WI Successful Operation Tungsten

On April 3, 1944, the Royal Navy attempted to destroy Tirpitz with carrier-based dive bombers in Operation Tungsten. The operation failed because the dive bomber pilots released their payload at too low an altitude, causing the bombs to fail to penetrate the ship's deck armor. Suppose the pilots release their bombs at the correct altitude. The bombs penetrate the deck armor and ruin the battleship's inner machinery. Tirpitz is declared a total constructive loss, freeing up the ships kept in the Home Fleet to keep an eye on her. What happens next?
 
On April 3, 1944, the Royal Navy attempted to destroy Tirpitz with carrier-based dive bombers in Operation Tungsten. The operation failed because the dive bomber pilots released their payload at too low an altitude, causing the bombs to fail to penetrate the ship's deck armor. Suppose the pilots release their bombs at the correct altitude. The bombs penetrate the deck armor and ruin the battleship's inner machinery. Tirpitz is declared a total constructive loss, freeing up the ships kept in the Home Fleet to keep an eye on her. What happens next?


More Home fleet assets freed up for the BPF / Refit etc 6 months earlier (and a knock on effect elsewhere across the Navy) as well as any US Navy Assets

So anything KGV / North Cal or Newer can get sent to the Far East

Its possible the decision to carry on with HMS Vanguard is changed - again with implications for other ship building choices made at the time.

i.e. for example all 4 Audaceous class carriers might get the go ahead :D

Those Tallboys expended on her are used to break something else instead
 
Constructive total loss...so what?

It doesn't matter if Tirpitz CAN go to sea, so long as the British THINK she can go to sea. So, punching some holes in her deck, and shattering her boilers and engines, won't be enough--for all anyone knows, the splinter deck stopped the bombs, and the ship can sortie. To count the ship out, she needs to be seen upside down, or in pieces, or with just a few small parts left above water. Until then, the ship HAS to be considered operational.

So, the bombs need to penetrate somewhere that makes her go BOOM! or otherwise visibly incapable of going to sea.
 
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