Operation Tungsten

3 April 1944, Kåfjord, Altafjord, northern Norway

British success; Tirpitz badly damaged again

Tirpitz was just ready for sea trials after the X-craft damage when the Home Fleet's carriers struck. Early on 3 April 1944 forty Barracuda dive bombers from Victorious and Furious, with escorting fighters from four escort carriers, came in over the mountains in two waves before her smoke screen could hide her. They hit her fifteen times. The bombs were too light to pierce her main armour deck, but they wrecked her upperworks and killed more than 120 men. Only two aircraft were lost. Tirpitz was out of action again for three months.