List of Allied attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz

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

DateLocationAllied units involvedAttacking forceDamage inflicted to TirpitzAllied lossesCommentsReferences
8/9 October 1940WilhelmshavenRAF Bomber Command17 Hampden medium bombersNoneNoneAttempted to bomb Tirpitz in the Wilhelmshaven dry dock[1]
8/9 January 1941WilhelmshavenRAF Bomber CommandTotal of 32 Wellington, Whitley and Hampden medium bombersNoneNone[2]
29/30 January 1941WilhelmshavenRAF Bomber Command25 Wellington medium bombers
9 Hampden medium bombers		NoneNone[3]
28 February/1 March 1941WilhelmshavenRAF Bomber CommandTotal of 116 Blenheim, Hampden, Wellington and Whitley bombersNone1 Blenheim75 of the attackers reported bombing Wilhelmshaven, but no damage was recorded in the city[4]
28/29 May 1941KielRAF Bomber Command14 Whitley medium bombersNone1 WhitleyOnly 3 of the aircraft dispatched reached the target area due to bad weather[5]
20/21 June 1941KielRAF Bomber Command47 Wellington medium bombers
24 Hampden medium bombers
20 Whitley medium bombers
13 Stirling heavy bombers
11 Halifax heavy bombers		None2 WellingtonsRaid 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 1942ÅsenfjordenRoyal Air Force9 Halifax bombers
7 Stirling bombers		None1 Stirling[8][9]
9 March 1942At sea off the Lofoten islandsHMS Victorious12 Albacore torpedo bombersNone2 AlbacoresAttacked during the Operation Sportpalast raid[9]
30/31 March 1942FættenfjordRoyal Air Force33 HalifaxesNone5 HalifaxesMost aircraft unable to locate the target area[9]
27/28 April 1942FættenfjordRoyal Air Force31 Halifaxes
12 Lancasters		None5 aircraft[9]
28/29 April 1942FættenfjordRoyal Air Force23 Halifaxes
11 Lancasters		None2 aircraft[9][10]
31 October 1942TrondheimsfjordRoyal Navy2 Chariot manned torpedoesNone2 Chariot manned torpedoes
1 trawler		Operation Title
Operation failed due to mechanical problems		[11]
22 September 1943KaafjordRoyal Navy4 X Craft midget submarinesExtensive damage3 midget submarines
3 killed, 6 captured		Operation Source[12]
10/11 February 1944KaafjordSoviet Air Forces15 aircraftNoneNoneOnly 4 aircraft reached the target area[13]
3 April 1944KaafjordHome Fleet40 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 1944KaafjordHome FleetN/ANoneNoneOperation Planet
Cancelled due to bad weather before aircraft were launched		[9]
15 May 1944KaafjordHome Fleet27 Barracuda dive bombers
36 fighters		NoneNoneOperation Brawn
Cancelled due to bad weather after aircraft were launched		[9]
28 May 1944KaafjordHome FleetN/ANoneNoneOperation Tiger Claw
Cancelled due to bad weather before aircraft were launched		[9]
17 July 1944KaafjordHome Fleet44 Barracuda dive bombers
40 fighters		None1 Barracuda
1 Corsair		Operation Mascot[14]
22 August 1944 (am)KaafjordHome Fleet44 Barracuda dive bombers
53 fighters		None3 aircraftOperation Goodwood[14]
22 August 1944 (pm)KaafjordHome Fleet14 fightersNoneNoneOperation Goodwood[14]
24 August 1944KaafjordHome Fleet33 Barracuda dive bombers
44 fighters		Superficial damage from 2 bomb hits6 aircraftOperation Goodwood[14]
29 August 1944KaafjordHome Fleet26 Barracuda dive bombers
41 fighters		None2 aircraftOperation Goodwood[14]
15 September 1944KaafjordNo. 9 Squadron RAF
No. 617 Squadron RAF		28 Lancaster heavy bombersSevere damage from 1 bomb hitNoneOperation Paravane[14]
29 October 1944TromsøNo. 9 Squadron RAF
No. 617 Squadron RAF		38 Lancaster heavy bombersNone1 LancasterOperation Obviate[14]
12 November 1944TromsøNo. 9 Squadron RAF
No. 617 Squadron RAF		32 Lancaster heavy bombersCapsized after 3 direct hits and 2 near misses
Between 950 and 1,204 killed		NoneOperation Catechism[14]

References

Citations
  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. ↑ Farmer, Ben (10 December 2014). "Students find lost British WW2 bomber in Norwegian fjord". The Telegraph. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  11. ↑ Bennett (2012), p. 13
  12. ↑ Bennett (2012), pp. 13–14
  13. ↑ Bishop (2012), p. 295
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 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.
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