Prinz Eugen

The Admiral Hipper class emerged from Germany's return to heavy-cruiser construction in the 1930s. Although conceived within the 10,000-ton, 20.3 cm-gun limits associated with the Washington treaty system, the completed ships were substantially larger than the nominal limit.

Five ships were laid down between 1935 and 1937. Admiral Hipper and Blücher formed the first group, while Prinz Eugen, Seydlitz and Lützow incorporated an improved design. Seydlitz and Lützow were initially considered as 15 cm-gun light cruisers, but both were reordered with 20.3 cm guns. The class was intended for commerce warfare, combining heavy armament with sufficient speed to avoid stronger opponents.

In practice, the ships' high-pressure steam machinery consumed too much fuel for sustained Atlantic operations and proved difficult to maintain. Only Admiral Hipper, Blücher and Prinz Eugen were completed as heavy cruisers; construction of Seydlitz and Lützow remained unfinished.

Prinz Eugen entered service in August 1940 and accompanied Bismarck during Operation Rheinübung, taking part in the Battle of the Denmark Strait before reaching Brest independently. She returned to Germany through the English Channel during Operation Cerberus in February 1942, then lost her stern to a torpedo from the British submarine Trident. From 1944 she supported German forces retreating along the Baltic coast with naval gunfire. The cruiser surrendered at Copenhagen in May 1945 and was transferred to the United States. After surviving both atomic tests at Bikini Atoll, she developed an uncontrollable list and capsized at Kwajalein on 22 December 1946.

Several artifacts from Prinz Eugen survive today. One of her Arado Ar 196 aircraft is preserved by the Smithsonian Institution, while the ship's bell is held by the National Museum of the United States Navy in Washington, D.C. Guns removed from turret Anton before the Bikini tests remain at the naval test facility in Dahlgren, Virginia, and one of the ship's propellers is displayed at the Naval Memorial in Laboe, Germany.