Hitler Built European History's Largest Battleship — Only To Watch It Get Taken Out By Tiny Submarines

The Tirpitz, sister ship to the legendary Bismarck, was commissioned in February 1941. As the heaviest battleship ever built by a European navy, it weighed over 52,000 tons and reached a top speed of 30 knots. Stationed in Norwegian fjords, it acted as a formidable "fleet in being," forcing the Allies to tie down massive resources to counter its potential threat. Despite rarely engaging in direct sea battles, its presence terrorized Arctic convoys until its eventual sinking by British Tallboy bo