The Tirpitz was a German battleship, whose keel was laid in 1936 and launched in April 1939. It entered service with the German Navy (German Kriegsmarine) in February 1941. The ship was 254 meters long, 36 meters wide, and had a full displacement of 53,500 tons. Its top speed was about 30-31 knots.

The main armament of the Tirpitz included 8 380 mm guns in four twin turrets, while the secondary armament included:

• 12 150 mm guns
• 16 105 mm guns

It was the second ship of the Bismarck class and was ordered to replace the old battleship Schleswig-Holstein, which was completely obsolete by the 1930s. At the time of its launch, the Tirpitz was the largest German ship and had good armor, with its main and secondary armament being in no way inferior to those of the British ships.