俾斯麥英國導演路易士吉伯特Lewis Gilbert執導(曾執導過007系列之海底城)，講述1941年5月英國海軍於大西洋擊沉德國著名戰鬥艦「俾斯麥號」故事；演員有邁克蕭Michael Sarne、約翰史都華John Stuart、卡瑞史提尼克Karel Stepanek皆當時著名電影小生，片長97分黑白電影；近年好萊塢有重拍成彩色電影提議。The film was the inspiration for Johnny Horton’s popular 1960 song, “Sink the Bismarck.”
“Sink the Bismark” (later “Sink the Bismarck”) is a novelty song, written by country music singer Johnny Horton and Tillman Franks, based on the pursuit and eventual sinking of the German battleship Bismarck in May 1941, during World War II. Horton released this song in 1960, where it reached #3 on the charts. As originally released the record label used the common misspelling “Bismark”, this was corrected for later releases of the song. It was inspired by the 1960 movie Sink the Bismarck!. While the song was used in U.S. theater trailers for the film, it was not used in the film itself. The song was later covered by The Blues Brothers for a scene in the movie, The Blues Brothers, but was cut out. The song was parodied by Homer and Jethro as “We Didn’t Sink the Bismarck”.
In 1939, the Nazi Germany’s largest and most powerful battleship, Bismarck, is launched in a ceremony at Hamburg with Adolf Hitler attending. The launching of the hull is seen as the beginning of an era of German sea power. Two years later, in 1941, British convoys are being ravaged by U-boats and surface raider attacks which cut off supplies which Britain needs to continue the war. In May, British intelligence discovers the Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen are about to break into the North Atlantic to attack convoys. The man assigned to coordinate the hunt is the Admiralty’s chief of operations, Captain Jonathan Shepard (Kenneth More), who has been distraught over the death of his wife in an air raid and the sinking of his ship by German ships commanded by Admiral Günther Lütjens (Karel Štěpánek). Upon receiving his new post, Shepard discovers Lütjens is the fleet commander on the Bismarck. Shepard’s experience of conflict with the German Navy and his understanding of Lütjens allow him to predict the Bismarck’s movements. Shepard is aggressive to his staff but comes increasingly to rely on the coolness and skill of his assistant, WREN Second Officer Anne Davis (Dana Wynter). Lütjens is also bitter. After World War I, he considered he had no recognition for his efforts in the war. Lütjens promises the captain of the Bismarck, Ernst Lindemann (Carl Möhner), that this time, he and Germany will be remembered in greatness. The breakout of the Bismarck and its escorts, includes the sinking of HMS Hood in the waters south of Iceland. The battleship’s escape is shadowed by smaller British ships. Shepard, obsessed with Bismarck, must endure the likely death of his son as an air-gunner on a Fairey Swordfish torpedo bomber from HMS Ark Royal, one of the British ships deployed to the hunt. He gambles that Lütjens is returning to friendly waters where U-boats and air cover will make it impossible to attack. Shepard commits large forces stripped from convoy escort and uses Catalina flying boats to search for the battleship. His hunch proves correct, and Bismarck is located, apparently steaming towards the German-occupied French coast. British forces have a narrow window to destroy or slow their prey before German support and their own diminishing fuel supplies prevent further attack. Swordfish aircraft from HMS Ark Royal have two chances. The first fails: they misidentify HMS Sheffield as Bismarck; the new magnetic torpedo detonators are faulty and most explode as they hit the water. Switching to conventional contact detonators, the second attack is successful, with damage jamming Bismarck’s rudder. Unable to repair the rudder, the German battleship steams in circles. A night attack by British destroyers torpedoes Bismarck but the battleship returns fire, destroying one of the pursuing destroyers [N 2]. The main force of British ships (including battleships HMS Rodney and HMS King George V) find Bismarck the next day, raining gunfire on her. Lütjens in his final moments insists to Lindemann that German forces will arrive to save them, but he dies when a shell destroys Bismarck’s bridge. After the sinking of the Bismarck, and having been told that his son has been rescued, Shepard asks Davis out to dinner, believing it to be nine o’clock at night, only to realise it is nine in the morning. Davis suggests breakfast, and they walk off together.
By Johnny Horton
Lyrics
In May of 1941 the war had just begun The Germans had the biggest ship that had the biggest guns The Bismarck was the fastest ship that ever sailed the sea On her decks were guns as big as steers and shells as big as trees
Out of the cold and foggy night came the British ship the Hood And every British seaman he knew and understood They had to sink the Bismarck the terror of the sea Stop those guns as big as steers and those shells as big as trees We’ll find the German battleship that’s makin’ such a fuss We gotta sink the Bismarck cause the world depends on us Yeah hit the decks a runnin’ boys and spin those guns around When we find the Bismarck we gotta cut her down [ ac.guitar ] The Hood found the Bismarck and on that fatal day The Bismarck started firing fifteen miles away We gotta sink the Bismarck was the battle sound But when the smoke had cleared away the mighty Hood went down For six long days and weary nights they tried to find her trail Churchill told the people put every ship asail Cause somewhere on that ocean I know she’s gotta be We gotta sink the Bismarck to the bottom of the sea We’ll find the German battleship…
The fog was gone the seventh day and they saw the morning sun Ten hours away from homeland the Bismarck made its run The Admiral of the British feet said turn those boughs around We found that German battleship and we’re gonna cut her down The British guns were aimed and the shells were coming fast The first shell hit the Bismarck they knew she couldn’t last That mighty German battleship is just a memory Sink the Bismarck was the battle cry that shook the seven seas We found the German battleship t’was makin’ such a fuss We had to sink the Bismarck cause the world depends on us We hit the deck a runnin’ and we and spun those guns around Yeah we found the mighty Bismarck and then we cut her down We found the German battleship…