This article provides an order of battle for the Allied forces involved in the Operation Tungsten attack on the German battleship Tirpitz on 3 April 1944.
The Home Fleet had responsibility for conducting the attack. The ships involved sailed from the Home Fleet's base at Scapa Flow in two groups on 30 March 1944.
Force One
HMS Duke of York (flagship of Admiral Bruce Fraser)
HMS Anson (flagship of Vice-Admiral Henry Moore)
HMS Victorious
827 Naval Air Squadron (12 Fairey Barracudas)
829 Naval Air Squadron (9 Barracudas)
1834 Naval Air Squadron (14 Vought F4U Corsairs)
1836 Naval Air Squadron (14 Corsairs)
HMS Belfast
HMS Marne
HMS Matchless
HMS Meteor
HMS Milne
HMS Ursa
HMS Undaunted
Force Two
HMS Royalist (flagship of Rear Admiral Arthur La Touche Bisset)
HMS Furious
801 Naval Air Squadron (9 Supermarine Seafires)
880 Naval Air Squadron (9 Seafires)
830 Naval Air Squadron (9 Barracudas)
831 Naval Air Squadron (12 Barracudas)
HMS Emperor
800 Naval Air Squadron (10 Grumman F6F Hellcats)
804 Naval Air Squadron (10 Hellcats)
HMS Fencer
842 Naval Air Squadron (12 Fairey Swordfish and 8 Grumman F4F Wildcats)
HMS Pursuer
881 Naval Air Squadron (10 Wildcats)
896 Naval Air Squadron (10 Wildcats)
HMS Searcher
882 Naval Air Squadron (10 Wildcats)
898 Naval Air Squadron (10 Wildcats)
HMS Jamaica
HMS Sheffield
HMS Onslaught
HMS Javelin
HMS Swift
HMS Virago
HMS Verulam
HMS Vigilant
HMS Wakeful
HMCS Algonquin
HMCS Sioux
ORP Piorun
RFA Blue Ranger
RFA Brown Ranger
On 1 April Admiral Fraser decided to conduct the strike on 3 April rather than 4 April as originally planned. This led to the following organisational changes:
HMS Duke of York escorted by HMS Matchless and Marne detached from Force One and cruised to the west
The remainder of Force One sailed to join Force Two, with the two forces combining on the afternoon of 2 April
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary tankers Blue Ranger and Brown Ranger, escorted by the destroyers HMS Javelin and ORP Piorun, were detached from Force Two on 1 April
The attack on Tirpitz and the anti-aircraft batteries and ships located near her mooring at Kaafjord on 3 April involved two strike forces:
1st strike
No. 8 Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance Wing
827 Naval Air Squadron
830 Naval Air Squadron
Fighter escorts
Elements, 1834 and 1836 Naval Air Squadrons
800 Naval Air Squadron
881 Naval Air Squadron
882 Naval Air Squadron
2nd strike
No. 52 Torpedo Bomber Reconnaissance Wing
829 Naval Air Squadron
831 Naval Air Squadron
Fighter escorts
Elements, 1834 and 1836 Naval Air Squadrons
804 Naval Air Squadron
896 Naval Air Squadron
898 Naval Air Squadron