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HMS Courageous sunk by Bismarck in its first battle. Maynard Lake, Dartmouth, NS - summer 1997.

Courageous had tried to evade Bismarck behind a large boulder (out of frame, right) but ran solidly aground on a submerged rock. Bismarck was able to riddle Courageous while staying out of it's firing arcs (dual stern guns and rotating bow cannon).

Like to add that the first sortie was a very rough battle. The chop on the water was high with a strong wind blowing across the lake. The Lutzow was pumpind 8 ft streams of water with a list to port and was porpoising it's way through the waves. The Courageous was broadside in a swell and was rolling heavily from side to side. Bismarck and Tirpitz launched together and heading downwind of the chop. Both ships were handling it well but a turn into the chop and headwind found both models pitching heavily. Bismarck came through unscathed but Tirpitz was down by the bow and plowed under the surf. Fortunately Tirpitz was in the shallows at that moment and the bow touched bottom. The Stern was standing nearly straight up about a third of it was sticking out of the water props still turning. Then suddenly the Forward and Main hatch with Superstructure popped loose from the hull and the stern rapidly slid under. Dragging the deck hatches under with it. The Main turrets and Superstructure came back up. It was retrieved by fellow member Eric Broderick and the Captain Ralph Coles.

Why did Tirpitz founder and not Bismarck? Well Tirpitz had ballast weight in the bow. It was heavy in the nose at the start and a little light at the stern . Once water got in it stayed in the forward section and could not make it's way to the pump which was way in the stern in the lowest section. Bismarck has no ballast in the forward part of the model. No water channelling. Just open space. The model was trimmed and the bow being devoid of equipment or ballast was able to Bob up over the surf not plunge all the way through the trough.

After Tirpitz was recovered the battle resumed. The chop got worse Courageous was having a difficult time landing hits due to the model pitching and swaying heavily. She was basically pinned against a Rock and the shoreline and Bismarck was able to exploit that. Courageous sank after hits and swells and slid behind Bismarck's stern. Survivors were picked off.

Anyway that was a very memorable battle and one of my favourites.

I remember the stern chase upwind with Bismarck close behind and both models pitching and rolling. Though Bismarck remained in the firing arc of Courageous' dual stern guns the BBs kept hitting the wave crests between us!

@Bob Pottle
Yes the on the video you could see the BB shots from Courageous stern guns hitting the wave tops while Bismarck was chasing astern of her. Lucky for Bismarck there were no hits.