Albacore attack on Tirpitz

9 March 1942, Off the Lofoten Islands, Norway

German escape; no hits

On 6 March 1942 Tirpitz sailed from Trondheim with destroyers to attack the Arctic convoys PQ 12 and QP 8. In fog and snow she missed both, and her destroyers sank only a Soviet straggler. The Home Fleet came north to cut her off, and on the morning of 9 March a reconnaissance aircraft from the carrier Victorious found her running for the Vestfjord. Twelve Albacore torpedo bombers of 817 and 832 Squadrons attacked, but in a headwind they could only come at her from astern, and they split up. Tirpitz turned hard and dodged every torpedo, and shot down two of them. Hitler, shaken by how near she had come, forbade her to sail again if a carrier might be about.