German battleship Tirpitz
Encyclopedia
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine
during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral
Alfred von Tirpitz
, the architect of the Imperial Navy
, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft
in Wilhelmshaven
in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April 1939. Work was completed in February 1941, when she was commissioned into the German fleet. Like her sistership Bismarck
, Tirpitz was armed with a main battery of eight 38 centimetres (15 in) guns in four twin turrets. As a result of a series of wartime modifications she was some 2000 metric tons (1,968.4 LT) heavier than Bismarck.
After completing sea trial
s in early 1941, Tirpitz briefly served as the centerpiece of the Baltic Fleet, which was intended to prevent a possible breakout attempt by the Soviet Baltic Fleet. In early 1942, the ship sailed to Norway to act as a deterrent against an Allied invasion. While stationed in Norway, Tirpitz could also be used to intercept Allied convoys to the Soviet Union; two such missions were attempted in 1942, but both failed. Despite her inability to attack the convoys directly, Tirpitz acted as a fleet in being
, forcing the British Royal Navy
to retain significant naval forces in the area to contain the battleship.
In September 1943, Tirpitz, along with the battleship Scharnhorst
, bombarded Allied positions on the island of Spitzbergen, the first time the ship used her main battery in anger
. Shortly thereafter, the ship was damaged in an attack by British mini-submarines
and subsequently subjected to a series of large-scale air raids. On 12 November 1944, British Lancaster bombers
equipped with 12000 pounds (5,443.1 kg) "Tallboy" bombs destroyed the ship; two direct hits and a near miss caused the ship to capsize
rapidly. A deck fire spread to the ammunition magazine for one of the main battery turrets, which caused a large explosion. Figures for the number of men killed in the attack range from 950 to 1,204. The wreck was broken up by a joint Norwegian and German salvage operation after the war, with work lasting from 1948 until 1957.
, under the contract name "G". The Kriegsmarinewerft
in Wilhelmshaven
was awarded the contract, where the keel was laid on 20 October 1936. The hull was launched on 1 April 1939; during the elaborate ceremonies, the ship was christened by the daughter of Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz
, the ship's namesake. Adolf von Trotha
, a former admiral in the Imperial Navy
, spoke at the ship's launching, which was also attended by Adolf Hitler
Fitting-out
out work followed her launch, and was completed by February 1941. British bombers repeatedly attacked the harbor in which the ship was being built; no bombs struck Tirpitz, but the attacks did slow construction work. Tirpitz was commissioned into the fleet on 25 February for sea trials, which were conducted in the Baltic.
Tirpitz displaced 42900 MT (42,222.3 LT) as built and 52600 MT (51,769.1 LT) fully loaded, with a length of 251 metre, a beam of 36 metre and a maximum draft of 10.6 metre. She was powered by three Brown, Boveri & Cie
geared steam turbines, which developed a total of 163026 shp and yielded a maximum speed of 30.8 kn (16.8 m/s) on speed trials. Her standard crew numbered 103 officers and 1,962 enlisted men, though during the war this was increased to 108 officers and 2,500 men. As built, Tirpitz was equipped with FuMO 23 radars mounted on the forward, foretop, and rear rangefinders. These were later replaced with FuMO 27 radars, which were in turn replaced with the FuMO 26 model, which had a larger antenna array. A FuMO 30, known as the Hohentwiel, was mounted in 1944 in her topmast, and a FuMO 213 Würzburg radar was added on her stern 10.5 cm (4.1 in) Flak rangefinders.
She was armed with eight 38 cm (15 in) L/52 guns arranged in four twin gun turret
s: two superfiring
turrets forward—Anton and Bruno—and two aft—Caesar and Dora. Her secondary armament consisted of twelve 15 cm (5.9 in) L/55
guns, sixteen 10.5 cm L/65 and sixteen 3.7 cm (1.5 in) L/83, and initially twelve 2 cm (0.78740157480315 in) antiaircraft guns. The number of 2 cm guns was eventually increased to 58. After 1942, eight 53.3 cm (21 in) above-water torpedo tubes were installed. The ship's main belt
was 320 mm (12.6 in) thick and was covered by a pair of upper and main armoured decks that were 50 mm (2 in) and 100 millimetre thick, respectively. The 38 cm turrets were protected by 360 mm (14.2 in) thick faces and 220 mm (8.7 in) thick sides.
and performed intensive training in the Baltic. While the ship was in Kiel, Germany invaded the Soviet Union
. A temporary Baltic Fleet was created to prevent the possible breakout of the Soviet fleet based in Leningrad
. Tirpitz was briefly made the flagship
of the squadron, which consisted of the heavy cruiser
Admiral Scheer, the light cruiser
s Köln
, Nürnberg
, Leipzig
, and Emden
, several destroyers, and two flotillas of minesweepers
. The Baltic Fleet, under the command of Admiral Otto Ciliax
, patrolled off the Aaland Islands from 23 to 26 September 1941, after which the unit disbanded and Tirpitz resumed training. During the training period, Tirpitz tested its primary and secondary guns on the old pre-dreadnought battleship , which had been converted into a radio-controlled target ship. The British Royal Air Force
continued to launch bombing raids on the ship while she was stationed in Kiel, though these too were unsuccessful.
Admiral Erich Raeder
, the commander of the Kriegsmarine
, proposed on 13 November that Tirpitz be deployed to Norway. The ship would be able to attack convoys bound for the Soviet Union, as well as act as a fleet in being
to tie down British naval assets and deter an Allied invasion of Norway. Hitler, who had forbidden an Atlantic sortie after the loss of Bismarck, agreed to the proposal. The ship was taken into dock for modifications for the deployment. The ship's antiaircraft battery was strengthened and the 10.5 cm guns on the superstructure next to the catapult were moved outboard to increase their field of fire. The two quadruple 53.3 cm torpedo tube mounts were also installed during this refit. The ship's commander, Kapitän zur See Karl Topp
, pronounced the ship ready for combat operations on 10 January. The following day, Tirpitz left for Wilhelmshaven, a move designed to conceal her actual destination.
The ship left Wilhelmshaven at 23:00 on 14 January and made for Trondheim
. British military intelligence, which was capable of decrypting the Enigma
messages sent by the German navy, detected the departure of the vessel, though poor weather in Britain prevented action from the RAF. Admiral John Tovey
, the commander in chief of the Home Fleet, was not made aware of Tirpitzs activities until 17 January, well after the ship had arrived in Norway. On 16 January, British aerial reconnaissance located the ship in Trondheim. Tirpitz then moved to the Fættenfjord, just north of Trondheim. The movement was codenamed Operation Polarnacht; the battleship was escorted by the destroyers Richard Beitzen
, Paul Jacobi
, Bruno Heinemann
and Z-29
for the voyage. She was moored next to a cliff, which protected the ship from air attacks from the southwest. The ship's crew cut down trees and placed them aboard Tirpitz to camouflage her. Additional antiaircraft batteries were installed around the fjord, as were anti-torpedo nets and heavy booms in the entrance to the anchorage. Life for the crew of Tirpitz was very monotonous during the deployment to Norway. Frequent fuel shortages curtailed training and kept the battleship and her escorts moored behind their protective netting. The crew was primarily occupied with maintaining the ship and continuously manning antiaircraft defenses. Sports activities were organized to keep the crew occupied and physically fit.
, the movement of the battleships Scharnhorst
and Gneisenau
and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen
up through the English Channel
. These caused a planned attack against the outbound convoy PQ 8
at the end of January to be abandoned. A planned British air attack at the end of January by four-engined heavy bombers was disrupted by poor weather over the target, which prevented the aircraft from finding the ship. In early February, Tirpitz took part in the deceptions that distracted the British in the run-up to Operation Cerberus. These included steaming out of the fjord and activities that indicated preparations for a sortie into the North Sea
. Later that month, the ship was reinforced by the heavy cruisers Admiral Scheer and Prinz Eugen and several destroyers. Prinz Eugen had been torpedoed by a British submarine at the entrance to the Fættenfjord, and was therefore temporarily out of action.
Tirpitz and Admiral Scheer, along with the destroyers Friedrich Ihn
, Paul Jacobi, Hermann Schoemann
and Z-25
and a pair of torpedo boats, were intended to attack the homebound convoy QP 8 and the outbound PQ 12
in March 1942 as part of Operation Sportpalast
. Admiral Scheer, with a design speed of 26 kn (14.2 m/s), was too slow to operate with Tirpitz, and was left in port, as was the destroyer Paul Jacobi. The two torpedo boats were also released from the operation. On 5 March, Luftwaffe
reconnaissance aircraft spotted PQ 12 near Jan Mayen Island; the reconnaissance failed to note the battleship or the battlecruiser , both of which escorted the convoy, along with four destroyers. Unknown to the Germans, Admiral Tovey provided distant support to the convoys with the battleship , the aircraft carrier , the heavy cruiser , and six destroyers. Enigma intercepts again forewarned the British of Tirpitzs attack, which allowed them to reroute the convoys. Admiral Tovey attempted to pursue Tirpitz on 9 March, but Admiral Otto Ciliax
, the commander of the German squadron, had decided to return to port the previous evening. An air attack was launched early on the 9th; twelve Fairey Albacore
torpedo bombers attacked the ship in three groups, though Tirpitz successfully evaded the torpedoes. Only three men were wounded in the attack. After the conclusion of the attack, Tirpitz made for Vestfjord
, from which she proceeded to Trondheim, arriving on the evening of 13 March.
The actions of Tirpitz and her escorting destroyers in March used up some 8230 metric tons (8,100 LT) of fuel oil, which greatly reduced the available fuel supply. It took the Germans three months to replenish the fuel spent in the attempt to intercept the two Allied convoys. Convoy PQ 17, which left Iceland on 27 June bound for the Soviet Union, was the next convoy Tirpitz and the rest of the German fleet stationed in Norway was able to attack, during Operation Rösselsprung. Escorting the convoy were the battleships Duke of York and and the carrier Victorious. Tirpitz, Admiral Hipper
, and six destroyers sortied from Trondheim, while a second task force consisting of Lützow, Admiral Scheer, and six destroyers operated out of Narvik
. Lützow and three of the destroyers struck uncharted rocks while en route to the rendezvous and had to return to port. Shortly after Tirpitz left Norway, the Soviet submarine K-21 fired a pair of torpedoes at the ship, both of which missed. Swedish intelligence had meanwhile reported the German departures to the British Admiralty
, which ordered the convoy to disperse. Aware that they had been detected, the Germans aborted the operation and turned over the attack to U-boat
s and the Luftwaffe
. The scattered vessels could no longer be protected by the convoy escorts, and the Germans sank 21 of the 34 isolated transports. Tirpitz returned to Altafjord
via the Lofoten Islands.
Following Operation Rösselsprung, the Germans moved Tirpitz to Bogenfjord
near Narvik
. By this time, the ship needed a major overhaul. Hitler had forbidden the ship to make the dangerous return to Germany, and so the overhaul was conducted in Trondheim. On 23 October, the ship left Bogenfjord and returned to Fættenfjord outside Trondheim. The defenses of the anchorage were further strengthened; additional antiaircraft guns were installed and double anti-torpedo nets were erected around the vessel. The repairs were conducted in limited phases, such that Tirpitz would remain partially operational for the majority of the overhaul. A caisson
was built around the stern to allow the replacement of the ship's rudders. During the repair process, the British attempted to attack the battleship with two Chariot human torpedoes
, though rough seas incapacitated the boat carrying torpedoes. By 28 December, the overhaul had been completed, and Tirpitz began sea trials. She conducted gunnery trials on 4 January 1943 in the Trondheimfjord. On 21 February, Topp was promoted to Rear Admiral and was replaced by Captain Hans Meyer; five days later the battleship Scharnhorst was ordered to reinforce the fleet in Norway. Vice Admiral Oskar Kummetz
was given command of the warships stationed in Norway.
By the time Scharnhorst arrived in Norway in March 1943, Allied convoys to the Soviet Union had temporarily ceased. Admiral Karl Dönitz
, who had replaced Raeder in the aftermath of the Battle of the Barents Sea
on 31 December 1942, decided the ships needed an opportunity to work together. He therefore ordered an attack
on the island of Spitzbergen, which housed a British weather station and refuelling base. Several settlements and outposts on Spitzbergen were defended by a garrison of 152 men from the exiled Free Norwegian Forces
. The two battleships, escorted by ten destroyers, left port on 6 September; in a ruse de guerre
, Tirpitz flew a white flag
on the approach to the island the following day. During the bombardment, Tirpitz fired 52 main-battery shells and 82 rounds from her 15 cm secondaries. This was the first and only time the ship fired her main battery at an enemy target. The force landed an assault force that destroyed shore installations and captured 74 prisoners. By 11:00, the battleships had destroyed their targets and began the return to their Norwegian ports.
The British were determined to neutralize Tirpitz and remove the threat it posed to Allied lines of communication in the Arctic. Following the repeated, ineffectual bombing attacks and the failed Chariot attack in October 1942, the British turned to the newly designed X Craft
midget submarine
s. The planned attack, Operation Source
, included attacks on Tirpitz, Scharnhorst, and Lützow. The X Craft were towed by large submarines to their destinations, where they could slip under anti-torpedo nets to attach a powerful mine
to the bottom of the target. Ten vessels were assigned to the operation, scheduled for 20–25 September 1943. Only eight of the vessels reached Norway for the attack, which began early on 22 September. Three of the vessels, X5, X6, and X7, successfully breached Tirpitzs defences, two of which—X6 and X7—managed to lay their mines. X5 was detected some 200 m (656.2 ft) from the nets and sunk by a combination of gunfire and depth charges.
The mines caused extensive damage to the ship; the first exploded abreast of turret Caesar and the second detonated 45 metre off the port bow. A fuel oil tank was ruptured, shell plating was torn, a large indentation was formed in the bottom of the ship and bulkheads in the double bottom
buckled. Some 1430 MT (1,407.4 LT) of water flooded the ship in fuel tanks and void spaces in the double bottom of the port side, which caused a list of one to two degrees, though this was balanced by counter-flooding on the starboard side. The flooding damaged all of the turbo-generators in generator room No. 2, and all save one generator in generator room No. 1 were disabled by broken steam lines or severed power cables. Turret Dora was thrown from its bearings and could not be trained; this was particularly significant, as there were no heavy-lift cranes in Norway powerful enough to lift the turret and place it back on its bearings. The ship's two Arado Ar 196
floatplanes were thrown by the explosive concussion and completely destroyed. Repairs were conducted by the repair ship Neumark; historians Robert Garzke and Robert Dulin remarked that the successful repair effort was "one of the most notable feats of naval engineering during the Second World War." Repairs lasted until 2 April 1944; full speed trials were scheduled for the following day in Altafjord.
Operation Tungsten
The British were aware that Neumark and the repair crews left in March, which intimated Tirpitz was nearly operational. A major air strike—Operation Tungsten
—involving the fleet carriers Victorious and and the escort carriers , , , and , was scheduled for 4 April 1944. Enigma decrypts revealed to the British that Tirpitz was scheduled to depart at 05:29 on 3 April for sea trials; the British therefore moved the attack forward to 3 April. The attack consisted of 40 dive-bombers and 40 escorting fighters in two waves; fifteen direct hits and two near misses were scored by the bombers, with the loss of only one aircraft in the first wave. This was due to the surprise achieved by the carrier aircraft; it took twelve to fourteen minutes for all of Tirpitzs antiaircraft batteries to be fully manned. The first wave struck at 05:29, as tugs were preparing to assist the ship out of her mooring. The second wave arrived over the target an hour later, shortly after 06:30. Despite the alertness of the German antiaircraft gunners, only one other bomber was shot down.
The air strike caused significant damage to the ship and inflicted serious casualties. William Garzke and Robert Dulin report the attack killed 122 men and wounded 316 others, while Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz report 132 fatalities and 270 wounded men, including the ship's commander, KzS Hans Meyer. Two of the 15 cm turrets were destroyed by bombs and both Ar 196 floatplanes were destroyed. Several of the bomb hits caused serious fires aboard the ship. Concussive shock disabled the starboard turbine engine and saltwater used to fight the fires reached the boilers and contaminated the feed water. Some 2000 MT (1,968.4 LT) of water flooded the ship, primarily through the two near misses, which holed the side shell with splinters. Water used to fight the fires also contributed to the flooding. Dönitz ordered the ship be repaired, regardless of the cost, despite the fact that he understood Tirpitz could no longer be used in a surface action due to insufficient fighter support. Repair work began in early May; destroyers ferried important equipment and workers from Kiel to Altafjord over the span of three days. By 2 June, the ship was again able to steam under her own power, and by the end of the month gunnery trials were possible. During the repair process, the 15 cm guns were modified to allow their use against aircraft, and specially-fuzed 38 cm shells for barrage antiaircraft fire were supplied.
Operations Planet, Brawn, Tiger Claw, Mascot, and Goodwood
A series of carrier strikes were planned over the next three months, though bad weather forced their cancellation. A repeat of Operation Tungsten, codenamed Operation Planet, was scheduled for 24 April. Operation Brawn, which was to have been carried out by 27 bombers and 36 fighters from Victorious and Furious, was to have taken place on 15 May, and Operation Tiger Claw was intended for 28 May. Victorious and Furious were joined by for Operation Mascot, which was to have been carried out on 17 July by 62 bombers and 30 fighters. The weather finally broke in late August, which saw the Goodwood series of attacks. Operations Goodwood I and II were launched on 22 August; a carrier force consisting of the fleet carriers Furious, Indefatigable, and the escort carriers , and launched a total of 38 bombers and 43 escort fighters between the two raids. The attacks failed to inflict any damage on Tirpitz, and three of the attacking aircraft were shot down. Goodwood III followed on 24 August, composed of aircraft from the fleet carriers only. Forty-eight bombers and 29 fighters attacked the ship and scored two hits which caused minor damage. One of the bombs penetrated the upper and lower armour decks and came to rest in the No. 4 switchboard room, though its fuse had been damaged and the bomb did not detonate. Six planes were shot down in the attack. Goodwood IV followed on the 29th, with 34 bombers and 25 fighters from Formidable and Indefatigable, though heavy fog interfered with the attack and prevented any hits from being scored. One Firefly
and a Corsair were shot down by Tirpitzs gunners. The battleship expended 54 rounds from her main guns, 161 from the 15 cm guns and up to 20 percent of her light antiaircraft ammunition.
Operations Paravane and Obviate
The ineffectiveness of the vast majority of the strikes launched by the Fleet Air Arm
in mid-1944 led to the task of Tirpitzs destruction being transferred to the RAF
's No. 5 Group
. It was determined that four-engined Lancaster bombers
were required to carry bombs powerful enough to penetrate the ship's heavy armour. The 6 ST (5.4 LT) Tallboy bomb, developed in 1943 by Barnes Wallis
, was to be the primary weapon used against Tirpitz. The first attack, Operation Paravane
, took place on 15 September 1944; operating from a forward base at Yagodnik
in Russia, 23 Lancasters (17 each carrying one Tallboy and six each carrying twelve JW mines), scored a single hit on the ship's bow. The Tallboy completely penetrated the ship, exited the keel, and exploded in the bottom of the fjord. Some 800 metric ton of water flooded the bow and caused a serious increase in trim forward. The ship was rendered unseaworthy and was limited to 8 knot. Concussive shock caused severe damage to fire-control equipment. The heavy damage persuaded the naval command to repair the ship for use only as a floating gun battery. Repair work was estimated to take nine months, but patching of the holes could be effected within a few weeks, which would allow Tirpitz to be moved further south to Tromsø
. On 15 October, the ship made the 200 nmi (370.4 km) trip to Tromsø under her own power, the last voyage of her career.
The RAF made a second attempt on 29 October, after the ship was moored off Håkøy Island outside Tromsø. Thirty-two Lancasters attacked the ship with Tallboys during Operation Obviate
. As on Operation Paravane, No. 9 Squadron
and No. 617 Squadron carried out the attack together, which resulted in only one near-miss, partially the result of bad weather over the target. The underwater explosion damaged the port rudder and shaft and caused some flooding. Tirpitzs 38 cm fragmentation shells proved ineffective in countering the high-level bombers, though one aircraft was damaged by ground-based antiaircraft guns. Following the attack, the ship's anchorage was significantly improved. A large sand bank was constructed under and around the ship to prevent her from capsizing and anti-torpedo nets were installed. Tirpitz retained a one-degree list to port from earlier damage, and this was not corrected by counter-flooding to retain as much reserve buoyancy as possible. The ship was also prepared for her role as a floating artillery platform: fuel was limited to only what was necessary to power the turbo-generators and the crew was reduced to 1,600 officers and enlisted men.
Operation Catechism
.jpg)
Operation Catechism
, the final British attack on Tirpitz, took place on 12 November 1944. The ship again used her 38 cm guns against the bombers, which approached the battleship at 09:35; Tirpitzs main guns forced the bombers to temporarily disperse, but could not break up the attack. A force of 32 Lancasters from Nos 9 and 617 Squadrons dropped 29 Tallboys on the ship, with two direct hits and one near miss. Several other bombs landed within the anti-torpedo net barrier and caused significant cratering of the seabed; this removed much of the sandbank that had been constructed to prevent the ship from capsizing. One bomb penetrated the ship's deck between turrets Anton and Bruno but failed to explode. A second hit amidships between the aircraft catapult and the funnel and caused severe damage. A very large hole was blown into the ship's side and bottom; the entire section of belt armour abreast of the bomb hit was completely destroyed. A third bomb may have struck the ship on the port side of turret Caesar. The amidships hit caused significant flooding and quickly increased the port list to between 15 and 20 degrees. In ten minutes, the list increased to 30 to 40 degrees; the captain issued the order to abandon ship. Progressive flooding increased the list to 60 degrees by 09:50, though this appeared to stabilize temporarily. Eight minutes later, a massive explosion rocked turret Caesar. The turret roof and part of the rotating structure were thrown 25 m (82 ft) into the air and over into a group of men swimming to shore. Tirpitz then rapidly rolled over and buried her superstructure in the sea floor.
In the aftermath of the attack, rescue operations attempted to reach men trapped in the hull. Workers managed to rescue 82 men by cutting through the bottom hull plates. Figures for the death toll vary; John Sweetman states that 1,000 out of a crew of 1,900 were killed, while Niklas Zetterling and Michael Tamelander estimated nearly 1,000 fatalities. Siegfried Breyer and Erich Gröner both agree on 1,204 deaths, though Gordon Williamson gives the death toll at 971. William Dulin and Robert Dulin place the number of deaths at "about 950." The wreck remained in place until after the war, when a joint German-Norwegian company began salvage operations. Work lasted from 1948 until 1957; fragments of the ship are still sold by a Norwegian company.
The performance of the Luftwaffe
in the defence of Tirpitz was highly criticised after her loss. Major Heinrich Ehrler
, the commander of III./Jagdgeschwader 5
(3rd group of the 5th fighter wing), was singled out and blamed for the Luftwaffe's failure to intercept the British bombers. Many veterans of his unit regard him as having been a convenient scapegoat for his superiors' failures. He was subsequently court-martialled in Oslo and threatened with the death penalty. He was instead sentenced to three years in prison, though he was released after a month, demoted, and reassigned to an Me 262
fighter squadron in Germany. On 4 April 1945, he was shot down over Berlin, though according to anecdotal evidence, he reportedly told a comrade that he intended to ram a bomber after running out of ammunition, stating "We'll meet again in Valhalla."
Ludovic Kennedy
wrote in his history of the vessel that she "lived an invalid's life and died a cripple's death".
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral
Grand Admiral
Grand admiral is a historic naval rank, generally being the highest such rank present in any particular country. Its most notable use was in Germany — the German word is Großadmiral.-France:...
Alfred von Tirpitz
Alfred von Tirpitz
Alfred von Tirpitz was a German Admiral, Secretary of State of the German Imperial Naval Office, the powerful administrative branch of the German Imperial Navy from 1897 until 1916. Prussia never had a major navy, nor did the other German states before the German Empire was formed in 1871...
, the architect of the Imperial Navy
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft
Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven
Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven was the naval shipyard in Wilhelmshaven, Prussian Hanover, between 1918 and 1945 in the German Navy's extensive base located there.-History:...
in Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea.-History:...
in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April 1939. Work was completed in February 1941, when she was commissioned into the German fleet. Like her sistership Bismarck
German battleship Bismarck
Bismarck was the first of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the primary force behind the German unification in 1871, the ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1936 and launched nearly three years later...
, Tirpitz was armed with a main battery of eight 38 centimetres (15 in) guns in four twin turrets. As a result of a series of wartime modifications she was some 2000 metric tons (1,968.4 LT) heavier than Bismarck.
After completing sea trial
Sea trial
A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft . It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and can last from a few hours to many days.Sea trials are conducted to measure a vessel’s...
s in early 1941, Tirpitz briefly served as the centerpiece of the Baltic Fleet, which was intended to prevent a possible breakout attempt by the Soviet Baltic Fleet. In early 1942, the ship sailed to Norway to act as a deterrent against an Allied invasion. While stationed in Norway, Tirpitz could also be used to intercept Allied convoys to the Soviet Union; two such missions were attempted in 1942, but both failed. Despite her inability to attack the convoys directly, Tirpitz acted as a fleet in being
Fleet in being
In naval warfare, a fleet in being is a naval force that extends a controlling influence without ever leaving port. Were the fleet to leave port and face the enemy, it might lose in battle and no longer influence the enemy's actions, but while it remains safely in port the enemy is forced to...
, forcing the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
to retain significant naval forces in the area to contain the battleship.
In September 1943, Tirpitz, along with the battleship Scharnhorst
German battleship Scharnhorst
Scharnhorst was a German capital ship, alternatively described as a battleship and battlecruiser, of the German Kriegsmarine. She was the lead ship of her class, which included one other ship, Gneisenau. The ship was built at the Kriegsmarinewerft dockyard in Wilhelmshaven; she was laid down on 15...
, bombarded Allied positions on the island of Spitzbergen, the first time the ship used her main battery in anger
Fire in anger
"Fire in anger" is a phrase used in military contexts to describe the use of a projectile weapon to deliberately cause damage or harm to an opponent, as opposed to training exercises or warning shots. For example, Napier of Magdala Battery "never fired a shot in anger"; the battery never engaged in...
. Shortly thereafter, the ship was damaged in an attack by British mini-submarines
Operation Source
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....
and subsequently subjected to a series of large-scale air raids. On 12 November 1944, British Lancaster bombers
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
equipped with 12000 pounds (5,443.1 kg) "Tallboy" bombs destroyed the ship; two direct hits and a near miss caused the ship to capsize
Capsize
Capsizing is an act of tipping over a boat or ship to disable it. The act of reversing a capsized vessel is called righting.If a capsized vessel has sufficient flotation to prevent sinking, it may recover on its own if the stability is such that it is not stable inverted...
rapidly. A deck fire spread to the ammunition magazine for one of the main battery turrets, which caused a large explosion. Figures for the number of men killed in the attack range from 950 to 1,204. The wreck was broken up by a joint Norwegian and German salvage operation after the war, with work lasting from 1948 until 1957.
Construction and characteristics
Tirpitz was ordered as Ersatz Schleswig-Holstein as a replacement for the old pre-dreadnoughtPre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought battleship is the general term for all of the types of sea-going battleships built between the mid-1890s and 1905. Pre-dreadnoughts replaced the ironclad warships of the 1870s and 1880s...
, under the contract name "G". The Kriegsmarinewerft
Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven
Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven was the naval shipyard in Wilhelmshaven, Prussian Hanover, between 1918 and 1945 in the German Navy's extensive base located there.-History:...
in Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea.-History:...
was awarded the contract, where the keel was laid on 20 October 1936. The hull was launched on 1 April 1939; during the elaborate ceremonies, the ship was christened by the daughter of Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz
Alfred von Tirpitz
Alfred von Tirpitz was a German Admiral, Secretary of State of the German Imperial Naval Office, the powerful administrative branch of the German Imperial Navy from 1897 until 1916. Prussia never had a major navy, nor did the other German states before the German Empire was formed in 1871...
, the ship's namesake. Adolf von Trotha
Adolf von Trotha
Adolf von Trotha was a German admiral in the Kaiserliche Marine from Koblenz, Rhenish Prussia.-Family:...
, a former admiral in the Imperial Navy
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
, spoke at the ship's launching, which was also attended by Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
Fitting-out
Fitting-out
Fitting-out, or "outfitting”, is the process in modern shipbuilding that follows the float-out of a vessel and precedes sea trials. It is the period when all the remaining construction of the ship is completed and readied for delivery to her owners...
out work followed her launch, and was completed by February 1941. British bombers repeatedly attacked the harbor in which the ship was being built; no bombs struck Tirpitz, but the attacks did slow construction work. Tirpitz was commissioned into the fleet on 25 February for sea trials, which were conducted in the Baltic.
Brown, Boveri & Cie
Brown, Boveri & Cie was a Swiss group of electrical engineering companies.It was founded in Baden, Switzerland, in 1891 by Charles Eugene Lancelot Brown and Walter Boveri who worked at the Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon. In 1970 BBC took over the Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon...
geared steam turbines, which developed a total of 163026 shp and yielded a maximum speed of 30.8 kn (16.8 m/s) on speed trials. Her standard crew numbered 103 officers and 1,962 enlisted men, though during the war this was increased to 108 officers and 2,500 men. As built, Tirpitz was equipped with FuMO 23 radars mounted on the forward, foretop, and rear rangefinders. These were later replaced with FuMO 27 radars, which were in turn replaced with the FuMO 26 model, which had a larger antenna array. A FuMO 30, known as the Hohentwiel, was mounted in 1944 in her topmast, and a FuMO 213 Würzburg radar was added on her stern 10.5 cm (4.1 in) Flak rangefinders.
She was armed with eight 38 cm (15 in) L/52 guns arranged in four twin gun turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
s: two superfiring
Superfire
The idea of superfire is to locate two turrets in a row, one behind the other, but with the second turret located above the one in front so that the second turret could fire over the first...
turrets forward—Anton and Bruno—and two aft—Caesar and Dora. Her secondary armament consisted of twelve 15 cm (5.9 in) L/55
15 cm SK C/28
The 15 cm SK C/28 was a German medium-caliber naval gun used during the Second World War. It served as the secondary armament for the Bismarck class and Scharnhorst-class battleships, Deutschland-class pocket battleships and the Graf Zeppelin class aircraft carrier...
guns, sixteen 10.5 cm L/65 and sixteen 3.7 cm (1.5 in) L/83, and initially twelve 2 cm (0.78740157480315 in) antiaircraft guns. The number of 2 cm guns was eventually increased to 58. After 1942, eight 53.3 cm (21 in) above-water torpedo tubes were installed. The ship's main belt
Belt armor
Belt armor is a layer of heavy metal armor plated on to or within outer hulls of warships, typically on battleships, battlecruisers and cruisers, and on aircraft carriers converted from those types of ships....
was 320 mm (12.6 in) thick and was covered by a pair of upper and main armoured decks that were 50 mm (2 in) and 100 millimetre thick, respectively. The 38 cm turrets were protected by 360 mm (14.2 in) thick faces and 220 mm (8.7 in) thick sides.
Service history
After her commissioning and completion of trials, Tirpitz was stationed in KielKiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
and performed intensive training in the Baltic. While the ship was in Kiel, Germany invaded the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
. A temporary Baltic Fleet was created to prevent the possible breakout of the Soviet fleet based in Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
. Tirpitz was briefly made the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of the squadron, which consisted of the heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
Admiral Scheer, the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s Köln
German cruiser Köln
Köln was a German light cruiser prior to and during World War II, one of three K-Class cruisers named after cities starting with the letter K. This ship was named after the city of Köln . The others in her class were the Königsberg and the Karlsruhe...
, Nürnberg
German cruiser Nürnberg
The Nürnberg, was a German light cruiser of the Leipzig class named after the city of Nuremberg. Some sources consider the Leipzig and Nürnberg to be of separate, single ship, classes...
, Leipzig
German cruiser Leipzig
The German light cruiser Leipzig was the lead ship of her class . She was the fourth German warship to carry the name of the city of Leipzig.-History:...
, and Emden
German cruiser Emden
The German light cruiser Emden was the only ship of its class. The third cruiser to bear the name Emden was the first new warship built in Germany after World War I....
, several destroyers, and two flotillas of minesweepers
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
. The Baltic Fleet, under the command of Admiral Otto Ciliax
Otto Ciliax
Otto Ciliax was an admiral in the German Navy. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
, patrolled off the Aaland Islands from 23 to 26 September 1941, after which the unit disbanded and Tirpitz resumed training. During the training period, Tirpitz tested its primary and secondary guns on the old pre-dreadnought battleship , which had been converted into a radio-controlled target ship. The British Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
continued to launch bombing raids on the ship while she was stationed in Kiel, though these too were unsuccessful.
Deployment to Norway
Erich Raeder
Erich Johann Albert Raeder was a naval leader in Germany before and during World War II. Raeder attained the highest possible naval rank—that of Großadmiral — in 1939, becoming the first person to hold that rank since Alfred von Tirpitz...
, the commander of the Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
, proposed on 13 November that Tirpitz be deployed to Norway. The ship would be able to attack convoys bound for the Soviet Union, as well as act as a fleet in being
Fleet in being
In naval warfare, a fleet in being is a naval force that extends a controlling influence without ever leaving port. Were the fleet to leave port and face the enemy, it might lose in battle and no longer influence the enemy's actions, but while it remains safely in port the enemy is forced to...
to tie down British naval assets and deter an Allied invasion of Norway. Hitler, who had forbidden an Atlantic sortie after the loss of Bismarck, agreed to the proposal. The ship was taken into dock for modifications for the deployment. The ship's antiaircraft battery was strengthened and the 10.5 cm guns on the superstructure next to the catapult were moved outboard to increase their field of fire. The two quadruple 53.3 cm torpedo tube mounts were also installed during this refit. The ship's commander, Kapitän zur See Karl Topp
Karl Topp
Friedrich Karl Topp was a naval officer in Germany during both World Wars.Topp was born in Voerde in the Prussian province of Westphalia. His father was a priest. He joined the Kaiserliche Marine in 1914 and took part in World War I in submarines...
, pronounced the ship ready for combat operations on 10 January. The following day, Tirpitz left for Wilhelmshaven, a move designed to conceal her actual destination.
The ship left Wilhelmshaven at 23:00 on 14 January and made for Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
. British military intelligence, which was capable of decrypting the Enigma
Enigma machine
An Enigma machine is any of a family of related electro-mechanical rotor cipher machines used for the encryption and decryption of secret messages. Enigma was invented by German engineer Arthur Scherbius at the end of World War I...
messages sent by the German navy, detected the departure of the vessel, though poor weather in Britain prevented action from the RAF. Admiral John Tovey
John Tovey, 1st Baron Tovey
Admiral of the Fleet John Cronyn "Jack" Tovey, 1st Baron Tovey GCB, KBE, DSO, DCL was a Royal Navy admiral who served in both World Wars. He signed himself as "Jack", not "John". Tovey joined the Royal Navy before World War I, and commanded destroyers in that war. He rose, with several senior...
, the commander in chief of the Home Fleet, was not made aware of Tirpitzs activities until 17 January, well after the ship had arrived in Norway. On 16 January, British aerial reconnaissance located the ship in Trondheim. Tirpitz then moved to the Fættenfjord, just north of Trondheim. The movement was codenamed Operation Polarnacht; the battleship was escorted by the destroyers Richard Beitzen
German destroyer Z4 Richard Beitzen
The German destroyer Z4 Richard Beitzen was a Type 1934 destroyer in the German Kriegsmarine, named after Richard Beitzen who commanded the 14th Torpedo boat flotilla in World War I and was killed in action in March 1918....
, Paul Jacobi
German destroyer Z5 Paul Jakobi
Z5 Paul Jakobi was a built for the German Navy in the mid-1930s.-Design and description:Paul Jacobi had an overall length of and was long at the waterline. The ship had a beam of , and a maximum draft of . She displaced at standard and at deep load. The Wagner geared steam turbines were...
, Bruno Heinemann
German destroyer Z8 Bruno Heinemann
Z8 Bruno Heinemann was a built for the German Navy in the mid-1930s. After the start of World War II in September 1939, she blockaded the Polish coast and searched neutral shipping for contraband. In late 1939 and early 1940 the ship made three successful minelaying sorties off the English coast...
and Z-29
German destroyer Z29
Z29 was a built for the Kriegsmarine during World War II.-External links:*...
for the voyage. She was moored next to a cliff, which protected the ship from air attacks from the southwest. The ship's crew cut down trees and placed them aboard Tirpitz to camouflage her. Additional antiaircraft batteries were installed around the fjord, as were anti-torpedo nets and heavy booms in the entrance to the anchorage. Life for the crew of Tirpitz was very monotonous during the deployment to Norway. Frequent fuel shortages curtailed training and kept the battleship and her escorts moored behind their protective netting. The crew was primarily occupied with maintaining the ship and continuously manning antiaircraft defenses. Sports activities were organized to keep the crew occupied and physically fit.
Operations against Allied convoys
Several factors served to restrain Tirpitzs freedom of operation in Norway. The most pressing were shortages of fuel and the withdrawal of the German destroyer forces to support Operation CerberusOperation Cerberus
The Channel Dash, , was a major naval engagement during World War II in which a German Kriegsmarine squadron consisting of both Scharnhorst class battleships, and heavy cruiser along with escorts, ran a British blockade and successfully sailed from Brest in Brittany to their home bases in Germany...
, the movement of the battleships Scharnhorst
German battleship Scharnhorst
Scharnhorst was a German capital ship, alternatively described as a battleship and battlecruiser, of the German Kriegsmarine. She was the lead ship of her class, which included one other ship, Gneisenau. The ship was built at the Kriegsmarinewerft dockyard in Wilhelmshaven; she was laid down on 15...
and Gneisenau
German battleship Gneisenau
Gneisenau was a German capital ship, alternatively described as a battleship and battlecruiser, of the German Kriegsmarine. She was the second vessel of her class, which included one other ship, Scharnhorst. The ship was built at the Deutsche Werke dockyard in Kiel; she was laid down on 6 May 1935...
and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen
German cruiser Prinz Eugen
Prinz Eugen was an Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruiser, the third member of the class of five vessels. She served with the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. The ship was laid down in April 1936 and launched August 1938; Prinz Eugen entered service after the outbreak of war, in August 1940...
up through the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. These caused a planned attack against the outbound convoy PQ 8
Convoy PQ 8
Convoy PQ 8 was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II.It sailed in January 1942 and arrived in Murmansk with the loss of one escort sunk, and one ship damaged.-Ships:...
at the end of January to be abandoned. A planned British air attack at the end of January by four-engined heavy bombers was disrupted by poor weather over the target, which prevented the aircraft from finding the ship. In early February, Tirpitz took part in the deceptions that distracted the British in the run-up to Operation Cerberus. These included steaming out of the fjord and activities that indicated preparations for a sortie into the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. Later that month, the ship was reinforced by the heavy cruisers Admiral Scheer and Prinz Eugen and several destroyers. Prinz Eugen had been torpedoed by a British submarine at the entrance to the Fættenfjord, and was therefore temporarily out of action.
German destroyer Z14 Friedrich Ihn
Z14 Friedrich Ihn was a built for the German Navy in the mid-1930s. It was named after German naval officer Friedrich Ihn.-External links:*...
, Paul Jacobi, Hermann Schoemann
German destroyer Z7 Hermann Schoemann
Z7 Hermann Schoemann was a built for the German Navy in the mid-1930s.-Design and description:Hermann Schoemann had an overall length of and was long at the waterline. The ship had a beam of , and a maximum draft of . She displaced at standard and at deep load. The Wagner geared steam...
and Z-25
German destroyer Z25
Z25 was a built for the Kriegsmarine during World War II.-External links:*...
and a pair of torpedo boats, were intended to attack the homebound convoy QP 8 and the outbound PQ 12
Convoy PQ 12
Convoy PQ 12 was an Arctic convoy sent from Great Britain by the Western Allies to aid the Soviet Union during World War II. It sailed in March 1942, reaching Murmansk despite a sortie against it by the German battleship Tirpitz.All ships arrived safely....
in March 1942 as part of Operation Sportpalast
Operation Sportpalast
Operation Sportpalast was the action by Tirpitz and its escorting destroyers against Arctic convoys PQ-12 and QP-8...
. Admiral Scheer, with a design speed of 26 kn (14.2 m/s), was too slow to operate with Tirpitz, and was left in port, as was the destroyer Paul Jacobi. The two torpedo boats were also released from the operation. On 5 March, Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
reconnaissance aircraft spotted PQ 12 near Jan Mayen Island; the reconnaissance failed to note the battleship or the battlecruiser , both of which escorted the convoy, along with four destroyers. Unknown to the Germans, Admiral Tovey provided distant support to the convoys with the battleship , the aircraft carrier , the heavy cruiser , and six destroyers. Enigma intercepts again forewarned the British of Tirpitzs attack, which allowed them to reroute the convoys. Admiral Tovey attempted to pursue Tirpitz on 9 March, but Admiral Otto Ciliax
Otto Ciliax
Otto Ciliax was an admiral in the German Navy. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
, the commander of the German squadron, had decided to return to port the previous evening. An air attack was launched early on the 9th; twelve Fairey Albacore
Fairey Albacore
The Fairey Albacore was a British single-engine carrier-borne biplane torpedo bomber built by Fairey Aviation between 1939 and 1943 for the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm and used during the Second World War. It had a three-man crew and was designed for spotting and reconnaissance as well as delivering...
torpedo bombers attacked the ship in three groups, though Tirpitz successfully evaded the torpedoes. Only three men were wounded in the attack. After the conclusion of the attack, Tirpitz made for Vestfjord
Vestfjord
Vestfjord is a Norwegian fjord, which would be described as a firth or an open bight of sea between the Lofoten archipelago and mainland Norway, northwest of Bodø...
, from which she proceeded to Trondheim, arriving on the evening of 13 March.
The actions of Tirpitz and her escorting destroyers in March used up some 8230 metric tons (8,100 LT) of fuel oil, which greatly reduced the available fuel supply. It took the Germans three months to replenish the fuel spent in the attempt to intercept the two Allied convoys. Convoy PQ 17, which left Iceland on 27 June bound for the Soviet Union, was the next convoy Tirpitz and the rest of the German fleet stationed in Norway was able to attack, during Operation Rösselsprung. Escorting the convoy were the battleships Duke of York and and the carrier Victorious. Tirpitz, Admiral Hipper
German cruiser Admiral Hipper
Admiral Hipper, the first of five ships of her class, was the lead ship of the Admiral Hipper–class of heavy cruisers which served with the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. The ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1935 and launched February 1937; Admiral Hipper...
, and six destroyers sortied from Trondheim, while a second task force consisting of Lützow, Admiral Scheer, and six destroyers operated out of Narvik
Narvik
is the third largest city and municipality in Nordland county, Norway by population. Narvik is located on the shores of the Narvik Fjord . The municipality is part of the Ofoten traditional region of North Norway, inside the arctic circle...
. Lützow and three of the destroyers struck uncharted rocks while en route to the rendezvous and had to return to port. Shortly after Tirpitz left Norway, the Soviet submarine K-21 fired a pair of torpedoes at the ship, both of which missed. Swedish intelligence had meanwhile reported the German departures to the British Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
, which ordered the convoy to disperse. Aware that they had been detected, the Germans aborted the operation and turned over the attack to U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s and the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
. The scattered vessels could no longer be protected by the convoy escorts, and the Germans sank 21 of the 34 isolated transports. Tirpitz returned to Altafjord
Altafjord
Altafjord is a fjord in the municipality Alta in Finnmark county, Norway, and is about 38 kilometres long. In the inner southern part of the fjord, near the town of Alta, is the outlet of the 200 kilometre long river Altaelva...
via the Lofoten Islands.
Following Operation Rösselsprung, the Germans moved Tirpitz to Bogenfjord
Bogen, Evenes
Bogen is the administrative centre of Evenes municipality, Norway. Its population is 392.Historically, Bogen is most notable for small-scale iron ore mining in the early 20th century as well as being a temporary base for the German battleship Tirpitz and cruiser Admiral Hipper.-References:...
near Narvik
Narvik
is the third largest city and municipality in Nordland county, Norway by population. Narvik is located on the shores of the Narvik Fjord . The municipality is part of the Ofoten traditional region of North Norway, inside the arctic circle...
. By this time, the ship needed a major overhaul. Hitler had forbidden the ship to make the dangerous return to Germany, and so the overhaul was conducted in Trondheim. On 23 October, the ship left Bogenfjord and returned to Fættenfjord outside Trondheim. The defenses of the anchorage were further strengthened; additional antiaircraft guns were installed and double anti-torpedo nets were erected around the vessel. The repairs were conducted in limited phases, such that Tirpitz would remain partially operational for the majority of the overhaul. A caisson
Caisson (engineering)
In geotechnical engineering, a caisson is a retaining, watertight structure used, for example, to work on the foundations of a bridge pier, for the construction of a concrete dam, or for the repair of ships. These are constructed such that the water can be pumped out, keeping the working...
was built around the stern to allow the replacement of the ship's rudders. During the repair process, the British attempted to attack the battleship with two Chariot human torpedoes
Human torpedo
Human torpedoes or manned torpedoes are a type of rideable submarine used as secret naval weapons in World War II. The basic design is still in use today; they are a type of diver propulsion vehicle....
, though rough seas incapacitated the boat carrying torpedoes. By 28 December, the overhaul had been completed, and Tirpitz began sea trials. She conducted gunnery trials on 4 January 1943 in the Trondheimfjord. On 21 February, Topp was promoted to Rear Admiral and was replaced by Captain Hans Meyer; five days later the battleship Scharnhorst was ordered to reinforce the fleet in Norway. Vice Admiral Oskar Kummetz
Oskar Kummetz
Oskar Kummetz was a Generaladmiral with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He also served in the Kaiserliche Marine during World War I. Kummetz was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his actions in the Battle of Drøbak Sound, during which his command, the was sunk by Norwegian...
was given command of the warships stationed in Norway.
By the time Scharnhorst arrived in Norway in March 1943, Allied convoys to the Soviet Union had temporarily ceased. Admiral Karl Dönitz
Karl Dönitz
Karl Dönitz was a German naval commander during World War II. He started his career in the German Navy during World War I. In 1918, while he was in command of , the submarine was sunk by British forces and Dönitz was taken prisoner...
, who had replaced Raeder in the aftermath of the Battle of the Barents Sea
Battle of the Barents Sea
The Battle of the Barents Sea took place on 31 December 1942 between German surface raiders and British ships escorting convoy JW 51B to Kola Inlet in the USSR. The action took place in the Barents Sea north of North Cape, Norway...
on 31 December 1942, decided the ships needed an opportunity to work together. He therefore ordered an attack
Operation Zitronella
Operation Zitronella, also known as Operation Sizilien was an eight-hour German raid on Spitzbergen on 8 September 1943.-Background:...
on the island of Spitzbergen, which housed a British weather station and refuelling base. Several settlements and outposts on Spitzbergen were defended by a garrison of 152 men from the exiled Free Norwegian Forces
Free Norwegian Forces
The Norwegian Armed Forces in exile were remnants of the armed forces of Norway that continued to fight the Axis powers from Allied countries, such as Britain and Canada, after they had escaped the German occupation of Norway during World War II.-Background:...
. The two battleships, escorted by ten destroyers, left port on 6 September; in a ruse de guerre
Ruse of war
A ruse of war, or ruse de guerre, is an action taken by a belligerent in warfare to fool the enemy in order to gain intelligence or a military advantage against an enemy.-Modern history:* American Civil War General George Meade's General Order No...
, Tirpitz flew a white flag
White flag
White flags have had different meanings throughout history and depending on the locale.-Flag of temporary truce in order to parley :...
on the approach to the island the following day. During the bombardment, Tirpitz fired 52 main-battery shells and 82 rounds from her 15 cm secondaries. This was the first and only time the ship fired her main battery at an enemy target. The force landed an assault force that destroyed shore installations and captured 74 prisoners. By 11:00, the battleships had destroyed their targets and began the return to their Norwegian ports.
British attacks on Tirpitz
Operation SourceX class submarine
The X class was a World War II midget submarine class built for the Royal Navy during 1943–44.Known individually as X-Craft, the vessels were designed to be towed to their intended area of operations by a full-size 'mother' submarine - - with a passage crew on board, the operational crew...
midget submarine
Midget submarine
A midget submarine is any submarine under 150 tons, typically operated by a crew of one or two but sometimes up to 6 or 8, with little or no on-board living accommodation...
s. The planned attack, Operation Source
Operation Source
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....
, included attacks on Tirpitz, Scharnhorst, and Lützow. The X Craft were towed by large submarines to their destinations, where they could slip under anti-torpedo nets to attach a powerful mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
to the bottom of the target. Ten vessels were assigned to the operation, scheduled for 20–25 September 1943. Only eight of the vessels reached Norway for the attack, which began early on 22 September. Three of the vessels, X5, X6, and X7, successfully breached Tirpitzs defences, two of which—X6 and X7—managed to lay their mines. X5 was detected some 200 m (656.2 ft) from the nets and sunk by a combination of gunfire and depth charges.
The mines caused extensive damage to the ship; the first exploded abreast of turret Caesar and the second detonated 45 metre off the port bow. A fuel oil tank was ruptured, shell plating was torn, a large indentation was formed in the bottom of the ship and bulkheads in the double bottom
Double bottom
A double bottom is a ship hull design and construction method where the bottom of the ship has two complete layers of watertight hull surface: one outer layer forming the normal hull of the ship, and a second inner hull which is somewhat higher in the ship, perhaps a few feet, which forms a...
buckled. Some 1430 MT (1,407.4 LT) of water flooded the ship in fuel tanks and void spaces in the double bottom of the port side, which caused a list of one to two degrees, though this was balanced by counter-flooding on the starboard side. The flooding damaged all of the turbo-generators in generator room No. 2, and all save one generator in generator room No. 1 were disabled by broken steam lines or severed power cables. Turret Dora was thrown from its bearings and could not be trained; this was particularly significant, as there were no heavy-lift cranes in Norway powerful enough to lift the turret and place it back on its bearings. The ship's two Arado Ar 196
Arado Ar 196
-See also:-Bibliography:* Dabrowski, Hans-Peter and Koos, Volker. Arado Ar 196, Germany's Multi-Purpose Seaplane. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military History, 1993. ISBN 0-88740-481-2....
floatplanes were thrown by the explosive concussion and completely destroyed. Repairs were conducted by the repair ship Neumark; historians Robert Garzke and Robert Dulin remarked that the successful repair effort was "one of the most notable feats of naval engineering during the Second World War." Repairs lasted until 2 April 1944; full speed trials were scheduled for the following day in Altafjord.
Operation Tungsten
The British were aware that Neumark and the repair crews left in March, which intimated Tirpitz was nearly operational. A major air strike—Operation Tungsten
Operation Tungsten
Operation Tungsten was a British naval operation during World War II. it was one of a number of aerial attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz while she was in Norwegian waters...
—involving the fleet carriers Victorious and and the escort carriers , , , and , was scheduled for 4 April 1944. Enigma decrypts revealed to the British that Tirpitz was scheduled to depart at 05:29 on 3 April for sea trials; the British therefore moved the attack forward to 3 April. The attack consisted of 40 dive-bombers and 40 escorting fighters in two waves; fifteen direct hits and two near misses were scored by the bombers, with the loss of only one aircraft in the first wave. This was due to the surprise achieved by the carrier aircraft; it took twelve to fourteen minutes for all of Tirpitzs antiaircraft batteries to be fully manned. The first wave struck at 05:29, as tugs were preparing to assist the ship out of her mooring. The second wave arrived over the target an hour later, shortly after 06:30. Despite the alertness of the German antiaircraft gunners, only one other bomber was shot down.
The air strike caused significant damage to the ship and inflicted serious casualties. William Garzke and Robert Dulin report the attack killed 122 men and wounded 316 others, while Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz report 132 fatalities and 270 wounded men, including the ship's commander, KzS Hans Meyer. Two of the 15 cm turrets were destroyed by bombs and both Ar 196 floatplanes were destroyed. Several of the bomb hits caused serious fires aboard the ship. Concussive shock disabled the starboard turbine engine and saltwater used to fight the fires reached the boilers and contaminated the feed water. Some 2000 MT (1,968.4 LT) of water flooded the ship, primarily through the two near misses, which holed the side shell with splinters. Water used to fight the fires also contributed to the flooding. Dönitz ordered the ship be repaired, regardless of the cost, despite the fact that he understood Tirpitz could no longer be used in a surface action due to insufficient fighter support. Repair work began in early May; destroyers ferried important equipment and workers from Kiel to Altafjord over the span of three days. By 2 June, the ship was again able to steam under her own power, and by the end of the month gunnery trials were possible. During the repair process, the 15 cm guns were modified to allow their use against aircraft, and specially-fuzed 38 cm shells for barrage antiaircraft fire were supplied.
Operations Planet, Brawn, Tiger Claw, Mascot, and Goodwood
A series of carrier strikes were planned over the next three months, though bad weather forced their cancellation. A repeat of Operation Tungsten, codenamed Operation Planet, was scheduled for 24 April. Operation Brawn, which was to have been carried out by 27 bombers and 36 fighters from Victorious and Furious, was to have taken place on 15 May, and Operation Tiger Claw was intended for 28 May. Victorious and Furious were joined by for Operation Mascot, which was to have been carried out on 17 July by 62 bombers and 30 fighters. The weather finally broke in late August, which saw the Goodwood series of attacks. Operations Goodwood I and II were launched on 22 August; a carrier force consisting of the fleet carriers Furious, Indefatigable, and the escort carriers , and launched a total of 38 bombers and 43 escort fighters between the two raids. The attacks failed to inflict any damage on Tirpitz, and three of the attacking aircraft were shot down. Goodwood III followed on 24 August, composed of aircraft from the fleet carriers only. Forty-eight bombers and 29 fighters attacked the ship and scored two hits which caused minor damage. One of the bombs penetrated the upper and lower armour decks and came to rest in the No. 4 switchboard room, though its fuse had been damaged and the bomb did not detonate. Six planes were shot down in the attack. Goodwood IV followed on the 29th, with 34 bombers and 25 fighters from Formidable and Indefatigable, though heavy fog interfered with the attack and prevented any hits from being scored. One Firefly
Fairey Firefly
The Fairey Firefly was a British Second World War-era carrier-borne fighter aircraft and anti-submarine aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm ....
and a Corsair were shot down by Tirpitzs gunners. The battleship expended 54 rounds from her main guns, 161 from the 15 cm guns and up to 20 percent of her light antiaircraft ammunition.
Operations Paravane and Obviate
The ineffectiveness of the vast majority of the strikes launched by the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
in mid-1944 led to the task of Tirpitzs destruction being transferred to the RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
's No. 5 Group
No. 5 Group RAF
No. 5 Group was a Royal Air Force bomber group of the Second World War, led during the latter part by AVM Sir Ralph Cochrane.-History:The Group was formed on 1 September 1937 with headquarters at RAF Mildenhall....
. It was determined that four-engined Lancaster bombers
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
were required to carry bombs powerful enough to penetrate the ship's heavy armour. The 6 ST (5.4 LT) Tallboy bomb, developed in 1943 by Barnes Wallis
Barnes Wallis
Sir Barnes Neville Wallis, CBE FRS, RDI, FRAeS , was an English scientist, engineer and inventor. He is best known for inventing the bouncing bomb used by the RAF in Operation Chastise to attack the dams of the Ruhr Valley during World War II...
, was to be the primary weapon used against Tirpitz. The first attack, Operation Paravane
Operation Paravane
Operation Paravane was the attack carried out by RAF Bomber Command on September 15, 1944 against the German battleship Tirpitz at harbour in the far north of Norway. The Tirpitz was a major threat to the convoys supplying the Soviet Union. Flying via a Soviet airfield, two squadrons attacked...
, took place on 15 September 1944; operating from a forward base at Yagodnik
Yagodnik
Yagodnik, Arkhangelsk Oblast, north west Russia, was the site of a World War II airfield. It is located near Arkhangelsk, on the Northern Dvina river, 9 kilometres from the sea at Dvina Bay.-Operation Paravane:...
in Russia, 23 Lancasters (17 each carrying one Tallboy and six each carrying twelve JW mines), scored a single hit on the ship's bow. The Tallboy completely penetrated the ship, exited the keel, and exploded in the bottom of the fjord. Some 800 metric ton of water flooded the bow and caused a serious increase in trim forward. The ship was rendered unseaworthy and was limited to 8 knot. Concussive shock caused severe damage to fire-control equipment. The heavy damage persuaded the naval command to repair the ship for use only as a floating gun battery. Repair work was estimated to take nine months, but patching of the holes could be effected within a few weeks, which would allow Tirpitz to be moved further south to Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
. On 15 October, the ship made the 200 nmi (370.4 km) trip to Tromsø under her own power, the last voyage of her career.
The RAF made a second attempt on 29 October, after the ship was moored off Håkøy Island outside Tromsø. Thirty-two Lancasters attacked the ship with Tallboys during Operation Obviate
Operation Obviate
Operation Obviate was the RAF Bomber Command attack on the German battleship Tirpitz at Tromsø on 29 October 1944. The attack was foiled by cloud covering the ship at the last minute, and the bombs that were dropped caused only minor damage...
. As on Operation Paravane, No. 9 Squadron
No. IX Squadron RAF
No. 9 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was the first in the service to receive the Panavia Tornado, which it currently operates from RAF Marham, Norfolk.-First World War:...
and No. 617 Squadron carried out the attack together, which resulted in only one near-miss, partially the result of bad weather over the target. The underwater explosion damaged the port rudder and shaft and caused some flooding. Tirpitzs 38 cm fragmentation shells proved ineffective in countering the high-level bombers, though one aircraft was damaged by ground-based antiaircraft guns. Following the attack, the ship's anchorage was significantly improved. A large sand bank was constructed under and around the ship to prevent her from capsizing and anti-torpedo nets were installed. Tirpitz retained a one-degree list to port from earlier damage, and this was not corrected by counter-flooding to retain as much reserve buoyancy as possible. The ship was also prepared for her role as a floating artillery platform: fuel was limited to only what was necessary to power the turbo-generators and the crew was reduced to 1,600 officers and enlisted men.
Operation Catechism
Operation Catechism
Operation Catechism was the last of nine attempts to sink or sabotage the Kriegsmarine battleship Tirpitz during World War II. On November 12, 1944, the RAF Bomber Command dispatched 30 Avro Lancaster heavy bombers from No. 9 Squadron RAF and No. 617 Squadron RAF Operation Catechism was the last of...
, the final British attack on Tirpitz, took place on 12 November 1944. The ship again used her 38 cm guns against the bombers, which approached the battleship at 09:35; Tirpitzs main guns forced the bombers to temporarily disperse, but could not break up the attack. A force of 32 Lancasters from Nos 9 and 617 Squadrons dropped 29 Tallboys on the ship, with two direct hits and one near miss. Several other bombs landed within the anti-torpedo net barrier and caused significant cratering of the seabed; this removed much of the sandbank that had been constructed to prevent the ship from capsizing. One bomb penetrated the ship's deck between turrets Anton and Bruno but failed to explode. A second hit amidships between the aircraft catapult and the funnel and caused severe damage. A very large hole was blown into the ship's side and bottom; the entire section of belt armour abreast of the bomb hit was completely destroyed. A third bomb may have struck the ship on the port side of turret Caesar. The amidships hit caused significant flooding and quickly increased the port list to between 15 and 20 degrees. In ten minutes, the list increased to 30 to 40 degrees; the captain issued the order to abandon ship. Progressive flooding increased the list to 60 degrees by 09:50, though this appeared to stabilize temporarily. Eight minutes later, a massive explosion rocked turret Caesar. The turret roof and part of the rotating structure were thrown 25 m (82 ft) into the air and over into a group of men swimming to shore. Tirpitz then rapidly rolled over and buried her superstructure in the sea floor.
In the aftermath of the attack, rescue operations attempted to reach men trapped in the hull. Workers managed to rescue 82 men by cutting through the bottom hull plates. Figures for the death toll vary; John Sweetman states that 1,000 out of a crew of 1,900 were killed, while Niklas Zetterling and Michael Tamelander estimated nearly 1,000 fatalities. Siegfried Breyer and Erich Gröner both agree on 1,204 deaths, though Gordon Williamson gives the death toll at 971. William Dulin and Robert Dulin place the number of deaths at "about 950." The wreck remained in place until after the war, when a joint German-Norwegian company began salvage operations. Work lasted from 1948 until 1957; fragments of the ship are still sold by a Norwegian company.
The performance of the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
in the defence of Tirpitz was highly criticised after her loss. Major Heinrich Ehrler
Heinrich Ehrler
Heinrich Ehrler was a German World War II fighter ace whose distinguished Luftwaffe combat career ended in tragic controversy. Along with Theodor Weissenberger, Ehrler shared the honors of "top-ace" in Jagdgeschwader 5, amassing 208 kills - including eight in the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter...
, the commander of III./Jagdgeschwader 5
Jagdgeschwader 5
Jagdgeschwader 5 Eismeer was a Luftwaffe fighter Wing that served during World War II. As the name Eismeer implies, it was created to operate in the far North of Europe, namely Norway, Scandinavia and northern parts of Finland, all nearest the Arctic Ocean...
(3rd group of the 5th fighter wing), was singled out and blamed for the Luftwaffe's failure to intercept the British bombers. Many veterans of his unit regard him as having been a convenient scapegoat for his superiors' failures. He was subsequently court-martialled in Oslo and threatened with the death penalty. He was instead sentenced to three years in prison, though he was released after a month, demoted, and reassigned to an Me 262
Messerschmitt Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944...
fighter squadron in Germany. On 4 April 1945, he was shot down over Berlin, though according to anecdotal evidence, he reportedly told a comrade that he intended to ram a bomber after running out of ammunition, stating "We'll meet again in Valhalla."
Ludovic Kennedy
Ludovic Kennedy
Sir Ludovic Henry Coverley Kennedy was a British journalist, broadcaster, humanist and author best known for re-examining cases such as the Lindbergh kidnapping and the murder convictions of Timothy Evans and Derek Bentley, and for his role in the abolition of the death penalty in the United...
wrote in his history of the vessel that she "lived an invalid's life and died a cripple's death".