Prinz Eugen

0.6.9.1.1

Prinz Eugen

Cruiser | Germany | Tier VIII

Tech Tree Position

General

Purchase pricepromo

Hit Points45 000

Aircraft

Main Battery

203 mm L/60 SK C/344 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 Damage2500

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 Damage5900

Initial AP Shell Velocity925 m./s.

AP Shell Weight122 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

105 mm L/65 Dop. L. C/316 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range5 km.

Rate of Fire17.91 shots/min.

Reload Time3.35 sec.

HE Shell105 mm Spr.Gr. Kz.

Maximum HE Shell Damage1200

Initial HE Shell Velocity900 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shel5 %

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

40 mm L/56 Flak 2818 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second135

. . . Firing Range3.51 km.

20 mm Flakzwilling 382 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second8.4

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

20 mm Flakvierling 386 х 4 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second36

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

105 mm L/65 Dop. L. C/316 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second99.6

. . . Firing Range4.5 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed32 knot

Turning Circle Radius770 m.

Rudder Shift Time10.9 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range14.94 km.

Air Detectability Range9.36 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

0.6.9.1.1

Prinz Eugen

Cruiser | Germany | Tier VIII

Tech Tree Position

General

Purchase pricepromo

Hit Points45 000

Aircraft

Main Battery

203 mm L/60 SK C/344 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 Damage2500

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 Damage5900

Initial AP Shell Velocity925 m./s.

AP Shell Weight122 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

105 mm L/65 Dop. L. C/316 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range5 km.

Rate of Fire17.91 shots/min.

Reload Time3.35 sec.

HE Shell105 mm Spr.Gr. Kz.

Maximum HE Shell Damage1200

Initial HE Shell Velocity900 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shel5 %

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

40 mm L/56 Flak 2818 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second135

. . . Firing Range3.51 km.

20 mm Flakzwilling 382 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second8.4

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

20 mm Flakvierling 386 х 4 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second36

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

105 mm L/65 Dop. L. C/316 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second99.6

. . . Firing Range4.5 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed32 knot

Turning Circle Radius770 m.

Rudder Shift Time10.9 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range14.94 km.

Air Detectability Range9.36 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

VIII

promo

Prinz Eugen — German promo 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 Degree 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 en una montura LC/34	4,6	22,5	153	2500	13	5900		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	6/6/18/2	4			0	0

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	Torpedo Tubes Reload Time (sec)	180 Degree 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

	Firing Range Increase (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
FKS Typ 8 Mod. 1	0	17,5		0	0

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsión: 110 000 CV	32		0	0

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM030_MainWeapon_Mod_I_bb1e79efbcc73dfa03a6dd5ae173566ee691b77e3a6587389d6f7ea07eb03588.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 del armamento principal|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_del.C2.A0armamento_principal]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM031_SecondaryWeapon_Mod_I_5369d8b071df59a515906433ea1fff10a55841495258bcd04d3365467e61e4af.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 del armamento auxiliar|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_del.C2.A0armamento_auxiliar]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM032_PowderMagazine_Mod_I_9607d8ec91ddcca4a95443845b888fbd9de4cd81df5a30a199d400657a552017.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 de la santabárbara|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_de_la.C2.A0santab.C3.A1rbara]]
Slot 2	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM006_MainGun_Mod_II_bffc35efc4e090487fd6110a10a2be1f5d51b7918303f724194817e698055412.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 2 de la batería principal|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A02_de_la.C2.A0bater.C3.ADa_principal]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM012_SecondaryGun_Mod_II_c87da07dc4aebb94da59f3df3f8c2934279decb9677334a1a7e4b1f1c9f9ad04.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 de la batería secundaria|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_de_la.C2.A0bater.C3.ADa_secundaria]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM018_AirDefense_Mod_III_d3f357c6dc4e5e627a86e17a16432cb38da32bb1b7999b4a7852371491511770.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 de los cañones AA|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_de_los.C2.A0ca.C3.B1ones_AA]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM033_Guidance_Mod_I_10c7521afe2d577c42618dd04cf6834f2be78cf6b64503844cf87793a5816484.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 de los sistemas de tiro|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_de_los.C2.A0sistemas_de_tiro]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM070_Torpedo_Mod_IV_9e34ebc4f1a15656201b4148e32870eb1c67ddb2fb1a0bc410406236b472d1dd.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 de los tubos de torpedo|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_de_los.C2.A0tubos_de_torpedo]]
Slot 4	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM020_DamageControl_Mod_I_bbc708467bc8f1e6264ac88fb8999ea40660e4b0b94b59ab7b3f1a8b60539ed8.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 del sistema de control de daños|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_del.C2.A0sistema_de_control_de_da.C3.B1os]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM069_Movement_Mod_I_ca8429dcc45fdad36cdd474a13e5a289d6f7cf27ae32c9f30d42b72b9db493af.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Protección de la sala de máquinas|link=Ship:Upgrades#Protecci.C3.B3n_de_la_sala_de_m.C3.A1quinas]]
Slot 5	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM023_DamageControl_Mod_II_3c6aea0c5bccc94f1d8f1fa52662232afa007d784638ce6e981c8ad3457c63fa.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 2 del sistema de control de daños|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A02_del.C2.A0sistema_de_control_de_da.C3.B1os]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM024_Engine_Mod_II_4b4f4c217cf5cf580f47ccbbf76ecede110c5143055c55ab45a82d19e87423fb.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 de la propulsión|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_de_la.C2.A0propulsi.C3.B3n]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM025_SteeringGear_Mod_II_523c86ce4c7d228e73ee3d2cb406f4d78a205aa2453fec45b0925dec519bf7c5.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 del aparato de gobierno|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_del.C2.A0aparato_de_gobierno]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM089_DepthCharges_Mod_I_734ed2711a1c6aa8227fa258f81054dcc2db8aecf66e4baaf0006589181ceb33.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 de las cargas de profundidad|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_de_las_cargas_de_profundidad]]
Slot 6	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM026_LookoutStation_Mod_I_9bdab08af77f5c612cec2a357353f7b60d37118aaab4763721dd53230f68943b.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Sistema de vigilancia de torpedos|link=Ship:Upgrades#Sistema_de_vigilancia_de_torpedos]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM027_ConcealmentMeasures_Mod_I_bda1386ab237032301b6273e655a1998de5bfb50e2c8e59124c8a93d73093f0a.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 del sistema de ocultación|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_del.C2.A0sistema_de_ocultaci.C3.B3n]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM035_SteeringGear_Mod_III_9bbaf379d4027413eb48f3407a4374e40151f55611d71fac0a66d12a5d4e4434.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 2 del aparato de gobierno|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A02_del.C2.A0aparato_de_gobierno]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM072_AbilityWorktimeBoost_Mod_I_e6323cc6cf2a0c16e8a3a3ca4db0ceaebbdb868447435dbafea6f580b66ff101.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 de los consumibles del barco|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_de_los_consumibles_del_barco]]

Player Opinion

Performance

Prinz Eugen is similar in many ways to her sister ship in the tech tree — Admiral Hipper — with identical guns, armor, and torpedoes. The guns are long range and have relatively flat trajectories, but with only eight of them and a low fire chance they can seem inadequate at times 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 Admiral Hipper — with fairly generous firing angles. She has very strong anti-aircraft defenses for her tier, similar to Hipper’s Hull (C), but her rudder responds more slowly. Additionally, her detection range is notably worse than that of Admiral Hipper: b a full 0.7 km worse.

Overall, she is extremely similar to her sister and does not really bring anything new to the table. 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 elsewhere.

LittleWhiteMouse's Premium Ship Review: Prinz Eugen from the NA forums

Pros:

• Excellent rate of fire, main battery range and accuracy, and shell velocity.
• Top-of-the-line armor piercing rounds with excellent penetration, capable of punishing damage against beam-on targets regardless of class.
• Quick turret traverse speed.
• German armor scheme makes her resilient to damage when angled at medium and close ranges.
• Generous torpedo firing arcs.
• One of the best anti-aircraft suites in her tier (only Mikhail Kutuzov is better).
• Her torpedoes, like Hipper are lights out if they hit.
• Excellent velocity.
• High firing arcs plus great main battery range.

Cons:

• Large turning radius.
• Poor stealth characteristics; she has a very large detectability radius, and will draw a lot of long-range fire from enemy ships in her stock configuration.
• Mediocre performance from her high-explosive shells.
• Can struggle to do damage against angled targets (due to HE shell performance).
• Average top speed; most other Tier VIII ships can keep up with her or simply run her down.
• Exceptionally vulnerable to long-range plunging fire.

Research

As a premium ship, Prinz Eugen doesn't have any upgrades to research.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

Virtually all builds of Prinz Eugen 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 Prinz Eugen 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: Prinz Eugen’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

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 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 modules. ★	Expert Loader -50% to reload time when shell type is switched. ★	Aircraft Servicing Expert +5% to HP of carrier-based aircraft. -10% to servicing time of carrier-based aircraft.	Direction Center for Catapult Aircraft +1 catapult aircraft. -20% to the speed of catapult aircraft. ★★	Dogfighting Expert +10% to average damage per second of fighter for each tier of difference between them. +10% to fighters ammunition.	Incoming Fire Alert Indicator of long-range enemy artillery fire. ★★	Evasive Maneuver -20% to detectability of strike aircraft when returning to the carrier. +75% to HP of strike aircraft when returning to the carrier. -30% to airspeed of strike aircraft when returning to the carrier.
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.	Expert Rear Gunner +10% to average damage per second of self-defense armament for aircraft with rear gunners.	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% to reload times of all types of armament 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 HP for each ship tier. ★	Torpedo Armament Expertise -10% to reload time of torpedo tubes. -20% to servicing time of torpedo bombers.	Emergency Takeoff Makes it possible to launch and recover aircraft while the ship is on fire. +100% to aircraft servicing time while aircraft carrier is on fire.	Basic Firing Training -10% to reload time of main battery guns with a caliber up to and including 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +20% to average damage per second of AA defense. ★★	Superintendent +1 additional charge to all consumables mounted on a ship. ★	Demolition Expert +2% to chance of fire on a target caused by a main caliber shell, secondary shell, or bomb. ★★	Vigilance +25% to detection range of enemy torpedoes. ★★
4	Manual Fire Control for Secondary Armament -15% to the maximum dispersion of shells for the secondary armament of Tier I-VI ships. -60% to the maximum dispersion of shells for the secondary armament of Tier VII-X ships.	Fire Prevention -7% 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. -3% to chance of fire on target caused by HE shells.	Air Supremacy +1 fighter per squadron. +1 bomber per squadron.	Advanced Firing Training +20% to firing range of main battery guns with a caliber up to 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +20% to AA defense firing range. ★★★	Manual Fire Control for AA Armament +100% to average damage per second of AA guns with a caliber exceeding 85mm against a designated target. ★★	Radio Position Finding Shows the direction to the nearest enemy ship (that isn't an aircraft carrier). The enemy player is alerted that a bearing has been taken on their ship.	Concealment Expert -10% to the detection radius of destroyers. -12% to the detection radius of cruisers. -14% to the detection radius of battleships. -16% to the detection radius of aircraft carriers. ★★★
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful       ★★ - Frequently Useful       ★ - Occasionally Useful      No stars - Not Useful

Consumables

Prinz Eugen 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

As a premium ship, Prinz Eugen comes included with Type 30 camouflage that is unique to her. It lowers her detection radius, reduces the accuracy of incoming shells, increases the amount of experience she earns, and provides an additional bonus to the experience earned by her commander.

An alternate Adler camouflage is available for purchase as well, with the added bonus of increasing her credit earnings by 10%.

Signals

Recommended Signal Flags
Combat
November Echo Setteseven +10% average damage per second of all anti-aircraft mounts. +10% average damage per second of self-defense armament for aircraft with rear gunners. ★★	Mike Yankee Soxisix +5% to secondary battery maximum firing range. -5% to maximum dispersion of secondary battery shells. -5% to secondary battery loading time.	India X-Ray +1% chance of causing a fire for bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm. +0.5% chance of causing a fire for bombs and shells with a caliber below 160mm. +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.	Victor Lima +1% chance of causing a fire for bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm. +0.5% chance of causing a fire for bombs and shells with a caliber below 160mm. +4% chance of flooding (against your ship). ★	Hotel Yankee -20% to damage received when ramming the enemy. +50% to damage dealt when ramming the enemy.
November Foxtrot -5% reload time on all consumables. ★	Sierra Mike +5% to the ship's maximum speed. ★★★	India Delta +20% to the amount of HP recovered when the Repair Party consumable is used.	Juliet Yankee Bissotwo -20% to flooding duration.	India Yankee -20% to fire duration.	Juliet Charlie -100% to the risk of your ship's magazine detonating. ★
Economic
Zulu +20% credits earned for the battle. ★★	India Bravo Terrathree -10% to the cost of the ship's post-battle repair.	Equal Speed Charlie London +50% XP earned for the battle.	Zulu Hotel +50% Commander XP earned for the battle. ★★	Papa Papa +300% Free XP earned for the battle.
Special
Wyvern +50% credits earned for the battle. ★★	Red Dragon +100% XP earned for the battle. +100% Commander XP earned for the battle.	Dragon Flag +333% Commander XP earned for the battle. ★★	Ouroboros +777% Free XP earned for the battle.	Hydra +50% XP earned for the battle. +150% Commander XP earned for the battle. +250% Free XP earned for the battle.
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful       ★★ - Frequently Useful       ★ - Occasionally Useful      No stars - Not Useful

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.

Historical Info

Construction

Krupp Germaniawerft; Kiel, Germany

Laid down: 23 April 1936

Launched: 22 August 1938

Completed: 1 August 1940

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Specifications

14,475 tons displacement, standard

206m length

21m beam

5.8m draft (mean)

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Machinery

12 boilers, 3 turbines

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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

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Aircraft

Three (3) Ar196 float planes, one catapult

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 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, 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, and laid down in the spring of the following year. Her construction started on 23 April 1936 in the Krupp-Germania Shipyard, 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, 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.

Prinz Eugen would, over time, become one of the most heavily sensor-equipped ships in German Navy. Throughout her career, multiple models of radars were equipped and replaced. These include FuMO 27 fitted at aft fire director in 1940; FuMO 27 fitted at foretop in 1940, which replaced by FuMO 26 in 1942; FuMO 25 fitted at mainmast in 1944; and FuMO 81 fitted at foremast in 1944. FuMB 1 passive radar detector also fitted in 1940 which later augmented by 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 from before she was officially commissioned when the Royal Air Force bombed the shipyard at Kiel on 1 July 1940, causing 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 orders 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 which destroyed her main control room, further delaying her return to service. Following several more bombings from the Royal Air Force, the German forces 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 Trondheimsfjord, 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 her repairs.

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 the heavy cruiser 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 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 Soviet Russia 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 in Bikini Atoll. 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 Gallery

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  The crest of Prinz Eugen.

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

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  Launching of Prinz Eugen, 22 August 1938.

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  Launching of Prinz Eugen, 22 August 1938.

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  Prinz Eugen under fire during the Battle of the Denmark Strait, 20 May 1940. Photo taken aboard.

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

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  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.

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  Prinz Eugen underway, date unknown.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ships of Germany

Cruisers