Operation Catechism facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Operation Catechism |
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| Part of World War II | |||||||
 The Tirpitz's wreck painted by Stephen Bone |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Kingdom |
 Germany |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| James Tait |
Robert Weber † |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 29 bombers | Battleship Tirpitz 2 flak ships Anti-aircraft batteries |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 aircraft damaged | 940–1,204 killed Tirpitz destroyed |
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Operation Catechism was a British air attack during World War II. Its goal was to destroy the powerful German battleship Tirpitz. On 12 November 1944, 29 Royal Air Force (RAF) heavy bombers attacked the battleship. Tirpitz was anchored near the city of Tromsø in Norway.
The battleship was hit by at least two large bombs. It also suffered damage from other bombs exploding nearby. The Tirpitz quickly turned over, or capsized, after these hits. Between 940 and 1,204 crew members died. The British forces had no casualties during this attack.
This attack was the final step in a long effort to get rid of Tirpitz. The battleship was a big threat to Allied ships. In October 1944, Tirpitz had moved to the Tromsø area. It was already damaged from an earlier attack called Operation Paravane on 15 September. The same RAF squadrons, Nos. 9 and 617 Squadrons, tried to hit Tirpitz again on 29 October during Operation Obviate, but they were not successful.
Operation Catechism used the same plans as Operation Obviate. The bombers took off from bases in northern Scotland. The weather was clear, which helped the pilots aim their bombs accurately. German fighter aircraft from nearby Tromsø did not take off in time to stop the attack. One British bomber was damaged by anti-aircraft guns, but it returned safely.
Tirpitz capsized within minutes of being hit. Rescuers saved hundreds of her crew from the water. However, few of those trapped inside the ship survived. After the attack, some German military people were punished for not doing their duty. The destruction of Tirpitz was a big victory for the Allies and Norway. It is remembered with memorials and museum displays today.
Contents
Why Tirpitz Was a Threat
From early 1942, the German battleship Tirpitz was a major danger. It threatened Allied convoys carrying supplies to the Soviet Union. These convoys sailed through the Norwegian Sea. Tirpitz was based in fjords along the Norwegian coast.
The battleship was strong enough to overpower the smaller ships protecting the convoys. It could also break out into the North Atlantic Ocean. To deal with this danger, the Allies had to keep many powerful warships with the British Home Fleet. Large warships had to escort most convoys for part of their journey.
British forces attacked Tirpitz many times over several years. RAF heavy bombers tried four times between January and April 1942. These attacks happened while Tirpitz was at Fættenfjord, but they were not successful. From March 1943, Tirpitz moved to Kaafjord in northern Norway.
On 22 September 1943, during Operation Source, Tirpitz was badly damaged. British Royal Navy sailors used midget submarines to get into Kaafjord. They placed explosives on the battleship's hull. On 3 April 1944, planes from Royal Navy aircraft carriers attacked Tirpitz during Operation Tungsten. This attack caused more damage. Several later carrier attacks, like Operation Mascot and Operation Goodwood, were not successful.
After Operation Goodwood failed, the British decided that carrier attacks would not work. The Royal Navy's planes and weapons were not strong enough. So, the job of sinking Tirpitz was given to the RAF's Bomber Command. On 15 September 1944, Nos. 9 and 617 Squadrons attacked Tirpitz at Kaafjord. This was called Operation Paravane.
This operation used Avro Lancaster heavy bombers. They carried special Tallboy heavy bombs. These bombs weighed 12,000 pounds (5,400 kg). They were designed to destroy very strong targets. When dropped from high up, a Tallboy bomb could go through a battleship's deck armor. Then it would explode inside the ship. During Operation Paravane, one Tallboy hit Tirpitz. It caused huge damage to the front of the ship. This made Tirpitz unable to fight.
Since Tirpitz could not be fixed, and Soviet forces were getting closer to Kaafjord, Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz made a decision. Dönitz was the head of the German Navy (the Kriegsmarine). He ordered Tirpitz to move near Tromsø in northern Norway. There, it would be used as a stationary gun battery to defend the area. Dönitz hoped this would still make the Allies think Tirpitz was a threat.
A spot was chosen near Håkøya island. They thought the water there was shallow enough to stop the battleship from sinking if it was hit again. Tirpitz arrived on 16 October. But the water depth was deeper than expected. This meant the battleship could still capsize. Because of the space needed for Tirpitz's torpedo nets, it could not move closer to shore.
RAF and Royal Navy planes found Tirpitz at Tromsø on 18 October. The Allies didn't know for sure that the battleship was badly damaged. So, they decided to attack it again. Nos. 9 and 617 Squadrons attacked Tirpitz on 29 October. This was Operation Obviate. The Tromsø area was within range of RAF bases in northern Scotland. This made the attack easier than Operation Paravane.
To fly further, the Lancasters had extra fuel tanks and stronger engines. Their front and middle gun turrets and pilot's armor were removed. This made the Lancasters very open to German fighter aircraft. They had to fly without escort planes, as no British fighters could fly that far.
During Operation Obviate, the bombers flew north over the Norwegian Sea. They met over Torneträsk lake in Northern Sweden. This was against Sweden's neutrality. But it allowed the bombers to approach Tromsø from the south-east. The Allies believed the Germans would not expect an attack from that direction.
The weather was clear for most of the flight. But just before the Lancasters dropped their bombs, clouds covered Tirpitz. This made it impossible to aim accurately. The 33 planes that bombed did not hit the ship. Tirpitz was only slightly damaged by a bomb that landed nearby. One Lancaster was damaged by anti-aircraft fire and had to land in Sweden. The rest returned to their bases.
Planning the Attack
British Preparations
The Bomber Command was determined to sink Tirpitz quickly. They started planning another attack right after Operation Obviate. A report from the Royal Navy's Naval Intelligence Division on 3 November said Tirpitz still needed to be attacked. The report warned that the battleship could be repaired if left alone.
Attacking Tirpitz would be hard during the northern winter. This is because of the near constant darkness. So, new attacks had to happen within 23 days. No. 5 Group RAF ordered the next attack on Tirpitz for 5 November. It would use the same plans as Operation Obviate. This new raid was named Operation Catechism.
Two de Havilland Mosquito planes were sent to RAF Sumburgh on 4 November. These planes checked the weather in the Tromsø area every day. On the same day, 20 Lancasters from No. 9 Squadron and 19 from No. 617 Squadron went to airfields in northern Scotland. This was to get ready for the operation. A strong wind warning was issued that night. The raid was cancelled on the morning of 5 November. Both squadrons went back to their home bases. They tried again on 7 November, but the attack was cancelled again.
On 10 November, the Lancaster crews were told about another attack on Tirpitz. Both squadrons moved to northern Scotland on 11 November. Weather reports showed clear skies over Tromsø for up to two days. The planes were based at RAF Kinloss, RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Milltown.
German Defenses
Tirpitz's defenses were made stronger after Operation Obviate. More anti-aircraft guns were placed around Tromsø. Torpedo nets were also laid around the battleship. These added to the protection from the anti-aircraft ships Nymphe and Thetis. Several anti-aircraft batteries were also on the shore.
Workers started to make the water shallower under the battleship on 1 November. By 12 November, this work was half finished. The smoke generators that had protected Tirpitz at Kaafjord were still being set up. They were not ready for Operation Catechism. Instead, seven fishing boats with smoke generators were near the battleship. But they could not make enough smoke to cover Tirpitz completely.
The battleship's crew kept doing their training. They were still worried about more air attacks. On 4 November, Tirpitz's commanding officer, Captain Wolf Junge, left. Captain Robert Weber took his place. Weber believed that in three weeks, the days would be short enough to stop more air attacks. On 12 November, about 1,700 men were on board Tirpitz.
A group of 38 fighter planes was moved to Bardufoss after Operation Obviate. This was to improve the air defenses around Tromsø. These planes were part of Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5). Major Heinrich Ehrler was in temporary command. The unit had been moved from Kirkenes because Soviet forces were getting close. The unit was not well organized for Operation Catechism. Most of the pilots at Bardufoss were new and not well trained. They had not been properly told that Tirpitz was in the area. Ehrler arrived at Bardufoss on 9 November. He decided to stay until 12 November to help train the fighter pilots.
The Attack on Tirpitz
Taking Off
The decision to start Operation Catechism was made early on 12 November. A weather forecast on 11 November said there might be clouds over northern Norway. One of the Mosquito weather planes flew over the area that evening. Its crew reported some clouds when they returned to Scotland after midnight. But the commander of No. 5 Group, Air Commodore Ralph Cochrane, decided to try the attack anyway. He hoped the bombers would find clear weather over Tromsø. The plan was the same as for Operation Obviate.
A total of 32 Lancasters were sent out. No. 617 Squadron had 18 bombers, and No. 9 Squadron had 13. Like in earlier operations, a Lancaster from No. 463 Squadron RAAF joined them. This plane was set up to film the attack for propaganda movies. Seven No. 9 Squadron Lancasters could not take part. This included the plane of their commanding officer, Wing Commander James Bazin. Snow and ice had formed on them overnight, and they couldn't be cleared in time. Squadron Leader Bill Williams, No. 9 Squadron's deputy commander, was able to take off and led his unit.
The Lancasters flew separately over the Norwegian Sea. They crossed the Norwegian coast between Mosjøen and Namsos. This was where the Germans had a gap in their radar coverage. Some bombers flew too far north and were picked up by German radar. The attack force met over Torneträsk lake. After circling twice, No. 617 Squadron's commanding officer, Wing Commander "Willie" Tait, fired a flare gun. This was the signal for the planes to head to Tromsø. Two No. 9 Squadron Lancasters did not reach Torneträsk lake in time and went back to base.
Approaching the Target
The attack force flew north-west towards Tromsø. They climbed to 14,000 feet (4,300 meters) to get over the mountains. A Norwegian agent helped guide them with radio signals. By the time they reached Tromsø, both squadrons were flying in loose groups. No. 617 Squadron led the attack, followed by No. 9 Squadron. The Lancasters flew in groups of four to six planes. They were at altitudes between 14,000 feet (4,300 meters) and 15,000 feet (4,600 meters). The film plane from No. 463 Squadron approached Tromsø at 6,000 feet (1,800 meters). It then dropped to 2,000 feet (610 meters) to avoid anti-aircraft fire.
The German forces in Tromsø did not react well to many warnings. Between 7:39 am and 8:50 am BST, several lookout posts saw Lancasters. Since the first planes were flying east, they thought they might be going to the Soviet Union. Tirpitz was not told about these sightings until 8:15 am BST. Few reports reached the JG 5 fighter unit at Bardufoss. Tirpitz's air raid siren sounded at 8:51 am. Captain Weber told the crew seven minutes later that an attack was possible.
Around 9:15 am BST, Tirpitz contacted Bardufoss. They asked for fighter planes to protect them. This was too late for any fighters to reach Tromsø before the bombers arrived. The local German air force ordered the fighters to take off at 9:18 am. But there were delays. The planes did not start taking off from Bardufoss until about 9:32 am. Ehrler took off first. But other planes were delayed for several minutes while one plane landed on the runway. Ehrler flew to Tromsø alone. He could not find the British bombers before they attacked. It is not clear where the other fighters went.
The weather over Tromsø was still clear when the bombers arrived. Tait saw Tirpitz from 20 miles (32 km) away. He later said it looked "like a spider in her web."
Tirpitz is Destroyed
Tirpitz fired its first shots at 9:38 am BST. It used its 15-inch (380 mm) main guns from 13.5 miles (21.7 km) away. Other anti-aircraft guns also fired at the Lancasters. But they did not stop the bombers. There was no smoke screen as the planes flew towards their bombing positions.
The attack started at 9:41 am BST. Tait's plane was the first to drop its Tallboy bomb, which hit Tirpitz. No. 617 Squadron finished its attack by 9:44 am BST. All their planes dropped their bombs. No. 9 Squadron planes started dropping their Tallboys at 9:45 am BST. By this time, the battleship was on fire and covered in smoke. The last bomb was released at 9:49 am BST.
Tirpitz was destroyed very quickly. It was hit by two Tallboys that went through its armored deck. One hit the left side near the front of the ship but did not explode. The other, dropped by Tait's plane, hit the left side in the middle of the ship. It exploded over a boiler room. This explosion caused huge damage. It led to a lot of water flooding the ship and fires everywhere. The ship also started to lean to its left side by 15 to 20 degrees.
Several other bombs exploded in the water near Tirpitz. These caused more damage to its hull and more flooding. These explosions also made large holes under the ship. They blew away much of the gravel that had been placed beneath it. Another Tallboy probably hit Tirpitz too. Historians believe it might have bounced off the side or gone through the deck near the back of the ship. This could have started a fire near a ammunition storage area. Almost all the hits and near misses were on the left side of Tirpitz. This made it unstable, and the lean quickly got worse. Many sailors operating Tirpitz's anti-aircraft guns were killed or hurt. This greatly reduced the amount of fire directed at the Lancasters.
After the first bomb hit, Captain Weber ordered the crew to leave the armored part of the ship. They tried to stop the flooding. Even with the ship leaning, Weber thought Tirpitz would not sink. He believed the water under the hull was too shallow. But they could not stop the flooding. The controls for the water systems were abandoned. The amount of water coming in was too much to fight. Weber ordered the lower decks to be evacuated at 9:45 am. By then, the ship was leaning between 30 and 40 degrees. At 9:50 am, an ammunition storage area exploded. This caused huge damage.
Tirpitz's lean quickly increased. Soon, it was lying on its side. Weber then gave the order to abandon ship. The battleship continued to turn over. It capsized, or turned completely upside down, at 9:52 am. Almost 1,000 of her crew had either died by this time or were trapped inside the hull.
The crews of several Lancasters saw Tirpitz capsize. The film plane from No. 463 Squadron flew very low, at just 50 feet (15 meters), to film the event. Just after 11:00 am BST, a photo reconnaissance plane flew over Tromsø. It took pictures of the wreck. A secret agent also sent radio reports from Tromsø confirming that Tirpitz was destroyed.
After the Attack
Rescue Efforts
German forces in Tromsø tried to rescue the surviving crew members of Tirpitz. Within two hours, 596 men had either swum to shore or were rescued from the water. Others were trapped inside the overturned ship. These men were in air pockets. They needed to move to what was now the bottom of the ship to be rescued before their air ran out.
Soon after Tirpitz capsized, sailors climbed onto the hull. They marked spots where they heard signs of life. They needed special cutting tools to get through the thick hull. At first, none were available. Local Norwegian people who owned these tools hid them. Only one could be found. A total of 87 men were rescued from inside the hull in the 24 hours after the attack. Cutting continued for two more days. It was finally stopped when they believed the oxygen inside the wreck would be gone. No more survivors were found. The number of sailors and officers killed varies, but it is usually between 940 and 1,204. Captain Weber and all his senior officers died.
Many Norwegian civilians in Tromsø were happy that Tirpitz was destroyed. This meant they no longer had to provide housing for the crew. Some civilians who showed their happiness in public were arrested by the German secret police. Other Norwegians were sad about how the battleship's crew died.
Work began to take apart Tirpitz's wreck soon after the rescue efforts ended. This continued until the late 1950s. Before the war ended, German personnel removed the ship's bronze propellers and other parts. These were melted down. The wreck was sold to a Norwegian scrap company in 1948. It was broken up right where it was. The salvage work finished in 1957. By then, most of the battleship was gone.
Human remains found by the scrappers were first buried with unwanted parts of Tirpitz. But this stopped after complaints from a local church minister. The remains of hundreds of others were found and buried in Norwegian cemeteries.
Returning Home
One of the No. 9 Squadron Lancasters was badly damaged by anti-aircraft fire. Its pilot decided to try to crash-land in Sweden. The crew contacted Swedish military forces at a small airfield. They prepared it for the bomber. One of the Lancaster's engines stopped while trying to land. The pilot made a belly landing in a field near a village. None of the crew were hurt. They were kept in Sweden by the government. Later, they were sent back to the UK.
The other Lancasters had a difficult flight back because of strong winds. Many had to land at different airfields due to low fuel. But all landed safely on the afternoon of 12 November. Two Lancasters landed at RAF Banff. One of them still had its Tallboy bomb, which had not dropped. After the plane stopped, and just after the crew left, the Tallboy fell out onto the concrete. The film plane flew directly to its home base, RAF Waddington. Its pilot was questioned by Air Commodore Cochrane. The bomber squadrons returned to their home bases over the next two days.
In the days after the attack, the airmen received congratulations. King George VI, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and the War Cabinet all sent their praise. The airmen were also given 48 hours of leave. Churchill was congratulated by other Allied leaders, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin. The Air Ministry announced Tirpitz's destruction on 13 November. This led to many happy stories in British newspapers the next day. The news was also reported in many other countries.
Tait and Williams went to London on 14 November for a press conference. They also gave interviews. Tait described the raid on a BBC broadcast. Williams spoke with American CBS reporter Edward R. Murrow. The success of Operation Catechism was celebrated in Allied countries. Tirpitz was seen as a symbol of the Nazi regime. Its destruction showed that the war was ending. Tait, however, was not sure how important the operation was. He later wrote that it "had not contributed much to the Allied victory" because the damaged battleship was no longer a threat.
Many aircrew involved in Operation Catechism received awards. Cochrane suggested Tait for the Victoria Cross, the highest military award. But he was not given it. Instead, Tait received another bar for his Distinguished Service Order (DSO). This award recognized his "bravery and extreme devotion to duty" and his role in leading three attacks on Tirpitz. Two other pilots received the DSO. Six airmen were given the Distinguished Flying Cross.
The destruction of Tirpitz meant the Allies could use their resources elsewhere. More than half of the Home Fleet was sent to other areas. Many ships went to the Pacific to fight Japanese forces.
Why the Attack Was Important
German Response
Losing Tirpitz was a disaster for the German military in northern Norway. Many lives were lost. Also, the German Navy (the Kriegsmarine) no longer had any large warships to threaten Allied convoys. Ehrler and several people at observation posts, anti-aircraft guns, and ships were punished. They were put on trial by the military and imprisoned. Ehrler was found guilty of leaving his unit's operations room under the command of a lower-ranking officer. He was sentenced to three years in prison but was released after a month and demoted. He died in combat on 4 April 1945. Many people believe Ehrler was unfairly blamed. Dönitz also ordered an investigation into why the battleship capsized. The investigation found that the water depth where the ship was anchored was not correct.
It is not clear why the fighters at Bardufoss failed to protect the battleship. Many documents from the war did not survive. Stories from survivors sometimes do not match. Historian John Sweetman believes the failure was because the order to stop the bombers came too late. Also, there were no clear plans to work together on defense. He said delays happened because they didn't quickly realize the bombers were heading for Tirpitz. Also, communication was slow. German naval officers could not directly tell German air force officers information. Messages had to go through separate channels and only higher-ranking officers could share information between the services. Historian Daniel Knowles agreed. He called Tirpitz's defenses "chaotic" because of poor communication.
British Analysis
The British military studied the attack closely. In December 1944, No. 5 Group's headquarters looked at how accurate the bombing was. They found that No. 617 Squadron was much more accurate than No. 9 Squadron. This might have been because No. 9 Squadron's bomb aimers used the wrong wind speed in their bomb sights. The better bomb sight on No. 617 Squadron's planes may also have helped.
After the war ended in Europe, an RAF team went to Norway in May 1945. They wanted to find out why Tirpitz sank. They looked at the wreck and talked to German officers. Their report said that the damage from earlier attacks had never been fully fixed. The team concluded that Tirpitz was hit directly by two Tallboys. Another team from the Royal Navy also inspected the wreck. They believed that problems with Tirpitz's design and open watertight doors caused the ship to capsize quickly. Sweetman noted that there was no single reason for Tirpitz's loss. It was a mix of two direct hits, damage from five near misses, and problems with the battleship's design.
Historians' Views
Historians have different opinions on whether the final attacks on Tirpitz were needed. Angus Konstam wrote that the battleship was no threat after April 1944. This was because of the damage from earlier operations. He argued that later attacks were because Churchill and others were "obsessed" with destroying Tirpitz. Operations Obviate and Catechism were mainly for propaganda. Patrick Bishop said that the strong desire to hunt Tirpitz seemed too much now. But he noted that wartime created its own reasons. He also said Operation Catechism did not do much to end the war.
Other historians believe the attacks were right. Sweetman wrote that Allied intelligence was wrong to think Tirpitz could be repaired. But the British leaders acted correctly based on the information they had. John Ellis agreed. He also argued that the attacks helped a deception plan. This plan made the Germans keep many soldiers in Norway. They wrongly believed the Allies planned to land there. A retired US Navy Rear Admiral, William H. Langenberg, said that all Allied attempts to damage or sink Tirpitz were justified because of its importance.
There is agreement that the Allied forces carried out the attack well. But the German forces failed. Konstam noted that Operations Paravane, Obviate, and Catechism were "well-planned and conducted." He said they provided a good end to a long air campaign. Sweetman wrote that while the Royal Navy's planes could have destroyed Tirpitz "with luck," the Lancaster bomber and Tallboy bomb were better. Bishop stated that Tirpitz's crew "did their duty." But the German air force failed. Jan Forsgren said that the German high command did not pay enough attention to the battleship's defense. This was "quite remarkable" given the earlier British attacks.
Remembering Tirpitz
Nos. 9 and 617 Squadrons have a long-standing friendly competition. They both claim credit for destroying Tirpitz. This started right after Operation Catechism. In 1950, the Norwegian Government gave the RAF part of a bulkhead from the wreck. Tirpitz's crew had painted a picture of the battleship on it. This was first shown at RAF Binbrook. Both squadrons had flown from there during World War II. But No. 9 Squadron personnel soon stole it. They put it in their unit's headquarters. For the next 50 years, the squadrons played elaborate tricks to steal the trophy from each other. It was given to the Royal Air Force Museum in 2002. It is now on display at Royal Air Force Museum London.
Tirpitz is remembered by several monuments. The main memorial is a small granite slab. It honors the ship and the sailors who died. It is at the Ehrenfriedhof cemetery in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Tirpitz survivors held a ceremony there every 12 November until at least 2014. The Tirpitz Museum at Kaafjord has items and photos related to the battleship. Other items from the wreck are shown at a museum in Tromsø and other museums worldwide. Some of the battleship's armor plates were sold to the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. They still use them to cover holes in roads in the Oslo area. The parts of the battleship that are still in the water off Håkøya are now a protected area. They are treated as a war grave.
