German battleship Tirpitz underway for her trials, 1941
Tirpitz was a battleship of the German Kriegsmarine, a sister ship to the German battleship Bismarck, and named for Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz. She was launched 1 April1939, after Bismarck, but was deployed in a similar manner, being sent against Allied merchant shipping in the North Atlantic.
As a result of the Arctic convoys and the Commando raid on VågsøyTirpitz was sent to Norwegian waters where she spent most of World War II in the fjords. She made three offensive sorties; an attempt to interdict convoy PQ12 in March1942 (Operation Sportpalast), a similar attempt against PQ17 in July1942 (Operation Rösselsprung) and a raid on Spitsbergen in September1943 (Operation Cicilien). The threat that she might put to sea, tied down Royal Navy resources and the decision was taken to sink her while she was in port. The first attempt was a very risky operation. British X classmidget submarines planted explosive charges beneath Tirpitz in September 1943. This succeeded in disabling Tirpitz. After she was repaired she was attacked by carrier born aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm, which only did superficial damage. She was finally sunk immediately to the west of Tromsø, in the bay of Håkøybotn, on 12 November1944 by Avro Lancasters of RAF617 and 9 Squadrons equipped with the Barnes Wallistallboy bombs on their third attempt, the first of which had been launched from Russia. Close to 1000 German sailors died.
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. Also nearby are artificial lakes around the shore, caused by Tallboy bombs that missed their target.
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.
Tirpitz developed a "risk theory" (an analysis which today would be considered part of game theory) whereby, if the German Navy reached a certain level of strength relative to the British Navy, the British would try to avoid confrontation with Germany.
Tirpitz had been made a Grand Admiral in 1911 and was appointed Commander of the Navy on the outbreak of war.
Alfred von Tirpitz (1849-1930) was chiefly responsible, with the significant support of Kaiser Wilhelm II, for the build-up in strength of the German navy, including its submarine fleet, from 1897 until the years immediately prior to the First World War.
Tirpitz went on to serve as commander of a torpedo flotilla and subsequently inspector general of the torpedo fleet, during which time he developed a keen interest in the potentialities of submarines in wartime.
A Rear Admiral from 1895, and having served in East Asia with a cruiser squadron during 1896-97, Tirpitz was appointed Secretary of State of the Imperial Navy Department in 1897.
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