Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:30:22-2:30:55

What if Tirpitz had been completed as a carrier?

The converted ship might exceed Graf Zeppelin's air group, but Germany would still need a trained carrier air arm and the Allies would make it a priority target.

Aircraft CarriersCarrier AviationGerman Battleship TirpitzGraf ZeppelinKriegsmarine
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Question

What if Germany had completed Tirpitz as an aircraft carrier?

Short answer

It could carry more aircraft than Graf Zeppelin and perhaps accompany Bismarck, but air-group readiness and Allied targeting would dominate its prospects.

Notes

The panel sees enough hull volume for a Tirpitz conversion to operate a somewhat larger air group than Graf Zeppelin. Its construction schedule might also allow it to deploy alongside Bismarck in a substantially altered timeline. The decisive weakness would be Germany's ability to field a trained and effective carrier air group. Once operational, the ship would immediately become a high-priority Allied target.