This third volume illustrates the deployment of the TIRPITZ to Norway and the stationing in the Trondheim area. Both the high quality and quantity of the hitherto unpublished photo material illustrate the life of this largest German warship.
After years of research spent on evaluating historic documents such as the war diaries and after finding the locations associated to the diary entries, it has been possible to allocate almost the entire range of photos to certain locations and time frames. History thus can be still viewed in quick motion: arrival at Faettenfjord, followed by first deployment against an Allied convoy (PQ12) and the abortion of the sortie, as well as the brief stay at the Bogenfjord near Narvik. After that return to Trondheim in order to prepare for the next operations against the Allied lines of supply.
All of this is supplemented by detailed technical information and projections depicting the individual stages of fitting-out, the camouflage patterns of the warship, as well as the operation routes along the Norwegian coastline. Furthermore, photos of the past and the present are shown side-by-side for comparison purposes in order to identify the individual mooring places of the ship. But also further units such as PRINZ EUGEN and ADMIRAL SCHEER, which were intended to operate with the TIRPITZ, have been included in order to complete the historic chain of events.
Despite having been a German warship, the TIRPITZ – and her famous sistership, the BISMARCK – still receives strong worldwide attention today. For this reason the German texts and captions are accompanied by their respective English translations to make this historic period of the German Kriegsmarine linguistically accessible to non-German readers.
More than 400 mostly unpublished photos, perspective representations of the fitting-out stages and the camouflage schemes of the battleship, historical maps of port facilities maps of the ship’s movements.