OPERATION RHEINÜBUNG: Hypothetical Scenarios By José M. Rico
Many readers enjoy thinking of questions such as: What would
have happened if Bismarck had arrived in Brest? or would having
the Tirpitz along have changed anything? I too find some of
these "what if" questions/scenarios interesting, even though I
personally don't like to speculate too much, as every opinion
can be argued and it's impossible to reach definitive
conclusions. Anyway, I have tried to display a few of the most
common scenarios carefully. 1. Bismarck escapes the British net
and reaches Brest on 28 May 1941. Let's say that the fatal
torpedo hit in the rudders did not occur, and the Bismarck
entered in Brest on the following day. After sinking the Mighty
Hood and four days of continuous chase, Bismarck's crew would
have been received as heroes. Possibly even a welcome greater
than that Prien and the men of U-47 received after sinking the
Royal Oak in October 1939. The victory would have gone without
any doubt to the Germans, although their