Description
At 05:52 ON May 24th 1941 the pride of the British fleet , HMS Hood, engaged the mighty German ship Bismarck in battle. At 0600 the Hood was hit and it sunk in less than 3 minutes. Only 3 of her 1418 crew survived - the single biggest loss of life in a single engagement in the history of the Royal Navy. Why this 860 feet long ship sank so quickly has been a mystery for over 70 years. Now, the team that discovered the giant wreck eleven years ago is on its way back to finally find the answer. A key part of the expedition is to recover the ships bell. The MOD has given unique permission to disturb this war grave. The bell will be lifted 2,800m from the ocean floor and returned it to the Royal Navy in Plymouth. We have been granted access to film this historic event. Leading the expedition will be David Mearns – one of the world’s most experienced and successful deep-sea shipwreck hunters. He led an expedition 10 years ago that located the wreck of HMS Hood. The tight schedule and an approaching storm denied him the time he needed to explore the wreck he has been determined to return ever since. This expedition is his last chance to solve the mystery of why she sank so fast.