 As Tirpitz was still considered a major threat to Allied shipping , the British military sought to damage or destroy the battleship before she could re @-@ enter service . Another midget submarine attack was considered impractical due to improvements to Kaafjord 's defences , and the commander of the RAF 's Bomber Command refused to attempt heavy bomber raids against the battleship as he believed that such operations were unlikely to be successful and would result in heavy casualties . As a result , the Home Fleet 's aircraft carriers were considered the best means of attacking Kaafjord , and the Admiralty directed the fleet to begin planning such a raid in late 1943 . Following several months of preparations the Home Fleet 's first attack on Kaafjord , which was designated Operation Tungsten , was conducted on 3 April 1944 and involved five aircraft carriers . The two strike forces of 20 Fairey Barracuda dive bombers escorted by 40 fighters were not detected during their flights to Kaafjord , and the battleship was hit by 15 bombs . Tirpitz 's crew suffered heavy casualties , but the ship was not badly damaged . Nevertheless , the damage inflicted on Tirpitz 's superstructure , armament and engines was sufficient to put her out of service for several months while repairs were completed . The commander of Nazi Germany 's Kriegsmarine , Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz , placed a priority on returning the battleship to service so that she could continue to tie down Allied naval resources . He and other senior German officers recognised at this time that the threat of further air attacks meant that Tirpitz could no longer operate against Allied convoys . 
