From as early as 1942, the Allies (in particular, the British) were aware of how dangerous it would be to let the Germans continue to operate Tirpitz. With the task of sinking Tirpitz now in the hands of the RAF Bomber Command, the decision was made to launch yet another air raid. Along with using her deck guns for defense, the Germans enlisted torpedo nets, anti-aircraft gun emplacements and ships, and seven fishing boats equipped with smoke generators to protect Tirpitz from an aerial assault.