Allied order of battle for Operation Tungsten

Hellcat pilots assigned to 800 Naval Air Squadron studying a model of Tirpitz's anchorage ahead of the Operation Tungsten attack

This article provides an order of battle for the Allied forces involved in the Operation Tungsten attack on the German battleship Tirpitz on 3 April 1944.

Home Fleet forces dispatched

The Home Fleet had responsibility for conducting the attack. The ships involved sailed from the Home Fleet's base at Scapa Flow in two groups on 30 March 1944.

Force One^[1][2]

• HMS Duke of York (flagship of Admiral Bruce Fraser)
• HMS Anson (flagship of Vice-Admiral Henry Moore)
• HMS Victorious
  • 827 Naval Air Squadron (12 Fairey Barracudas)
  • 829 Naval Air Squadron (9 Barracudas)
  • 1834 Naval Air Squadron (14 Vought F4U Corsairs)
  • 1836 Naval Air Squadron (14 Corsairs)
• HMS Belfast
• HMS Marne
• HMS Matchless
• HMS Meteor
• HMS Milne
• HMS Ursa
• HMS Undaunted

Force Two^[1][2]

• HMS Royalist (flagship of Rear Admiral Arthur La Touche Bisset)
• HMS Furious
  • 801 Naval Air Squadron (9 Supermarine Seafires)
  • 880 Naval Air Squadron (9 Seafires)
  • 830 Naval Air Squadron (9 Barracudas)
  • 831 Naval Air Squadron (12 Barracudas)
• HMS Emperor
  • 800 Naval Air Squadron (10 Grumman F6F Hellcats)
  • 804 Naval Air Squadron (10 Hellcats)
• HMS Fencer
  • 842 Naval Air Squadron (12 Fairey Swordfish and 8 Grumman F4F Wildcats)
• HMS Pursuer
  • 881 Naval Air Squadron (10 Wildcats)
  • 896 Naval Air Squadron (10 Wildcats)
• HMS Searcher
  • 882 Naval Air Squadron (10 Wildcats)
  • 898 Naval Air Squadron (10 Wildcats)
• HMS Jamaica
• HMS Sheffield
• HMS Onslaught
• HMS Javelin
• HMS Swift
• HMS Virago
• HMS Verulam
• HMS Vigilant
• HMS Wakeful
• HMCS Algonquin
• HMCS Sioux
• ORP Piorun
• RFA Blue Ranger
• RFA Brown Ranger

Composition of strike forces

On 1 April Admiral Fraser decided to conduct the strike on 3 April rather than 4 April as originally planned. This led to the following organisational changes:^[3]

• HMS Duke of York escorted by HMS Matchless and Marne detached from Force One and cruised to the west
• The remainder of Force One sailed to join Force Two, with the two forces combining on the afternoon of 2 April
• The Royal Fleet Auxiliary tankers Blue Ranger and Brown Ranger, escorted by the destroyers HMS Javelin and ORP Piorun, were detached from Force Two on 1 April

The attack on Tirpitz and the anti-aircraft batteries and ships located near her mooring at Kaafjord on 3 April involved two strike forces:^[2][4][5][6]

1st strike

• No. 8 Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance Wing
  • 827 Naval Air Squadron
  • 830 Naval Air Squadron
• Fighter escorts
  • Elements, 1834 and 1836 Naval Air Squadrons
  • 800 Naval Air Squadron
  • 881 Naval Air Squadron
  • 882 Naval Air Squadron

2nd strike

• No. 52 Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance Wing
  • 829 Naval Air Squadron
  • 831 Naval Air Squadron
• Fighter escorts
  • Elements, 1834 and 1836 Naval Air Squadrons
  • 804 Naval Air Squadron
  • 896 Naval Air Squadron
  • 898 Naval Air Squadron

References

Citations

1. Tactical, Torpedo and Staff Duties Division (Historical Section) (2012), p. 139
2. Brown (1968), p. 40
3. Tactical, Torpedo and Staff Duties Division (Historical Section) (2012), p. 140
4. Tactical, Torpedo and Staff Duties Division (Historical Section) (2012), pp. 158–162
5. Brown (1977), pp. 34–35
6. Tillman (1996), p. 74

Works consulted

• Brown, J.D. (1968). Carrier Operations in World War II : Volume One - The Royal Navy. London: Ian Allen.
• Brown, David (1977). Tirpitz: The Floating Fortress. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 0853683417.
• Tactical, Torpedo and Staff Duties Division (Historical Section) (2012) [1944]. "Naval Aircraft Attack on the Tirpitz (Operation 'Tungsten') 3 April 1944". In Bennett, G.H. Hunting Tirpitz: Naval Operations Against Bismarck's Sister Ship. Plymouth, United Kingdom: University of Plymouth Press. pp. 133–177. ISBN 9781841023106.
• Tillman, Barrett (1996). Hellcat Aces of World War 2. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1855325969.