Q&A · 1:16:12-1:16:42

Who would claim an intact Tirpitz after the war?

A war-prize answer turns an intact Tirpitz into a problem of Allied rivalry, Norwegian claims, and the practical value of owning a battleship.

Question

If Tirpitz survived with minimal damage in Norway, would the ship go to Norway, the Western Allies, or the Soviet Union?

Short answer

The ship would provoke a major Allied dispute: Britain and the United States would resist a Soviet claim, while Norway could make its own case despite uncertain ability to use her.

Notes

An intact Tirpitz in Norway would be too prominent a prize for an automatic transfer. Britain and the United States would probably oppose Soviet possession, while Norway would have a plausible claim based on location and wartime experience. Whether Norway could use and sustain the ship would become part of the dispute rather than settling it.