Little Tirpitz Has Lost His Ships

DESCRIPTION: "Little Tirpitz has lost his ships And doesn't know where to find them, They're bottled up safe in the Kiel Canal With a British fleet behind them."
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1983 (Kane-SongsAndSayingsOfAnUlsterChildhood)
KEYWORDS: navy canal
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
1849-1930 - Life of Alfred von Tirpitz
1897-1916 - Tirpitz's term as Secretary of State of the Imperial Navy Department
May 31-Jun 1, 1916 - Battle of Jutland
FOUND IN: Ireland
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Kane-SongsAndSayingsOfAnUlsterChildhood, p. 181, "Little Tirpitz has lost his ships" (1 text)
Roud #25464
NOTES [157 words]: When World War I began, the British navy's plan was to conduct a "distant blockade" of Germany, confining the German navy in the North Sea to prevent it from causing trouble. It didn't entirely work at first -- the Germans were able to send their battlecruisers to raid the British coast on several occasions.
At the end of May 1916, however, the two fleets met at the Battle of Jutland. The Germans sank more British tonnage, and so claimed victory -- but they were forced into a rapid retreat, and the fleet never sailed again. Thus this song might apply to the time before Jutland, but is a better fit for the time afterward. Of course, Admiral Tirpitz retired about that time, but that probably wouldn't make much impression in Britain -- Tirpitz and the German Navy were almost synonymous.
For (slightly) more about Jutland, see "The Grey North Sea."
Fowke says this is a parody of "Mary Had a Little Lamb," but I cannot make it fit. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.5
File: KSUC181B

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography