Burkard von Müllenheim-Rechberg (1910–2003)

This is the only book written by a survivor of the Bismarck. von Mullenheim-Rechberg was an officer on the ship and for awhile was the Captain's adjutant . Eventually he was a gunnery officer in charge of sighting targets for the rear turret thus he should have had a good view of what was happening. However because of the ship's lack of control, and the damaged communications from the first hits, he was never ever very clear on what was going on. He did take a tour of the vessel during a show more lull in the action before the final destruction and it was not a comforting picture he described of a warship after a battle.

He was assigned to the Bismarck while she was being built so he gives us a description of her development and early trials. Then he moves on to her one and only war patrol. Along the way he examines where the secrecy of the voyage may have been compromised. He incorporates both German and British sources to make clear to the reader what and why certain actions were taken.

He examines some of the controversial elements of the voyage in his appendices. The main issue is whether the Captain and crew did everything they could have to repair the damaged rudder. He also addresses the moral on board after the Admiral addressed the ship's company with a decidedly negative report on their situation after the rudder damage.

This is a very readable study prepared by someone who was there. Recommended. show less

I found this book to be an excellent read on the voyage of the Bismark and its destruction. Now there have been many books written on that subject and many of them would be considered pretty much the same, but the part of the book that really cinched it for me was the last part which detailed the prisoner of war camps in Canada and the interrogations in England. Here was something I hadn't read about before and you get inside information on what went on (and there were a few incidents, but show more no spoilers here!). That alone was worth the book. show less

Less than 150 men out of crew of several thousand survived the sinking of the Bismarck. The author was the highest ranking officer to survive and he was a junior officer. This is the only memoir written by a survivor of the Bismarck and for that reason alone it merits five stars. That it’s well written by a brilliant, sensitive man just adds to the pleasure of reading it.

the title is very descriptive. Müllenheim-Rechberg was one of the survivors and has researched a good deal of the background of the story from the German side.