HMS Hood to be commemorated in Orkney

A series of online events will mark the 80th anniversary of the sinking of one of the UK’s most famous naval vessels.

Another Orkney Production’s (AOP) annual event Celebrating Scapa Flow kicks off, this Friday evening, online.

This year commemorate HMS Hood with an online programme on May 21 and 22, hosted in conjunction with the Orkney International Science Festival.

Shortly before midnight on May 21, 1941, HMS Hood weighed anchor and sailed out of Scapa Flow through Hoxa Sound to patrol the waters south of Iceland and prevent Germany’s largest battleship, Bismarck, from reaching the North Atlantic.

On May 24, a battle in the Denmark Strait resulted in the loss of HMS Hood. She sank within minutes of being hit, with the loss of 1,415 lives. Only three of her 1,418-strong crew survived.

The weekend’s events will be broadcast online on the Orkney International Science Festival Youtube channel. The programme begins this evening at 7pm with HMS Hood, Last of her Kind — a discussion involving Captain Christ Smith, Cdr William Sutherland Cdr David Hobbs and Rob White. This introduction to the commemorations will be chaired by Howie Firth.