Brian Sanders (British, B. 1937) "German Battleship Tirpitz Sunk" Artist notes in margins. Original Oil painting on Masonite. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting originally appeared on the Republic of the Marshall Islands 50c German Battleship Tirpitz Sunk 1944 stamp issued November 12, 1994. The German battleship Tirpitz was a sister ship of the ill-fated Bismarck, sunk by the British in May 1941. With a full displacement of more than 52,000 tons and an overall length of 822 feet, she was one of the largest battleships afloat during World War II. Adolf Hitler was paranoid about losing the Tirpitz because of the serious effect it could have on German morale. Since the ship was also a deterrent against British invasion in the north, Hitler ordered it to be kept in a protective Norwegian fjord. One British bomber attack after another failed to sink her -- until November 12, 1944, when 32 Lancasters managed to drop 29 "Tallboy" bombs on the behemoth. In a matter of minutes, the great battleship capsized and sank, taking nearly 1,000 men to their deaths. Image Size: 13.5 x 16.25 in. Overall Size: 16.5 x 19.5 in. Unframed. (B14852)