On 24 May 1941, the Battle of the Denmark Strait was fought between the German ships and and the British ships and . "Hood" was sunk and the damaged "Prince of Wales" was forced to retire. "Bismarck", also damaged, ordered her consort to proceed independently while she headed for the French port of St Nazaire, which was the only port on the Atlantic coast with a dry dock able to accommodate a ship of her size. She was intercepted by the British and sunk en route.