Tirpitz: Hunting the Beast

by John Sweetman

The German battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz had brutally short careers. The Bismarck was sunk by the Home Fleet on her first operational sortie in May 1941. But the Tirpitz, hiding in Norwegian fjords, remained a menace to Allied convoys and tied down the British Home Fleet for three years. Periodic scares that the Tirpitz was 'out' disrupted naval operations and in 1942 led to the dispersal and destruction of Convoy Pq17. Many attacks on the Tirpitz were made by British X-craft and Chariots, by the Fleet Air Arm and by Raf Bomber Command. From May 1940 over 700 British aircraft tried to bomb, mine or torpedo the Tirpitz on 33 separate missions; she was finally destroyed by Lancaster bombers with 5-ton Tallboy bombs. This is the most comprehensive account of the air attacks on 'the beast' ever published, which is the result of extensive research of the British and German records by the author, former head of Defence and International Affairs at Rma Sandhurst.

Genres: History

304 pages, Paperback

First published August 25, 2002

Reviews

[Manray9 · Rating 2 out of 5]

John Sweetman's Tirpitz: Hunting the Beast recounts British attempts to neutralize the German battleship TIRPITZ during World War II. TIRPITZ spent most of the war in Norwegian waters threatening Allied convoys to Murmansk, as well as creating the potential to breakout into the Atlantic like her sister ship, BISMARCK. The British perception of the threat posed by TIRPITZ arguably exceeded its reality. But as a “fleet in being,” the German battleship required the Royal Navy to keep one modern dreadnought and one fleet carrier, plus consorts, in home waters during times when such vessels were sorely needed in the Mediterranean and later in the Far East.

Winston Churchill was consumed with sinking TIRPITZ and it was he who dubbed her “the beast.” Churchill badgered the Royal Navy, RAF, and the Chiefs of Staff for plans to destroy TIRPITZ. He wouldn't let the matter rest. The British attempted all conceivable means of attack: human torpedoes (called “chariots”), midget subs (designated “X-craft”), multiple raids by carrier-based Fleet Air Arm (FAA) squadrons, and land-based bomber attacks from Scotland and by units deployed to the USSR. The RAF and FAA staged 33 attacks on TIRPITZ between 1940 and 1944 using bombs, torpedoes, and mines. Finally, specially-equipped Avro Lancaster bombers finished the job in November 1944 with 12,000 lb “Tall Boy” bombs designed by “Dambusters” engineering genius, Neville Barnes Wallis.

Sweetman's book left me underwhelmed. He was no storyteller. The book lacked an overarching perspective, a strong narrative thread, and the necessary context. He produced a simple chronological account of British efforts containing long passages reading as if extracted from log books -- this happened, that happened, then this and then that. Tirpitz: Hunting the Beast needed fleshing out. It lacked depth as much as did TIRPITZ's last mooring berth. While informative, it's not worth more than Two Stars on my shelf.

[Barry Irwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of the air campaign against the Tirpitz. The last third of the book deals with the RAF Bommer command rades that ultimately lead to its sinking.

[Roderick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great tale of military misadventure and blunder. The sheer amount of resources the British wasted trying to sink this ONE ship was staggering. And probably worth more than Tirpitz cost to build. It is a good read.