor in Love).[23]The film replicated the success of other British war-themed productions in the decade that also received healthy box office, includingThe Cruel Sea(1953),The Dam Busters(1955) andReach for the Sky(1956).[24]Unlike most British war filmsSink the Bismarck!was a surprise hit inNorth America.[25]Gilbert was surprised by the film's popularity in the USA asReach for the Skyhad flopped in that country, and that had a strong personal story whichSink the Bismarck!did not. And the battle did not involve the USA at all.[13](This led to Gilbert turning down the offer of a significant percentage of the profits inSink the Bismarck!which he later regretted. In 1996 he said he was still receiving some money from it.[26]) The film was More's most successful picture in the US.[27]

The Johnny Horton song "Sink the Bismarck",which reached No. 3 on both the US pop and country charts, was not an originalmovie tie-inand did not appear in the film, but was instrumental in introducing the film to an American audience.[8]In addition to its airplay and chart success, Horton's song was used in the American promotionaltrailer.Varietyestimated half a million of the gross could be attributed to the success of the song.[9]

Historical accuracy

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Sink the Bismarck!was made before 1975, when the British code-breaking atBletchley Parkwas declassified, so it did not reveal that Shepard's hunches about the movements of theBismarckwere supported by intelligence. Direction finding andtraffic analysisshowed that on 25 May,Bismarckstopped talking toWilhelmshavenand resumed withParis,and Shepard committed to the belief thatBismarckwas headed for the French coast. The radio switch from Wilhelmshaven to Paris might have been caused byBismarckcrossing the line between southern Greenland and the northern Hebrides, which placed her under Group West instead of Group North.[28]Nonetheless, Shepard's hunch was proved correct when, by good luck, aLuftwaffeEnigmatransmission was intercepted and decoded at Bletchley Park, revealing thatBismarckwas headed forBrestto repair an oil leak. The Luftwaffe's Enigma code had been broken early in the war, unlike the German naval Enigma code, which was only broken later and was subject only to traffic analysis during theBismarckpursuit.[29]Damage during her battle with HMSHoodand HMSPrince of Walescaused flooding that putBismarck's bow barely above sea level. Oil slicks caused by hits from HMSPrince of Waleswere apparent. In the film,Bismarck's bow remains at its normal height above sea level.

A comparison of the realBismarck(bottom) in 1940 and that from the film (top) during the scene in which she engages HMSPrince of Wales.

Some minor errors involve the visual appearance ofBismarck.When a spy inKristiansand,Norway,seesBismarckarrive in Norwegian waters (sailing from the east), the ship is shown sailing from right to left (from the west).Bismarckhas no apparent camouflage but in fact, the ship still had striped "Baltic camouflage"along her sides, which was removed shortly before she headed out to sea. Also, the photo-reconnaissance Spitfire that photographsBismarckandPrinz Eugenin a fjord is shown as two different versions, each with differentcanopies.

Sink the Bismarck!simplifies the movements of HMSHoodand HMSPrince of Walesin the battle. The film shows an early order to turn to allow the British ships to fire full broadsides. In reality, they sought to close the distance first, presenting smaller targets to the German ships but using only their forward gun turrets which reduced their firepower advantage by eight big guns, whileBismarckandPrinz Eugenwerefiring full broadsides of all their main guns.The film does not show that HMSHoodmistookheavy cruiserPrinz EugenforBismarck,at first firing at the wrong ship before correcting her fire. Only in her final moments did HMSHoodbegin a turn to fire a broadside onBismarck.HMSHoodwas hit during this turn and she exploded. The turn presentedHood's deck armour at an angle more vulnerable to shell penetration and has been cited as a possible cause for the explosion and her subsequent destruction, an issue the film does not cover. HMSHoodis shown firing to port while theBismarckis shown firing to starboard; in fact it was the other way around.[30]

In one scene, Lütjens speculates that afterBismarckhas undergone repair in Brest, the two German battleships based there,GneisenauandScharnhorst,could joinBismarckin raiding Allied shipping. There is no record of such a discussion at that time, although it would have been possible forBismarckto sortie with the two battleships ifBismarckhad reached the port.[Note 2]

Another historical deviation was made in depicting the night engagement between British destroyers andBismarck.The film portrayal shows three British hits by torpedoes, while the British destroyer HMSSolentis hit and destroyed byBismarck.There was no destroyer namedSolentand no successful torpedo attack, althoughS-class submarineHMSSolentdid exist during the war as a submarine operating in the Eastern Fleet in 1944. On 26 May, a Royal Navy destroyer squadron, led byCaptain(laterAdmiral)Philip VianinHMSCossack,did exchange gunfire during unsuccessful torpedo attacks, withBismarckinflicting minor damage to the destroyers.[Note 3]The heroic action of the attached Polish destroyerPiorun(ex N-class HMSNerissa) was not depicted, although she sailed straight forBismarck,signalling "I am a Pole" as she went, but none of her shots found their mark.

The aircraft that finally locatedBismarckafter she escaped detection by HMSSuffolkand HMSNorfolkis correctly shown as aCatalina,but the fact that it was piloted by an AmericanNaval Reserveofficer, Ensign Leonard Smith, could not be revealed until long after the war, since the United States was neutral at the time of the engagement.[34]The attacks by Fleet Air Arm Swordfish show some aircraft being shot down; no Swordfish was lost toBismarck's guns and all were recovered. However, from HMSVictorious's air raid, twoFairey Fulmarescort fighters ran out of fuel and ditched. Three fliers were picked up from a rubber boat.[35]

Sink the Bismarck!also does not show controversial events afterBismarcksank, includingHMSDorsetshire's quick departure after rescuing only 110 survivors, because the ship suspected that a German U-boat was in the area and withdrew.[Note 4]

Perhaps the most significant historical error is that the film transposes the British naval intelligence operation tothe Admiralty,Whitehall,London.The actual centre of intelligence operations during theBattle of the Atlanticand the pursuit ofBismarckwas atDerby House,Liverpool.[37]

Portrayal of Günther Lütjens

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The film has been criticised for its portrayal of German AdmiralGünther Lütjens,who is portrayed as a stereotypical Nazi, committed to Nazism and crazed in his undaunted belief thatBismarckis unsinkable. In reality, Lütjens did not agree with Nazi policies; along with two other navy commanders, he had publicly protested against the brutality of antisemitic crimes duringKristallnacht.He is portrayed as saying "Never forget that you are Nazis", but the term "Nazi"was a short form pejorative term used by Germans to refer to the full name" Nationalsozialisten "(" National Socialists ") that has become the common name used in English to refer to the ideology and its followers.[38]He was one of the few officers who refused to give the Nazi salute when Hitler visitedBismarckbefore its first and final mission, deliberately using instead the traditional naval salute.[39][28]He was pessimistic of the chances of success ofBismarck's mission and realised that it would be a daunting task.[40][28]

The film shows Lütjens ordering CaptainErnst Lindemannto open fire on HMSHoodand HMSPrince of Wales.In reality, Lütjens ordered Lindemann to avoid engaging HMSHood;Lindemann refused and ordered the ship's guns to open fire.[35]

Other productions

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A revival of interest in theBismarckwas reflected in numerous publications that followed the film, as well as a variety of scale models that were produced.[41][Note 5]When the 1989 expedition by Dr. Robert Ballard to locate and photograph the remains of the battleship proved to be successful, further attention was directed to the story of theBismarck.[43]A number of documentaries have also been produced including the Channel 4miniseriesBattle of Hood and Bismarck(2002)[44]andHunt for the Bismarckaired in 2007 on theHistory Channelnetwork worldwide.[45]

See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^The (fictitious)HMSSolentis destroyed.
  2. ^This concept was not an original idea of Lütjens; it had been proposed by German naval staff before the battle, but was scrapped because of the repairs the two German battleships needed from damage during an air raid.[31]
  3. ^The other destroyers involved in the attack wereHMSMaori,HMSSikh,HMSZuluandORPPiorun.Aboard HMSZulu,a sub-lieutenant in the gunnery control tower lost a hand to shell splinters when a shell landed on the forecastle but did not explode. HMSCossackhad her radio antenna sheared off by a shell.[32]The Royal Navy did lose a destroyer later in the operations –HMSMashonawas sunk by the Luftwaffe on 28 May.[33]
  4. ^HMSDorsetshire's crew suspected that a GermanU-boatwas in the area and withdrew. Hundreds of German sailors were left behind in the sea to die.[36]
  5. ^As a closer tie-in to the film, the original Forester book was re-released asSink the Bismarck.[42]

Citations

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  1. ^Solomon 1989, p. 252.
  2. ^"Rental Potentials of 1960".Variety.Vol. 221, no. 6. 4 January 1961. p. 47.Retrieved27 April2019.
  3. ^Solomon 1989, p. 228.
  4. ^abWeiler, A.H. (12 February 1960)."Movie Review – Sink the Bismarck – Of Men and Ships".The New York Times.
  5. ^Rico, José M. (2011)."Sink the Bismarck!".KBismarck.Retrieved1 December2013.
  6. ^abParkinson, David (2013)."Sink the Bismarck!".Radio Times.Retrieved1 December2013.
  7. ^ab"Review: 'Sink the Bismarck!'".Variety.31 December 1959.Retrieved1 December2013.
  8. ^abPolmar and Cavas 2009, p. 251.
  9. ^ab"'Sales Come-On Ought Never to Mislabel Content' - Hathaway ".Variety.26 October 1960. p. 13.
  10. ^Richard, D. M. (21 April 1959)."Authors put film values into books".The Christian Science Monitor.ProQuest509916574.
  11. ^Frietas 2011, p. 79.
  12. ^Mayo 1999, p. 264.
  13. ^abcdFowler, Roy (1996)."Lewis Gilbert Side Nine".British Entertainment History Project.
  14. ^abDolan 1985, p. 88.
  15. ^Hyams 1984, p. 135.
  16. ^abNiemi 2006, p. 99.
  17. ^abcErickson 2004, p. 254.
  18. ^"Fairey Swordfish"Archived29 October 2017 at theWayback Machine.Royal Navy Historic Flight,2011. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  19. ^Howard, Lee. "Return of the Stringbag".Aeroplane,Volume 38, Number 12, Number 452, December 2010, p. 48.
  20. ^"Sink the Bismarck!Film4,2013. Retrieved: 1 December 2013.
  21. ^Lovell 2000, p. 205.
  22. ^Allon et al. 2002, p. 115.
  23. ^Billings, Josh (15 December 1960)."It's Britain 1, 2, 3 again in the 1960 box office stakes".Kine Weekly.pp. 8–9.
  24. ^Emsley et al. 2003, p. 178.
  25. ^Shipman 1980, p. 417.
  26. ^Fowler, Roy (1996)."Lewis Gilbert Side 6".British Entertainment History Project.
  27. ^Vagg, Stephen (16 April 2023)."Surviving Cold Streaks: Kenneth More".Filmink.
  28. ^abcKennedy
  29. ^Budiansky 2002, p. 189.
  30. ^Jurens, William J."Loss of HMSHood:A Re-Examination ".Archived4 December 2004 at theWayback MachineInternational Naval Research Organization. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  31. ^Zetterling and Tamelander 2009, p. 23.
  32. ^Ballard and Archbold 1990, p. 117.
  33. ^Whitley 2000, p. 116.
  34. ^"Bismarck: British/American Cooperation and the destruction of the German battleship"Archived6 December 2010 at theWayback Machine.Naval History & Heritage Command.Retrieved: 1 December 2013.
  35. ^abEvans 2000, p. 170.
  36. ^Brennecke 2003, p. 88.
  37. ^History Hit (3 April 2024).Bismarck: How Britain Sank The Infamous German Battleship(Video) – via YouTube.
  38. ^Rabinbach, Anson; Gilman, Sander, eds. (2013). The Third Reich Sourcebook. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 4. ISBN 978-0520955141
  39. ^Ballard 1990, p. 32
  40. ^Asmussen, John."Bismarck – Portrait of the Men Involved – Günther Lütjens".bismarck-class.dk,2009. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  41. ^"Waterline Sink the Bismarck 1:1200 (A50120)."Archived3 December 2013 at theWayback MachineAirfix,2013. Retrieved: 1 December 2013.
  42. ^Forester 2003, pp. Cover, back cover.
  43. ^Mcgowen 1999, p. 63.
  44. ^"The Battle of Hood and Bismarck."Channel 4,2013. Retrieved: 1 December 2013.
  45. ^"Dogfights: Hunt for the Bismarck DVD."History Channel,2013. Retrieved: 1 December 2013.

Bibliography

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  • Allon, Yoram, Del Cullen and Hannah Patterson, eds.Contemporary British and Irish Film Directors: A Wallflower Critical Guide.New York: Wallflower Press (Columbia University Press), 2002.ISBN978-1-903364-21-5.
  • Ballard, Robert D. and Rick Archbold.The Discovery of the Bismarck: Germany's Greatest Battleship Surrenders Her Secrets.New York: Warner Books Inc., 1990.ISBN978-0-446-51386-9.
  • Budiansky, Stephen.Battle of Wits: The Complete Story of Codebreaking in World War II.New York: Touchstone, 2002.ISBN0-7432-1734-9.
  • Dolan, Edward F. Jr.Hollywood Goes to War.London: Bison Books, 1985.ISBN0-86124-229-7.
  • Emsley, Clive et al.War, Culture and Memory.Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, UK: Open University Course Team, 2003.ISBN978-0-7492-9611-7.
  • Erickson, Glenn.DVD Savant: A Review Resource Book.Rockville, Maryland: Wildside Press, 2004.ISBN978-0-8095-1098-6.
  • Evans, Alun.Brassey's Guide to War Films.Dulles, Virginia: Potomac Books, 2000.ISBN1-57488-263-5.
  • Forester, C. S.Sink the Bismarck! The Greatest Sea Chase in Military History,(John Gresham Military Library Selection), originally published as theLast Nine Days of the Bismarck.New York: Ibooks, Inc, 2003.ISBN978-1-59687-067-3.
  • Frietas, Gary A.War Movies: The Belle & Blade Guide to Classic War Videos.Bandon, Oregon: Robert D. Reed Publishers, 2011.ISBN978-1-931741-38-5.
  • Hyams, Jay.War Movies.New York: W. H. Smith Publishers, Inc., 1984.ISBN978-0-8317-9304-3.
  • Kennedy, Ludovic(1991).Pursuit: The Sinking of the Bismarck.London: Fontana.ISBN978-0-00-634014-0.
  • Lovell, George.Consultancy, Ministry & Mission.London: Continuum, 2000.ISBN978-0-86012-312-5.
  • Mayo, Mike.Videohound's War Movies: Classic Conflict on Film.Canton, Michigan: Visible Ink Press, 1999.ISBN978-1-57859-089-6.
  • Mcgowen, Tom.Sink The Bismarck(Military Might). Kirkland, Washington: 21st Century, 1999.ISBN978-0-7613-1510-0.
  • Niemi, Robert.History in the Media: Film and Television.Santa Barbara, California: ABC/CLIO, 2006.ISBN978-1-57607-952-2.
  • Polmar, Norman and Christopher P. Cavas.Navy's Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Admirable Admirals, Sleek Submarines, and Other Naval Oddities(Most Wanted Series). Dulles, Virginia: Potomac Books Inc., 2009.ISBN1-59797-226-6.
  • Shipman, David.The Great Movie Stars: The International Years.London: Angus & Robertson, 1980.ISBN0-207-95858-0.
  • Solomon, Aubrey.Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History(The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series). Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1989.ISBN978-0-8108-4244-1.
  • Whitley, M. J.Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia.Annapolis, Maryland: US Naval Institute Press, 2000.ISBN978-0-87021-326-7.
  • Zetterling, Niklas and Michael Tamelander.Tirpitz: The Life and Death of Germany's Last Super Battleship.Havertown, Pennsylvania: Casemate Publishers and Book Distributors, L.L.C., 2009.ISBN978-1-935149-18-7.
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