Prinz Eugen

13.9

Prinz Eugen

Cruiser | Germany | Tier VIII

Tech Tree Position

General

Purchase priceSpecial

Hit Points45,000

Main Battery

IDS_PGGM065_203MM_C344 х 2 pcs.

Rate of Fire4.62 shots/min.

Reload Time13 sec.

Rotation Speed8 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time22.5 sec.

Firing Range17.52 km.

Maximum Dispersion153 m.

HE Shell203 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.7 Kz.

Maximum HE Shell Damage2,500

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell13 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity925 m./s.

HE Shell Weight122 kg.

AP Shell203 mm P.Spr.Gr. L/4.4

Maximum AP Shell Damage5,900

Initial AP Shell Velocity925 m./s.

AP Shell Weight122 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount6 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range7.6 km.

Rate of Fire17.91 shots/min.

Reload Time3.35 sec.

HE Shell105 mm Spr.Gr. Kz.

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,200

Initial HE Shell Velocity900 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell5 %

Torpedo Tubes

533 mm Drilling4 х 3 pcs.

Rate of Fire0.88 shots/min.

Reload Time68 sec.

Rotation Speed25 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec.

TorpedoG7a T1

Maximum Damage13,700

Torpedo Speed64 knot

Torpedo Range6 km.

AA Defense

105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount6 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second99.6

. . . Firing Range4.5 km.

40 mm/56 Flak 28 on a single mount18 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second135

. . . Firing Range3.51 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 on a Flak 35 Vierling L/38 mount6 х 4 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second36

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 on a twin mount2 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second8.4

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed32 knot

Turning Circle Radius770 m.

Rudder Shift Time10.9 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range14.49 km.

Air Detectability Range7.49 km.

Battle Levels

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13.9

Prinz Eugen

Cruiser | Germany | Tier VIII

Tech Tree Position

General

Purchase priceSpecial

Hit Points45,000

Main Battery

IDS_PGGM065_203MM_C344 х 2 pcs.

Rate of Fire4.62 shots/min.

Reload Time13 sec.

Rotation Speed8 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time22.5 sec.

Firing Range17.52 km.

Maximum Dispersion153 m.

HE Shell203 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.7 Kz.

Maximum HE Shell Damage2,500

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell13 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity925 m./s.

HE Shell Weight122 kg.

AP Shell203 mm P.Spr.Gr. L/4.4

Maximum AP Shell Damage5,900

Initial AP Shell Velocity925 m./s.

AP Shell Weight122 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount6 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range7.6 km.

Rate of Fire17.91 shots/min.

Reload Time3.35 sec.

HE Shell105 mm Spr.Gr. Kz.

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,200

Initial HE Shell Velocity900 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell5 %

Torpedo Tubes

533 mm Drilling4 х 3 pcs.

Rate of Fire0.88 shots/min.

Reload Time68 sec.

Rotation Speed25 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec.

TorpedoG7a T1

Maximum Damage13,700

Torpedo Speed64 knot

Torpedo Range6 km.

AA Defense

105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount6 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second99.6

. . . Firing Range4.5 km.

40 mm/56 Flak 28 on a single mount18 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second135

. . . Firing Range3.51 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 on a Flak 35 Vierling L/38 mount6 х 4 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second36

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 on a twin mount2 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second8.4

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed32 knot

Turning Circle Radius770 m.

Rudder Shift Time10.9 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range14.49 km.

Air Detectability Range7.49 km.

Battle Levels

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VIII

Special

Prinz Eugen — German special premium Tier VIII cruiser.

One of a series of Admiral Hipper-class ships and one of the most powerful heavy cruisers of the 1930s. During World War II, she was equipped with strong anti-aircraft guns and an enhanced fire control system.

Modules

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	180° Turn Time (sec)	Maximum Dispersion (m)	Maximum HE Shell Damage (HP)	Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell (%)	Maximum AP Shell Damage (HP)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
203 mm/60 SK C/34 on an LC/34 mount	4.6	22.5	153	2,500	13	5,900		0	0

	Hit Points (HP)	Armor (mm)	Armor (mm)	Main Turrets (pcs.)	Secondary Gun Turrets (pcs.)	AA Mounts (pcs.)	Torpedo Tubes (pcs.)	Hangar Capacity (pcs.)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Prinz Eugen	45,000	16	160	4	6	2/6/18/6	4			0	0

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	Torpedo Tubes Reload Time (sec)	180° Turn Time (sec)	Maximum Damage (HP)	Torpedo Speed (knot)	Torpedo Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
G7a T1	0.9	68	7.2	13,700	64	6		0	0

	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SUO_INCREASE_DIST (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
FKS Typ 8 Mod. 1		0		0	0

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 110,000 hp	32		0	0

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4
Slot 5

Player Opinion

Performance

Warning: The data presented in the AA Defense sidebar section may be incorrect.
Refer to the in-game Port screens for more useful data.

Prinz Eugen very similar to her sister ship in the tech tree — Admiral Hipper. Hipper boasts a faster main battery reload and improved maneuverability, while Prinz Eugen gains access to the Repair Party  consumable, allowing her to gain a significant edge in survivability.

Other than reload speed, the main battery rifles are the same between each ship. They have excellent range and relatively flat trajectories, but with only eight of them and a low fire chance they can sometimes seem inadequate against tougher enemies. The torpedoes are the standard 6.0 km range, 13,700 damage G7a T1 torpedoes familiar to veterans of the German cruiser branch — mounted in two triple launchers per side just like Hipper — with fairly generous firing angles.

Defensively, Prinz Eugen has a very strong anti-aircraft suite for her tier, similar to Hipper’s Hull (C), though her rudder responds more slowly. Eugen’s armor scheme is also slightly different than her sister's, the most notable difference being the angled section of her turtleback being 40mm thick versus Hipper’s 30mm. This prevents it from being overmatched and further increases her survivability against enemy battleships. Unfortunately, her detection range is notably worse than that of Admiral Hipper (a full 0.7 km worse).

Prinz Eugen brings a similar play style to that of her tech-tree sister, with a small trade-off in the more traditional cruiser-style stats of rate of fire and maneuverability in exchange for greater survivability. Captains who enjoy playing Admiral Hipper will find Prinz Eugen to be enjoyable and comfortable to play; captains who did not care for Hipper are advised to invest their money or doubloons elsewhere.

Pros:

• Highest AP damage among 203mm-armed cruisers
• Excellent ballistics - high muzzle velocity and flat arcs
• Quick main battery traverse speed
• Turtleback armor ensures good citadel protection at close range
• Heavy torpedo armament with good firing arcs
• Excellent AA suite
• Has access to the Repair Party  consumable
• Long range and long lasting Hydroacoustic Search  consumable

Cons:

• Only eight main guns with a bad reload speed, poor DPM
• Weak HE shells with low damage and fire chance
• Torpedoes are short ranged, limiting their usefulness to close quarters brawling
• Low top speed and sluggish rudder shift for a cruiser
• Poor concealment
• Very vulnerable to long range plunging fire
  

Research

As a Premium ship, Prinz Eugen has no module upgrades to research.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

The recommended upgrades for Prinz Eugen are as follows:

• Slot 1: Main Armaments Modification 1
• Slot 2: Damage Control System Modification 1  *
• Slot 3: See below.
• Slot 4: Steering Gears Modification 1
• Slot 5: Concealment System Modification 1  *

Virtually all builds of Prinz Eugen find themselves mounting Main Armaments Modification 1 in Slot 1 and Steering Gears Modification 1 in Slot 4. After that, captains have some critical choices to make. Concealment System Modification 1 is the most popular pick for Slot 5 in order to help curtail her large detection radius; combined with a captain with the Level 4 skill Concealment Expert, her detectability range drops under 11.5 km. Conversely, Steering Gears Modification 2 is a strong option in the same slot for captains who prefer quicker rudder response. Captains with access to either Hydroacoustic Search Modification 1 or Defensive AA Fire Modification 1 are encouraged to plug those in Slot 2 depending on which consumable they opt to equip. The upgrade in Slot 3 is largely dependent on how captains intend to invest commander skill points on Prinz Eugen and the role they want her to fulfill in a given game.

Generalist Build: The easy choice for Slot 3 is Aiming Systems Modification 1 , which improves her shell dispersion and provides a minor buff to her secondary battery. This is the recommended pick for captains who don't wish to specialize the ship in anti-aircraft defenses.

Anti-Aircraft Build: Prinz Eugen’s already outstanding AA suite can be made even more potent by equipping AA Guns Modification 1, and maximized by assigning a captain with Advanced Firing Training. This pair of upgrades pushes the firing radius of her 105mm dual-purpose guns out to 6.5 km, providing excellent anti-aircraft protection for herself and teammates when utilizing Defensive AA Fire . This does mean sacrificing the exceptional German Hydroacoustic Search , however, and is a setup that is largely wasted in games without an aircraft carrier present.

Commander Skills

Prinz Eugen — like her sister ship, Admiral Hipper — prefers to hold opponents at arms' length. Brawling is not recommended unless the situation is heavily favorable, and the skills of her commander should be tailored to such a strategy. At this end of the German cruiser line the ships begin to play — and handle — more like small battleships, and players will frequently find their commander skill choices echoing those popularly found on battleships: Priority Target and Grease the Gears. Concealment Expert is also highly recommended at Level 4.

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Attack				Defense
1	Grease the Gears +15% main battery traverse speed. ★★	Swift Fish +5% torpedo speed.	Consumables Specialist −7.5% cooldown time of all Consumables except:  Damage Control Party   Repair Party .	Gun Feeder -40% time to switch shell type. ★★★	Incoming Fire Alert Receive a warning of a salvo fired at your ship from more than 4.5km. ★	Last Stand The ship remains able to move and maneuver - slowly - while the engine or steering gears are incapacitated.
2	Demolition Expert +1% chance of main and secondary HE shells causing a fire. +15% to the fragmentation damage area of HE ordnance fired at submarines. ★★	Fill the Tubes -10% torpedo tubes reload time.	Consumables Enhancements +10% action time of Hydroacoustic Search, Surveillance Radar, Smoke Generator, & Engine Boost.	Eye in the Sky Spotting Aircraft: • +2 charges • -50% cooldown time.	Priority Target The detection indicator will show the number of enemies targeting you with main battery. ★★★	Focus Fire Training In an active priority AA sector: •  +1.5% (to 5%) immediate damage. •  +25% continuous damage. •  +1 flak burst per salvo. −10% aircraft preparation time. −15% reload time of Airstrike armament.. ★★
3	Heavy HE and SAP Shells +10% HE and SAP shell damage. +15% ship detectability guns 149mm and up.	Pack a Punch +15% torpedo damage. +20% secondary battery range..	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% reload time of all armaments per 1% HP lost +0.2% AA continuous damage per 1% HP lost. ★★★	Heavy AP Shells +5% damage for AP shells 190mm and larger. ★★★	Superintendent +1 charge to all consumables. ★★★	Survivability Expert +450 HP per ship tier.
4	Top Grade Gunner -10% reload time of secondary batteries If enemy ship is spotted within detectability range, -8% reload time of main battery.	Outnumbered If there are fewer allies than visible enemies within the ship's base main caliber firing range: +8% ship speed -10% main battery dispersion.	Radio Location Shows the direction to the nearest enemy ship. The enemy is alerted that a bearing has been taken.. ★	Inertial Fuse for HE Shells +25% armor penetration of HE shells Base fire chance reduced by half.	Concealment Expert -10% detectability range of the ship. ★★★	AAA & ASW Expert +25% continuous AA and flak damage. +15% damage inflicted by depth charges. While AAA is active: −50% ship consumables reload time..
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful      ★★ - Frequently Useful      ★ - Occasionally Useful     No stars - Not Useful

Consumables

Prinz Eugen can equip the following consumables:

• Slot 1: Damage Control Party 
• Slot 2: Defensive AA Fire  or Hydroacoustic Search 
• Slot 3: Catapult Fighter 
• Slot 4: Repair Party 

The choice between Defensive AA Fire  and Hydroacoustic Search  depends largely on how her commander's skill points are invested. Captains who have heavily invested into the Anti-Aircraft Build may wish to go all-in with Defensive AA Fire , or shore up their vulnerability to enemy torpedo strikes with Hydroacoustic Search . Conversely, captains who opted for the more Generalist Build approach can likewise go either way depending on who their division-mates are.

Camouflage

As a premium ship, Prinz Eugen comes with Default permanent camouflage and a set of permanent combat bonuses.

Signals

Recommended Signal Flags
Combat
Juliet Charlie -100% to the risk of magazine detonation. ★	Juliet Yankee Bissotwo -20% to flooding duration.	India Yankee -20% to fire duration. ★★	Hotel Yankee -20% to damage received when ramming the enemy. +50% to damage dealt when ramming the enemy.	Victor Lima +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. +4% chance of torpedoes causing flooding. ★★	India X-Ray +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. +5% to the risk of your ship's magazine detonating. ★★
Juliet Whiskey Unaone +15% chance of causing flooding. +5% to the risk of your ship's magazine detonating.	Mike Yankee Soxisix +5% to secondary battery maximum firing range. -5% to maximum dispersion of secondary battery shells. -5% to secondary battery loading time.	November Echo Setteseven +5% continuous AA damage at all ranges. +5% damage from flak bursts. ★★	Sierra Mike +5% to the ship's maximum speed. ★★★	November Foxtrot -5% reload time on all consumables. ★	India Delta +20% to the amount of HP recovered when Repair Party  is used. ★★★
X-Ray Papa Unaone +10% action time of a Smoke Generator .	Sierra Bravo +10% action time of Hydroacoustic Search  -10% reload time of Defensive AA Fire .

Note: Use of the Juliet Charlie signal makes detonation impossible.

Gallery

• 

  Prinz Eugen sets sail on Two Brothers.

• 

  Prinz Eugen fires all its turrets in anger.

• 

  A pair of Prinz Eugen class cruisers sit at the entrance to the channel on Two Brothers, waiting for the right moment to strike.

• 

  In the ultimate betrayal, the Prinz Eugen torpedoes an enemy Bismarck-class battleship.

• 

  Flag of Prinz Eugen. Given to players who purchased a special bundle containing Prinz Eugen.

Historical Info

Prinz Eugen, 1940

Construction

Krupp Germaniawerft; Kiel, Germany

Laid down: 23 April 1936

Launched: 22 August 1938

Completed: 1 August 1940

---

Specifications

14,475 tons displacement, standard

206m length

21m beam

5.8m draft (mean)

---

Machinery

12 boilers, 3 turbines

---

Performance

32.5 knots at 133,631 shaft horsepower

6,500nm range at 17 knots

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Armor

Deck: 12-30mm upper; 20-50mm main

Belt: 70-80mm

Turrets: 70-105mm

Conning Tower: 50-150mm

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Armament

Main

Eight (4x2) 203mm rifles

Secondary

Twelve (6x2) 105mm dual-purpose rifles

Anti-Aircraft

Twelve (6x2) 37mm guns

Eight (8x1) 20mm guns

Torpedoes

Twelve (4x3) 533mm torpedo tubes

---

Aircraft

Three (3) Ar196 float planes, one catapult

Prinz Eugen at anchor, date and location unknown.

History

Design

The third ship in the Admiral Hipper class, the design for Prinz Eugen began under the limitations of the Treaty of Versailles. Because Germany was forbidden from constructing heavy cruisers under the limitations of the treaty, the actual building of such ships was — in the early 1930s — politically undesirable. Planning was, however, impossible to prevent, and a design commission was authorized. In June 1935, the Anglo-German Naval Treaty was signed and Germany was authorized to build ships within a 35:100 tonnage ratio to Britain, though Germany was still to remain under the restrictions enforced by the Treaty of Versailles. At the time, Royal Navy possessed a total cruiser displacement of 146,800 tons, which provided the Germans an allotment of 51,380 tons for cruisers of their own. The justification for the Admiral Hipper class was to be found under the terms of the First London Naval Treaty, which limited cruiser displacement to roughly 10,000 tons per ship for all signatory nations. Though Germany was not a signatory to the First London Naval Treaty, the restrictions under Versailles made the construction of heavy cruisers politically dangerous for Germany (and cruisers over 10,000 tons even more so), thus construction of the planned five cruisers of the Admiral Hipper class was begun in secret until the abrogation of the Treaty of Versailles removed that necessity.

The design requirements for the Admiral Hipper class required the ships to be comparable to the French Algérie class, faster than the Dunkerque-class battleships, and capable of long range operations in the Atlantic Ocean while still within the 10,000-ton limit. While smaller, less politically dangerous designs with diesel or turbo-electric propulsion and 150mm to 190mm guns were initially considered, the final design settled on high pressure steam propulsion and 203mm guns. While the officially stated displacement would be 10,000 tons, the actual design displacement of the Admiral Hipper class would exceed 14,000 tons.

Having settled the specifics of the design, the first two ships of the class, Admiral Hipper and Blücher, were laid down in 1934 and 1935 respectively. Prinz Eugen was authorized in late 1935 along with two more ships, and laid down in the spring of the following year. Her construction started on 23 April 1936 in the Krupp-Germania Shipyards in Kiel. A slight difference in blueprints sent to dockyards resulted in a shorter hull of 205.9 m compared to 212.5 m of her sister-ships.

Prinz Eugen received the benefit of experience in the construction and trials of her preceding sisters, and was completed with minor differences. At her launch on 22 August 1938, Prinz Eugen still featured a straight bow with triple anchors and open funnels. Before commissioning, she was drydocked to refit a clipper bow and capped funnels. She also possessed a rectangular bridge, larger hangar, and the two radar sets which became typical of the class. In a notable difference between Prinz Eugen and her preceding sisters, Prinz Eugen was also completed with her forward high angle directors exposed, the spherical covers being fitted a year later. Because of the incremental alterations to her basic design, Prinz Eugen measured 5 meters longer, 0.6 meter wider, 0.2 m deeper in draft and 200 tons heavier than Admiral Hipper, while her standard displacement exceeded that of Admiral Hipper by 1,800 tons.

Because German capital ships generally followed similar design characteristics and arrangement of tower mast and funnels, they possessed a very similar appearance. The similarities between the Admiral Hipper-class cruisers and Bismarck-class battleships could — and did — confuse observers in poor visibility and without scale reference. On 24 May 1941, during the Battle of the Denmark Strait, Admiral Holland aboard HMS Hood made just such an error, mistaking Prinz Eugen for the battleship Bismarck.

Prinz Eugen was to receive multiple anti-aircraft modifications throughout her career, with new 20mm batteries being placed on the roofs of her "Bruno" and "Caesar" turrets, as well as replacing landed searchlights (both forward and astride the funnel). Later plans to further augment her anti-aircraft complement with additional 20mm and 40mm guns were at least partially completed by the end of World War II.

Over time, Prinz Eugen became one of the most heavily sensor-equipped ships in German Navy. Throughout her career, multiple models of radars were equipped and replaced. These included: a FuMO 27 fitted at aft fire director in 1940; a FuMO 27 fitted at foretop in 1940, which was subsequently replaced by a FuMO 26 in 1942; a FuMO 25 fitted at mainmast in 1944; and a FuMO 81 fitted at foremast in 1944. A FuMB 1 passive radar detector was also fitted in 1940, and was later augmented by the installation of FuMB 4, FuMB 9, and FuMB 26 in 1944. A passive hydrophone system was installed aboard Prinz Eugen in August 1940. The equipment allowed her crews to listen to the acoustic signatures emitted by other ships to a maximum distance of 27 km even at maximum speed, provided said ships were not obscured by her own acoustic shadow.

Service

Prinz Eugen saw combat before she was officially commissioned, when the Royal Air Force bombed the shipyard at Kiel on 1 July 1940 and caused minor damage to the ship itself. After undergoing repairs, Prinz Eugen was commissioned into the Kriegsmarine on 1 August 1940. The cruiser spent the remainder of 1940 and early 1941 conducting sea trials and gunnery training. Following the completion of her preliminary tasks, she was scheduled to accompany the newly commissioned battleship Bismarck on Operation Rheinübung; however, this was delayed after Prinz Eugen struck a mine on her voyage to Kiel.

On 11 May 1941, with her repairs complete, Prinz Eugen set off into the Atlantic to rendezvous with Bismarck. On 20 May, the Swedish cruiser Gotland located the German fleet and reported their whereabouts to the Royal Navy. After stopping in Bergen for fuel and to be painted in the standard Baltic camouflage, Prinz Eugen and Bismarck set course for the Denmark Strait. On 23 May, the British cruiser HMS Suffolk spotted the two German warships and along with HMS Norfolk, shadowed them through the icy strait. Prinz Eugen was given the order to fire at the HMS Suffolk, but refrained due to the misty conditions which limited visibility. The following day, Bismarck and Prinz Eugen engaged the English warships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Hood near the southwestern coast of Iceland. Prinz Eugen herself did not participate extensively in this engagement, choosing the stay behind Bismarck and monitor the shadowing cruisers. However, the cruiser was still able to land several hits on HMS Prince of Wales and is reported to have started a small fire on her deck. Following this short engagement, Prinz Eugen detached from Bismarck’s formation to begin her commerce raid in the North Atlantic but was forced to retreat to Brest, France after suffering an engine failure.

While receiving repairs in Brest, Prinz Eugen was hit by a bomb during one of the Royal Air Force’s raid on the shipyard, destroying her main control room and further delaying her return to service. Following several more bombings from the Royal Air Force, the Kriegsmarine decided to relocate Prinz Eugen and the battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau through the English Channel and into safer shipyards. On the night of 11 February 1942, the three German vessels — accompanied by a flotilla of torpedo boats — embarked on their dangerous voyage through the English Channel. The German forces faced heavy fire from aircraft and coastal artillery units but managed to traverse the Channel with only minimal damage and arrived in Germany two nights later.

On 21 February 1942, Prinz Eugen — accompanied by Admiral Scheer and several destroyers — departed from Germany on a voyage to Norway. While conducting patrol operations off the coast of Trondheimsfjorden, Prinz Eugen was torpedoed by the British submarine HMS Trident. The torpedo hit caused extensive damage to the ship’s stern and completely disabled her rudder. Prinz Eugen was towed to Lofjord where she received emergency repairs before returning to Germany in May to complete the job.

In January 1943, Prinz Eugen was assigned to the Fleet Training Squadron in the Baltic Sea; however, she returned to combat service in October to help counter the Russian offense on the Eastern Front. Together with sister ship Lützow, Prinz Eugen spent the greater part of 1943 and 1944 providing coastal support during the German withdrawal from Finland and the attempted invasion of Hogland. The cruiser was again put out of service for repairs in October 1944 after ramming the Nürnberg-class light cruiser Leipzig. By January 1945, the ship returned to providing coastal support until Lützow’s sinking on 16 April. Four days later, Prinz Eugen arrived in Copenhagen where, on 7 May, she was decommissioned and surrendered to the Royal Navy.

On 13 December 1945, Prinz Eugen was gifted to the United States as a war prize. Though the United States Navy was not interested in keeping the ship, they wanted to prevent the Soviet Union from acquiring it. As a result, the cruiser was commissioned as a miscellaneous vessel under the name USS Prinz Eugen (IX-300). The cruiser arrived in the Philadelphia Navy Yard in January 1946 where her radar and both gun barrels from turret "Anton" were removed. The ship was then assigned to function as a target ship for Operation Crossroads at Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. Prinz Eugen survived both atomic detonations but was severely irradiated. After being towed to Kwajalein Atoll, the ship began to take on water and list heavily. Attempts were made to keep the vessel afloat, but all were unsuccessful. On 22 December 1946, the ship capsized in the shallow waters of the atoll where she remains visible today.

A handful of artifacts from Prinz Eugen have survived into the modern era. The US Navy salvaged one of her propellers in 1977, and presented it to the German Navy League in the summer of 1979. It is on display at the German Naval Memorial in Laboe, Germany. The ship's bell was removed before she was sent to the Pacific to participate in Operation Crossroads; it resides in the collection of the National Museum of the United States Navy and can be viewed in the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, DC. One of the guns removed from turret "Anton" prior to the ship being sent to the Pacific for Operation Crossroads remains in the archives of the Naval Surface Warfare Center ballistic testing facility in Dahlgren, Virginia.

Historical Inaccuracies

• Permanent camouflage depicts Prinz Eugen when she took part in Operation Rheinübung in 1941; the in-game model is in 1945 condition. In 1945, Prinz Eugen had a dark gray lower hull, medium gray upper hull, and light gray superstructures.
• Her 1941 configuration when she fought in the Battle of the Denmark Strait is not represented.
• Prinz Eugen only wore badges during her launching ceremony in 1938.
• Swastikas painted on the bow and stern deck are missing. These markings remained on Prinz Eugen until the end of the war.
• Arado Ar 196 spotter plane is missing; Prinz Eugen never carried the Bf 109 fighter.
• The floatplane version of the Bf 109 was only intended for service in Norway. These planes were of the E-4 variant and six were converted before the experiment was terminated in 1940 after only four months. The in-game model resembles a Bf 109F; a project of this type existed in the early 1940s, but this version used a faired single attachment for the floats, not struts.

Historical Gallery

• 

  The wappen (coat of arms) of Prinz Eugen.

• 

  US Office of Naval Intelligence recognition drawing of an Admiral Hipper-class cruiser.

• 

  Launching of Prinz Eugen, 22 August 1938.

• 

  Launching of Prinz Eugen, 22 August 1938.

• 

  Prinz Eugen moored at the Krupp Germaniawerft yards in Kiel, autumn 1940.

• 

  Prinz Eugen under fire during the Battle of the Denmark Strait, 24 May 1941. Photo taken aboard.

• 

  Prinz Eugen (center) under repair in the Lofjord; next to her, on her starboard side, is the repair ship Huascaran; Admiral Scheer is also moored behind anti-torpedo nets.

• 

  Prinz Eugen underway, date unknown.

• 

  Elements of the Kriegsmarine surrender to the crew of HMS Dido aboard Prinz Eugen in Copenhagen, Denmark, 12 May 1945.

• 

  Prinz Eugen under escort from Copenhagen to Wilhelmshaven after surrendering, May 1945.

• 

  USS Prinz Eugen (IX-300) docked at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in January 1946. The removal of the guns from turret "Anton" is underway.

• 

  USS Prinz Eugen transiting the Gatun locks of the Panama Canal on her way to Bikini Atoll in the Pacific, 1946.

• 

  USS Prinz Eugen moored in Bikini Atoll during Operation Crossroads, June 1946.

• 

  One of Prinz Eugen’s propellers, salvaged from Kwajalein Atoll and on display at the German Naval Memorial in Laboe.

• 

  Prinz Eugen’s bell, on display at the National Museum of the United States Navy in Washington, DC.

Video

References

1. German cruiser Prinz Eugen - Wikipedia
2. Admiral Hipper-class cruiser - Wikipedia
3. Armada: Prinz Eugen — a Blast from the Past - News - World of Warships
4. Squall Line: Prinz Eugen - News - World of Warships
5. Armada in 90 seconds: Prinz Eugen - Mar 23, 2019 - World of Warships Official Channel - YouTube

Ship Change Log

See here for links to Update notes.

• Available for testing by supertesters in the game starting from Update 0.5.10.
• First appeared on sale in September 2016.

Testing Changes

• April 18, 2018:
  • Citadel repair percentage was increased to 33%.

• Update 0.5.11.1:
  • The ability to purchase additional permanent camouflages was added to the client.
• Update 0.5.14:
  • Available for purchase for doubloons in the in-game store.
  • On the first and fourth main battery turrets, the rear armor thickness was increased from 60 to 90 mm.
  • Carousel ship image now displayed in the permanent camouflage.
  • Removed the bow anchor (the ship is modeled for May 1945).
• Update 0.5.16:
  • Credit earnings increased by 3%.
  • The appearance was tweaked using a special technology to improve the display of the subtle elements of the model (mainly the rigging).
• Update 0.6.0:
  • Added animation of the recoil of the 1st main battery gun after firing.
• Update 0.6.1:
  • Added to the list of ships available in supercontainers.
• Update 0.6.2:
  • Fixed small visual bugs at low and medium graphics settings.
• Update 0.6.3:
  • Fixed the operation of the "Manual Fire Control for AA Armament" Skill.
• Update 0.6.4:
  • The thickness of the bow and stern, the plating of the casemate, and the corresponding decks was increased from 25 to 27 mm.
• Update 0.6.6:
  • The penetration of HE shells was increased from 1/6 of the caliber to 1/4 of the caliber.
• Update 0.6.8:
  • For 105 mm secondary battery shells, the chance of setting fire was reduced from 9% to 5%, and the damage from 1300 to 1200.
  • The range of the secondary battery was increased from 4.5 to 5 km.
• Update 0.6.12:
  • Detectability when firing main guns in smoke changed to 9.13 km.
• Update 0.6.13:
  • Fire extinguishing time now 30 s instead of 60 s.
• Update 0.6.15:
  • Added a bonus to the permanent camouflages Adler, "Type 30": a 10% discount to the cost of post-battle service.
• Update 0.7.4:
  • Added the Repair Party consumable.
• Update 0.7.7:
  • Became available in the game client for purchase for doubloons.
• Update 0.7.10:
  • The range of the Hydroacoustic Search consumable was unified: 6 km for detecting ships, 4 km for detecting torpedoes.
• Update 0.7.11:
  • Became unavailable in the game client for purchase with doubloons.
• Update 0.8.6:
  • The armor penetration of the 105 mm secondary high-explosive projectiles was increased from 18 to 26 mm.
• Update 0.9.2:
  • The central armor was reinforced from 25 mm to 27 mm.
• Update 0.9.6:
  • The value of the in-game turning circle radius was changed to 770 m to correct prior discrepancy.
• Update 0.9.10:
  • The distribution of HP in the hull was slightly updated.
• Update 0.10.0:
  • The firing range of the secondary battery was increased to 7.6 km.
• Update 0.10.11:
  • Fixed model and textures of the ship.
• Update 12.0:
  • Updated the Mid-Autumn Festival permanent camouflage.
• Update 12.3:
  • Fixed the geometry and textures of the ship.
• Update 13.1:
  • Removed Depth Charges.
  • Added Depth Charge Airstrike with the following characteristics:
    • Range: 7 km.
    • Reload: 30 s.
    • Number of charges: 2.
    • Number of aircraft: 1.
    • Number of bombs per aircraft: 2.
    • Damage: 4,200.

Ships of Germany

Cruisers