The Norwegian Fish Club is San Diego

September 14, 2007

Speakers: Norm Magneson, Jeff Watkins, 
Kurt Schulze, and Ed Hemmingsen
Subject:  The sinking of the Tirpitz in Norway

Named after Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, The German battleship Tirpitz was the largest warship built in Europe in 1939. The ship was mostly stationed in Norway, and hunted by the Allies during the war. After repeated attacks, the Tirpitz was finally sunk off Håkøya near Tromsø on 12 November 1944 by Lancaster bombers. The nearby Luftwaffe at Bardufoss reached the Tirpitz location only after it had been hit.

First-hand accounts of the events of 12 November 1944 were told by three speakers who observed the sinking of the Tirpitz:

Jeffrey Watkins, Royal Air Force Avro Lancaster Bomber Pilot

Edward Hemmingsen, Local resident of Tromsø

Kurt Schultze, Messerschmitt Fighter Pilot stationed at Bardøfoss

USN fighter pilot Norm Magneson presented key features of the Royal Air Force Avro Lancaster Bombers especially built for the "tallboy" bombs.

For more information about the sinking of the Tirpitz:

http://www.tirpitz-museum.no/
http://www.bismarck-class.dk/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_battleship_Tirpitz
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Lancaster
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Bf_109

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