WI Tirpitz present at the Battle of the Barents Sea?

Hmmm, it depends if the British know or suspect that the Tirpitz is coming out to play. If so, expect the Royal Navy to send a segment of the Home Fleet to sink the Tirpitz. It would be too much an opportunity to pass up.
 
Now, if the convoy was heavily decimated with many escorts and ships sunk, what would be the impact on the Kriegsmarine's operations, if it wasn't disbanded? Could it raid the Atlantic in support of the u boats, North Africa and Japan and get its ships sunk, freeing up heavy Allied units by one year? Or would the ships stay at port to tie up more British and American resources before being sunk by aircraft and submarine raids or transferred to the Baltic in 1944/5 ?

The fuel situation didn't permit an atlantic sortie, but it could keep harras/threaten the lend-lease shipments
 
Had Tirpitz been ready (with one glaring example when they didn't - the British were generally well ahead of the intellegence curve regarding German Captial ship movement) then expect a stronger covering force

At least a Carrier and a Battleship (Ideally a KGV) or 2

Also the British would love Tirpitz to come out and play - so that they could sink her! :D

The artic situation was rather tricky for the British as they did not want their heavy ships in range of land-based air craft. In this battle, the weather was so bad that they dared it anyway, and then they probably would also know that both Scharnhorst and Tirpitz was available and consider a stronger covering force.
However, the secret of the success was the early hit on Scharnhorst radar. Not likely on both ships or maybe not even once if the Tirpitz is there. If the POD is an earlier upgrade, then Tirpitz is equipped with the accurate Dete radar and quite a formidable opponent in the stormy weather with its high stability. The early BB/cruiser engagements goes very bad for the British.

For the later battle with now to KGV's, the Germans would from doctrine run from such a battle, however, the OTL engine failure on Scharnhorst could have forced the battle which I really think would have been a tough call.

There'll be no surprise torpedo attack in this engagement.
 
The artic situation was rather tricky for the British as they did not want their heavy ships in range of land-based air craft. In this battle, the weather was so bad that they dared it anyway, and then they probably would also know that both Scharnhorst and Tirpitz was available and consider a stronger covering force.
However, the secret of the success was the early hit on Scharnhorst radar. Not likely on both ships or maybe not even once if the Tirpitz is there. If the POD is an earlier upgrade, then Tirpitz is equipped with the accurate Dete radar and quite a formidable opponent in the stormy weather with its high stability. The early BB/cruiser engagements goes very bad for the British.

For the later battle with now to KGV's, the Germans would from doctrine run from such a battle, however, the OTL engine failure on Scharnhorst could have forced the battle which I really think would have been a tough call.

There'll be no surprise torpedo attack in this engagement.

I get the impression you (like me before) have the wrong battle, this is the one in late 1942 that cost Raeder his job, Scharnhorst's final battle was in 1943.
 
The artic situation was rather tricky for the British as they did not want their heavy ships in range of land-based air craft.

Actually, there is no really threatening land-based airpower on 31st of December off Northern Norway.

One year later, Duke of York had no hesitation closing with the norwegian coast to get Scharnhorst.

Here we had on OTL conditions one RN battleship prepositionned off Jan Mayen and two more on short notice in Scapa.

Tough luck for Tirpitz
 
The artic situation was rather tricky for the British as they did not want their heavy ships in range of land-based air craft. In this battle, the weather was so bad that they dared it anyway, and then they probably would also know that both Scharnhorst and Tirpitz was available and consider a stronger covering force.
However, the secret of the success was the early hit on Scharnhorst radar. Not likely on both ships or maybe not even once if the Tirpitz is there. If the POD is an earlier upgrade, then Tirpitz is equipped with the accurate Dete radar and quite a formidable opponent in the stormy weather with its high stability. The early BB/cruiser engagements goes very bad for the British.

For the later battle with now to KGV's, the Germans would from doctrine run from such a battle, however, the OTL engine failure on Scharnhorst could have forced the battle which I really think would have been a tough call.

There'll be no surprise torpedo attack in this engagement.

Its December......in the Arctic......what sort of aircraft are threatening them in almost total 24 hour darkness and conditions?

German radar seemed to be quite vulnerable to damage - in nearly every major engagement it seemed to fail. Not saying that it would fail in this instance but......

As for Scharnhorst's 'Engine Failure' was this of the 14" variety?

Lets face it if it was known that a major KM unit was available in Dec 1942 then at the very least one of the Revenges or a Standard US BBs would be with the Convoys and a powerful covering force would be operating in the area probably based around at least one KGV or South Dakota possibly more + a number of cruisers - at any rate a force far more formidable than Tirpitz plus 2 heavy Cruisers.

The early BB/cruiser engagements goes very bad for the Germans.....
 
I get the impression you (like me before) have the wrong battle, this is the one in late 1942 that cost Raeder his job, Scharnhorst's final battle was in 1943.

You are right. Tirpitz would have made a major difference in THAT battle:cool:
 
Its December......in the Arctic......what sort of aircraft are threatening them in almost total 24 hour darkness and conditions?

German radar seemed to be quite vulnerable to damage - in nearly every major engagement it seemed to fail. Not saying that it would fail in this instance but......

As for Scharnhorst's 'Engine Failure' was this of the 14" variety?

Lets face it if it was known that a major KM unit was available in Dec 1942 then at the very least one of the Revenges or a Standard US BBs would be with the Convoys and a powerful covering force would be operating in the area probably based around at least one KGV or South Dakota possibly more + a number of cruisers - at any rate a force far more formidable than Tirpitz plus 2 heavy Cruisers.

The early BB/cruiser engagements goes very bad for the Germans.....
Sorry, got the battles wrong.
 
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