Prinz Eugen was sent into the North Atlantic alongside the Bismarck to target convoys heading to Great Britain. During the Denmark Strait battle, she inflicted damage on both HMS Hood (later sunk by Bismarck) and HMS Prince of Wales, before making her way to Brest in occupied France.

The heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen was named after Prince Eugene of Savoy, an 18th century Austrian general. As part of the Admiral Hipper class heavy cruisers, she was a formidable ship equipped with eight 20.3cm guns in four twin turrets, twelve 10.5cm anti aircraft guns, and twelve 53.3cm torpedo tubes. Commissioned in August 1940, Prinz Eugen became one of the Kriegsmarine's most effective surface raiders.

Her most notable action occurred in May 1941 when she joined Bismarck on Operation Rheinübung, aimed at disrupting Allied convoy routes in the Atlantic. During the subsequent encounter in the Denmark Strait, Prinz Eugen's precise gunnery played a role in the devastating attack on HMS Hood, while her shells also hit HMS Prince of Wales. After the battle, she managed to evade British forces and reached the safety of Brest, while Bismarck continued alone to her tragic end.

Following repairs and further missions in the Atlantic and Baltic, Prinz Eugen survived the war, surrendered to the Allies in Copenhagen in May 1945, and was later given to the United States Navy as a war prize. She was used in the Operation Crossroads atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in July 1946, surviving both explosions before eventually capsising in December 1946, where her wreck remains today.

 

What's in the Box?

Plastic model kit

Instruction sheet

Paint Guide

Decal Sheet

 

Parts: 151

Scheme Options: 2

Length (cm) – 35.4

Width (cm) - 3.6

 

Image shows painted and assembled kit

Paint and glue not included

SKU AIR-05203V
Brand Airfix

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