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Tirpitz was the pride of Hitler`s navy, the largest and most powerful battleship in Europe. To Churchill, she was ˜the
Beast`, a menace to Britain`s supply lines and a threat to the convoys sustaining Stalin`s armies. Tirpitz was said to be unsinkable, impregnable “ and she haunted the imaginations of the men directing Britain`s forces, casting an almost supernatural shadow over the war effort. No other target attracted so much attention. In total thirty-six major Allied operations were launched against the battleship. They included desperately risky missions by human torpedoes and midget submarines and near-suicidal bombing raids. Yet despite these heroic efforts, Tirpitz
stayed afloat. It was not until November 1944 that she was finally destroyed by RAF Lancaster Bombers flown by 617 Squadron “ the Dambusters “ in a gruelling mission that tested the very limits of human endurance. The man who led the raid “ Willie Tait “ was one of the most remarkable figures of the war, flying missions almost continuously right from the start. Until now his deeds have been virtually unknown. With exclusive co-operation
from Tait`s family, Patrick Bishop reveals the extraordinary achievement of a man who shunned the spotlight but whose name will be renowned for generations to come. The book is a magnificent, accessibly written wartime adventure “ and will be snapped up by his fans, and all who have enjoyed Ben Macintyre`s Agent Zig Zag or Operation Mincemeat. ISBN 9780007319244
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Pages : 448
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