Tirpitz
Battleship Tirpitz
- Scale: 1:192
- Release: 2002
- Limited Edition: 10
- Model Size: 52”L x 7”W x 12”H
- Base Type: Black Walnut
- Base/Case Size: 56”L x 10”Wx 15”H
- Availability: Sold Out
Battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz, named after Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, was the second Bismarck class battleship of the German Kriegsmarine, sistership of Bismarck. She saw very limited action, spending almost the entire war in various bases in Norway, where her mere presence was a great threat to the Allies, tying up huge naval and air forces to make sure she could be dealt with if she ever made an offensive sortie. Due to her role and bases of operations, she was dubbed the “Lonely Queen of the North” by the Norwegians.
Tirpitz began her career with trials and training in the Baltic Sea plus combat missions in support of the invasion of the Soviet Union. In January 1942, she steamed to Norway where she spent the remainder of her career. Initially based in Trondheim, and later in fjords farther to the north, her operations were hindered by a lack of fuel and she saw only limited action. In fact, she fired her main battery against an enemy target only once during a bombardment of Spitzbergen in September 1943. The Allies, however, could not afford the continuing risk that she might appear, and therefore spared no effort to put her out of commission. Later that same month, a British midget submarine raid planted explosives, which caused serious shock damage. Despite a raid by Soviet bombers in February 1944 that produced one near miss, her repairs were approaching completion in early April when several hits by British carrier-based planes caused more serious damage and casualties. Further repairs lasted until June.
In July and August, she was again attacked by British planes, but without serious damage. However, in mid-September she was hit in the bow by very heavy tallboy bombs dropped by Royal Air Force Lancaster bombers. Moved to Tromsø in October, she was the target of further raids, until November 12, when she was hit and near-missed by several more tallboys, which caused massive damage. After an ammunition explosion, she rolled over with a large loss of life. After the war, her wreck was scrapped in place.
About the Model…
Fine Art Models has produced this limited edition, Tirpitz ship model in a scale of 1:192 with exacting detail. With one of the most complicated camouflage schemes ever put on a German ship and the most difficult to execute on a model, the Tirpitz ship model differs from the Bismarck, both in design modifications and features that reflect the later ship’s need for improved anti-aircraft protection. These include relocated cranes for handling scout aircraft, extra AA weaponry, the walkway between the bridge, and the AA position on the roof of turret Bruno.
Each Tirpitz model is built by a team of eight (8) of the most skilled craftsmen in the world, with more than 700 man-hours just to assemble. Computers were used to generate exact scale drawings from the original plans. All of the materials used to construct the ship meet and/or exceed museum quality standards including a space age, high definition hull and deck, and a photo-etched brass superstructure. In addition, all of the paint used is custom-made and impervious to ultra-violet light. As with all Fine Art Models, this Tirpitz scale model comes complete with a Black Walnut base and leaded glass display case.
When we decided to build the Tirpitz, it was under the assumption that Tirpitz was a sister ship to Bismarck with few changes. It was only after beginning the project they discovered the Tirpitz was a remarkably different ship. In fact, 67% of the ship is different from the Bismarck, including the length of the hull. Fine Art Models has managed to capture every difference between the two ships, and only when placed side-by-side, can you appreciate how different they really are.
