Tirpitz fully loaded weighed appromately 50,000 tons, carried a crew of 2608, of which 108 were officers. Her overall length was 251 metres with a beam of 36 metres and a draught of 9 metres. Armament consisted of four 15 inch twin mounted turrets, six 5.9 inch twin mounted turrets, eight 4.1 inch twin mounted anti-aircraft guns and twelve single mounted anti-aircraft cannons.

While Tirpitz spent her war career in Norwegian waters, she was a constant danger to Allied convoys bound for Russia. Her presence obliged the Allies to maintain a large fleet in northern waters to guard against her and repeated attempts were made by both the
Royal Air Force and Royal Navy to sink her.

In July 1942, she was indirectly responsible for the destruction of convoy PQ-17, while not firing a single cannon. In September 1943, while at Altenfiord, she was attacked by British midget submarines and placing her out of operation for months. She would be later subjected to continuous aerial assaults by the RAF.

The Tirpitz was finally sunk on November 12, 1944.

As early as January 1941,Tirpitz was first bombed by the Royal Air Force (Wellingtons & Whitleys), where she was located in a Wilhelmshaven dry dock. Crews reported that bombs had straddled the battleship. Other attacks were made later in 1941 by twin engined bombers, (Blenheims, Hampdens, Stirlings, Wellingtons and Whitley's). January 30/31, 1942 Tirpitz is unsuccesfully attacked by seven 'Stirling' aircraft.

No damage to Tirpitz was reported during this period.

Commencing trials and training, Tirpitz operated out of the ports at Kiel and Gotenhafen, in the Baltic . It's reported that, Adolf Hitler visits Tirpitz in Gotenhafen, May 5,1941.
She returns to the North Sea in January 1942 , then transferring to Norway
anchoring in Trondheim, through March of 1942.

March 5-9,1942 Tirpitz participates in Operation "Sportpalast" in her first combat action against allied convoys. Tirpitz sails into the Arctic Ocean to intercept the convoys PQ-8 and PQ-12 along with three Destroyers. She is sighted during daylight off the coast by the British Submarine, 'Seawolf'. By March 8, 1942, the decision is made to cancel the operation and return to Trondheim. Enroute ,there are unsuccesful attacks by 12 'Albacore' torpedo biplanes from the Carrier 'Victorious'. Tirpitz avoids all torpedos and destroys 2 Albacores.
She sails in to the Bow Beight, near Narvik.

March 13, 1942 Tirpitz arrives at Trondheim.

March 31, 1942 Tirpitz is unsuccessfully attacked by 33 'Halifax's',
anti-aircraft batteries claim 5 bombers.

April 28, 1942 Tirpitz is unsuccessfully attacked by 26 halifax
and 10 'Lancaster' bombers.

April 29, 1942 Tirpitz is again attacked by air, on this occasion
23 halifax and 11 Lancasters are unsuccessful.

July 2, 1942, Tirpitz is involved in Operation "Rösselsprung". She departs Trondheim and sails North, together with the heavy cruiser, Hipper, the destroyers Ihn, Lody, Galster, Riedel and the torpedo boats T-7 and T-15. The objective is to rendezvous in Altenfiord with the battle group from Narvik , the groups comprised of the heavy cruisers, Lützow and Scheer, and the destroyers Z-24, Z-27, Z-28, Z-29, and Z-30 intending to attack the convoy, PQ-17 with 34 merchant vessels. Enroute to Altenfiord the destroyers, Lody, Galster , and Riedel of the Tirpitz group run aground and are released from the operation. The Lützow after running a ground returns to Narvik.

July 4, 1942 Tirpitz's group rendezvous with Sheer's group in Altenfiord.
The convoy PQ-17 disperses.

July 5, 1942 The Tirpitz, Scheer, Hipper, along with the destroyers Ihn, Beitzen, Z-24, Z-27, Z-28, Z-29, Z-30, and the torpedo boats T-7 and T-15 leave Altenfiord. A Soviet submarine, K-21, attacks Tirpitz, apparently with no hits. However, the operation is cancelled and Tirpitz will return to Narvik. The battle group does not engage enemy ships, although the German Luftwaffe and U-Boats claim 22 merchant vessels, with a loss of several hundred tanks, planes, several thousand vehicles and tragically many lives.

Oct 23, 1942 Tirpitz sails for Trondheim for refit.

March 11, 1943 Tirpitz departsTrondheim to Narvik, whereupon she joins Scharnhorst and the heavy cruiser Lützow.

March 23, 1943 Tirpitz, Scharnhorst, Lützow and six destroyers are involved in sea trials in Altenfiord through to July, 1943.

September 6, 1943,Tirpitz is to participate in the bombardment of allied installations on the island of Spitsbergen, in "Operation Sizilien", along with a squadron consisting of Scharnhorst and 9 destroyers, Steinbrinck, Galster, Lody, Riedel, Z 27, Z 29, Z 30, Z 31, and Z 33.

September 8, 1943 The battle group destroys the port facilities at Spitsbergen.

September 9, 1943 Tirpitz group arrives at Altenfiord, anchoring in Kaafjord.

The Royal Navy attacked the battleship on various missions
with miniature submarines (British X Craft).

Excerpt:
[*] "Donald Cameron, Lieutenant of the Royal Naval Reserve, awarded the VC for deed on Sept. 22, 1943 at Kaa fiord, Northern Norway, Lieutenant Cameron, commanding Midget Submarine X.6, and another lieutenant B.C.G. Place (also awarded the VC), commanding Midget Submarine X.7, carried out a most daring and successful attack on the German Battleship Tirpitz. The two submarines had to travel at least 1,000 miles from base, negotiate a minefield, dodge nets, gun defences and enemy listening posts. Having eluded all these hazards they finally placed the charges underneath the ship where they went off an hour later, doing so much damage that the Tirpitz was out of action for months."

September 1943 - March 1944 ,Tirpitz undergoes repairs, commences trials in Altenfiord.

February 12, 1944 Tirpitz is unsuccesfully attacked by 4 Russian bombers.

April 3-5, 1944 Tirpitz is attacked by 40 bombers dispatched from the Royal Navy Carriers, Victorious, Furious, Emperor, Searcher, Fencer, and Pursuer. At least 14 bombs hit the ship, with 132 dead and another 316 wounded. The second wave of bombers are unsuccesful.
At some point in April, 1944 the Tirpitz was hit by a bomb in an air attack and reportedly the first and only time the armored deck are penetrated.

July to August 1, 1944 Tirpitz conducts final trials with destroyers,
Z-29 , Z-31, Z-33, Z-34, and Z-39.

August 22, 1944 Tirpitz is unsuccessfully attacked by 32 'Barracudas' from carriers, Indefatigable, Furious, Formidable, Nabob, and Trumpeter.

August 24, 1944 Tirpitz is attacked by 33 Barracudas from carriers, Indefatigable, Furious, and Formidable. The ship suffers two hits, leaving 8 dead and 13 wounded.

August 29, 1944 Tirpitz is unsuccesfully attacked by 26 carrier based, Barracudas.

Early attacks were somewhat successful but little effect on the battleship's double layer of armour plate could be expected until British inventor, [+]Sir Barnes Wallis, had built a special bomb for the job. Wallis had previously developed the bouncing bomb used in the Dambusters Raid. In 1944 he devised the "Tallboy", a 12,000 pound weapon capable of piercing the Tirpitz's armour plating.

[+] In 1951, the Royal Commission on awards to inventors, granted Barnes Wallis a large sum for his wartime work. He immediately put it into a fund to help educate the sons and daughters of men who died serving with the Royal Air Force.

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