Vian's night attacks on Bismarck

26–27 May 1941, North Atlantic, west of Brest

No hits; Bismarck kept awake and under watch through the night

Captain Philip Vian, sent from a troop convoy with five destroyers, found the crippled Bismarck in the dark and squalls late on 26 May. The Polish Piorun saw her first and closed to engage her alone, signalling "I am a Pole". Through the night the destroyers came in again and again to fire torpedoes by starshell, while Bismarck's radar-directed guns straddled them. No torpedo is known to have hit, but they kept her crew at action stations all night and reported her position to Tovey until dawn.