5th July 1942: Operation "Rosselsprung" (Knight's
Move). Me 109's escort the battleship Tirpitz as she departs
Altenfjord, Norway, leading a battle group including heavy cruisers
Admiral Hipper and Admiral Scheer, and six destroyers.
Their intended target was the Allied supply convoy PQ17, en route
to Murmansk, Russia.
Sister ship to Bismarck, the Tirpitz had been a thorn in the
side of the Allies since its arrival in Norwegian waters in January
1942. The presence of such a powerful battleship so close to
the Russian convoy routes required the Royal Navy to keep a large
naval force in northern waters, to guard against the threat posed
by Tirpitz.
Me109 pilots; Eric Rudorffer - Ernst Scheufele. |