 As detected by the British , repairs to Tirpitz following Operation Tungsten progressed quickly . Work on repairing the battleship began in late April , and 157 shipyard workers and special equipment were transported from Kiel in Germany to Kaafjord to accelerate the project . Assisted by the long hours of daylight at Kaafjord 's latitude during summer , three shifts of personnel worked on Tirpitz each day . The battleship was capable of moving under her own power by 2 June , and ready to begin gunnery exercises at the end of that month . The repair works concluded in mid @-@ July , though the battleship 's starboard propeller shaft could only be used to drive her forwards . Captain Wolf Junge assumed command of the battleship in May 1944 , replacing Captain Hans Meyer who had been wounded during Operation Tungsten . 
