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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.

List of attacks

Date	Location	Allied units involved	Attacking force	Damage inflicted on Tirpitz	Allied losses	Comments	References
8/9 October 1940	Wilhelmshaven	RAF Bomber Command	17 Hampden medium bombers	None	None	Attempted to bomb Tirpitz in the Wilhelmshaven dry dock	^[1]
8/9 January 1941	Wilhelmshaven	RAF Bomber Command	Total of 32 Wellington, Whitley and Hampden medium bombers	None	None		^[2]
29/30 January 1941	Wilhelmshaven	RAF Bomber Command	25 Wellington medium bombers 9 Hampden medium bombers	None	None		^[3]
28 February/1 March 1941	Wilhelmshaven	RAF Bomber Command	Total of 116 Blenheim, Hampden, Wellington and Whitley bombers	None	1 Blenheim	75 of the attackers reported bombing Wilhelmshaven, but no damage was recorded in the city	^[4]
28/29 May 1941	Kiel	RAF Bomber Command	14 Whitley medium bombers	None	1 Whitley	Only 3 of the aircraft dispatched reached the target area due to bad weather	^[5]
20/21 June 1941	Kiel	RAF Bomber Command	47 Wellington medium bombers 24 Hampden medium bombers 20 Whitley medium bombers 13 Stirling heavy bombers 11 Halifax heavy bombers	None	2 Wellingtons	Raid 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 1942	Åsenfjorden	Royal Air Force	9 Halifax bombers 7 Stirling bombers	None	1 Stirling		^[8]^[9]
9 March 1942	At sea off the Lofoten islands	HMS Victorious	12 Albacore torpedo bombers	None	2 Albacores	Attacked during the Operation Sportpalast raid	^[9]
30/31 March 1942	Fættenfjord	Royal Air Force	33 Halifaxes	None	5 Halifaxes	Most aircraft unable to locate the target area	^[9]
27/28 April 1942	Fættenfjord	Royal Air Force	31 Halifaxes 12 Lancasters	None	5 aircraft		^[9]
28/29 April 1942	Fættenfjord	Royal Air Force	23 Halifaxes 11 Lancasters	None	2 aircraft		^[9]^[10]
31 October 1942	Trondheimsfjord	Royal Navy	2 Chariot manned torpedoes	None	2 Chariot manned torpedoes 1 trawler	Operation Title Operation failed due to mechanical problems	^[11]
22 September 1943	Kaafjord	Royal Navy	4 X Craft midget submarines	Extensive damage	3 midget submarines 3 killed, 6 captured	Operation Source	^[12]
10/11 February 1944	Kaafjord	Soviet Air Forces	15 aircraft	None	None	Only 4 aircraft reached the target area	^[13]
3 April 1944	Kaafjord	Home Fleet	40 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 1944	Kaafjord	Home Fleet	N/A	None	None	Operation Planet Cancelled due to bad weather before aircraft were launched	^[9]
15 May 1944	Kaafjord	Home Fleet	27 Barracuda dive bombers 36 fighters	None	None	Operation Brawn Cancelled due to bad weather after aircraft were launched	^[9]
28 May 1944	Kaafjord	Home Fleet	N/A	None	None	Operation Tiger Claw Cancelled due to bad weather before aircraft were launched	^[9]
17 July 1944	Kaafjord	Home Fleet	44 Barracuda dive bombers 40 fighters	None	1 Barracuda 1 Corsair	Operation Mascot	^[14]
22 August 1944 (am)	Kaafjord	Home Fleet	44 Barracuda dive bombers 53 fighters	None	3 aircraft	Operation Goodwood	^[14]
22 August 1944 (pm)	Kaafjord	Home Fleet	14 fighters	None	None	Operation Goodwood	^[14]
24 August 1944	Kaafjord	Home Fleet	33 Barracuda dive bombers 44 fighters	Superficial damage from 2 bomb hits	6 aircraft	Operation Goodwood	^[14]
29 August 1944	Kaafjord	Home Fleet	26 Barracuda dive bombers 41 fighters	None	2 aircraft	Operation Goodwood	^[14]
15 September 1944	Kaafjord	No. 9 Squadron RAF No. 617 Squadron RAF	28 Lancaster heavy bombers	Severe damage from 1 bomb hit	None	Operation Paravane	^[14]
29 October 1944	Tromsø	No. 9 Squadron RAF No. 617 Squadron RAF	38 Lancaster heavy bombers	Minor damage from a near miss	1 Lancaster	Operation Obviate	^[14]
12 November 1944	Tromsø	No. 9 Squadron RAF No. 617 Squadron RAF	32 Lancaster heavy bombers	Capsized after 3 direct hits and 2 near misses Between 950 and 1,204 killed	1 Lancaster	Operation Catechism	^[14]

References

Citations

^ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 90
^ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 116
^ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 119
^ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 128
^ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 158
^ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 165
^ Bishop (2012), p. 53
^ Middlebrook and Everitt (1985), p. 233
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Roskill (1961), p. 170
^ Farmer, Ben (10 December 2014). "Students find lost British WW2 bomber in Norwegian fjord". The Telegraph. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
^ Bennett (2012), p. 13
^ Bennett (2012), pp. 13–14
^ Bishop (2012), p. 295
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Roskill (1961), p. 171

Bibliography

Bennett, G.H. (2012). "Introduction". In Bennett, G.H. (ed.). Hunting Tirpitz: Naval Operations Against Bismarck's Sister Ship. Plymouth, United Kingdom: University of Plymouth Press. pp. 7–25. ISBN 978-1-84102-310-6.
Bishop, Patrick (2012). Target Tirpitz. London: Harper Press. ISBN 978-0-00-743119-9.
Middlebrook, Martin; Everitt, Chris (1985). The Bomber Command War Diaries : An Operational Reference Book, 1939–1945 (Repr. ed.). Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Viking. ISBN 0-670-80137-2.
Roskill, S.W. (1961). The War at Sea 1939–1945. Volume III: The Offensive Part II. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. OCLC 59005418.