About this artwork

‘Destiny Calling’. WWII, May of 1941. HMS Hood, HMS Prince of Wales, and their Destroyer escort comprising HMS Echo, HMS Achates, HMS Anthony, HMS Antelope, HMS Echo, HMS Electra, and HMS Icarus were sent by the Admiralty into the North Atlantic. Their mission was to hunt down and destroy the German Battleship Bismarck and the Prinz Eugen who had just begun Operation Rheinubung. Earlier in 1941, the German Kriegsmarine had set all the wheels in motion that would lead to destiny. The German ships had left the Norwegian Fjords and headed for the North Atlantic. In the days that followed one of the most famous naval encounters of WWII began.
HMS Hood was sunk within minutes when they met in the Denmark Strait, Prince of Wales was also damaged, made smoke, and fled to safety. The German Battleship Bismarck had been hit but was ok. Shortly afterward The German Battlecruiser Prinz Eugen departed for the North Atlantic to destroy the allied shipping convoys. These were the ships that were supplying the UK with essential requirements for the war effort. Winston Churchill then ordered a large part of the Royal Navy, all available ships, to hunt down the Bismarck. Several days later the Royal Navy found her on her way back to the safety of German-occupied France. The ensuing battle saw the Bismarck sunk too. Both ships suffered immense losses of life. In less than two weeks they both took their places in history, both being sunk in one of the most intriguing Naval battles of WWII in May 1941. After weeks of research, I decided I wanted to try and capture them all in one painting, so they really had to be in a line. That led to me deciding on them leaving Scapa before they got into formation. Therefore I have depicted HMS Hood and the other ships of the Royal Navy leaving Scapa Flow at the beginning of their fate with Destiny. The Hood Association helped me with much of my research. Several of their members also helped me and I thank them all .