Tirpitz

The Kriegsmarine battleship Tirpitz was the largest warship in Europe and the German fleet built at the Kriegsmarinewerft shipyard. Launched on April 1, 1939 in Wilhelmshaven and sunk on November 12, 1944, she was named after Großadmiral Alfred von Tirpitz, creator of the German Imperial Fleet. Measuring 251 meters long, 36 meters wide and a draft of 11 meters, it weighed 56,000 tonnes when fully loaded. Armed with 380 mm guns and anti-aircraft defense, its armor made it resistant to the shells of the time. Although threatening, the Tirpitz was mainly used as a scarecrow and remained mostly at anchor in Norway, protected by smoke screens. Despite attempted air and submarine attacks, it was not until 1944 that she was sunk by an RAF air attack, with nearly 971 dead. After the war, her wreck was stripped for materials.