Bayan fitowar rana a ranar 27 ga Mayu, Sarki George V ya jagoranci harin. Rodney ya bi ta bayan tashar jiragen ruwa; Tovey ya yi niyyar yin tururi kai tsaye a Bismarck har sai da ya kai kimanin 8 nmi (15 km; 9.2 mi) nesa. A wannan lokacin, zai juya kudu don sanya jiragensa daidai da makasudinsa. A 08:43, masu lura da Sarki George V sun gan ta, kimanin 23,000 m (25,000 yd) nesa. Minti hudu bayan haka, hasumiyar Rodney biyu na gaba, wanda ya kunshi bindigogi shida na 16 a (406 mm), sun bude wuta, sannan bindigogin King George V na 14 a (356 mm) sun fara harbi. Bismarck ya dawo a 08:50 tare da bindigogin ta na gaba; tare da ta biyu, ta yi sallama. Daga nan, ikon bindigogin Rodney ya lalace kai tsaye a Bismarck, wanda ya koma zuwa tashar jiragen ruwa na biyu, Rodney ya koma zuwa tashar jiragen ruwa mai nauyi, ya koma zuwa tashar jiragen ruwa mai nauyi.
Rodney