Positions of German battleship Tirpitz and heavy cruisers in Norwegian waters according to the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee Daily summary dated 17 May 1942

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, MH 71390, anchored in the Alta Fjord, Norway between 1943-1944

Source Werft-Reederei-Hafen dated 15 April 1933

Source Werft-Reederei-Hafen 1939

An item reported that aircraft sighted on 16 May the German battleship Tirpitz (1) lying on her usual berth in the Norwegian Trondheim Fjord. The German heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen (2) escorted by 4 destroyers was underway on south west direction near the entrance to the same fjord with the German heavy cruiser Hipper (3) in the fjord moving in north east direction. The Prinz Eugen was moving under own steam despite that the summary No. 145 reported that she was heavily damaged aft. Probably she was going back to Germany lacking the needed sufficient docking facilities in Norway. The German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer (4) was however not sighted on het usual berth in that fjord. On the same day sighted other aircraft that the German pocket battleship Lutzow (5) escorted by 4 destroyers and a torpedo boat was passing the Kattegat off Gothenborg in northern direction. The comment of the J.I.C. was that this was similar to the Summary No. 155. It made more probably that the Admiral Scheer was lying in a fjord near Narvik, Norway. Her exact berthing posution was yet to be confirmed.

Notes

1. Laid down by Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven, Germany on 2 November 1936, launched on 1 April 1939, commissioned on 25 February 1941 and sunk by the Royal Air Force on 12 November 1944 at Tromsø, Norway, with her wreck broken up between 1948-1957. Of the Bismarck-class as answer on the French Richelieu-class battleships.

2. Of the Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruisers, preceded by Deutschland-class. Laid down by Germaniawerft, Kiel on 23 April 1936, launched on 22 August 1938, commissioned on 1 August 1940, decommissioned on 7 May 1945, surrendered on 8 May 1945, handed over to the USA and sunk on 22 December 1946 during nuclear tests.

3. Laid down by Blohm&Voss, Hamburg, Germany on 6 July 1935, launched on 6 February 1937, commissioned on 29 April 1939, scuttled at Kiel, Germany being heavy damaged during a British air attack on 3 May 1945, finally salvaged in July 1945 and broken up between 1948-1952. Of the Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruisers, preceded by the Deutschland-class heavy cruisers also known as pocket-battleships.

4.  Of the Deutschland-class panzerschiffe later classified as heavy cruisers preceded by the Admiral Hipper-class. Main armament 2x3-28cm/11”guns on fore and aft ship one turret. Laid down by Kriegsmarinewerft Wilhelmshaven, Germany on 25 June 1931, launched on 1 April 1933, commissioned on 12 November 1934, sunk during an air attack at Kiel, Germany on 9 April 1945, partly broken up and the remains used of filling up the inner part of the dockyard.

5.  Of the Deutschland-class panzerschiffe later classified as heavy cruisers preceded by the Admiral Hipper-class. Main armament 2x3-28cm/11”guns on fore and aft ship one turret. Laid down by Deutsche Werke, Kiel, Germany on 5 February 1929, launched on 19 May 131, commissioned as Deutscland on 1 April 1933, renamed Lützow in January 1940, sunk in April 194 during an British RAF air attack, salvaged by Russian forces in 1947 and sunk while used as a target on 22 July 1947.

 Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 158 dated 17 May 1942