Bismarck Class Battleship
Tirpitz was the second Bismarck Class Battleship of the German Kriegsmarine, sister ship of Bismarck, named after Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz. She never fired against an enemy ship but spent most of World War II in various bases in German-occupied Norway, where her mere presence was a threat to the Allies, tying up significant naval forces. Due to her role and bases of operations she was dubbed the “Lonely Queen of the North” (“Den ensomme Nordens Dronning”) by the Norwegians. She was the largest battleship ever built in Europe, with dimensions slightly exceeding those of her sister ship. On 12 November 1944 Royal Air Force Avro Lancaster heavy bombers bombed and sank Tirpitz at her moorings.
Displacement: 42,900 tonnes standard
53,500 tonnes full load (1943)
Length: 253.6 m overall
241.7 m waterline
Beam: 36.0 m waterline
Draught: 9.9 m standard
10.6 m full load
Propulsion: 12 Wagner high-pressure boilers
3 Brown-Boveri geared turbines;
3 three-blade propellers, 4.70 m diameter
163,026 hp (121 MW)
Speed: 30.8 knots (57.0 km/h)
Range: 8,870 nautical miles (16,400 km) @ 19 knots (35 km/h)
Complement: 2,608
108 officers and 2,500 men (1943)
Armament: 8 × 380 mm/L52 SK C/34 (4×2)
12 × 150 mm/L55 SK-C/28
16 × 105 mm/L65 SK-C/37 / SK-C/33
16 × 37 mm/L83 SK-C/30
12 × 20 mm/L65 MG C/30 (Single)
72 × 20 mm/L65 MG C/38 (Quadruple)
2 × Quadruple 533 mm G7a T1 torpedo tubes
Armor: Belt: 145 to 320 mm
Deck: 50 to 120 mm
Bulkheads: 220 mm
Turrets: 130 to 360 mm
Barbettes: 342 mm
Conning tower: 360 mm
Aircraft carried: 4 × Arado Ar196A-3, with 1 double-ended catapult
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