Difference between revisions of "Prinz Eugen"

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== History ==
 
== History ==
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the ship and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Ship-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the ship's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''
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<!-- Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the ship and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Ship-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the ship's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable). -->[[File:Prinz Eugen Underway.jpg|thumb|380x380px|The Prinz Eugen underway, circa 1943.]]
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The Prinz Eugen was the third and final member of the completed Admiral-Hipper class of heavy cruisers. Launched in August 1938, she saw extensive service during WWII, including in the sinking of HMS Hood. Following the cessation of hostilities, she was transferred to the Americans who used her as a test target in the Baker nuclear test. Due to the damage received during the tests, she capsized and sank before repairs could be made.<ref name=":0">https://www.world-war.co.uk/germany/hipper.php</ref>
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=== Design and development: ===
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The German Kriegsmarine began to design heavy cruisers in the early 1930s, despite the fact that the Treaty of Versailles banned them from building any ships of the type. Two designs were considered - a heavy cruiser with eight 203mm (8-inch) guns in four double turrets, and a light cruiser with twelve 152mm (6-inch) guns in four triple turrets, similar to those found on the Nurnberg. At the end, the heavier option was chosen; however, numerous design improvements resulted in the ship being significantly larger than originally intended.<ref name=":0" />
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 +
The final design displaced 14 247 tons and was 205 metres long, larger than the pocket battleship Graf Spee.<ref name=":0" /> Armament was to consist of four dual 203mm turrets, twelve 105mm dual-purpose secondary guns and numerous anti-aircraft guns. The ship also carried 22 torpedoes in four triple launchers with 10 reloads, as well as three Arado Ar 196 scout planes.<ref name=":0" /> The main armour belt was between 70-80mm in thickness, and armour of up to 160mm thickness could be found on the conning tower. The ship could reach 32.5 kts (60 kph) and had a range of 5050 nautical miles at 15 kts.<ref name=":0" />
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The German Kriegsmarine placed orders for a total of five Admiral Hipper class heavy cruisers, to be known as Admiral Hipper, Blucher, Prinz Eugen, Seydlitz, and Lutzow. Of these, the Seydlitz and Lutzow would never be completed; Lutzow would be sold to the Soviet Union and eventually scrapped, while Seydlitz was scuttled in 1945 after plans to convert her into an aircraft carrier failed. The contract for Prinz Eugen was placed in November of 1935. Following three years of construction, the ship was launched in August of 1938.<ref name=":0" />
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=== Service life ===
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The Prinz Eugen was then fitted out and underwent numerous sea trials, before being formally commissioned on August 1st 1940. The ship then conducted exercises with U-Boats and the battleship Bismark, between September 1940 and April 1941.<ref name=":1">https://www.kbismarck.com/prinzeugen.html</ref>
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On May 18th, the Prinz Eugen accompanied the newly-commissioned Bismarck in Operation Rheinübung, or Exercise Rhine. After arriving in the Denmark Strait, the pair of ships engaged the battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser Hood. During the engagement, Prinz Eugen was able to hit Hood once before a shot from Bismarck detonated the battlecruiser’s magazine, resulting in her destruction with the loss of all but 3 of her crew. After the Hood sank, the Prinz Eugen hit the Prince of Wales three times, without suffering any damage herself.<ref name=":1" />
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[[File:Prinz Eugen in Norway.jpg|thumb|350x350px|The Prinz Eugen moored in Norway; Admiral Scheer can be seen beside her.]]
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Due to the Bismarck’s damaged state, the two warships broke off soon after the engagement. Prinz Eugen sailed for Brest, where she was repaired. Bismarck was not so lucky, sinking after a long engagement with the Battleships Rodney and King George V. While the Prinz Eugen was docked at the Brest shipyard, she was bombed and heavily damaged, losing 60 crewmembers. Soon after, she participated in the “Channel Dash”, escorting battlecruisers Scharnhost and Gneisenau through the English Channel towards Kiel. She survived the dash without damage, having fired numerous 203mm shells at pursuing British destroyers.<ref name=":1" />
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In February of 1942, the Prinz Eugen departed for Norway with the pocket battleship Admiral Scheer. Enroute, the submarine HMS Trident scored a torpedo hit on Prinz Eugen’s stern. The hit caused severe damage to her stern and rudder, but she was still able to arrive at Trondheim, Norway under her own power. There, she joined Tirpitz and Admiral Scheer to perform attacks on allied shipping convoys.<ref name=":1" />
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In January of 1945, as the situation looked dire for Germany, the Prinz Eugen was dispatched to Norway once again, this time to evacuate refugees and provide support. Between 10 March and 4 April 1945, the Prinz Eugen expended almost 5000 rounds of 203mm ammo. She also lost 9 men as a result of a Russian rocket. On May 7th 1945, along with the Surrender of mainland German forces, the Prinz Eugen and Nurnberg surrendered in Copenhagen, Denmark.<ref name=":1" />
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[[File:Prinz Eugen Wreck.jpg|thumb|350x350px|Prinz Eugen's wreck upside-down in Kwajelein Atoll. Note that the port-side propeller is removed.]]
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After the surrender, Prinz Eugen was handed to the British. Along with several other German and Japanese prize ships, she was handed over to the United States where she was commissioned as USS Prinz Eugen (IX-300). In early 1946, the Prinz Eugen traversed the Panama canal and sailed to Bikini Atoll, where she would carry out her final duty as a test vessel in the Operation Crossroads nuclear tests.<ref name=":1" />
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On July 1st 1946, the ‘Able’ nuclear bomb was dropped on an array of vessels, including the Prinz Eugen. The ship, 1.1 km from the epicentre, suffered only minor damage. The second ‘Baker’ Nuclear test also failed to do significant damage. However, the shocks of two nuclear explosions caused leaks to form in the Prinz Eugen’s hull. As well, the ship could not be repaired due to the high levels of radiation.<ref name=":1" /> On December 22nd 1946, the Prinz Eugen developed a severe list, and capsized in Kwajalein Atoll. The ship wasn’t ever salvaged due to the levels of radiation, but one of the ship’s propellers was removed and installed near Kiel as a memorial for those who served in the Second World War.<ref name=":1" />
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==

Revision as of 21:30, 13 November 2020

Prinz Eugen
germ_cruiser_prinz_eugen.png
Prinz Eugen
AB RB SB
5.7 5.7 5.7
Show in game
STORE

Description

GarageImage Prinz Eugen.jpg


The Admiral Hipper-class, Prinz Eugen, 1945 is a premium gift rank IV German heavy cruiser with a battle rating of 5.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.95 "Northern Wind".

General info

Survivability and armour

Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.

Mobility

Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.

Armament

Primary armament

Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: {{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.

Secondary armament

These cannons are great for taking out destroyers, as they have a good rate of fire and damage output. They also makes decent anti-air guns for high altitude bombers, though not particularly reliable they will definitely make bomb drops harder to pull off. Depending on which target you want to focus on you may load different shells: HE shells for destroyers and other smaller vessels, time-fused HE for anti-air duties if there are a lot of bombers in the sky, and APHE for well-armoured destroyers. You can take manual control of the secondary guns (alt+2 by default), making them more effective and giving you the ability to change the shells depending on the situation you are in. However, this will leave you vulnerable to other cruisers because you will be focusing most of your attention on other vehicles, so it may be better to level up your AI gunners and leave the job to them, while you focus on other cruisers or destroyers with your powerful main guns.

Anti-aircraft armament

Prinz Eugen is covered with 40 mm and 20 mm AA guns, boasting an overall much more effective defence than her sister ship the Admiral Hipper. These guns easily protect the ship from close-range air assaults, while the 105 mm secondary guns will make sure high altitude bombers think twice before presenting themselves as an easy target, though they lack the proximity-fused shells sported by American and British heavy AA guns. It is best to aim the guns yourself if they are coming in from high altitude because most strategic bomber can't manoeuvre very well, making them easy to lead and aim at. The 40 mm and 20 mm autocannons are also great at wiping out torpedo boats and other small vessels. Since they often carry torpedoes that can one-shot or critically damage you, the wall of autocannon fire will make those torpedo boats think twice before rushing you, allowng you to focus more on the main target like other cruisers or destroyers.

Torpedo armament

Main article: G7a (533 mm)

Torpedo launchers are standard equipment on many ships and boats. Torpedoes are a significant means of defeating an opponent. Evaluate the position of the torpedo launchers, discuss the ammunition available, firing specifics such as dead zones, features of the torpedoes themselves, etc. If there is no torpedo armament, remove this section.

Usage in battles

Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).

Modules

Tier Seakeeping Unsinkability Firepower
I Dry-Docking Tool Set 20.3 cm L/4.4 (m.Hb) APBC 10.5 cm Sprgr. L/4.4 Zt.Z Anti-Air Armament Targeting
II Rudder Replacement Fire Protection System Smokescreen 20.3 cm L/4.7 Bdz (m.Hb) SAP 10.5 cm L/4.2 AP Auxiliary Armament Targeting
III Propeller Replacement Shrapnel Protection Ventilation Improved Rangefinder Primary Armament Targeting
IV Engine Maintenance New Pumps Ammo Wetting Torpedo Mode
This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase

Pros and cons

Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".

Pros:

Cons:

History

The Prinz Eugen underway, circa 1943.

The Prinz Eugen was the third and final member of the completed Admiral-Hipper class of heavy cruisers. Launched in August 1938, she saw extensive service during WWII, including in the sinking of HMS Hood. Following the cessation of hostilities, she was transferred to the Americans who used her as a test target in the Baker nuclear test. Due to the damage received during the tests, she capsized and sank before repairs could be made.[1]

Design and development:

The German Kriegsmarine began to design heavy cruisers in the early 1930s, despite the fact that the Treaty of Versailles banned them from building any ships of the type. Two designs were considered - a heavy cruiser with eight 203mm (8-inch) guns in four double turrets, and a light cruiser with twelve 152mm (6-inch) guns in four triple turrets, similar to those found on the Nurnberg. At the end, the heavier option was chosen; however, numerous design improvements resulted in the ship being significantly larger than originally intended.[1]

The final design displaced 14 247 tons and was 205 metres long, larger than the pocket battleship Graf Spee.[1] Armament was to consist of four dual 203mm turrets, twelve 105mm dual-purpose secondary guns and numerous anti-aircraft guns. The ship also carried 22 torpedoes in four triple launchers with 10 reloads, as well as three Arado Ar 196 scout planes.[1] The main armour belt was between 70-80mm in thickness, and armour of up to 160mm thickness could be found on the conning tower. The ship could reach 32.5 kts (60 kph) and had a range of 5050 nautical miles at 15 kts.[1]

The German Kriegsmarine placed orders for a total of five Admiral Hipper class heavy cruisers, to be known as Admiral Hipper, Blucher, Prinz Eugen, Seydlitz, and Lutzow. Of these, the Seydlitz and Lutzow would never be completed; Lutzow would be sold to the Soviet Union and eventually scrapped, while Seydlitz was scuttled in 1945 after plans to convert her into an aircraft carrier failed. The contract for Prinz Eugen was placed in November of 1935. Following three years of construction, the ship was launched in August of 1938.[1]

Service life

The Prinz Eugen was then fitted out and underwent numerous sea trials, before being formally commissioned on August 1st 1940. The ship then conducted exercises with U-Boats and the battleship Bismark, between September 1940 and April 1941.[2]

On May 18th, the Prinz Eugen accompanied the newly-commissioned Bismarck in Operation Rheinübung, or Exercise Rhine. After arriving in the Denmark Strait, the pair of ships engaged the battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser Hood. During the engagement, Prinz Eugen was able to hit Hood once before a shot from Bismarck detonated the battlecruiser’s magazine, resulting in her destruction with the loss of all but 3 of her crew. After the Hood sank, the Prinz Eugen hit the Prince of Wales three times, without suffering any damage herself.[2]

The Prinz Eugen moored in Norway; Admiral Scheer can be seen beside her.

Due to the Bismarck’s damaged state, the two warships broke off soon after the engagement. Prinz Eugen sailed for Brest, where she was repaired. Bismarck was not so lucky, sinking after a long engagement with the Battleships Rodney and King George V. While the Prinz Eugen was docked at the Brest shipyard, she was bombed and heavily damaged, losing 60 crewmembers. Soon after, she participated in the “Channel Dash”, escorting battlecruisers Scharnhost and Gneisenau through the English Channel towards Kiel. She survived the dash without damage, having fired numerous 203mm shells at pursuing British destroyers.[2]

In February of 1942, the Prinz Eugen departed for Norway with the pocket battleship Admiral Scheer. Enroute, the submarine HMS Trident scored a torpedo hit on Prinz Eugen’s stern. The hit caused severe damage to her stern and rudder, but she was still able to arrive at Trondheim, Norway under her own power. There, she joined Tirpitz and Admiral Scheer to perform attacks on allied shipping convoys.[2]

In January of 1945, as the situation looked dire for Germany, the Prinz Eugen was dispatched to Norway once again, this time to evacuate refugees and provide support. Between 10 March and 4 April 1945, the Prinz Eugen expended almost 5000 rounds of 203mm ammo. She also lost 9 men as a result of a Russian rocket. On May 7th 1945, along with the Surrender of mainland German forces, the Prinz Eugen and Nurnberg surrendered in Copenhagen, Denmark.[2]

Prinz Eugen's wreck upside-down in Kwajelein Atoll. Note that the port-side propeller is removed.

After the surrender, Prinz Eugen was handed to the British. Along with several other German and Japanese prize ships, she was handed over to the United States where she was commissioned as USS Prinz Eugen (IX-300). In early 1946, the Prinz Eugen traversed the Panama canal and sailed to Bikini Atoll, where she would carry out her final duty as a test vessel in the Operation Crossroads nuclear tests.[2]

On July 1st 1946, the ‘Able’ nuclear bomb was dropped on an array of vessels, including the Prinz Eugen. The ship, 1.1 km from the epicentre, suffered only minor damage. The second ‘Baker’ Nuclear test also failed to do significant damage. However, the shocks of two nuclear explosions caused leaks to form in the Prinz Eugen’s hull. As well, the ship could not be repaired due to the high levels of radiation.[2] On December 22nd 1946, the Prinz Eugen developed a severe list, and capsized in Kwajalein Atoll. The ship wasn’t ever salvaged due to the levels of radiation, but one of the ship’s propellers was removed and installed near Kiel as a memorial for those who served in the Second World War.[2]

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

  • reference to the series of the ship;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links


Germany heavy cruisers
Admiral Hipper-class  Admiral Hipper · Prinz Eugen
Deutschland-class  Admiral Graf Spee

Germany premium ships
Motor torpedo boats  LS 4 Esau · KM-5 · S-204 Lang · S-701
Minelayers  VS-8
Sub-chasers  M-802
Frigates  Lübeck
Destroyers  Jaguar · Luchs · T31 · Z20 Karl Galster · Z25 · Z47
Light cruisers  Karlsruhe
Heavy cruisers  Prinz Eugen
Battleships  SMS Nassau