Gehringer, R./Bobomi, A. "Bismarck-Class" Schlachtschiff Tirpitz. Band 2: Ready for Combat. Erster Kriegseinsatz in der Ostsee (1941/Mai - 1942/Januar)

The second part posed a particular challenge with regard to the dating and location of the photographs, as it was necessary to reconstruct an almost four-month period from 1 April to 20 July 1941 without the war diary of the "Tirpitz" more than seventy years later. For this reason, more archival work was required in order to close the gaps and bring light back into the darkness with the help of the documents still available, such as the war diaries of
other ship units and command posts of the Kriegsmarine. Another problem was the fact that the battleship was often in the same positions several times, making it difficult to classify the photos. Thus, the relatively long stay in the shipyard in Kiel had to be deciphered just as much as the numerous photographs of the ship at sea, which sometimes did not allow immediate conclusions due to missing landmarks. In such tricky situations, however, one learned to pay attention to the smallest details on the ship, such as damage and traces of paint on the ship's side, special flak tube positions or distinctive equipment details such as the suspended waste shafts at different positions or combinations on the railing of the warship. In this way, it was often possible to establish connections to the already dated photographic material and thus bring the previously unknown images into the correct chronological sequence. In some cases, however, this was not possible either, and so there was nothing left to do but to provide the one or other photograph with an approximate time, such as a month's date.

From time to time, entries in the KTB were helpful with regard to wind direction, sea state and weather. However, since this information was mostly given only in the morning, it was of limited use for dating purposes, since the weather could of course change several times during the day. Only longer phases with high or low pressure areas were therefore a somewhat reliable
source for considering dating as probable or excluding it. But with the help of the sun it was also possible to narrow down the time of photos, and sometimes it was even possible to give exact times with hours and minutes. By calculating the ephemeris (the position of the sun in relation to the time of year and longitude/latitude), it was possible to determine the exact altitude or azimuth of the sun and thus the time. However, what appeared to be relatively simple in theory was often difficult in practice, as the exact dimensions of structures were rarely known and the length of shadows could only be determined exactly if, for example, they intersected the seams of the wooden planks on the deck at right angles. External disturbances, caused by swell, trim or a change of course, could also heel the ship and thus change the
level, parallel alignment to the horizon. Thus, the calculations always meant a considerable effort
and were only used when a reasonably serious and well-founded statement about the determined time was possible.

In a historical photo documentation such as this, it cannot be avoided that symbols and symbolism typical of the time are to be seen
. However, it would be an absolute misunderstanding if one were to infer from this that the two authors felt connected to National Socialist
thought. This, however, does not change the fact that the ships exert a certain fascination as bearers of power,
so completely independent of the inhuman, political system behind them.