 Several air and naval attacks were launched against Tirpitz in 1942 and 1943 . On 6 March 1942 , torpedo bombers flying from the aircraft carrier HMS Victorious attacked the battleship while she was attempting to intercept Convoy PQ 12 but did not achieve any hits . Land @-@ based bombers from the Royal Air Force ( RAF ) and Soviet Air Forces also attempted to strike Tirpitz in her anchorages on several occasions in 1942 and 1943 , but did not inflict any damage . On 23 September 1943 , two British X @-@ class midget submarines penetrated defences around the battleship at her main anchorage at Kaafjord in northern Norway during Operation Source , and placed explosive charges in the water beneath her . This attack caused extensive damage to Tirpitz , putting her out of service for six months . 
