Admiral Hipper

13.3

Admiral Hipper

Cruiser | Germany | Tier VIII

Tech Tree Position

stock

 top

General

Research price114000 exp

Purchase price9,000,000

Hit Points37,300

Main Battery

IDS_PGGM030_203MM_C344 х 2 pcs.

Rate of Fire5.71 shots/min.

Reload Time10.5 sec.

Rotation Speed8 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time22.5 sec.

Firing Range16.08 km.

Maximum Dispersion143 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.

20 mm/65 C/38 on an L/30 single mount6 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second18

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

20 mm/65 C/38 on a twin mount8 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second33.6

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

40 mm/56 Flak 28 on a single mount6 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second45

. . . Firing Range3.51 km.

37 mm/83 SK C/30 on a Dopp LC/30 mount4 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second10.4

. . . Firing Range3.51 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed32 knot

Turning Circle Radius740 m.

Rudder Shift Time15 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range13.79 km.

Air Detectability Range7.18 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

13.3

Admiral Hipper

Cruiser | Germany | Tier VIII

Tech Tree Position

stock

 top

General

Research price114000 exp

Purchase price9,000,000

Hit Points43,800

Main Battery

IDS_PGGM030_203MM_C344 х 2 pcs.

Rate of Fire5.71 shots/min.

Reload Time10.5 sec.

Rotation Speed8 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time22.5 sec.

Firing Range17.69 km.

Maximum Dispersion143 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.

20 mm/65 C/38 on a twin mount4 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second16.8

. . . Firing Range2.01 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.

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

. . . Average Damage per Second135

. . . Firing Range3.51 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed32 knot

Turning Circle Radius740 m.

Rudder Shift Time9.2 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range13.79 km.

Air Detectability Range7.18 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

VIII

9,000,000

Admiral Hipper — German Tier VIII cruiser.

In 1934, a technical design specification was developed for a draft design of a heavy cruiser. Drawing from the lessons learned from the Deutschland class ships, engineers discarded the idea of using diesel power plants and instead opted for turbines and boilers with high steam parameters. The lead cruiser, Admiral Hipper, participated in the invasions of Denmark and Norway during World War II and conducted several raids in the Atlantic. On December 31, 1942, Hipper participated in the Battle of the Barents Sea against the JW-51B convoy, where she took damage in the engagement.

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	5.7	22.5	143	2,500	13	5,900		0	700,000

	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 ()
Admiral Hipper (A)	37,300	16	160	4	6	6/8/4/6/6	4			0	900,000
Admiral Hipper (B)	43,800	16	160	4	6	4/6/18	4			26,000	2,000,000

	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	260,000

	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SUO_INCREASE_DIST (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
FKS Typ 8 Mod. 1		0		0	750,000
FKS Typ 8 Mod. 2		0		23,000	1,800,000

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 110,000 hp	32		0	600,000

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4
Slot 5

Player Opinion

Performance

Tier VIII's Admiral Hipper is a very capable heavy cruiser. In historical terms, the Admiral Hipper class of cruisers were the most advanced designs ever commissioned by the Kriegsmarine. That legacy translates well into World of Warships: when fully upgraded, Admiral Hipper has a solid main battery, a fearsome anti-aircraft suite, best-in-class German Hydroacoustic Search, and banks of deadly torpedoes on both sides for ships that wander too close.

Like other German cruisers, Admiral Hipper’s primary strength is the superior range and favorable dispersion of her 8-inch (203 mm) guns. Her main battery is capable of dealing excellent armor piercing damage to enemy cruisers, but can also deal a surprising amount of damage to battleships exposing their flat broadside to her. The long range (nearly 5.6 km) of her Hydroacoustic Search consumable makes it very difficult to torpedo her from a distance and allows her to actively hunt down destroyers or other ships that might be stationary in a nearby cloud of smoke. Her AA guns are mediocre on her stock hull and Hull (B), but once Hull (C) is equipped Hipper’s AA is a true asset to herself and her team.

While Admiral Hipper has many strengths, she is not without faults. Her high explosive shells, while serviceable, will sometimes frustrate and disappoint, and the armor scheme of the ship is highly vulnerable to long-range fire. Her range is excellent by cruiser standards, but any battleship at the same tier or above will significantly outrange Hipper, which — combined with her high detectability (the worst among Tier VIII cruisers) — makes drawing attention early in a match nearly suicidal. With a top speed of 32 knots, she's on the slower side for a cruiser and while her main battery has outstanding range and shell performance, the reload is notably slower than her counterparts in other nations. Hipper captains must make every shot count, as cruisers like Mikhail Kutuzov or Edinburgh put shells downrange nearly twice as quickly.

Admiral Hipper is well-suited to the role of either a second-line long range support ship or part of a flanking group. She truly shines when engaging either other cruisers or a distracted target; if she finds herself dueling a battleship, a smart Hipper captain is advised to hold the range open, find some island cover or friendly smoke to duck behind, and re-engage under better circumstances. Hipper’s large health pool makes it a virtual certainty that she can survive late into games — providing her captain doesn't make any serious mistakes — and it is in the late game that she truly shines, able to flex her varied strengths and contribute to victory regardless of the situation she finds herself in.

Pros:

• Largest health pool of all non-premium Tier VIII cruisers (sister ship Prinz Eugen has a few more hit points).
• Very impressive armor piercing shell damage.
• Excellent range, favorable dispersion, and high shell velocity from her main battery.
• Retains access to improved German version of Hydroacoustic Search consumable.
• Fastest main battery traverse rate of all Tier VIII cruisers (even those with smaller guns).
• Angling works well despite relatively low main armor belt value; turtleback armor scheme makes her more resilient to non-battleship AP at medium and close ranges.
• Hull (C) has an excellent anti-aircraft suite.

Cons:

• Only eight (8) rifles in her main battery limits her damage output.
• Main battery rate of fire is the lowest among Tier VIII cruisers.
• Slowest Tier VIII cruiser (32 knots).
• Heavy torpedo armament is only suitable for close-range engagements and ambushes.
• Huge, easy-to-penetrate citadel via long-range plunging fire (due to lack of deck armor).
• High explosive shell damage and fire chance are below average (even after the Hull (B) upgrade).
• Large detection radius makes Concealment Expert and Concealment Systems Modification 1 must-haves.

Research

Top priority should be given to both of Admiral Hipper’s Hull module upgrades. Hull (B) brings nearly a 20% boost to her health pool, an improved rudder shift time, upgraded high explosive shells for her main battery, and a minor improvement in her anti-aircraft suite. Hull (C) drops all of her 37mm Flak guns in favor of the more potent 40mm version and is a drastic increase to her viability as an anti-aircraft platform. The Fire Control System module upgrade can be saved for last.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

Virtually all builds of Admiral Hipper find themselves mounting at least two upgrades in common: Main Armaments Modification 1 in Upgrade Slot 1 and Damage Control System Modification 1 in Upgrade Slot 4. Steering Gears Modification 2 is typically taken in Upgrade Slot 5 to improve her handling. Concealment System Modification 1 is highly recommended in Upgrade Slot 6 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 12km. Conversely, Steering Gears Modification 3 is a strong option in Slot 6 for captains who prefer quicker rudder response.

As with most cruisers, the upgrade in Upgrade Slot 2 is what will differentiate one Admiral Hipper from another.

Generalist Build: The easy choice for Slot 2 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: Admiral Hipper’s already outstanding AA suite can be made even more potent by equipping AA Guns Modification 2, 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

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 at Level 1 and Expert Marskman at Level 2. Concealment Expert is also highly recommended at Level 4, as is Advanced Firing Training for captains pursuing an Anti-Aircraft Build. Level 4 also offers Manual Control for AA Armament to captains wishing to go all-in on their Anti-Aircraft Build; this is a very strong skill for high-tier German cruisers and battleships due to the AA potency of their dual-purpose 105mm guns.

Level 3 is where captains are offered some customization in their build. Captains preferring the Anti-Aircraft Build will want to opt for Basic Firing Training. Those pursuing the Generalist Build are better off opting for Demolition Expert; Vigilance is also a decent choice.

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Endurance		Attack		Support		Versatility
1	Priority Target Situational Awareness indicator will show the number of opponents currently aiming at you with main battery guns. ★★★	Preventative Maintenance -30% to the risk of incapacitation of main turrets, torpedo tubes, steering gear, engines. ★	Expert Loader -50% to reload time when shell type is switched. ★	Air Supremacy -5% aircraft restoration time.	Direction Center for Fighters +1 fighter to carrier fighter squadrons or catapult fighters.	Improved Engine Boost +10% Aircraft engine boost time.	Incoming Fire Alert Indicator of long-range enemy artillery fire. ★★	Last Gasp Completely restores the engine boost for the last attack flight of the carrier's planes.
2	High Alert -10% to reload time of Damage Control Party consumable. ★★	Jack of All Trades -5% to reload time of all consumables. ★★	Expert Marksman +2.5 deg/sec to traverse speed of guns with a caliber up to 139mm. +0.7 deg/sec to traverse speed of guns with a caliber above 139mm. ★★★	Torpedo Acceleration +5 knots to torpedo speed. -20% to torpedo range.	Smoke Screen Expert +20% to the radius of the smoke screen.	Improved Engines +2.5% Squadron speed.	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% to reload times of all types of armament for each 1% of total health lost. +0.2% squadron speed for each 1% of total health lost. ★★	Last Stand The ship remains able to move and maneuver while the engine or steering gears are incapacitated. ★
3	Basics of Survivability -15% to time of repair, fire extinguishing, and recovery from flooding. ★	Survivability Expert +350 ship HP for each ship tier. +15 aircraft HP for each ship tier. ★	Torpedo Armament Expertise -10% to reload time of torpedo tubes.	Aircraft Armor Reduces continuous damage to aircraft in all AA defense zones. -10% continuous damage.	Basic Firing Training -10% to reload time of main battery guns with a caliber up to and including 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +10% to continuous damage from AA guns. ★★	Superintendent +1 additional charge to all consumables mounted on a ship. ★	Demolition Expert +2% chance of HE shells causing a fire on target. +1% chance of rockets causing a fire on target. +5% chance of HE bombs causing a fire on target. ★★	Vigilance +25% to detection range of enemy torpedoes. ★★
4	Manual Fire Control for Secondary Armament Tightens dispersion of shells from secondary batteries. -15% for Tier I-VI ships. -60% for Tier VII-X ships. Manually selected target only.	Fire Prevention -10% to the risk of fire. The maximum number of fires on a ship is reduced to three. ★	Inertia Fuse for HE Shells +30% to the armor penetration capacity of HE shells. -1% chance of fire on target caused by shells <=139mm. -3% chance of fire on target caused by shells >139mm.	Sight Stabilization Speeds up the aiming of a carrier's aircraft. +5% attack aircraft aiming speed. +5% torpedo bomber aiming speed. +10% dive bomber aiming speed.	Advanced Firing Training +20% to firing range of main battery guns with a caliber up to 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +15% damage/sec. within the explosion radius of shells fired from long-range AA defenses. ★★★	Massive AA Fire Instantaneous Damage +100%. Priority AA sector cooldown +50%.	Radio Position Finding Shows the direction to the nearest enemy ship. The enemy is alerted that a bearing has been taken.	Concealment Expert -10% to the detection radius of all ships and aircraft. ★★★
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful       ★★ - Frequently Useful       ★ - Occasionally Useful      No stars - Meh     Χ - Not recommended

Consumables

Admiral Hipper has access to the Damage Control Party, Defensive AA Fire, Hydroacoustic Search, and Catapult Fighter consumables. The premium version of Damage Control Party is highly recommended. 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

Type 1, 2, or 5 camouflage can be equipped for credits; Types 1 or 5 are recommended at a minimum to reduce detectibility range.

Players who wish to spend doubloons can equip Admiral Hipper with Type 18 camouflage that lowers her detection radius, reduces the accuracy of incoming shells, reduces her repair costs, and increases the amount of experience she earns.

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

Historical Info

Construction

Blohm & Voss Shipbuilding; Hamburg, Germany

Laid down: 6 July 1935

Launched: 6 February 1937

Commissioned: 29 April 1939

Specifications

14,050 tons displacement, standard

205.9m length

21.3m beam

5.8m draft (mean)

Machinery

12 boilers, 3 turbines

Performance

32.5 knots at 132,000 shaft horsepower

6,500nm range at 17 knots

Armor

Main belt: 70-80mm

Torpedo bulkhead: 19mm

Decks: 20-50mm main, 12-30mm upper deck

Turrets: 70-105mm

Conning tower: 50-150mm

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

History

Design

The design for Admiral Hipper 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 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 Algerie class, faster than the Dunkerque class, and capable of long range operations in the Atlantic Ocean, while still within 10,000 tons 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 — Seydlitz and Lützow — and laid down in the spring of the following year. Admiral Hipper was named after Admiral Franz von Hipper, commander of the German battlecruiser squadron during the Battle of Jutland in 1916 and later commander-in-chief of the German High Seas Fleet.

Service

Admiral Hipper saw a significant amount of action during the war. She led the assault on Trondheim during Operation Weserübung; while en route to her objective, she sank the British destroyer HMS Glowworm. In December 1940, she broke out into the Atlantic Ocean to operate against Allied merchant shipping, though this operation ended without significant success. In February 1941, Admiral Hipper sortied again, sinking several merchant vessels before eventually returning to Germany via the Denmark Strait. The ship was then transferred to northern Norway to participate in operations against convoys to the Soviet Union, culminating in the Battle of the Barents Sea on 31 December 1942, where she sank the destroyer Achates and the minesweeper Bramble but was in turn damaged and forced to withdraw by the light cruisers HMS Sheffield and HMS Jamaica.

Disappointed by the failure to sink merchant ships in that battle, Adolf Hitler ordered the majority of the surface warships scrapped, though Admiral Karl Dönitz was able to convince Hitler to retain the surface fleet. As a result, Admiral Hipper was returned to Germany and decommissioned for repairs. The ship was never restored to operational status, however, and on 3 May 1945, Royal Air Force bombers severely damaged her while she was in Kiel. Her crew scuttled the ship at her moorings, and in July 1945 she was raised and towed to Heikendorfer Bay. She was ultimately broken up for scrap in 1948–1952; her bell resides in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England.

Blücher’s career in the Kriegsmarine was much shorter and far less distinguished. Commissioned in the fall of 1939, her first combat assignment was Operation Weserübung in April 1940, loaded with combat troops as the flagship of the force assigned to capture Oslo. While proceeding up the Oslofjord in the pre-dawn hours of 9 April, she was struck by both Norweigan coastal defense batteries and torpedoes. She sank with the loss of nearly 400 men, and the flotilla she was commanding failed to reach Oslo. The Norwegians salvaged both of her anchors; they are on display today in separate locations: one in Oslo, Norway and the other near Drøbak.

Prinz Eugen, conversely, was the lone ship of the class to survive the war afloat and intact. She acquitted herself well throughout the war, participating successfully in Operation Rheinübung and the Battle of the Denmark Strait, Operation Cerberus (also known as the "Channel Dash"), and various gunnery support missions in the North and Baltic Seas. Surrendered to the Royal Navy on 7 May 1945, she became a war prize of the United States Navy and was subsequently sailed to the Philadelphia Navy Yard and stripped of some of her equipment — notably her radar and two of her forward gun barrels — before being transferred to the Pacific for Operation Crossroads. 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.

Seydlitz was laid down in 1936 and launched in January 1939, but fitting out work on her was halted upon the outbreak of war on 1 September 1939. She was estimated to be 95% complete at the time. She languished close to completion until early 1942, when the Kriegsmarine — having come to appreciate the importance of aircraft carriers after the loss of Bismarck in May 1941 and the near-loss of Tirpitz in March 1942 — elected to resume work on Graf Zepplin and convert Seydlitz into a light aircraft carrier. With a complement of ten (10) Bf109 fighters and ten (10) Ju87 dive bombers, she would have fulfilled a role similar to that of the Royal Navy's HMS Hermes or the US Navy's Independence class. Work was halted on this conversion in June 1943 and never completed. Seydlitz was transferred to Königsberg, Germany, where she was scuttled on 29 January 1945 to prevent her capture by Soviet forces. The Soviets eventually re-floated her for salvage; she was broken up for scrap in the late 1940's.

Lützow was the last Hipper-class cruiser to be ordered. Originally designed as a light cruiser variant of the Admiral Hipper armed with twelve (12) 150mm guns, the German admiralty made the decision to match her main battery to that of her sister ships in November 1936. Her keel was laid at Deschimag in Bremen on 2 August 1937 and she was launched on 1 July 1939. In October of that year, the Soviet Union approached Germany with a proposal to purchase Lützow in her current (unfinished) state, along with all of her technical specifications, trial and testing data, and spare parts. The sale was concluded in February 1940, and Lützow was towed to Leningrad on 15 April. On 25 September 1940, the Soviet Navy re-christened her Petropavlovsk and began work to finish her outfitting. Language barriers and other issues hampered efforts, and arrangements were made for Soviet and German officers to train together aboard sister ship Seydlitz as she worked up towards commissioning in the fall of 1941. The German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 put an end to such collaborative efforts.

Petrapavlovsk participated in the defense of Leningrad in August 1941 as a floating battery, but took so many return hits from Wehrmacht heavy artillery that she was forced to beach herself on 17 September to avoid sinking outright. She was re-floated a year later, repaired, renamed Tallinn, and assisted in breaking the Siege of Leningrad in 1944. She was never fully completed, serving as a floating barracks and a stationary training ship before she was scrapped sometime during the 1950's.

Historical Gallery

• 

  The wappen (coat of arms) of Admiral Hipper.

• 

  The wappen (coat of arms) of Blücher.

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  The wappen (coat of arms) of Prinz Eugen.

• 

  The launch of Blücher, 15 August 1936.

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  Admiral Hipper fitting out at Blohm & Voss, 1937.

• 

  The launch of Prinz Eugen, 22 August 1938.

• 

  The launch of Seydlitz, 19 January 1939.

• 

  Commissioning ceremonies aboard Admiral Hipper, 29 April 1939.

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  Admiral Hipper underway in 1939, location unknown.

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  Admiral Hipper with original bow and coat of arms, seen in the Kaiser Wilhelm Kanal during November 1939 while transiting from Brunsbuttel to Kiel after departing Blohm & Voss in Hamburg.

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  Admiral Hipper loading mountain troops in Cuxhaven, Germany in preparation for Operation Weserübung, April 1940.

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  The loss of Blücher during Operation Weserübung, 9 April 1940.

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

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  Admiral Hipper in drydock in Brest, France, circa 1941.

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  Admiral Hipper in Norwegian waters, circa 1942.

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  The bombed out remains of Admiral Hipper in dry dock at Kiel, 3 May 1945.

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  The ship's bell of Admiral Hipper resides in the collection of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England.

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  Both of Blücher’s anchors were salvaged from her wreck and are on display: this one in the harbor in Oslo, Norway; the other, farther down the Oslofjord near Drøbak.

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

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

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  Artist's rendering of Seydlitz with her conversion to a light carrier completed.

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  Artist's rendering of Seydlitz with her conversion to a light carrier completed.

Ships of Germany

Cruisers