Flying from a forward base in the Soviet Union, No. 617 Squadron — the famed 'Dam Busters' — and No. 9 Squadron struck the Tirpitz at Kaafjord with earthquake bombs designed to penetrate armored decks. One direct hit tore through the ship's bow, and while she did not sink outright, the damage was severe enough that she never sailed operationally again, ending Germany's last major naval threat in northern waters.
The Tirpitz, sister ship to the Bismarck, had haunted Allied naval planners for years simply by existing — her presence in Norwegian fjords tied down British battleships and aircraft carriers that were desperately needed elsewhere, a strategic drain known as the 'Tirpitz threat.' Previous attacks by midget submarines and carrier aircraft had damaged her but never finished the job.
For this raid, the RAF flew from Yagodnik airfield near Arkhangelsk in the USSR, a logistical feat in itself, to get within range of Kaafjord. The Tallboy, a 12,000-pound deep-penetration bomb designed by Barnes Wallis, was built to bury itself in the ground or armor before exploding, generating a shockwave that could shatter concrete or steel from beneath.
One Tallboy struck the ship's forecastle, blasting a hole roughly 200 square feet and flooding compartments; the Germans, recognizing she was no longer seaworthy, later moved her to Tromsø as a floating gun battery rather than attempt repairs. A final raid there in November 1944 capsized her for good, but this September strike was the blow that ended her career as a warship.
Key people: Barnes Wallis