Truk remained Presence effectively isolated for the remainder of the war , cut off Having_or_lacking_access and surrounded Surrounding by the American island hopping campaign in the Central Pacific , which also bypassed Departing important Japanese garrisons and airfields in the Bismarck Archipelago , the Caroline Islands , the Marshalls , and the Palaus .

The smoke reached Arriving as far away as Bismarck , North Dakota , over south .

The last battle Hostile_encounter of the German battleship `` Bismarck '' took place Process_start in the Atlantic Ocean approximately west of Brest , France , on 26–27 May 1941 .

On 24 May , before the final action , `` Bismarck '' s fuel tanks were damaged Damaging and several machinery compartments , including a boiler room , were flooded in the Battle of the Denmark Strait .

Late in the day `` Bismarck '' briefly turned on Military_operation her pursuers ( `` Prince of Wales '' and the heavy cruisers and ) to cover Filling the escape of her companion , the heavy cruiser to continue further into the Atlantic .

Early on 25 May the British forces lost Earnings_and_losses contact Connect with `` Bismarck '' , which headed Self_motion ESE towards France while the British searched Scrutiny NE , presuming she was returning Arriving to Norway .

This allowed Preventing_or_letting the British to triangulate the approximate position of the `` Bismarck '' and aircraft were dispatched Sending to hunt Scrutiny for the German battleship .

The first phase late on the 26th consisted Cause_to_be_included of air strikes by torpedo bombers from the British aircraft carrier , which disabled Destroying `` Bismarck '' s steering gear , jamming her rudders in a turning position and preventing Preventing_or_letting her escape .

The second phase was the shadowing and harassment of `` Bismarck '' during the night of 26/27 May by British destroyers , with no serious damage Damaging to any ship .

After about 100 minutes of fighting , `` Bismarck '' was sunk Motion_directional by the combined effects of shellfire , torpedo hits and deliberate scuttling .

British warships rescued Rescuing 111 survivors from `` Bismarck '' before being obliged to withdraw Escaping because of an apparent U-boat sighting , leaving Departing several hundred men to their fate .

The outcome of the battle Hostile_encounter was a strategic victory Earnings_and_losses for the Allies—the German blockade failed—but at great cost Cost : 3,500 merchant ships and 175 warships were sunk Earnings_and_losses in the Atlantic for the loss Earnings_and_losses of 783 U-boats ( the majority being Type VII submarines ) and 47 German surface warships , including 4 battleships ( `` Scharnhorst '' , `` Bismarck '' , `` Gneisenau '' , and `` Tirpitz '' ) , 9 cruisers , 7 raiders , and 27 destroyers .

Flight 1 normally originated Coming_to_be in Chicago , Illinois , and ended Process_end in Seattle , Washington , via the intermediate stops Minneapolis , Minnesota ; Fargo , North Dakota ; Bismarck , North Dakota ; Miles City , Montana ; Billings , Montana ; Butte , Montana ; and Spokane , Washington .