Hitler promised his people that the thousand-year Reich would take the crown of the mistress of the seas from Great Britain, and the German sailors would receive the best fleet in the world. As a result, the Bismarck ships, strongest for their time, and its "sistership", the battleship Tirpitz, were created. The fate of the latter will be discussed here.
German battleship concept
Being delighted with the successful raids of German ships on the extensive trade communications of England during the First World War, German admirals saw the new fleet as "raider". They believed that a ship with a high speed of movement, a large power reserve and weapons capable of withstanding an entire squadron of the enemy would be a real “horror” for the enemy’s trade routes. And the fleet of such ships will be able to completely block the maritime communication of the enemy. Based on this concept, the Tirpitz battleship was designed, which, in fact, was an "overgrown cruiser", but with armament from a battleship. Eight 380-mm Tirpitz guns were able to send 800-kg shells over the horizon (35.5 km), and in speed (30.8 knots) and cruising range (9000 nautical miles) it was unrivaled among ships a similar class.
Comparison with other ships
As already mentioned, the battleship “Tirpitz” was built according to the concept of the cruiser, and for its outstanding driving and speed qualities was paid for by the armor and overall survivability of the ship. “Tirpitsa” and “Bismarck” are now called almost the most powerful ships in the history of mankind, but meanwhile many of their contemporaries surpassed the “Germans” in armor and weapons, not to mention such a necessary quality as mine protection. Richelieu, South Dakota, Italian Littorio and Japanese Yamato were clearly more powerful battleships. The glory of the German ships was given by fascist propaganda and the justification of the English fleet, which lost its flagship in the battle with the Bismarck, and then almost chased the Tirpitz throughout the war. In the image below you can see the battleship “Tirpitz” - the photo was taken in a parking lot in Norway.
Combat service
Kriegsmarine's plans were not destined to come true. The attempt to break into the enemy’s communications ended in the death of the Bismarck battleship and the Germans did not make any more such attempts. In addition, the destruction of convoys was perfectly handled by submarines and naval aviation. The battleship Tirpitz, by and large, participated in only one, almost inconclusive, combat operation - a campaign against Spitsbergen in 1942. After that, he was hidden throughout the war in the Norwegian fjords, and the British fleet, aircraft and special forces tried to reach him. For the British government, the destruction of the battleship became a fixed idea; Churchill even called him a "beast." His mere presence off the coast of Norway gave the British an occasion to abandon sea convoys to Murmansk. So we can say that the battleship Tirpitz did a lot - without doing anything.
The death of the battleship
In November of the 44th, the British nevertheless reached the battleship. November 12, catching the anti-aircraft defense by surprise, 32 Lancaster bombs dropped their 4,500-kilogram bombs on the ship. Four super-heavy bombs fell on his deck, from their explosions the ammunition of the battleship detonated, he rolled over and sank.