Operation Tungsten (1944)

Operation Tungsten (1944):?It is April 3, 1944. Commander Hans Meyer of the Tirpitz oversaw preparations for speed trials in the Alten Fjord. Six months previously, his battleship had been severely damaged during Operation Source when midget submarines planted armor-piercing explosives on her hull. Finally, after painstaking repairs, it was time to see if Tirpitz was restored to her old prowess.

?Then, the shrill drone of approaching aircraft shattered the routine. Crew members scrambled as Meyer from the bridge sounded the alarm, mobilizing flak crews and ordering a smoke screen. But on the horizon, British aircraft were fast approaching as the German crews prepared for another battle.?

?In September 1943, the British Admiralty had launched Operation Source using X-Craft midget submarines. A specialized team launched a hidden attack against the Tirpitz. Most midget submarines sank and the crew of two were captured, but not before placing explosives on Tirpitz's hull.?

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The damage was surprisingly severe, with Tirpitz rendered disabled for months. Repairs commenced in Karfjord in October 1943, but couldn't be completed until March 1944 due to the lack of operational engines.?

Churchill's desired outcome of neutralizing Tirpitz's threat to Arctic convoys was achieved, as the battleship was effectively incapacitated for an extended period. It was a significant blow not just to the Kriegsmarine, but to the entire German war effort.?

Then, in December 1943, Germany suffered another serious blow. Allied convoys to Soviet Arctic ports resumed, supplying the Red Army on the Eastern Front.?

Multiple convoys had successfully reached Murmansk and Arkhangelsk, and with the Tirpitz under repairs, the Germans had to send another vessel to intercept future convoys. Operation Ostfront saw the Scharnhorst venture from the Altenfjord to do exactly that.?

However, British cruisers successfully shielded the convoy, leading the Scharnhorst to retreat. Her radar failure and British radar advantage led to its defeat.?

As she tried to evade, the home fleet, commanded by Admiral Fraser aboard the Duke of York battleship, cornered and sank her with only twenty-two survivors. By winter's end, German naval strength in the area was significantly diminished, and Tirpitz became the only sole operational German battleship.?

Although the engine issues were more serious than initially thought, by March, Tirpitz was operational again after six months of dormancy. She remained a fleet in being, as she had been before, however. The Kaffjord boasted extensive defensive measures, including flak batteries, torpedo nets, and smoke screens, supported by coastal radar stations and naval patrols. With radar warnings and multiple airfield proximity, the Luftwaffe air cover was supposed to prevent the Tirpitz from being bombed.?

British intelligence closely monitored Tirpitz's progress, and in late 1943, plans were made for further attempts to sink her. Photographic reconnaissance provided vital intelligence for operations against her.?

The previous attempt with midget submarines proved ineffective, as strengthened underwater defenses thwarted such efforts. Consequently, the Allies turned to air power, planning a carrier-based attack, similar to historic raids like Taranto and Pearl Harbour. Britain's fleet air arm relied on the Fairey Barracuda.

?Though slow, it carried decent bomb loads but struggled against Tirpitz's defenses. Naval fighters like the Hellcat and Corsair provided support using speed to bypass defenses. In late January 1944, the Admiralty tasked Admiral Charles Forbes of the Home Fleet with devising a plan to attack the Tirpitz in March, coinciding with the battleship's post-repair trials.?

The raid aimed to incapacitate the battleship using new 1,600-pound or roughly 725-kilo armor-piercing bombs. It was decided to use modified barracudas, escorted by Corsairs, Wildcats, and Hellcats. Admiral Forbes had already initiated plans for a naval airstrike in December, led by Vice Admiral Sir Henry Moore.?

Admiral Sir Henry Moore. This operation, dubbed Operation Tungsten, involved five aircraft carriers and over 100 aircraft, with the fleet carrier Victorious as the centerpiece. On March 27, Convoy JW58 departed for Murmansk, escorted by Allied forces. Three days later, Admiral Fraser led a fleet from Scapa Flow, including battleships, a carrier, cruisers and destroyers, initially providing distant cover but later joining Operation Tungsten.

?Concurrently, Rear Admiral Latouche Bisset commanded another group, including carriers, cruisers, tankers and destroyers. Anson and Victorious were scheduled to merge with Bissett's force on April 3rd for the operation. Reports indicated minimal opposition for JW 58 and favorable weather for air operations.?

Ultra decrypts revealed Tirpitz's trial delay until April 3rd, prompting Fraser to advance Operation Tungsten to exploit potential vulnerabilities. Despite a near-collision caused by a steering malfunction, all ships assembled as planned by dawn on April 3rd, over 200 kilometers northwest of the Tirpitz, undetected despite clear skies and excellent visibility. Airmen prepared for the operation with final briefings and aircraft prepped on carriers.?

At 4.15, 10 Vought Corsairs from the Victorious took off, serving as a high-altitude escort while other aircraft readied. The primary strike force comprised 32 Barracuda dive bombs, under command of Lieutenant Commander Roy Sidney Baker Faulkner divided into two wings, each consisting of 16 planes. For escort duty during the flight, 40 Wildcats launching from searcher and pursuer, along with 20 Hellcats aboard Emperor, would shield the Barracudas from potential Luftwaffe threats.?

Thus, the strike force comprised over 100 aircraft, with more than half dedicated to fighter protection. By 4.37am, the first wave had assembled and set off towards the target, following an east-south easterly course. Initially skimming low to avoid German coastal radar, the Barracudas climbed to their optimal dive-bombing altitude of 3,000 meters when 40 kilometers from the coast.?

Above them, Corsairs circled, while smaller fighters flanked the dive bombers, weaving to maintain pace. As they ascended for the attack, German radar detected the force, but delayed reporting until it was too late for effective countermeasures. Around 5.15am, near the small island of Loppa, some 74 km northwest of the target, they reached the coast. Their route traversed snow-covered mountains and two smaller fjords, the Oxford and the Langfjord, both serving as destroyer anchorages.?

Although some crews witnessed ships opening fire, they were safely beyond range. Approximately 16 kilometers or 3 minutes flying time from the target, Baker-Faulkner planned to execute the attack in a long single column of bombers. The sudden appearance of the aircraft caught the crew of the Tirpitz off guard.?

The Tirpitz was on the verge of departing, preparing for speed trials near the seaward end of the Altenfjord. Many crew members were on deck, readying to cast off. From the bridge, Captain Meyer swiftly sounded the alarm, prompting the flak crews to dash to their positions while orders were given to initiate the smokescreen. But time was a luxury they couldn't afford. The British aircraft were already upon them.?

As the Barracudas, aligned for their dive bombing assault, the Wildcats and Hellcats descended low, strafing anything in sight. Leading the charge, the Wildcats descended over the hills, flying up the fjord in a line abreast, unleashing a torrent of fire from their Browning machine guns. Bullets tore into the German sailors, scrambling for cover on the battleship's upper decks.?

Following suit, other fighters joined the fray, transforming the tear pits into a scene of chaos and carnage, with several flak guns out of order. But this was merely the opening act. Then, a minute behind, the first barracudas initiated their attack, swooping down towards their target in a disorganized formation. The prescribed release height for the 725 kg bombs was 1,100 m.

?Yet in the frenzy of combat, most crews held on longer, dropping their payloads from approximately 760 m. Many bombs failed to penetrate the armored deck due to low release altitudes.?

Upon releasing their ordnance, Barracudas maneuvered to evade the now intense flak explosions enveloped the tirpitz shrouding it in smoke and flame all the payloads were dropped as the attack had been ongoing for exactly one minute as the last flak guns fell silent the tirpitz crew took stock caught off guard only a handful of flak guns managed to fire before the attackers withdrew the aftermath was horrific with screams of pain echoing across the battleship as men lay wounded and dead amid the carnage.?

The vessel drifted uncontrollably, eventually grounding itself on the western shore. Amidst the chaos, Captain Meyer sustained injuries, leaving Captain Wolf Junger to assume command. Despite the devastation, the crew hastily cleared the decks, allowing the Tirpitz to maneuver before the next attack.?

Meanwhile, columns of smoke began rising from the shore. Remnants of futile smoke screen generators started too late. The blanket would be in place by the next wave's arrival. In the initial wave of the assault, the Tirpitz endured a series of hits. A 725kg armor-piercing bomb struck the starboard side of the forecastle, forward of the Anton turret.?

Another 725kg AP bomb impacted the port side of the catapult deck. A 270 kg semi-armor-piercing bomb hit the funnel. The bridge suffered damage from a 225 kg semi-armor piercing bomb. One or possibly two 225kg medium capacity bombs struck the port side of the Bruno turret. The aft superstructure on the port side likely sustained damage from a 225 kg bomb. The starboard side of the boat deck probably took damage from a 225 kg SAP bomb.?

The foremast on the starboard side likely sustained damage from a 725kg AP bomb. In the interim, the second wave under command of Lieutenant Commander Rance took flight. Departing from furious and victorious, the barracudas faced complications during launch. Engine trouble and a tragic crash claimed the lives of three aircrew, leaving 19 barracudas to form the strike.?

As they crossed the coast at Loppa, a column of black smoke marked the burning Tirpitz, 64 km and 12 minutes flight away. As the Hellcats and Wildcats descended upon the Calfjord from the north, the assault unfolded with precision. Hellcats engaged in strafing runs on the flak batteries lining the fjord's northwestern side, diverting attention away from the Wildcats' primary target.?

Rance observed the flak batteries adjusting their fire, setting shells to burst at 900 meters. However, by the time most of the barracudas dived through, releasing their bombs, the Tirpitz had already begun maneuvering slowly within the fjord.?

As the second wave approached, the battleship's starboard flak guns gained a clear line of fire up the fjord, though the aircrews described the ship's fire as light, with more significant threats emanating from the shore-based flak batteries.?

A Barracuda instantly fell victim to enemy fire, crashing into the hillside on the south side of the fjord in a fiery explosion. However, the fjord soon cleared once more, the attack lasting no more than a minute. The aftermath revealed a scene of devastation aboard the Tirpitz.?

Jagged, twisted metal littered the deck, bomb holes spewed smoke and flame, and the scent of burning permeated the air. A 725 kilograms armor-piercing bomb struck the starboard side of the aft superstructure, initially targeted on the hangar.?

One, or possibly two, 225kg medium capacity bombs hit the starboard beam, just inboard of the secondary turret. A probable 225 kg semi-armor piercing bomb likely hit the starboard side of the quarterdeck.?

Another probable 225 kg semi-armor piercing bomb likely struck the starboard side of the Caesar turret. Additionally, a probable 225kg MC bomb may have hit immediately forward of the foremast.?

Despite serious flooding and a slight starboard list, the damage control efforts proved effective, with fires extinguished and flooding contained. Allied losses included one Corsair, three Barracudas, and nine crew members.

?In contrast, the Germans lost 123 sailors, with 329 wounded. Captain Jünger skillfully guided the battleship out into the fjord. Though the damage appeared severe, reports indicated that much of it was superficial, with the ship's armored decks remaining intact and her guns operational. While morale among the crew suffered a blow back aboard the carriers, air crews believed they had inflicted more damage than in reality.?

Reports of the battleship aflame and bomb impacts were widespread, leading Vice Admiral Bisset to conclude that the tear pits had been damaged enough to incapacitate her. However, subsequent reconnaissance flights revealed a different reality.?

The battleship, though battered, remained afloat. Within three weeks, Tirpitz was mostly repaired. First Sea Lord Sir Andrew Cunningham ordered another assault, met with reluctance from Admiral Fraser. Nonetheless, plans for a fresh attack were drawn up, signaling a continued effort to neutralize the battleship.?