Sink the Tirpitz 1942-44: The RAF and Fleet Air Arm Duel with Germany’s Mighty Battleship

The story of the high-stakes air campaign to sink the battleship Tirpitz in her Norwegian lair, when a single bomb could end her threat to the Arctic Convoys and alter the war.

This is the story of an air campaign in which each bomb could dramatically influence the course of the war.

In January 1942, the powerful German battleship Tirpitz sailed into her new base in a Norwegian fjord, within easy reach of the Arctic Convoys. Her destruction suddenly became a top Allied priority. But sinking a modern and formidably armed battleship was no easy task, especially when she lay secure in a remote, mountainous fjord, protected by anti-torpedo nets, radar, flak guns and smoke generators.

This book charts the full, complex story of the air war against Tirpitz, from the Fleet Air Arm's failed torpedo attack at sea, the RAF's early Halifax raids, and the carrier-borne Barracuda airstrikes of Operations Mascot, Tungsten and Goodwood, to the three Tallboy attacks that finally crippled and sank her. With detailed maps and diagrams, it explains the aircraft and ordnance the British had to work with, the evolving strategic situation, and why the task was so difficult.

Angus Konstam is an acclaimed military and naval historian, and one of Osprey’s most experienced and respected authors, with 60 Osprey titles in print. His other books include Jutland: Twelve Hours to Win the War, Sovereigns of the Seas: The quest to build the perfect Renaissance battleship, and The Battle of North Cape. A former naval officer, underwater archaeologist and maritime museum curator, Angus has had a long and passionate love affair with the sea, maritime history and warships. Angus is now a full-time writer and historian, and has served as the Chair of the Society of Authors in Scotland. He currently lives in Edinburgh. For more details visit the author’s website at www.anguskonstam.com