Английская Википедия:German battleship Tirpitz
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Use British English
Шаблон:Infobox ship imageШаблон:Infobox ship careerШаблон:Infobox ship characteristicsШаблон:Lang (Шаблон:IPA-de) was the second of two Шаблон:Sclasss built for Nazi Germany's Шаблон:Lang (navy) prior to and during the Second World War. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Шаблон:Lang (Imperial Navy), the ship was laid down at the Шаблон:Lang in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and her hull was launched two and a half years later. Work was completed in February 1941, when she was commissioned into the German fleet. Like her sister ship, Шаблон:Ship, Шаблон:Lang was armed with a main battery of eight Шаблон:Convert guns in four twin turrets. After a series of wartime modifications she was 2000 tonnes heavier than Шаблон:Lang, making her the heaviest battleship ever built by a European navy.Шаблон:Sfn
After completing sea trials in early 1941, Шаблон:Lang briefly served as the centrepiece of the Baltic Fleet, which was intended to prevent a possible break-out 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, Шаблон:Lang was also intended to be used to intercept Allied convoys to the Soviet Union, and two such missions were attempted in 1942. This was the only feasible role for her, since the St Nazaire Raid had made operations against the Atlantic convoy lanes too risky. Шаблон:Lang acted as a fleet in being, forcing the British Royal Navy to retain significant naval forces in the area to contain the battleship.Шаблон:Sfn
In September 1943, Шаблон:Lang, along with the battleship Шаблон:Ship, bombarded Allied positions on Spitzbergen, the only time the ship used her main battery in an offensive role. 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 Шаблон:Convert "Tallboy" bombs scored two direct hits and a near miss which 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. Between 1948 and 1957, the wreck was broken up by a joint Norwegian and German salvage operation.
Design
The two Шаблон:Sclasss were designed in the mid-1930s by the German Шаблон:Lang as a counter to French naval expansion, specifically the two Шаблон:Sclasss France had started in 1935. Laid down after the signing of the Anglo-German Naval Agreement of 1935, Шаблон:Lang and her sister Шаблон:Ship were nominally within the Шаблон:Convert limit imposed by the Washington regime that governed battleship construction in the interwar period. The ships secretly exceeded the figure by a wide margin, though before either vessel was completed, the international treaty system had fallen apart following Japan's withdrawal in 1937, allowing signatories to invoke an "escalator clause" that permitted displacements as high as Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Sfn
Шаблон:Lang displaced Шаблон:Cvt as built and Шаблон:Cvt fully loaded, with a length of Шаблон:Convert, a beam of Шаблон:Convert and a maximum draft of Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Efn Her standard crew numbered 103 officers and 1,962 enlisted men; during the war this was increased to 108 officers and 2,500 men. She was powered by three Brown, Boveri & Cie geared steam turbines, each driving a screw propeller, with steam provided by twelve oil-fired Wagner superheated water-tube boilers. Her propulsion system developed a total of Шаблон:Convert and yielded a maximum speed of Шаблон:Convert on speed trials.Шаблон:Sfn
She was armed with eight 38 cm SK C/34 L/52 guns arranged in four twin gun turrets: two superfiring turrets forward—Anton and Bruno—and two aft—Caesar and Dora.Шаблон:Efn Her secondary armament consisted of twelve 15 cm L/55 guns, sixteen 10.5 cm L/65 and sixteen [[3.7 cm SK C/30|Шаблон:Convert]] L/83, and initially twelve [[2 cm FlaK 30|Шаблон:Convert C/30]] anti-aircraft guns. The number of 2 cm guns was eventually increased to 58. After 1942, eight Шаблон:Convert above-water torpedo tubes were installed in two quadruple mounts, one mount on each side of the ship.Шаблон:Sfn
As built, Шаблон:Lang was equipped with Model 23 search radarsШаблон:Efn mounted on the forward, foretop, and rear rangefinders. These were later replaced with Model 27 and then Model 26 radars, which had a larger antenna array. A Model 30 radar, known as the Шаблон:Lang, was mounted in 1944 in her topmast, and a Model 213 Шаблон:Lang fire-control radar was added on her stern Шаблон:Convert Flak rangefinders.Шаблон:Sfn
The ship's main belt was Шаблон:Convert thick and was covered by a pair of upper and main armoured decks that were Шаблон:Convert and Шаблон:Convert thick, respectively. The 38 cm turrets were protected by Шаблон:Convert thick faces and Шаблон:Convert thick sides.Шаблон:Sfn
Service history
Шаблон:Lang was ordered as Шаблон:Lang as a replacement for the old pre-dreadnought Шаблон:SMS, under the contract name "G".Шаблон:Sfn The Шаблон:Lang shipyard in Wilhelmshaven was awarded the contract, where the keel was laid on 20 October 1936.Шаблон:Sfn The hull was launched on 1 April 1939; during the elaborate ceremonies, the ship was christened by Ilse von Hassell, the daughter of Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the ship's namesake.Шаблон:Sfn Adolf von Trotha, a former admiral in the Imperial German Navy, spoke at the ship's launching, which was also attended by Adolf Hitler.Шаблон:Sfn Fitting-out work was completed by February 1941.Шаблон:Sfn British bombers repeatedly attacked the harbour in which the ship was being built; no bombs struck Шаблон:Lang, but the attacks slowed construction work.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Lang was commissioned into the fleet on 25 February for sea trials,Шаблон:Sfn which were conducted in the Baltic.Шаблон:Sfn
After sea trials, Шаблон:Lang was stationed in Kiel 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 breakout of the Soviet fleet based in Leningrad. Шаблон:Lang was briefly made the flagship of the squadron, which consisted of the heavy cruiser Шаблон:Ship, the light cruisers Шаблон:Ship, Шаблон:Ship, Шаблон:Ship, and Шаблон:Ship, several destroyers, and two flotillas of minesweepers.Шаблон:Sfn The Baltic Fleet, under the command of Vice Admiral Otto Ciliax,Шаблон:Sfn patrolled off Åland from 23 to 26 September 1941, after which the unit was disbanded and Шаблон:Lang resumed training.Шаблон:Sfn During the training period, Шаблон:Lang tested her primary and secondary guns on the old pre-dreadnought battleship Шаблон:SMS,Шаблон:Sfn which had been converted into a radio-controlled target ship.Шаблон:Sfn The British Royal Air Force (RAF) continued to launch unsuccessful bombing raids on Шаблон:Lang while she was stationed in Kiel.Шаблон:Sfn
Deployment to Norway
Grand Admiral Erich Raeder, the commander of the Шаблон:Lang, proposed on 13 November 1941 that Шаблон:Lang be deployed to Norway. The ship would be able to attack convoys bound for the Soviet Union, and 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 Шаблон:Lang, agreed to the proposal. The ship was taken into dock for modifications for the deployment. The ship's anti-aircraft 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.Шаблон:Sfn The ship's commander, Шаблон:Lang Karl Topp,Шаблон:Sfn pronounced the ship ready for combat operations on 10 January 1942.Шаблон:Sfn The following day, Шаблон:Lang left for Wilhelmshaven, a move designed to conceal her actual destination.Шаблон:Sfn
The ship left Wilhelmshaven at 23:00 on 14 January and made for Trondheim.Шаблон:Sfn British military intelligence, which was capable of decrypting the Enigma messages sent by the German navy, detected the departure of the vessel, but poor weather in Britain prevented action by the RAF.Шаблон:Sfn Admiral John Tovey, the commander in chief of the British Home Fleet, was not made aware of Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s activities until 17 January, well after the ship had arrived in Norway.Шаблон:Sfn On 16 January, British aerial reconnaissance located the ship in Trondheim. Шаблон:Lang then moved to the Fættenfjord, just north-east of Trondheim.Шаблон:Sfn The movement was codenamed Operation Polarnacht (Polar Night); the battleship was escorted by the destroyers Шаблон:Ship, Шаблон:Ship, Шаблон:Ship and Шаблон:Ship for the voyage.Шаблон:Sfn The Norwegian resistance movement transmitted the location to London.Шаблон:Sfn 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 Шаблон:Lang to camouflage her.Шаблон:Sfn The crew also frequently hid the entire ship from aerial reconnaissance and attacks inside a cloud of artificial fog, created using water and chlorosulfuric acid.Шаблон:Sfn[1] Additional anti-aircraft batteries were installed around the fjord, as were anti-torpedo nets and heavy booms in the entrance to the anchorage.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Lang was known as the "Lonely Queen of the North" because she was so rarely deployed,[2] and life for her crew was very monotonous. 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 anti-aircraft defences. Sports activities were organised to keep the crew occupied and physically fit.Шаблон:Sfn
Operations against Allied convoys
Several factors hindered Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s freedom of operation in Norway. The most pressing were shortages of fuel and the withdrawal of the German destroyer forces to support Operation Cerberus, the movement of the battleships Шаблон:Ship and Шаблон:Ship and the heavy cruiser Шаблон:Ship through the English Channel. These caused a planned attack against the outbound convoy PQ 8 at the end of January to be abandoned.Шаблон:Sfn 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.Шаблон:Sfn In early February, Шаблон:Lang took part in the deceptions that distracted the British in the run-up to Operation Cerberus. These included steaming out of the fjord and the appearance of preparations for a sortie into the North Sea.Шаблон:Sfn Later that month, the ship was reinforced by the heavy cruisers Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang and several destroyers. Шаблон:Lang had been torpedoed by a British submarine at the entrance to the Fættenfjord, and was temporarily out of action.Шаблон:Sfn
In March 1942 Шаблон:Lang and Шаблон:Lang, along with the destroyers Шаблон:Ship, Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Ship and Шаблон:Ship and a pair of torpedo boats,Шаблон:Sfn were intended to attack the homebound convoy QP 8 and the outbound Convoy PQ 12 as part of Шаблон:Lang (Operation Sports Palace).Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Lang,Шаблон:Sfn with a design speed of Шаблон:Convert,Шаблон:Sfn was too slow to operate with Шаблон:Lang and was left in port,Шаблон:Sfn as was the destroyer Шаблон:Lang. The two torpedo boats were also released from the operation.Шаблон:Sfn On 5 March, Luftwaffe reconnaissance aircraft spotted PQ 12 near Jan Mayen Island; the reconnaissance failed to note the battleship Шаблон:HMS or the battlecruiser Шаблон:HMS, both of which were escorting the convoy, along with four destroyers.Шаблон:Sfn
Unknown to the Germans, Admiral Tovey was providing distant support to the convoys with the battleship Шаблон:HMS, the aircraft carrier Шаблон:HMS, the heavy cruiser Шаблон:HMS, and six destroyers. Enigma intercepts again forewarned the British of Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s attack, which allowed them to reroute the convoys. Admiral Tovey attempted to pursue Шаблон:Lang on 9 March,Шаблон:Sfn 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, and Шаблон:Lang successfully evaded the torpedoes. Only three men were wounded in the attack.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s anti-aircraft gunners shot down two of the British aircraft.Шаблон:Sfn After the conclusion of the attack, Шаблон:Lang made for Vestfjord, and from there to Trondheim, arriving on the evening of 13 March.Шаблон:Sfn On 30 March, thirty-three Halifax bombers attacked the ship; they scored no hits, and five aircraft were shot down.Шаблон:Sfn The RAF launched a pair of unsuccessful strikes in late April. On the night of 27–28 April, thirty-one Halifaxes and twelve Lancasters attacked; five of the bombers were shot down. Another raid, composed of twenty-three Halifaxes and eleven Lancasters, took place the following night. Two of the bombers were shot down by the German anti-aircraft defences.Шаблон:Sfn
The actions of Шаблон:Lang and her escorting destroyers in March used up Шаблон:Convert 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 targeted by Шаблон:Lang and the rest of the German fleet stationed in Norway,Шаблон:Sfn during Шаблон:Lang (Operation Knight's Move).Шаблон:Sfn Escorting the convoy were the battleships Duke of York and Шаблон:USS and the carrier Victorious.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Ship, and six destroyers sortied from Trondheim, while a second task force consisting of Шаблон:Ship, Шаблон:Lang, and six destroyers operated from Narvik and Bogenfjord.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Lang and three of the destroyers struck uncharted rocks while en route to the rendezvous and had to return to port. Shortly after Шаблон:Lang left Norway, the Soviet submarine K-21 fired two or four torpedoes at the ship, all of which missed.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The Soviets claimed two hits on the battleship.Шаблон:Sfn 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-boats 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. Шаблон:Lang returned to Altafjord via the Lofoten Islands.Шаблон:Sfn
Following Шаблон:Lang, the Germans moved Шаблон:Lang 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 defences of the anchorage were further strengthened; additional anti-aircraft guns were installed, and double anti-torpedo nets were laid around the vessel. The repairs were conducted in limited phases, so Шаблон:Lang 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.Шаблон:Sfn During the repair process, the British attempted to attack the battleship with two Chariot human torpedoes, but before they could be launched, rough seas caused them to break away from the fishing vessel which was towing them.Шаблон:Sfn By 28 December, the overhaul had been completed, and Шаблон:Lang began sea trials. She conducted gunnery trials on 4 January 1943 in Trondheim Fjord.Шаблон:Sfn On 21 February, Topp was promoted to Rear Admiral and was replaced by Captain Hans Meyer; five days later the battleship Шаблон:Lang was ordered to reinforce the fleet in Norway. Vice Admiral Oskar Kummetz was given command of the warships stationed in Norway.Шаблон:Sfn
By the time Шаблон:Lang arrived in Norway in March 1943, Allied convoys to the Soviet Union had temporarily ceased. To give the ships an opportunity to work together, Admiral Karl Dönitz, who had replaced Raeder in the aftermath of the Battle of the Barents Sea on 31 December 1942, ordered an attack on Spitzbergen, which housed a British weather station and refuelling base.Шаблон:Sfn Spitzbergen was defended by a garrison of 152 men from the Norwegian Armed Forces in exile.Шаблон:Sfn The two battleships, escorted by ten destroyers, left port on 6 September; in a Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang flew the white ensign on the approach to the island the following day.Шаблон:Sfn During the bombardment, Шаблон:Lang fired 52 main-battery shells and 82 rounds from her 15 cm secondaries.Шаблон:Sfn This was the first and only time the ship fired her main battery at an enemy surface target.Шаблон:Sfn An assault force destroyed shore installations and captured 74 prisoners.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn By 11:00, the battleships had destroyed their targets and headed back to their Norwegian ports.Шаблон:Sfn
British attacks on Tirpitz
Operation Source
The British were determined to neutralise Шаблон:Lang and remove the threat she posed to the Allied arctic convoys. Following the repeated, ineffectual bombing attacks and the failed torpedo attack in October 1942, the British turned to the newly designed X Craft midget submarines.Шаблон:Sfn The planned attack, Operation Source, included attacks on Шаблон:Lang, Шаблон:Lang, and Шаблон:Lang.Шаблон:Sfn The X Craft were towed by large submarines to their destinations, where they could slip under anti-torpedo nets and each drop two powerful two-tonne mines onto the sea bed under the target. Ten vessels were assigned to the operation, scheduled for 20–25 September 1943. Only eight of them reached Kåfjord in Norway for the attack, which began early on 22 September.Шаблон:Sfn Three of the vessels, X5, X6, and X7, successfully breached Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s defences, two of which—X6 and X7—managed to lay their mines. X5 was detected Шаблон:Convert from the nets and sunk by a combination of gunfire and depth charges.Шаблон:Sfn
The mines damaged the ship extensively. The first exploded abreast of turret Caesar, and the second detonated Шаблон:Convert off the port bow.Шаблон:Sfn 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 Шаблон:Convert 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, which was balanced by counter-flooding on the starboard side. The flooding damaged all of the turbo-generators in generator room No. 2, and all apart from 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 rotated; 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.Шаблон:Sfn The ship's two Arado Ar 196 floatplanes were completely destroyed. Repairs were conducted by the repair ship Шаблон:Ship; historians William 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".Шаблон:Sfn Repairs lasted until 2 April 1944; full speed trials were scheduled for the following day in Altafjord.Шаблон:Sfn
Operation Tungsten
The British were aware that Шаблон:Lang and the repair crews left in March, which intimated Шаблон:Lang was nearly operational.Шаблон:Sfn A major air strike—Operation Tungsten—involving the fleet carriers Victorious and Шаблон:HMS and the escort carriers Шаблон:HMS, Шаблон:HMS, Шаблон:HMS, and Шаблон:HMS,Шаблон:Sfn was set for 4 April 1944, but rescheduled a day earlier when Enigma decrypts revealed that Шаблон:Lang was to depart at 05:29 on 3 April for sea trials.Шаблон:Sfn The attack consisted of 40 Barracuda dive-bombers carrying Шаблон:Convert, Шаблон:Convert and Шаблон:Convert armour-piercing bombs and 40 escorting fighters in two waves, scoring fifteen direct hits and two near misses.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The aircraft achieved surprise, and only one was lost in the first wave; it took twelve to fourteen minutes for all of Шаблон:Lang'Шаблон:'s anti-aircraft 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 anti-aircraft gunners, only one other bomber was shot down.Шаблон:Sfn
The air strikes did not penetrate the main armour but nonetheless caused significant damage to the ship's superstructure and inflicted serious casualties. William Garzke and Robert Dulin report the attack killed 122 men and wounded 316 others,Шаблон:Sfn while Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz report 132 fatalities and 270 wounded men, including the ship's commander, KzS Hans Meyer.Шаблон:Sfn 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 Шаблон:Convert of water flooded the ship, primarily through the two holes in the side shell created by shell splinters from near misses. Water used to fight the fires also contributed to the flooding.Шаблон:Sfn Dönitz ordered the ship be repaired, regardless of the cost, despite the fact that he understood Шаблон:Lang could no longer be used in a surface action because of 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 anti-aircraft fire were supplied.Шаблон:Sfn
Operations Planet, Brawn, Tiger Claw, Mascot and Goodwood
A series of carrier strikes was planned over the next three months, but 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. Formidable and Furious were joined by Шаблон:HMS for Operation Mascot, which was carried out in bad weather on 17 July by 62 bombers and 30 fighters. In late August the weather improved, allowing 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 Шаблон:HMS and the escort carriers Шаблон:HMS and Шаблон:HMS launched a total of 38 bombers and 43 escort fighters between the two raids.Шаблон:Sfn
The attacks failed to inflict any damage on Шаблон:Lang and three of the attacking aircraft were shot down.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn 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.Шаблон:Sfn One, a 1,600-pound bomb, penetrated the upper and lower armour decks and came to rest in the No. 4 switchboard room. Its fuze had been damaged and the bomb did not detonate. The second, a Шаблон:Convert bomb, exploded causing superficial damage. Six aircraft were shot down in the attack.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Goodwood IV followed on 29 August, with 34 bombers and 25 fighters from Formidable and Indefatigable. Heavy fog prevented any hits from being scored.Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s gunners shot down one Firefly and a Corsair. The battleship expended 54 rounds from her main guns, 161 from the 15 cm guns and up to 20 per cent of her light anti-aircraft ammunition.Шаблон:Sfn
Operations Paravane and Obviate
The ineffectiveness of the great majority of the strikes launched by the Fleet Air Arm in mid-1944 led to the task of Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s destruction being transferred to the RAF's No. 5 Group. The RAF used Lancaster bombers to carry Шаблон:Convert Tallboy bombs to penetrate the ship's heavy armour.Шаблон:Sfn 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.Шаблон:Sfn The Tallboy penetrated the ship, exited the keel, and exploded in the bottom of the fjord. The bow was flooded with Шаблон:Convert of water, causing a serious increase in trim forward. The ship was rendered unseaworthy and was limited to Шаблон:Convert. Concussive shock caused severe damage to fire-control equipment. The 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, allowing Шаблон:Lang to be moved further south to Tromsø. On 15 October, the ship made the Шаблон:Convert trip to Tromsø under her own power, the last voyage of her career.Шаблон:Sfn
The RAF made a second attempt on 29 October, after the ship was moored off Håkøya Island outside Tromsø. Thirty-two Lancasters attacked the ship with Tallboys during Operation Obviate.Шаблон:Sfn As on Operation Paravane, No. 9 Squadron and No. 617 Squadron carried out the attack together, which resulted in only one near miss,Шаблон:Sfn partially the result of bad weather over the target.Шаблон:Sfn The underwater explosion damaged the port rudder and shaft and caused some flooding. Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s 38 cm fragmentation shells proved ineffective in countering the high-level bombers; one aircraft was damaged by ground-based anti-aircraft guns.Шаблон:Sfn Following the attack, the ship's anchorage was significantly improved. A large sandbank was constructed under and around the ship to prevent her from capsizing, and anti-torpedo nets were installed. Шаблон:Lang 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 what was necessary to power the turbo-generators, and the crew was reduced to 1,600 officers and enlisted men.Шаблон:Sfn
Operation Catechism
Operation Catechism, the final British attack on Шаблон:Lang, took place on 12 November 1944.Шаблон:Sfn The ship again used her 38 cm guns against the bombers, which approached the battleship at 09:35; Шаблон:LangШаблон:'s main guns forced the bombers to disperse temporarily, but could not break up the attack.Шаблон:Sfn A force of 32 Lancasters from Nos. 9 and 617 Squadrons dropped 29 Tallboys on the ship, landing two direct hits and one near miss.Шаблон:Sfn 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 in 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 port side of turret Caesar.Шаблон:Sfn
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, and the captain issued the order to abandon ship. The list increased to 60 degrees by 09:50; this appeared to stabilise temporarily. Eight minutes later, a large explosion rocked turret Caesar. The turret roof and part of the rotating structure were thrown Шаблон:Convert into the air and into a group of men swimming to shore, crushing them. Шаблон:Lang rapidly rolled over and buried her superstructure in the sea floor.Шаблон:Sfn In the aftermath of the attack, 82 men trapped in the upturned hull were rescued by cutting through the exposed bottom.Шаблон:Sfn Figures for the death toll vary from approximately 950 to 1,204.Шаблон:Efn Approximately 200 survivors of the sinking were transferred to the heavy cruiser Шаблон:Lang in January 1945.Шаблон:Sfn
The performance of the Luftwaffe in the defence of Шаблон:Lang was heavily criticised after her loss. Major Heinrich Ehrler, the commander of III./Jagdgeschwader 5 (3rd Wing of the 5th Fighter Group), was blamed for the Luftwaffe's failure to intercept the British bombers. He was court-martialled in Oslo and threatened with the death penalty. Evidence was presented that his unit had failed to help the Kriegsmarine when requested. He was sentenced to three years in prison, but was released after a month, demoted, and reassigned to an Me 262 fighter squadron in Germany.Шаблон:Sfn Ehrler was exonerated by further investigations which concluded poor communication between the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe had caused the fiasco;Шаблон:Sfn the aircrews had not been informed that Шаблон:Lang had been moved off Håkøya two weeks before the attack.Шаблон:Sfn The wreck of Шаблон:Lang remained in place until after the war, when a joint German-Norwegian company began salvage operations. Work lasted from 1948 until 1957;Шаблон:Sfn fragments of the ship were sold by a Norwegian company.Шаблон:Sfn Ludovic Kennedy wrote in his history of the vessel that she "lived an invalid's life and died a cripple's death".Шаблон:Sfn
Footnotes
Citations
References
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite web
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
Further reading
External links
- The Tirpitz Museum Шаблон:Webarchive
- Aerial photo of the battleship Tirpitz in her anchorage at Kåfjord, Norway. – unpublished photo originated from a private photo album of Soviet Air Forces pilot-observer Feodossiy S. Goryachiy.
- Newsreel about the life and death of the Tirpitz showing RN, FAA and RAF attacks
Шаблон:Bismarck class battleship Шаблон:September 1944 shipwrecks Шаблон:November 1944 shipwrecks Шаблон:Subject bar Шаблон:Authority control
Шаблон:Featured article Шаблон:Coord
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Winston, George, (1 May 2018) "The Effects of the Lonely Queen Still Seen Among the Trees of Norway", War History Online; accessed 2020.04.01.
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