The Ghost Ship That Never Fired—Why?

Описание: Tirpitz was the second of the two Bismarck-class battleships built for Nazi Germany’s navy, the Kriegsmarine, during World War II. She was named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the founder of the Imperial German Navy. Construction began in November 1936 in Wilhelmshaven, and she was launched about two and a half years later. Tirpitz was commissioned in February 1941.
Like her sister ship Bismarck, Tirpitz was armed with eight 38 cm (15-inch) guns mounted in four twin turrets. After several wartime modifications, she became about 2,000 tons heavier than Bismarck, making her the largest and heaviest battleship ever built by a European navy.
After sea trials in early 1941, Tirpitz briefly served with the Baltic Fleet, intended to block a possible breakout by the Soviet Baltic Fleet. In early 1942, she was sent to Norway, where her main role was to threaten Allied shipping and discourage an Allied invasion. She attempted to intercept Allied convoys heading to the Soviet Union twice in 1942, but these missions were unsuccessful. Because direct operations in the Atlantic were considered too dangerous, Tirpitz mainly served as a “fleet in being,” forcing the British Royal Navy to keep large forces tied down to watch her.
In September 1943, Tirpitz took part in the bombardment of Allied positions on Spitzbergen, the only time she used her main guns offensively. Soon after, she was damaged by British mini-submarines, followed by repeated Allied air attacks.
On 12 November 1944, British Lancaster bombers attacked Tirpitz with 12,000-pound “Tallboy” bombs. Two direct hits and a near miss caused the ship to capsize quickly. A fire reached one of the main gun magazines, triggering a massive explosion. Between 950 and 1,204 crewmen were killed in the sinking.
Between 1948 and 1957, the wreck of Tirpitz was dismantled during a joint Norwegian–German salvage operation.

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