The German battleship Tirpitz was attacked on multiple occasions by Allied forces during World War II. While most the attacks failed to inflict any damage on the battleship, she was placed out of action for a lengthy period following the Operation Source midget submarine attack on 22 September 1943 and for a short period after the Operation Tungsten aircraft carrier strike on 3 April 1944. Tirpitz suffered severe and irreparable damage after being hit by a Tallboy bomb during the Operation Paravane air raid on 15 September 1944, and was sunk with heavy loss of life in the Operation Catechism raid on 12 November that year.
List of attacks[]
| Date | Location | Allied units involved | Attacking force | Damage inflicted | Allied losses | Comments | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/9 October 1940 | Wilhelmshaven | RAF Bomber Command | 17 Hampden medium bombers | None | None | Attempted to bomb Tirpitz in the Wilhelmshaven dry dock | [1] |
| 8/9 January 1941 | Wilhelmshaven | RAF Bomber Command | Total of 32 Wellington, Whitley and Hampden medium bombers | None | None | [2] | |
| 29/30 January 1941 | Wilhelmshaven | RAF Bomber Command | 25 Wellington medium bombers 9 Hampden medium bombers |
None | None | [3] | |
| 28 February/1 March 1941 | Wilhelmshaven | RAF Bomber Command | Total of 116 Blenheim, Hampden, Wellington and Whitley bombers | 1 Blenheim | None | 75 of the attackers reported bombing Wilhelmshaven, but no damage was recorded in the city | [4] |
| 28/29 May 1941 | Kiel | RAF Bomber Command | 14 Whitley medium bombers | 1 Whitley | None | Only 3 of the aircraft dispatched reached the target area due to bad weather | [5] |
| 20/21 June 1941 | Kiel | RAF Bomber Command | 47 Wellington medium bombers 24 Hampden medium bombers 20 Whitley medium bombers 13 Stirling heavy bombers 11 Halifax heavy bombers |
2 Wellingtons | None | Raid sought to locate and then attack Tirpitz, but the attackers did not sight her. Attacking force bombed the city of Kiel instead. | [6][7] |
| 28/29 January 1942 | Åsenfjorden | Royal Air Force | 9 Halifax bombers 7 Stirling bombers |
1 Stirling | None | [8][9] | |
| 9 March 1942 | At sea off the Lofoten islands | HMS Victorious | 12 Albacore torpedo bombers | None | 2 Albacores | Attacked during the Operation Sportpalast raid | [9] |
| 30/31 March 1942 | Fættenfjord | Royal Air Force | 33 Halifaxes | None | 5 Halifaxes | Most aircraft unable to locate the target area | [9] |
| 27/28 April 1942 | Fættenfjord | Royal Air Force | 31 Halifaxes 12 Lancasters |
None | 5 aircraft | [9] | |
| 28/29 April 1942 | Fættenfjord | Royal Air Force | 23 Halifaxes 11 Lancasters |
None | 2 aircraft | [9] | |
| 31 October 1942 | Trondheimsfjord | Royal Navy | 2 Chariot manned torpedoes | None | 2 Chariot manned torpedoes 1 trawler |
Operation Title Operation failed due to mechanical problems |
[10] |
| 22 September 1943 | Kaafjord | Royal Navy | 4 X Craft midget submarines | Extensive damage | 3 midget submarines 3 killed, 6 captured |
Operation Source | [11] |
| 10/11 February 1944 | Kaafjord | Soviet Air Forces | 15 aircraft | None | None | Only 4 aircraft reached the target area | [12] |
| 3 April 1944 | Kaafjord | Home Fleet | 40 Barracuda dive bombers 80 fighters |
Light damage from 15 bomb hits and straffing 122 killed, 316 wounded |
3 Barracudas 1 Hellcat 9 killed |
Operation Tungsten | [9] |
| 24 April 1944 | Kaafjord | Home Fleet | N/A | None | None | Operation Planet Cancelled due to bad weather before aircraft were launched |
[9] |
| 15 May 1944 | Kaafjord | Home Fleet | 27 Barracuda dive bombers 36 fighters |
None | None | Operation Brawn Cancelled due to bad weather after aircraft were launched |
[9] |
| 28 May 1944 | Kaafjord | Home Fleet | N/A | None | None | Operation Tiger Claw Cancelled due to bad weather before aircraft were launched |
[9] |
| 17 July 1944 | Kaafjord | Home Fleet | 44 Barracuda dive bombers 40 fighters |
None | 1 Barracuda 1 Corsair |
Operation Mascot | [13] |
| 22 August 1944 (am) | Kaafjord | Home Fleet | 44 Barracuda dive bombers 53 fighters |
None | 3 aircraft | Operation Goodwood | [13] |
| 22 August 1944 (pm) | Kaafjord | Home Fleet | 14 fighters | None | None | Operation Goodwood | [13] |
| 24 August 1944 | Kaafjord | Home Fleet | 33 Barracuda dive bombers 44 fighters |
Superficial damage from 2 bomb hits | 6 aircraft | Operation Goodwood | [13] |
| 29 August 1944 | Kaafjord | Home Fleet | 26 Barracuda dive bombers 41 fighters |
None | 2 aircraft | Operation Goodwood | [13] |
| 15 September 1944 | Kaafjord | No. 9 Squadron RAF No. 617 Squadron RAF |
28 Lancaster heavy bombers | Severe damage from 1 bomb hit | None | Operation Paravane | [13] |
| 29 October 1944 | Tromsø | No. 9 Squadron RAF No. 617 Squadron RAF |
38 Lancaster heavy bombers | None | 1 Lancaster | Operation Obviate | [13] |
| 12 November 1944 | Tromsø | No. 9 Squadron RAF No. 617 Squadron RAF |
32 Lancaster heavy bombers | Capsized after 3 direct hits and 2 near misses Between 950 and 1,204 killed |
None | Operation Catechism | [13] |
References[]
- Citations
- ↑ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 90
- ↑ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 116
- ↑ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 119
- ↑ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 128
- ↑ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 158
- ↑ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 165
- ↑ Bishop (2012), p. 53
- ↑ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 233
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 Roskill (1961), p. 170
- ↑ Bennett (2012), p. 13
- ↑ Bennett (2012), pp. 13–14
- ↑ Bishop (2012), p. 295
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 Roskill (1961), p. 171
- Works consulted
- Bennett, G.H. (2012). "Introduction". In Bennett, G.H.. Hunting Tirpitz: Naval Operations Against Bismarck's Sister Ship. Plymouth, United Kingdom: University of Plymouth Press. pp. 7–25. ISBN 9781841023106.
- Bishop, Patrick (2012). Target Tirpitz. London: Harper Press. ISBN 9780007431199.
- Middlebrook, Martin; Everitt, Chris (1985). The Bomber Command War Diaries : An Operational Reference Book, 1939–1945 (Repr. ed.). Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Viking. ISBN 0670801372.
- Roskill, S.W. (1961). The War at Sea 1939–1945. Volume III: The Offensive Part II. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. OCLC 59005418.
The original article can be found at List of Allied attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz and the edit history here.