A ship history : Tirpitz

From the Washington Naval Treaty to the end of the Second World War.
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Dave Saxton
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Re: A ship history : Tirpitz

Post by Dave Saxton »

It has been some time ago now since the shell was found so such details as to exactly where and the type (HE, AP, Blind, AA) I do not re-call. Some possibilities:

Blind and AA shells could probably range farther from 30* departure angle than the 800kg AP and HE. Tommy would probably know more. (42 km was the max ballistic range of the 800kg ordnance at ideal gun elevation)

Tirpitz conducted regular drills and exercises within the fjords throughout its time in Norway, which included live fire shoots. A 800kg shell fired into the mountains during such exercises could have fallen any distance within 36km from the ship when it was fired, but was coincidently 42km from the anchorage.
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tommy303
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Re: A ship history : Tirpitz

Post by tommy303 »

The shell in question was a, probably, a Spgr.m.Kz. L/4,6 fuzed with Z.Z s60 nA for use in anti-aircraft barrages. It would certainly have had the inertia to travel the distance between where Tirpitz was anchored during the attack on 29.10.1944 and where it was found; it was apparently was a dud which came down and possibly richochetted eventually coming to rest in a bog near Ullsfjord Norway. If I recall, it was found in 1967 or 1968 and was defuzed and put on display (it was repainted, but the lettering on the shell was, at least as late as 2010, incorrect.

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Antonio Bonomi
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Re: A ship history : Tirpitz

Post by Antonio Bonomi »

Hello everybody,

just for my curiosity, did anybody ever realize that the " Red Brick Houses " camouflage was applied on the Tirpitz only on one side while on construction into Wilhelmshaven BauHafen ?
Red_Brick_House_camo_Tirpitz.jpg
Red_Brick_House_camo_Tirpitz.jpg (77.42 KiB) Viewed 1744 times
Did you ever realize that on the other side she was like this, with the sea waves applied ?

Just curios, ... I know this was NOT a war time camouflage, ... it was on her BEFORE her commissioning, ... what do you really know about her pre-Norway time camouflage schemes ?

Just curious ... while we work on the next books ... :wink:

Bye Antonio :D
In order to honor a soldier, we have to tell the truth about what happened over there. The whole, hard, cold truth. And until we do that, we dishonor her and every soldier who died, who gave their life for their country. ( Courage Under Fire )
Steve Crandell
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Re: A ship history : Tirpitz

Post by Steve Crandell »

That's pretty cool, Antonio. I think that's the first time I've seen anything like that.
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Antonio Bonomi
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Re: A ship history : Tirpitz

Post by Antonio Bonomi »

Hello everybody,

thanks Steve, ... YES that is a very unusual camouflage, ... but we will see it was NOT the only one she had to hide her with the surrounding area she was anchored close to.

Here the first " official painting " she had with the usual RAL 7000 ( Dunkelgrau - Hull ) and RAL 7001 ( Hellgrau - Upperworks ) painting scheme.
Tirpitz_February_1941_at_commissioning.jpg
Tirpitz_February_1941_at_commissioning.jpg (100.36 KiB) Viewed 1718 times
You can notice some main details never evidenced before about Tirpitz status on February 1941 :

1 ) - The Tirpitz only had 6 and not yet 8 by 105 mm twin sets : 4 new models C33 and 2 old model C31 aft; this because 4 of her new sets C33 were given to Bismarck.
The 2 missing sets were the ones more forward to the bow, called A-Anton obviously.

2 ) - The ship did have 2 sets of depth charge launchers on the stern, just like Prinz Eugen and Bismarck.

More, all perfectly correlated with never published photos, you can find in this book on her from the construction until May 1941.

http://bismarck-tirpitz.com/

Bye Antonio :D
In order to honor a soldier, we have to tell the truth about what happened over there. The whole, hard, cold truth. And until we do that, we dishonor her and every soldier who died, who gave their life for their country. ( Courage Under Fire )
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Antonio Bonomi
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Re: A ship history : Tirpitz

Post by Antonio Bonomi »

Hello everybody,

70 years ago today ... the Tirpitz was sunk near Hakoya in Tromso.

RIP to her brave crew and the beautiful warship they where into while capsizing.

Bye Antonio :D
In order to honor a soldier, we have to tell the truth about what happened over there. The whole, hard, cold truth. And until we do that, we dishonor her and every soldier who died, who gave their life for their country. ( Courage Under Fire )
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