In the final battle Bismarck was alone against 13 Allied ships - an aircraft carrier, two battleships, three cruisers and seven destroyers.
Esmond Knight (Captain John Leech - H.M.S. Prince of Wales) actually served as an officer on-board H.M.S. Prince of Wales and was injured during the battle.
The Bismarck's crew was made up of just over two thousand men. Following her sinking, only 114 survivors were rescued from the sea, 110 of them by HMS Dorsetshire and the Tribal-class destroyer HMS Maori. The rescue of survivors was called off by the captain of HMS Dorsetshire amid reports that a U-Boat may be in the area.
Kenneth More was offered The Guns of Navarone (1961) because of his work in this movie. However he lost the part due to his drunken behavior at an awards ceremony.
To help give this movie a sense of dignity and seriousness, Edward R. Murrow was added to the cast. Murrow was one of the most famous and respected correspondents during (and after) World War II, during which he covered the war raging in Europe, including the North Atlantic. Murrow also shot introductory footage for this movie's trailer.