60th anniversary of the sinking of the TIRPITZ

[Simon O.]

This morning a small ceremony of remembrance was held at the site where the battleship TIRPITZ was sunk.
On the morning 12th November 1944 she was attacked, as she had been many times before, by 31 Lancasters from 617 and 9 Sqdns RAF each carrying a 12,000lb Tallboy bomb. The weather was clear that day giving the bomb aimers a clear view of their target from 12,000ft. Although the flak was heavy only one aircraft was damaged, it made for Sweden and an emergency landing where the wreck of the plane still lies today. Tirpitz suffered two hits on her portside and at 09:52 she capsized to port, leaving her hull sticking up out of the water. Men were in the freezing water everywhere and although she didn't have her full compliment onboard and many managed to make it to shore, as well as some 80 later rescued by teams cutting holes in her upturned hull, 971 men lost their lives that day.

Unfortunately no veterans could make the journey up to Tromsø but wreaths were laid both at sea and on the memorial by eye witnesses to that days events.


A wreath is laid at the exact time and spot where she capsized.



Flowers from the ship's old comrades association was then laid at the memorial overlooking her final resting place.

[mrg]

Hi Simon i have a model in 1350 scale of this ship near land, her arnament covered by netting and broken trees, as she originally appeared before her sinking. The nickname she wa given by the hunters was LONELY QUEEN OF THE NORTH due to the fact that she hid away for most of her carreer. If i remember correctly she only fired her main arnament once in anger. and never engaged another enemy vessel. Thanks for the pics a nice reminder of a greatly feared vessel. All the best and thanks again.

[Simon O.]

Hi mrg

The short time she was lying off Håkøya near Tromsø she was not covered in netting or trees, this was mainly down in faetten fjord near Trondheim in '42.

You're right that she never used her main guns against another warship but she did use them at Spitzbergen and against several of the air attacks she suffered including the last one on 12th Nov. which i think makes her 38cm guns the largest calibre guns ever used in an anti-aircraft role.

[mrg]

Never knew that she fired her main arnament at incoming planes. imagine the inpact if one hit.think I read somewhere that near the end she was being used as a floating battery. And had the ground underneath her hull built up by a grain so that if hit she would n't sink is that right? Thanks for the info

[mrg]

Sorry ment to say crane.

[Simon O.]

Yeah that's right. The Germans who surveyed her new berth screwed up essentially and it was found that it was deeper than they thought. So they started to dump rock to make it shallower so she couldn't sink or capsize. However they weren't finished with the job by the time of the 12th. Her superstructure struck the bottom as she turned over. If i remember correctly she was at an angle of 110 degrees.

[Tom M]

Sorry ment to say crane.

No need to bang your head you can edit your posts by clicking the Edit icon below the post

Simon,

I nice little reminder of those who fought on the other side. Many of those sailors were just ordinary men who wanted to go home.

May they RIP

[DonC]

I know that the Japanese had modified 18" shells for the Yamato and Musashi to in effect be giant shotguns for the AAA role, but I don't know if they were ever used. They would have trumped the Tirpitz' 15" guns in the AAA role!

Don

[mrg]

Hi Donc the yamato did test its main armanant in trail practice shoots. The japanese placed sheep on the foredeck before firing to see what effect the guns would have on a human being. The sheep all died from burst eardrums and heamoraging.