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Tirpitz
Career
Class and type:	Bismarck-class battleship
Named after:	Alfred von Tirpitz
Ordered:	14 June 1936
Builder:	Kriegsmarinewerft, Wilhelmshaven
Laid down:	2 November 1936
Launched:	1 April 1939
Commissioned:	25 February 1941
Status:	Sunk by Royal Air Force bombers on 12 November 1944
General characteristics
Displacement:	42,900 tonnes standard 53,500 tonnes full load (1943)
Length:	253.6 m overall 241.7 m waterline
Beam:	36.0 m waterline
Draught:	9.9 m standard 10.6 m full load
Propulsion:	12 Wagner high-pressure; 3 Brown-Boveri geared turbines; 3 three-blade propellers, 4.70 m diameter 163,026 hp (121 MW)
Speed:	30.8 knots (57.0 km/h)
Range:	8,870  nautical miles (16,400 km) @ 19 knots (35 km/h)
Complement:	2,608 108 officers and 2,500 men (1943)
Armament:	8 × 380 mm/L48.5 SK-C/34 (4×2) 12 × 150 mm/L55 SK-C/28 16 × 105 mm/L65 SK-C/37 / SK-C/33 16 × 37 mm/L83 SK-C/30 12 × 20 mm/L65 MG C/30 (Single) 72 × 20 mm/L65 MG C/38 (Quadruple) 2 × Quadruple 533 mm G7a T1 torpedo tubes
Armour:	Belt: 145 to 320 mm Deck: 50 to 120 mm Bulkheads: 220 mm Turrets: 130 to 360 mm Barbettes: 342 mm Conning tower: 360 mm
Aircraft carried:	4 × Arado Ar196A-3, with 1 double-ended catapult

Tirpitz was the second Bismarck class battleship of the German Kriegsmarine, sistership of Bismarck. She was named after Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz. She never fired a single shot against an enemy ship, but spent almost the entire war in various bases in Norway, where her mere presence was a great threat to the Allies, tying up huge naval and air forces to make sure she could be dealt with if she ever made an offensive sortie. Due to her role and bases of operations she was dubbed the "Lonely Queen of the North" ("Den ensomme Nordens Dronning") by the Norwegians. She was the biggest battleship ever built in Europe. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links Tirpitz_early. ... Image File history File links War_Ensign_of_Germany_1938-1945. ... The Bismarck class battleships were a class of capital ships built by Germany. ... Alfred von Tirpitz Alfred von Tirpitz (March 19, 1849 – March 6, 1930) was a German Admiral, Minister of State and Commander of the Kaiserliche Marine in World War I from 1914 until 1916. ... is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven was the naval shipyard in Wilhelmshaven between 1918 and 1945 in the navys extensive base located there. ... Wilhelmshaven in northwest Germany Wilhelmshaven (IPA: ) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. ... is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... RAF redirects here. ... is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point, or a point alongside the ship at the mid-point of its length. ... The draft of a ships hull is the vertical distance from the bottom of the hull to the waterline. ... The 38 cm SKC 34 Naval gun was developed by Germany in the late 1930s. ... The G7a or G7a/T1 torpedo was the standard issue torpedo for Germany during the early years of World War II. The torpedo was of standard German specifications for all U-Boat torpedoes of the war at 53. ... A barbette is the fixed area underneath a rotating gun turret on a warship. ... The Ar 196 was a shipboard reconnaissance aircraft built by Arado starting in 1936. ... Category: ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Operation Weserübung was the German codename for Nazi Germanys assault on Scandinavia during World War II. The name translates as Weser Exercise, the Weser being a German river. ... German battle cruisers in a Norwegian port in June 1940 The Norwegian Campaign, lasting from 9 April to 10 June 1940, led to the first direct land confrontation between the military forces of the Allies — United Kingdom and France — against Nazi Germany in World War II. The primary reason for... The Allied campaign in Norway took place from April 1940 until early June 1940. ... This article is about the 1940 invasion. ... During World War II, Operation Claymore was a British Commando and Royal Navy raid on 4 March, 1941 on the Lofoten Islands, off the coast of Norway, just inside the Arctic Circle. ... The Vemork hydroelectric plant, site of ammonia production with a militarily important byproduct, heavy water. ... The Swedish iron ore was important to the German war effort during World War two, as Germany had an inadequate domestic supply, and other sources were cut off by the British sea blockade. ... Belligerents Germany Finland Soviet Union Commanders Nikolaus von Falkenhorst (Armee Norwegen) Roman Panin (Northern Front) Strength 200 000 germans and 28 000 finnish 100 000 Casualties and losses 12 000 killed germans, 1000 finnish, 26 000 wounded germans and 4300 finnish 700 lost 8000 killed, 13 000 wounded, 1500 prisoners... Belligerents Soviet Union Nazi Germany Commanders K.A. Meretskov Lothar Rendulic Strength 14th Army 96,000 men, 110 tanks, 2,100 guns 20th Mountain Army ca. ... Headquarters of the Schalburgkorps, a Danish SS unit, after 1943. ... The rescue of the Danish Jews occurred during Denmarks occupation by Nazi Germany during World War II. When German authorities in Denmark ordered that Danish Jews be arrested and deported to Germany in October 1943, many Danes and Swedes took part in a collective effort to evacuate the roughly... Starting with the invasion of April 9, 1940, Norway was under military occupation of German forces and civil rule of a German commissioner in collaboration with a Pro-German puppet government. ... Norwegian resistance to the Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany from 1940 to 1945 took several forms: Asserting the legitimacy of the exiled Norwegian government, and by implication the lack of legitimacy of the Quisling regime and Terboven administration The initial defense in Southern Norway, which was largely disorganized, but... During the German occupation of Norway in World War II the civilian occupying authorities with the Quisling regime and the German Wehrmacht operated a number of camps in Norway. ... The Bismarck class battleships were a class of capital ships built by Germany. ... For other uses, see Battleship (disambiguation). ... The Kriegsmarine (or War Navy) was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945, during the Nazi regime, superseding the Reichsmarine. ... The German battleship Bismarck is one of the most famous warships of the Second World War. ... For other uses, see Admiral (disambiguation). ... Alfred von Tirpitz Alfred von Tirpitz (March 19, 1849 – March 6, 1930) was a German Admiral, Minister of State and Commander of the Kaiserliche Marine in World War I from 1914 until 1916. ...

Operational history

The ship was launched 1 April 1939 and was to be deployed in a manner similar to Bismarck, as a commerce raider to be sent against Allied merchant shipping in the North Atlantic. However, the fate of Bismarck and other commerce raiders led to Hitler losing faith in the surface navy, and she was instead ordered to be used for limited sorties. is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Commerce raiding or guerre de course is a naval strategy of attacking an opponents commercial shipping rather than contending for control of the seas with its naval forces. ... Hitler redirects here. ...

Following the inception of the Arctic convoys and the Commando raid on Vågsøy, Tirpitz was sent to northern Norwegian waters in early 1942, where she spent most of World War II in the fjords. She acted mainly as a fleet in being, tying up Royal Navy resources. She made three offensive sorties during her stay in Norway, two in 1942 and one in 1943. Despite her very limited offensive use, the armed forces of United Kingdom had a great fear of the potential for destruction the Tirpitz represented to Allied shipping and decided to sink her while she was in port. Many operations were launched with this objective in mind, but none were successful in sinking her until she was bombed and capsized on 12 November 1944. The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the USA and the United Kingdom to the northern ports of the USSR - Archangel and Murmansk. ... During World War II, Operation Archery was a British Combined Operations raid on December 27, 1941 against German positions on Vaagso(VÃ¥gsøy), Norway. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Fjord in Sunnmøre, Norway Geirangerfjord, Norway A fjord (or fiord) is a long, narrow estuary with steep sides, made when a glacial valley is filled by rising sea water levels. ... In naval warfare, a fleet in being is a naval force that extends a controlling influence without ever leaving port. ... This article is about the navy of the United Kingdom. ... is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Offensive actions by the Tirpitz

Operation Sportpalast

Operation Sportpalast was an attempt to interdict the convoys PQ-12 and QP-8 in early March 1942. PQ-12 sailed from Iceland on 1 March 1942, and QP-8 sailed from Murmansk at about the same time. On 5 March 1942 Tirpitz, escorted by three destroyers, left her base and made a sortie into the Arctic Ocean in the area around Bear Island. During the following days the German force had no luck finding either convoy. Only a single merchant was found and sunk by one of the screening destroyers. On 9 March 1942 Tirpitz was spotted by aircraft from the carrier HMS Victorious, and the German commander, Admiral Otto Ciliax, made the decision to abort the operation following unsuccessful British air attacks. Operation Sportpalast was the action by Tirpitz and its escorting destroyers against Arctic convoys PQ-12 and QP-8. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Murmansk coin Murmansk (Russian: ; Finnish: (archaic); Northern Sami: ; Skolt Sami: ) is a city in the extreme northwest part of Russia with a seaport on the Kola Bay, 12 km from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russias borders with Norway and... This article is about the day. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bjørnøya is located north of mainland Norway and south of Spitsbergen. ... is the 68th day of the year (69th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... HMS Victorious (R38) was the second Illustrious-class aircraft carrier ordered under the 1936 Naval Programme. ... Otto Ciliax (30 October 1891 - 12 December 1964) was an admiral in the German Navy. ...

Operation Rösselsprung

Operation Rösselsprung was an attempt to intercept the Arctic convoy expected in late June 1942. This would be PQ-17. Two naval forces were assembled and held ready: Tirpitz and Admiral Hipper at Trondheim, and Admiral Scheer and Lützow at Narvik, with nine destroyers as screens. These would assemble at Altenfjord when the convoy was detected, to attack as it passed Bear Island. PQ-17 was a World War II convoy carrying war materiel from Britain and the USA to the USSR. PQ-17 sailed in June-July 1942 and suffered the heaviest losses of any Russia-bound (PQ) convoy, with 25 vessels out of 36 lost to enemy action. ... The German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper fought as part of the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was named after Admiral Ritter von Hipper, commander of the German battlecruiser squadron during the Battle of Jutland in 1916 and later commander-in-chief of the German High Seas Fleet. ... County District Municipality NO-1601 Administrative centre Trondheim Mayor (2003-) Rita Ottervik (AP) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 258 342 km² 322 km² 0. ... Admiral Scheer, a pocket battleship, was built in 1933 and named after Admiral Reinhard Scheer. ... The Deutschland (later re-named Lützow), was the lead ship of a heavy cruiser class that served in the German Kriegsmarine before and during World War II. The ship was originally classified as an armored ship (Panzerschiff) by Germany, and referred to as a pocket battleship by the British. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Bjørnøya is located north of mainland Norway and south of Spitsbergen. ...

PQ-17, which departed Iceland on 27 June 1942, was heavily escorted, and there was also a powerful Task Force operating in the area. It was detected on 1 July, and on 2 July 1942 Tirpitz and her escorts left Trondheim for Altenfjord. This was perceived by the British Intelligence as an offensive sortie, and on 4 July the Admiralty made the controversial decision to scatter the convoy; this was due to the intense threat they regarded the Tirpitz as against a closely packed convoy. Following this the German U-boats and aircraft fell on the scattered, unescorted merchantmen, and over the next ten days 24 ships were sunk. The Tirpitz made a brief sortie on 5 July 1942 but was sighted almost immediately. She was ordered to return by Gr Adm. Raeder, who was concerned about a possible attack by the British Home Fleet, particularly from carrier aircraft. The sortie was aborted and Tirpitz returned to port. is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A task force (TF) is a temporary unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Flag of the Lord High Admiral The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. ... U-boat is also a nickname for some diesel locomotives built by GE; see List of GE locomotives October 1939. ... is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Grossadmiral Erich Raeder Erich Johann Albert Raeder (April 24, 1876 - November 6, 1960) was a naval leader in Germany before and during World War II. Raeder attained the highest possible naval rank – that of Großadmiral (Grand Admiral) – in 1939, becoming the first person to hold that rank since Alfred... The Home Fleet is the traditional name of the fleet of the Royal Navy that protects the United Kingdoms territorial waters. ...

There is a claim made by Russian sources that the Tirpitz was attacked and damaged by a Russian submarine during the short sortie, but this is unconfirmed. It is claimed that the fleet was attacked by Russian submarine K-21, commanded by Hero of the Soviet Union N. A. Lunin, at 71°22′2″N 24°34′3″E / 71.36722, 24.5675 (45 miles from North Cape, Norway). Lunin fired four torpedoes at the Tirpitz and heard two detonations. ^{[1] [2]} There is a degree of controversy on this case: since the 1960s most German and British historians discount any torpedo hit, but in Russia this case is studied in naval schools as a text-book example of submarine attack. On 6 July the Tirpitz and her escorts were spotted from the air going south, towards Norway at slow speed (12 knots as opposite to 20 in normal circumstances). From July 8, 1942 to September 6, 1943 the Tirpitz stayed in graving-docks in Trondheim and Narvik (Norway), supposedly under repair. Hero of the Soviet Union (Russian: Герой Советского Союза, Geroy Sovyetskovo Soyuza) was the highest honorary title and the superior degree of distinction of the Soviet Union. ... Midnight sun at the North Cape North Cape (foreground), Knivskjellodden (background) North Cape is a cape on the island of Magerøya in northern Norway, in the community of Nordkapp. ... is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... U.S. Navy submarine USS Greeneville in dry dock following collision with a fishing boat. ... County District Municipality NO-1601 Administrative centre Trondheim Mayor (2003-) Rita Ottervik (AP) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 258 342 km² 322 km² 0. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Operation Sizilien

Operation Sizilien was a raid on Spitsbergen in September 1943. German troops landed on the island, and supported by naval bombardment from the Tirpitz, Scharnhorst and nine destroyers the Germans occupied the island from 6 September–9 September 1943. This was the only operation in which Tirpitz fired her guns on enemy targets. Operation Zitronella, also known as Operation Sizilien, was the German raid and temporary occupation of Spitzbergen in September, 1943. ... Spitsbergen (formerly known as West Spitsbergen) is a Norwegian island, the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, situated in the Arctic Ocean. ... Scharnhorst was a famous World War II 31,500 tonne Gneisenau class battlecruiser[1] of the German Kriegsmarine, named after the Prussian general and army reformer Gerhard von Scharnhorst and to commemorate the World War I armoured cruiser SMS Scharnhorst that was sunk in the Battle at the Falkland Islands... is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

British attempts to destroy the Tirpitz

Operation Source

The first attempt to destroy Tirpitz was a very risky operation. As part of Operation Source, British X class midget submarines planted explosive charges beneath Tirpitz in September 1943. Lieutenant Basil Place commanding HMS X7, and Lieutenant Donald Cameron commanding HMS X6, both received the Victoria Cross for their part in the action, whilst three others received the Distinguished Service Order and one the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal.^[3] The submarines had to travel at least 1,000 miles from base, negotiate a minefield, dodge nets, gun defences and enemy listening posts. Having eluded all these hazards they finally placed their 4-ton Amatol side-charges underneath the ship where they detonated an hour later, doing so much damage that Tirpitz was put out of action for several months. Operation Source was a series of attacks to neutralise the heavy German warships - Tirpitz, Scharnhorst and Lutzow - based in Northern Norway, using X-class midget submarines. ... The X class was a World War II midget submarine class built for the Royal Navy during 1943–44. ... A midget submarine is a small submarine, typically with one or two crew and no on-board living accommodation. ... Basil Charles Godfrey Place (VC, CB, CVO, DSC) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... Donald Cameron (March 18, 1916 - April 10, 1961) was an Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... For other uses, see Victoria Cross (disambiguation). ... DSO medal The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat. ... The Conspicuous Gallantry Medal was (until 1993) a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force (United Kingdom), and formerly also to personnel of the navies and air forces of other Commonwealth countries, below the rank of Warrant Officer, for conspicuous gallantry in... Amatol is a highly explosive material, a mixture of TNT and ammonium nitrate, and used as an explosive in military weapons. ...

The story of this attack is told in the 1955 film Above Us The Waves. Above Us the Waves is a 1955 war film starring John Mills, John Gregson, Donald Sinden, James Robertson Justice, Michael Medwin, William Franklyn, Anthony Newley, John Horsley and James Kenney. ...

Operation Tungsten

By April 1944, Tirpitz had been repaired and posed a renewed threat. In response, the British executed Operation Tungsten, an attack by carrier-borne aircraft of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. A significant part of the Home Fleet took part, including 2 battleships, 2 fleet aircraft carriers, 5 escort aircraft carriers, 2 cruisers, 16 destroyers with support from 2 oilers. Steps were taken, including phoney wireless traffic, to hide their departure from Scapa Flow. The air attack was launched on 3 April, a day earlier than planned, catching Tirpitz while she was preparing for departure on trials. Operation Tungsten was one of a number of aerial attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz while she was in Norwegian waters (the Altenfjord) by the Fleet Air Arm (the air units of the Royal Navy). ... The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships. ... The Home Fleet is the traditional name of the fleet of the Royal Navy that protects the United Kingdoms territorial waters. ... It has been suggested that Gutter Sound be merged into this article or section. ... is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The air attacks were in two waves of Fairey Barracuda torpedo bombers with escorting fighters. A variety of bombs were carried: anti-submarine bombs that would cause damage even if they exploded in the water around her, armour piercing bombs capable of penetrating deck armour, smaller bombs that could penetrate superstructure armour, and general purpose bombs that would be effective against the crew and the anti-aircraft weapons they were manning. The defences were poor and ill-organised, and the attack faced little effective opposition. Some of the fighters contributed by strafing the decks with machine gun fire. The first attack was at 05:30. By 08:00 the Royal Navy had landed all but three planes that had been lost. Tirpitz had lost 122 crew, with a further 300 wounded, but damage was limited to the superstructure. The ship's armour was not penetrated, though near misses caused some flooding. Overall the damage was significant and took two months to repair. The Fairey Barracuda was a British carrier-borne torpedo- and dive-bomber used during the Second World War, the first of its type to be fabricated entirely from metal. ... A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with torpedoes, but they could also carry out conventional bombings. ... Strafing (adaptation of German strafen, to punish, specifically from the World War I humorous adaptation of the German catchphrase Gott strafe England), is the practice of firing on a static target from a moving platform. ...

Operations Planet, Brawn, Tiger Claw and Mascot

The threat remained and further operations were planned. Three air attacks (Operations Planet, Brawn and Tiger Claw) were cancelled, in April and May 1944, due to poor weather.

The next carrier-borne attempt was Operation Mascot, in July 1944. By this time, however, the Germans had set up effective warning and smoke systems which effectively obscured Tirpitz from the attacking aircraft. Apart from one near-miss, the raid was a failure.

Operations Goodwood I, II, III and IV

Tirpitz underwent sea trials in early August 1944, and three weeks later the Fleet Air Arm launched more attacks. These had mixed success, none dealing the hoped for coup-de-grace.

Operations Goodwood I and Goodwood II took place on 22 August. Low cloud obscured Tirpitz and there were no hits. is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Goodwood III, on 24 August, successfully confused the air defences by its approach tactics and scored 2 hits on the Tirpitz. One caused damage to a turret. The other pierced the ship's armour belt but failed to explode—'an exceptional stroke of luck'. Had it done so, the German report said: '... the effects of that explosion would have been immeasurable.' It is likely that Tirpitz would have sunk. is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The escort aircraft carrier HMS Nabob returned to Scapa Flow after being seriously damaged by a torpedo hit from an U-boat (U-354). The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier, was a small aircraft carrier developed by the Royal Navy in the early part of World War II to deal with the U-boat crisis of the Battle of the Atlantic. ... The USS Edisto (CVE-41) (originally AVG-41 then later ACV-41) was a Bogue-class escort aircraft carrier that was laid down 20 October 1942, launched 22 March 1943, transferred under Lend-Lease to the United Kingdom 7 September 1943 prior to her commissioning as the HMS Nabob (D77). ... It has been suggested that Gutter Sound be merged into this article or section. ... U-boat is also a nickname for some diesel locomotives built by GE; see List of GE locomotives October 1939. ...

The final Fleet Air Arm attack was Goodwood IV, on 29 August. Once more, low cloud prevented any hits. After this, the fleet withdrew on convoy duties and Tirpitz was left to the Royal Air Force. is the 241st day of the year (242nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... RAF redirects here. ...

Operations Paravane, Obviate and Catechism

Tirpitz in Norway, 1944

The Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces proposed several schemes to attack Tirpitz using Mosquito fighter-bombers, Short Sunderland flying boats or B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers, but none came to anything. Image File history File links Tirpitz_altafjord. ... Image File history File links Tirpitz_altafjord. ... The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) was the aviation component of the United States Army primarily during World War II. The title of Army Air Forces succeeded the prior name of Army Air Corps in June 1941 during preparation for expected combat in what came to be known as... The de Havilland Mosquito[1] was a British combat aircraft that excelled in a number of roles during the Second World War. ... The S.25 Sunderland was a flying boat patrol bomber developed for the Royal Air Force by Short Brothers, first flown on 16 October 1937. ... The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engine heavy bomber aircraft developed for the US Army Air Corps (USAAC). ...

There were three attempts by the RAF using Avro Lancasters of 617 and 9 Squadrons led by Wing Commander "Willie" Tait. The first attempt, "Operation Paravane", was launched on 15 September from a temporary base at Yagodnik, near Arkhangelsk in the Soviet Union. The aircraft were equipped with Barnes Wallis' 5-tonne Tallboy bombs and experimental 5,000 pound "Johnny Walker" underwater "walking" mines. On this occasion, a smokescreen protected Tirpitz from all but one of the bombs, one of No. 9 Squadron's bombs disabled the ship to the extent that she was no longer a threat to Allied shipping. A German report stated: It was eventually decided at a conference on 23 September 1944 at which the C-in-C and Naval Staff were present, that it was no longer possible to make Tirpitz ready for sea and action again.... However, this was kept secret from the British, who believed that repairs were 'possible', and so the attacks continued. The Avro Lancaster was a British four-engine Second World War bomber aircraft made initially by Avro for the British Royal Air Force (RAF). ... For the video game see The Dam Busters (video game) No. ... No. ... Group Captian James Brian (Willie) Tait (Tirpitz) DSO***, DFC* (born 1916; died 2007) was an officer in the British Royal Airforce during and after World War II. He conducted 101 bombing missions during the war including those which finally sank the German battleship Tirpitz. ... Tirpitz was the second Bismarck class battleship of the German Kriegsmarine, sistership of Bismarck. ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Yagodnik, Arkhangelsk Oblast, north west Russia, was the site of a World War II airfield. ... Arkhangelsk (Russian: ), formerly called Archangel in English, is a city in and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. ... Sir Barnes Neville Wallis, Kt, CBE, FRS, RDI, commonly known as Barnes Wallis, (26 September 1887 – 30 October 1979) was an English scientist, engineer and inventor. ... The Tallboy was an Earth quake bomb developed by Barnes Wallis and brought into operation by the British in 1944. ... is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Commander-in-Chief (in NATO-lingo often C-in-C or CINC pronounced sink) is the commander of all the military forces within a particular region or of all the military forces of a state. ...

In October, as Tirpitz was no longer considered to be a major warship, she was moved further south to Tromsø, to act as a floating gun battery against the expected Allied invasion of Norway. She was now within range of air operations from Scotland. County District Municipality NO-1902 Administrative centre Tromsø Mayor (2004) Herman Kristoffersen (Ap) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 18 2,566 km² 2,519 km² 0. ... This article is about the country. ...

"Operation Obviate", with the Lancasters flying from Lossiemouth in Scotland carrying Tallboy bombs, took place on 28 October. At the last moment, sea-clouds hid Tirpitz, and there was only one near-miss that bent a propeller-shaft. , Lossiemouth is a town in Moray, Scotland. ... is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Tirpitz capsized in 1944.

The smokescreen was not active on the third attempt—"Operation Catechism". Tirpitz was finally sunk immediately to the west of Tromsø, in the bay of Håkøybotn, on 12 November 1944 by 9 Squadron Lancasters with Tallboys on their third attempt. The ship was struck by three Tallboys. One glanced off turret armour, but the other two pierced the ship's armour and blew a 200 foot hole into her port side. Soon after, internal fires set off a magazine and blew off "C" turret. Tirpitz capsized within minutes of the attack, and close to 1,000 German sailors, out of 1,700 aboard, died. Image File history File linksMetadata Tirpitz_(AWM_SUK14095). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Tirpitz_(AWM_SUK14095). ... County District Municipality NO-1902 Administrative centre Tromsø Mayor (2004) Herman Kristoffersen (Ap) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 18 2,566 km² 2,519 km² 0. ... is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... No. ...

The Luftwaffe failed to intercept the British bombers. One aircraft from 9 Squadron (LM488) lost an engine after being hit by anti-aircraft fire on the bombing run, but the crew were able to crash land in Sweden, being repatriated later.^[4] The aircraft used, the Lancaster B.1 Special, had had one turret (the mid-upper) and some armour removed, so they would have been highly vulnerable to fighter attack. The reasons cited for this failure are contradictory. The approach route of the bombers may have suggested an attack on the airfield at Bardufoss, and Luftwaffe responses to Tirpitz's calls for help claimed that there were aircraft "overhead". The local air defence systems may have been inadequate and the German pilots had not yet been fully trained on their new Focke-Wulf 190 aircraft. Major Heinrich Ehrler, who both led the defensive sortie in the area of the Tirpitz and was also the commander of the Luftwaffe forces in Norway (Jagdgeschwader 5), was charged with negligence of duty following the sinking—and sentenced to death. His sentence was later reduced to three years of fortress imprisonment and he was stripped of his command and transferred to a fighter unit in Germany. The Deutsche Luftwaffe or   (German: air force, IPA: ) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... Focke-Wulf Fw 190 in flight. ... Heinrich Ehrler (September 14, 1917 - April 4, 1945) was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from February 1941 right up to the end of the war. ... Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5) Eismeer was a Luftwaffe fighter Wing that served during World War II. As the name Eismeer (Ice Sea) implies, it was created to function in the high north, namely Norway and northern parts of Finland. ...

The destruction of the Tirpitz removed the last major surface threat to allied control of the north Atlantic. This freed the capital ships - battleships and aircraft carriers - that had been retained in the Home Fleet as a precaution. Britain was thus able to reinforce the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean, establish the British Pacific Fleet and take a much more aggressive posture against the Japanese in the Far East. The Home Fleet is the traditional name of the fleet of the Royal Navy that protects the United Kingdoms territorial waters. ... The British Eastern Fleet (also known as the East Indies Fleet) was a fleet of the Royal Navy during World War II. It operated in the Indian Ocean and was based in Trincomalee in Ceylon. ... The British Pacific Fleet (BPF) was a multinational Allied naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was comprised mainly of British Commonwealth naval vessels. ...

Tirpitz as scrap

Postwar the wreck was sold off and broken up in situ by a Norwegian company. Nearly the entire ship was cut up and hauled away. However, a large portion of the bow remains where it sank in 1944. Amongst other things, the ship's electrical generators were used for a temporary power station, supplying the fishing industry around Honningsvåg with electricity. Near the wreck-site there are artificial lakes along the shore—bomb craters from Tallboy bombs that missed their target. To this day, sections of Tirpitz armour plates are used by the Norwegian Road Authority ("Vegvesen") as temporary road surface material during roadwork.^[5] Additionally, a large chunk of the armour plating is held at the Royal Naval 'Explosion!' museum in Gosport, Hampshire. Honningsvag is one of the upper most Citys in Norway that is a favorite Port of Call for the small Cruise Ships. ...

Commanding Officers

• Construction Indoctrination - KzS Friedrich Carl Topp, 15 January 1941–25 February 1941
• KzS Friedrich Carl Topp, 25 February 1941–24 February 1943
• KzS Hans Karl Meyer, 24 February 1943–1 May 1944
• KzS Wolf Junge, 1 May 1944–4 November 1944
• KzS Robert Weber, 4 November 1944–12 November 1944 (KIA)

is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Bismarck, lead ship of the Bismarck class battleships
• List of battleships of Germany
• List of Kriegsmarine ships
• List of ship launches in 1939
• List of ship commissionings in 1941
• List of shipwrecks in 1944

The German battleship Bismarck is one of the most famous warships of the Second World War. ... The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. ... The Bismarck class battleships were a class of capital ships built by Germany. ... This a list of battleships of Germany and includes all battleships, battlecruisers, and other heavily armored naval ships designed, built, or operated by Germany since 1890. ... The list of Kriegsmarine ships includes all ships commissioned into the Kriegsmarine, the German navy of the Third Reich period, during its existance from 1935 to the conclusion of World War II in 1945. ... The list of ship launches in 1939 includes a chronological list of all ships launched in 1939. ... The list of ship commissionings in 1941 includes a chronological list of all ships commissioned in 1941. ... The list of shipwrecks in 1944 includes all ships sunk, floundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during 1944. ...

References

The London Gazette , front page from Monday 3 - 10 September 1666, reporting on the Great Fire of London. ... is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Further reading

• Kennedy, Ludovic. Menace: The Life and Death of the Tirpitz. London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1979. ISBN 0-7221-5165-9, ISBN 0283984945.

Sir Ludovic Kennedy shown on the cover of his book All In The Mind: A Farewell To God Sir Ludovic Henry Coverley Kennedy (born 3 November 1919) is a British journalist, broadcaster, and author. ...

External links

• The Battleship Tirpitz
• History of the Tirpitz
• Tirpitz
• Tirpitz career timeline
• Maritimequest Tirpitz Photo Gallery
• RAF attacks on the Tirpitz
• Above Us the Waves at the Internet Movie Database (1955)
• Analysis (in Russian) of K-21 attack on Tirpitz.
• Universal Studios Newsreel - RAF Sinks Tirpitz, 1944/11/22 (1944) (archive.org)

Coordinates: 69°38′50″N, 18°48′30″E The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... Internet Archive, San Francisco The Internet Archive (archive. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

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Battleship Tirpitz