| German Cruiser Prinz Eugen | |
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The Prinz Eugen (fourth warship to wear that name) was the third and last heavy cruiser commissioned by the Kriegsmarine. She became famous on her first war mission in May 1941, during the Atlantic sortie with the Bismarck in which the Hood was sunk and the Prince of Wales damaged. In February 1942, after a period spent in Brest, the Prinz Eugen together with the battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, successfully passed through the English Channel on her way back to Germany. Shortly afterwards, while en route to Norway she was torpedoed and damaged by a British submarine off Trondheim. The ship was not ready for service until the beginning of 1943, and then used for training purposes in the Baltic. In 1945, the Prinz Eugen was used for shore bombardment off the Baltic coast to protect civilian refugees. The ship surrendered to the British at Copenhagen in May 1945, and was handed over to the American. In July 1946, she survived two nuclear tests in Bikini Atoll. Towed later to Kwajalein Atoll, the Prinz Eugen capsized on 22 December 1946. CAREER TIMELINE 23 April 1936: Lay down at the Germania shipyards in Kiel. 22 August 1938: Launched. Christened by Frau Magda von Horthy, wife of the Hungarian Regent. 2 July 1940: Hit by two British bombs. 1 August 1940: Commissioned. 23 April 1941: Damaged by a magnetic mine while on her way to Kiel. 18 May 1941: Operation Rheinübung. Departs Gotenhafen in the evening to attack the British supply lines in the Atlantic with the battleship Bismarck. 20 May 1941: At 1300, is sighted with Bismarck by the Swedish cruiser Gotland in the Kattegat. 21 May 1941: In the morning, enters the Korsfjord near Bergen with Bismarck, and anchors in the Kalvanes Bay with the destroyers Z-10, Z-16, and Z-23. Refuels from tanker Wollin, and leaves the Norwegian fjord at night. 23 May 1941: At 1922 is sighted with Bismarck by the British heavy cruiser Suffolk in the Denmark Strait. 24 May 1941: Between 0555 and 0609, together with Bismarck engages the battle cruiser Hood and the battleship Prince of Wales. Obtains at least one hit on Hood before the mighty British battle cruiser is sunk by Bismarck at 0601. Afterwards obtains three hits on Prince of Wales. Expends 179 20.3cm and 66 10.5cm projectiles and remains herself undamaged. At 1814, in the afternoon leaves Bismarck and heads south. 26 May 1941: Refuels at sea from tanker Spichern. 1 June 1941: Enters Brest. 2 July 1941: Hit by a bomb in Brest. 60 dead. 11-13 February 1942: Operation Cerberus. Prinz Eugen leaves Brest with the battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau escorted by six destroyers for a dash through the English Channel. Group commanded by Vice Admiral Otto Ciliax. She expends over 5,000 rounds of AA ammunition, and fires some heavy shells at British destroyers. Reaches Brunsbüttel undamaged in the morning of the 13th.
Crossing the English Channel at 30 knots. 21 February 1942: Departs Kiel with Admiral Scheer for Norway. 23 February 1942: The British submarine Trident scores a torpedo hit on Prinz Eugen's stern off Trondheim. The damage is severe and 50 men lose their lives, but she manages to reach Trondheim by her own power and join the Tirpitz and Admiral Scheer. February-May 1942: Temporary repairs in Lofjord a branch of the bigger Aasfjord in Trondheim. 17-18 May 1942: The ship returns to Kiel for final repairs. October 1942: Repair work finished. Leaves for the Baltic. 9 January 1943: Leaves Gotenhafen for Norway together with the battleship Scharnhorst and three destroyers. Detected by British planes on the 11th, the group returns to Gotenhafen where it arrives on the 12th. 23 January 1943: Sails for Norway again with Scharhorst but is detected one more time by British planes and returns to the Baltic. February 1943-June 1944: Used as a training ship in the Baltic. 19-28 June 1944: Sortie to Finland. 20 August 1944: Shore bombardment against the soviets in the Gulf of Riga. 20-25 September 1944: Escorts a convoy retreating from Finland. 15 October 1944: Rams the light cruiser Leipzig amidships off Gotenhafen. January-April 1945: Provides naval support through shore bombardment on the Baltic coast. 10 April 1945: After using all ammunition leaves the Baltic for Copenhagen. 7 May 1945: The battle flag is lowered and the ship surrenders at Copenhagen with the light cruiser Nürnberg. 8 May 1945: The Prinz Eugen is handed over to the British. 26 May 1945: Leaves Copenhagen with Nürnberg, and sails to Wilhelmshaven escorted by British ships. Once in Wilhelmshaven enters dry dock. 5 January 1946: The American flag is hoisted and the ship put into service in the US Navy as USS Prinz Eugen (IX-300). 13 January 1946: Leaves for Boston with a mixed crew of Germans and Americans. 22 January 1946: Arrives at Boston. Shortly after moves to Philadelphia where the barrels of turret "Anton" are removed. March 1946: Leaves for the Pacific through the Panama Canal. 1 May 1946: In San Diego, the last German crew members leave the ship. Dispatched to Bikini Atoll in the Marshalls. 1 July 1946: A-bomb test Able. At 0900, a nuclear bomb dropped over a target fleet of ships by a B-29 detonates at 518 feet above the surface. Prinz Eugen is located 1,194 yards from the point of explosion and survives the test undamaged. 25 July 1946: A-bomb test Baker. At 0835, and nuclear bomb is detonated underwater at a depth of about 90 feet. Prinz Eugen is located 1,990 yards from the explosion, and again survives the test with no appreciable damage. Late August 1946: Decommissioned. Early September 1946: Towed to Kwajalein Atoll. 22 December 1946: Due to leaks takes a 35º starboard list and capsizes over Enubuj reef. 1978: By initiative of former crew members, and after seeking for permission, the 12 ton port propeller is removed from the hull and shipped to Germany where it is erected as a naval memorial near Kiel. COMMANDERS August 1940-July 1942: Captain Helmuth Brinkmann. June 1942: Commander Neubauer. August-October 1942: Lieutenant Commander Beck. October 1942-February 1943: Captain Hans-Erich Voß. February 1943-January 1944: Captain Werner Ehrhardt. January 1944-May 1945: Captain Hans-Jürgen Reinicke. 1946: Captain A.H. Graubart (USN). TECHNICAL DATA Displacement: standard 14,240 mt, full load 19,042 mt. Dimensions: overall length 212.5 m, beam 21.7 m, maximum draft 7.2 m, height 12.45 m. Armour: belt 80 mm, turrets 70-160 mm, upper deck 30 mm, armour deck 30 mm, conning tower 150 mm, torpedo bulkhead 20 mm. Armament: 8 x 20.3cm/L60, 12 x 10.5cm/L65, 12 x 3.7cm/L83, 28 x 2cm, 12 x 53.3cm torpedoes. Aircraft: 3 x Arado ar 196. Propulsion plant: 12 boilers, three Germania turbine sets, 132,000 hp. Speed: 32.5 knots. Endurance: 6,800 nm at 16 knots. Fuel capacity: 4,250 mt. Crew: 1,600. |
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Two Arado Ar 196A were surrendered aboard the German Cruiser Prinz Eugen. The ship sailed to the US leaving Bremerhaven on 13 January 1946 and arrived at the Philadelphia Naval Ship Yards on 03 February. |
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| Page last revised 01/09/2007 |
