Firstly, I found this entry on uboat.net - https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4004.html
They have clearly 'nailed their colours to the mast' in affirming that HMS Neptune was not involved.HMS Neptune was working up for service with the Mediterranean Fleet and was to escort convoy WS 8X from the Clyde to the Middle East on completion. She did not sail to operate against the Bismarck having only just began her post-refit work-up programme.
I have also corresponded with the HMS Neptune Association. According to the records they have access to they also confirm that HMS Neptune did not sail with the Home Fleet at midnight 22/23 May. The following is an extract from this correspondence:
From my perspective this clearly shows that HMS Neptune was not involved in the search for the Bismarck 23-27 May.Kiwi naval historian Jack Harker wrote his book “Almost HMNZS Neptune” in 1991 when he had access to more ex Neptune seaman who left the ship before her loss than is now the case and interviewed many. He wrote: “Many theories were expounded on why Neptune was not in the line-up but only the C-in-C knew - and Admiral Tovey was already miles away to the west of Scapa and had other things on his mind.” Tovey told my late father in the 1950s that he had a high opinion of O’Conor so it wasn’t something personal. Neptune’s activities over the next few days suggest that Tovey felt Neptune and her largely new crew were not yet fully worked up to face the task. Merchant convoy duty was planned to be her first formal duty after her refit and extensive crew changes.
On 23 May Neptune’s experience was more of the same working up routine except for weather delaying firing practice.: Depth Gauge and Compass Swinging tests and firing and recovering two torpedoes out in the Flow. The only other excitement seems to have been a collision with HM Trawler Foss while returning to her A2 Berth. That evening Midshipman Dean recorded the identifying of Bismarck & Prinz Eugen by Suffolk & Norfolk in the Denmark Strait and his staying up late in the Wireless Office “watching developments”.
On the morning of 24 May the news of Hood’s loss came through and Midshipman Dean “was constantly visiting the W/T Office to piece together the whole story”. In the afternoon Neptune continued her working up routines including a main 6” gun firing delayed by weather from the day before, launched and recovered her seaplane and was out into Hoxa Sound West of the Firth streaming her paravanes. Harold Dean’s final diary entry of the day was “We sail for the Clyde tomorrow, but do not know what influence the battle will have on our future movements. A very sad day.”
Sunday 24 May started at 3am with a hostile aircraft over Scapa Flow, then Holy communion at 07:15 before Neptune slipped and proceeded at 0925. At 10:37 she catapulted her seaplane, at 11:15 she began a practice 6” shooting , sighting Dunnet Head (the northeast corner of Scotland) 10 minutes later. At 12:15 she began a practice 4” shoot passing round Cape Wrath (the northwest corner of Scotland) by 14:30 recovering her seaplane as she did so. Running South round 15:00 she sighted Tolsta Head and the Butt of Lewis (the north end of the Isle of Lewis) as she ran south to the west of Lewis, at 22:17 the Skerryvore light on the Isle of Tiree, at 00.10 the Inishtrahull light north of Ireland. From there she turned west towards the Mull of Kintyre which she sighted at 0248 on 25 May, heading on into the Clyde arriving at Greenock at 07:10, an oiler alongside within 35 minutes and an ammunition ship from 19:05 that evening.
From then until she weighed and proceeded at 22:06 on 31 May Neptune’s only movement was for 3 hours onto the Depth Gauge range.
I respectfully submit that the reason HMS Neptune was awarded the Battle Honour BISMARCK (1941) was as the result of a Naval Staff Officer making an honest mistake in misinterpreting Admiral Tovey's Despatch/Report entry which made the solitary reference to HMS Neptune, being “brought to short notice at Scarpa” together with the other Royal Navy Home Fleet Ships on 21 May. And that the Naval Staff Officer then missed that HMS Neptune had been swapped out of the Second Cruiser Squadron and replaced by HMS Hermione on 22 May.
Search over. Case solved.
Kind regards,
Michael.