only reason that Tirpitz had escaped damage or destruction. As a result, Raeder and Hitler decided to only dispatch the battleship against convoys again if victory was considered certain. Hitler also directed that she could only be used to attack convoys if it was first confirmed that no aircraft carriers were present. Tirpitz was thereafter mainly held in reserve to attack Allied forces that attempted to make a landing in Norway. The other warships, as well as submarines and aircraft, were used against the convoys. As a result, the Allies had no opportunities to attack Tirpitz at sea after Operation Sportpalast. RAF heavy bombers made further attacks against the battleship at Trondheim on 31 March and 28 and 29 April 1942, but did not inflict any damage. Subsequent operations In June 1942 Raeder decided to dispatch Tirpitz and three heavy cruisers against the next Arctic convoy in what was designated Operation Rösselsprung. This force sailed on 2 July after Convoy PQ 17 was detected bound for the Soviet Union, and put in at Altafjord in the far north of Norway on 4 July to await Hitler's permission to attack. After learning Tirpitz had sailed Pound ordered the convoy to scatter and its escort to withdraw on the evening of 4 July, a decision Tovey strongly disagreed with. This led to heavy losses from German submarines and aircraft over subsequent days. The battleship departed Altafjord on 5 July to attack the convoy, but was recalled by Raeder that night after it was learned that Victorious was at sea. Allied forces attacked Tirpitz at her anchorages in Norway during 1943 and 1944. The battleship was badly damaged on 22 September 1943 by the Operation Source raid which used midget submarines, and was never fully combat worthy again. The Fleet Air Arm inflicted further damage during the Operation Tungsten raid on 3 April 1944, but several subsequent carrier attacks failed due to bad weather and the continuing shortcomings of British naval aircraft. RAF heavy bombers crippled Tirpitz on 15 September 1944 during Operation Paravane, and sank her with considerable loss of life on 12 November that year. References Citations Bibliography Arctic convoys of World War II Arctic naval operations of World War II Naval battles and operations of World War II involving the United Kingdom Military operations of World War II involving Germany World War II aerial operations and battles of the Western