January 28, 2013
Aviation historian Bishop (Bomber Boys) relies on archival data and interviews to turn the story of the German battleship Tirpitz—from its launch in April 1939 to its sinking in November 1944—into a compelling WWII story. Though the Bismarck’s sister ship never engaged in any significant combat action, it played a crucial role in the naval strategy of the Battle of the Atlantic and efforts to send supplies to Russia through the Arctic. Bishop provides an evenhanded account of German operations, but his main focus is on British efforts to counter the threat posed by the swift, heavy, and lethal Tirpitz. These ranged from a fantastic manned-torpedo operation, to stealthy midget submarine attacks, and included numerous aerial assaults. When the Tirpitz finally succumbed to an air attack using a new superpowerful bomb, the ship’s end is poignant but anti-climactic—Churchill hears about it in newly liberated Paris, and the end of the war is only months away. Still, Bishop’s take on an oft-forgotten instrument of Hitler’s formidable war machine is an enjoyable and fast-paced read. Agent: George Lucas, Inkwell Management.
January 15, 2013
Military historian Bishop (Battle of Britain, 2009, etc.) fashions an exciting, detail-packed account of the British obsession with dismantling Hitler's prize battleship. Named after the architect of the Imperial German Navy, Tirpitz was the great hope in Hitler's plan to crack the supremacy of the British navy, the lifeblood of a nation reliant on maritime trade. Along with its sister ships, the steel-plated, seemingly invincible Tirpitz was employed in the North Atlantic to disrupt British trade convoys so that Hitler could turn his attention to attacking Russia. In his patiently descriptive account of the Battle of Britain, Bishop traces the key engagements, such as the bringing down of the Bismarck after an extremely costly pummeling by British torpedoes, which underscored how outmoded and outclassed the British fleet was. Subsequently, the British were on continual lookout for the deadly but elusive Tirpitz, about which Churchill maintained: "No other target is comparable to it." Commanded initially by Capt. Karl Topp, with a crew of 2,600 living aboard in fairly luxurious style, Tirpitz was moved to Trondheim, Norway, keenly followed by British intelligence. Bomber Command devised several ill-begotten raids with "roly-poly" bombs, yet nothing could touch the massive ship, which posed a continual threat to the Russian convoys. Special Operations were enlisted to come up with a raiding plan, and new bombs and midget submarines were tested and honed in Scotland for the great mission undertaken in September 1943. Bishop builds a suspenseful story, delineating the crews involved on both sides in a sneak attack that required extraordinary courage from the seamen, who were under duress. Armchair military historians will relish this account of bringing down the biggest prey in the German fleet.
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