Tirpitz: The Life and Death of Germany's Last Super Battleship

by Niklas Zetterling, Michael Tamelander

The authors of Bismarck deliver “a very good account of the Tirpitz and of the naval war in the North Atlantic and Norwegian waters” during World War II (NYMAS Review).   After the Royal Navy’s bloody high seas campaign to kill the mighty Bismarck, the Allies were left with an uncomfortable truth—the German behemoth had a twin sister. Slightly larger than her sibling, the Tirpitz was equally capable of destroying any other battleship afloat, as well as wreaking havoc on Allied troop and supply convoys. For the next three and a half years, the Allies launched a variety of attacks to remove Germany’s last serious surface threat, hidden within fjords along the Norwegian coast.   Trying an indirect approach, the British launched one of the war’s most daring commando raids—at St. Nazaire—in order to knock out the last drydock in Europe capable of servicing the Tirpitz. Of over six hundred commandos and sailors in the raid, more than half were lost during an all-night battle that succeeded, at least, in knocking out the drydock. It was not until November 1944 that the Tirpitz finally succumbed to British aircraft armed with ten-thousand–pound Tallboy bombs, the ship capsizing at last with the loss of one thousand sailors.   In this book, military historians Niklas Zetterling and Michael Tamelander, authors of The Final Days of Germany’s Greatest Battleship, illuminate the strategic implications and dramatic battles surrounding the Tirpitz, a ship that may have had greater influence on the course of World War II than her more famous sister.   “A riveting story . . . keeps the reader engaged.” —Nautilus, A Maritime Journal of Literature, History and Culture

Genres: History, World War II, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, War, Naval History

365 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Niklas Zetterling is a researcher at the Swedish Defense College. Along with Anders Frankson he has previously written Kursk 1943: A Statistical Analysis and The Korsun Pocket: The Encirclement and Breakout of a German Army in the East, 1944.

Reviews

[Érsek Máté · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite easily followable, dynamic account of the ship's short-lived career, with focus on Allied attempts of its destruction. In terms of drawbacks, I noted two minor points: first, the lack of precise technical details and specifications. I know that those are available in the other book of the author about the almost identical Bismarck, nevertheless, as a casual reader, I had neither the opportunity nor the eagerness to look elsewhere for the information other than this book. Second, the language and tone is sometimes so removed that it feels as if the author had little empathy for the casualties and the human side of the events. But it is noticeable only in a few places, as there are many personal stories and closely followed human struggles as well. Overall, a recommended and worthwhile read!

[Balder Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, the detail in the description is insane, I could clearly see it all in front of my eyes. Would definitively recommend to WW2 history nerds

[Duane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice read if you know nothing of the Tirpitz and it's history. For anyone wanting to know intricate details about the ship and her exploits, I think you should look elsewhere. The author admits at the beginning of the book that they don't go into great detail about the ship simply because if you read up on the Bismark, you'll already know what you need to. A few photographs and maps help with the read, but it would have been nicer to have a middle photo section like most history books do. The author does go into detail about the various schemes the British did to try to sink the Tirpitz. A nice read but if you need some resource information, look elsewhere.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unlike what the title might lead you to believe, this book is not a detailed history of the battleship Tirpitz. Instead, it is really more a description of the naval and air operations around Norway and in the Barents Sea, told with the Tirpitz as the centerpiece. Nonetheless, I found this book to be very informative and interesting. Considerable time is spent describing the various attempts made by the British to disable or sink the Tirpitz via bombing (both carrier-based and land-based), manned torpedoes, and X-craft (mini-subs).

[Bill Tsui · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this book is almost like a personal diary of a sailor of the super battleship Tirpitz, you never lose a page in this book. It becomes very heartbreaking at the end as the author documented the end of this magnificent battleship flawlessly. This story makes you feel like you are actually in the battle in the baltic sea. 10/10

[Blake Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well depicted of the allied efforts to destroy the Tirpitz. I would have like further detail on the Tirpitz exploits, however I understand there aren't much to speak of in retrospect. Very well written and kept me entertained throughout. If you like the Bismarck book by the same authors, you'll love this book.