Warships Pod

3: Cinematic Telling of Finale in Pursuit of Battleship Bismarck

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Episode notes


"Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom" is the epic true story of the Royal Navy’s pursuit of the
German battleship Bismarck during WW2, a production that is having its world premiere on a major TV channel in the UK this weekend.

Broadcast date: October 30th
Time: 6.55pm
Channel 4

In this podcast special, we talk to the author of the book the television programme is based on - none other than WARSHIPS International Fleet Review Editor Iain Ballantyne.
Chatting with guest host Chris Carr enables Iain to give the inside story of both the book and documentary. During the discussion, Iain introduces us to Royal Navy war veterans who saw the battle up close, and whom he interviewed on camera over several years. Their remarkable eyewitness testimony is at the heart of the powerful and spectacular production, which also features top-class CGI and dramatized scenes.

During the podcast, Iain and Chris touch on various fascinating aspects of the famous
Bismarck Action of May 1941 - one of the most dramatic episodes in naval warfare - not
least the loss of HMS Hood and how the Bismarck was lost by her pursuers for 31 hours.

They also discuss how one-time foes would after the war become firm friends.
There will be an article on the creation of ‘Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom’ - both the book and the TV documentary (which was produced by Screen Story) - in the forthcoming December 2021 edition of WARSHIPS IFR magazine (out on November 19th).

• For more details on the book "Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom" (Agora Books)
https://www.bismarckbattle.com/bismarck-24-hours-to-doom-2/