May 1941 · The North Atlantic
Bismarck
A breakout into the Atlantic. The loss of Hood. A pursuit whose outcome was never assured.
CollectionCollection
Choose a story
History, chapter by chapter.
Begin with the wider picture, follow the turning points, and explore the people and evidence along the way.
World War II
4–7 June 1942 · The Pacific
Midway
Intelligence, calculated risk and a battle that changed the balance of the Pacific war.
Yamato on trials, October 1941 — several years before the final sortie.
NH 73092 / Yamato Museum photograph, via Wikimedia Commons.
6–7 April 1945 · Japan & Okinawa
Yamato
A battleship sent towards Okinawa. Orders, fuel and the last voyage of Yamato.
Tirpitz and accompanying warships in Norwegian waters, October 1942, according to the Bundesarchiv catalogue.
Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-J19316 / Boeckmann / CC BY-SA 3.0 DE · CC BY-SA 3.0 DE · Supplied archive crop
1942–1944 · Norway & the Arctic
Tirpitz
A threat from the fjords. Convoys, hidden submarines and the long campaign against Tirpitz.