Bismarck’s Last Battle

From the outset of the Second World War, Germany fought the European powers on land, in the air, and at sea. While the Wehrmacht swept rapidly across the continent, capturing one country after another, the situation at sea was very different. The British Royal Navy held a decisive numerical advantage over the Kriegsmarine in major warships, so Germany placed greater emphasis on commerce raiding. These operations targeted enemy merchant shipping, above all the Atlantic convoys on which Britain depended for supplies.