List of Allied attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz

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The German battleship Tirpitz was attacked on multiple occasions by Allied forces during World War II. While most of 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.

Contents

List of attacks

DateLocationAllied unitsAttacking forceDamageAllied lossesNotes
8/9 October 1940 Wilhelmshaven RAF Bomber Command 17 Hampdens NoneNoneAttacked Tirpitz in dry dock [1]
8/9 January 1941WilhelmshavenRAF Bomber Command32 Wellington, Whitley, HampdensNoneNone [2]
29/30 January 1941WilhelmshavenRAF Bomber Command25 Wellingtons, 9 HampdensNoneNone [3]
28 February/1 March 1941WilhelmshavenRAF Bomber Command116 Blenheim, Hampden, Wellington, WhitleysNone1 Blenheim75 reported bombing Wilhelmshaven, no damage recorded [4]
28/29 May 1941 Kiel RAF Bomber Command14 WhitleysNone1 Whitley3 aircraft reached target area, bad weather [5]
20/21 June 1941KielRAF Bomber Command47 Wellingtons, 24 Hampdens, 20 Whitleys, 13 Stirling, 11 Halifax heavy bombersNone2 WellingtonsBombed Kiel [6] [7]
28/29 January 1942 Åsenfjorden Royal Air Force9 Halifaxs, 7 StirlingsNone1 Stirling [8] [9]
9 March 1942At sea off the Lofoten islands HMS Victorious 12 Albacore torpedo bombersNone2 AlbacoresAttacked during Operation Sportpalast [9]
30/31 March 1942 Fættenfjord Royal Air Force33 HalifaxesNone5 HalifaxesMost failed to find target [9]
27/28 April 1942FættenfjordRoyal Air Force31 Halifaxes, 12 Lancasters None5 aircraft [9]
28/29 April 1942FættenfjordRoyal Air Force23 Halifaxes, 11 LancastersNone2 aircraft [9]
31 October 1942 Trondheimsfjord Royal Navy2 Chariot manned torpedoes None2 Chariots, 1 trawler Operation Title failed, mechanical problems [10]
22 September 1943 Kaafjord Royal Navy4 X Craft Serious damage3 X-craft, 3 killed, 6 captured Operation Source [11]
10/11 February 1944Kaafjord Soviet Air Forces 15 aircraftNoneNone4 aircraft found target [12]
3 April 1944Kaafjord Home Fleet 40 Barracuda dive bombers, 80 fighters15 bomb hits and strafing, superficial damage, 122 killed, 316 wounded3 Barracudas, 1 Hellcat, 9 killed Operation Tungsten [9]
24 April 1944KaafjordHome FleetN/ANoneNoneOperation Planet, cancelled, bad weather [9]
15 May 1944KaafjordHome Fleet27 Barracudas, 36 fightersNoneNoneOperation Brawn cancelled, bad weather [9]
28 May 1944KaafjordHome FleetN/ANoneNoneOperation Tiger Claw, cancelled, bad weather [9]
17 July 1944KaafjordHome Fleet44 Barracudas, 40 fightersNone1 Barracuda, 1 Corsair Operation Mascot [13]
22 August 1944 (am)KaafjordHome Fleet44 Barracudas, 53 fightersNone3 aircraft Operation Goodwood [13]
22 August 1944 (pm)KaafjordHome Fleet14 fightersNoneNoneOperation Goodwood [13]
24 August 1944KaafjordHome Fleet33 Barracudas, 44 fighters2 bomb hits, minor damage6 aircraftOperation Goodwood [13]
29 August 1944KaafjordHome Fleet26 Barracudas, 41 fightersNone2 aircraftOperation Goodwood [13]
15 September 1944Kaafjord 9 Squadron, 617 Squadron 28 Lancasters1 bomb, severe damageNone Operation Paravane [13]
29 October 1944 Tromsø 9 Squadron, 617 Squadron38 LancastersNear miss1 Lancaster Operation Obviate [13]
12 November 1944Tromsø9 Squadron, 617 Squadron32 LancastersTirpitz sunk, 950–1,204 killed1 Lancaster Operation Catechism [13]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 90
  2. ↑ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 116
  3. ↑ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 119
  4. ↑ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 128
  5. ↑ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 158
  6. ↑ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 165
  7. ↑ Bishop (2012), p. 53
  8. ↑ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 233
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Roskill (1961), p. 170
  10. ↑ Bennett (2012), p. 13
  11. ↑ Bennett (2012), pp. 13–14
  12. ↑ Bishop (2012), p. 295
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Roskill (1961), p. 171

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