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Prinz Eugen: Steaming Into the Atomic Age
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4 December 2019 Development

Prinz Eugen was one of three Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruisers, built for the Kriegsmarine during the mid 1930s. After having seen extensive use during WWII, Prinz Eugen is now ready to make an appearance in War Thunder too, becoming the German premium heavy cruiser, available soon to all captains with update 1.95 "Northern Wind"!

Briefly: The last Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruiser to be commissioned, featuring a late war configuration which provides a higher level of anti-air protection and survivability.

Prinz Eugen, heavy cruiser, premium, Germany, IV rank.

Pros

  • Increased crew count
  • Improved anti-air firepower
  • Premium bonuses

Cons

  • Weaker armour for a ship of such a size.
Pre-order - Prinz Eugen Pack
Pre-order - Prinz Eugen Pack
The Kit Includes:
  • Prinz Eugen (Rank 4 Germany) - available after 1.95 update;
  • 2000 Golden Eagles;
  • Premium account for 30 days;
  • Pre-order bonus: unique "Coats of arms of the Holy Roman Empire" decal;
  • Pre-order bonus: unique "Royal Blood" title.
History▼

Prinz Eugen, named after an 18th-century Austrian general, was the third and last ship of the German Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruisers to see completion. Although being ready for commissioning in July 1940, an RAF air raid on Kiel lightly damaged the warship, causing its commissioning to be delayed until August. 

After passing sea trials in late 1940, Prinz Eugen was assigned to its first, and arguably its most well-known combat mission - Operation Rheinübung - alongside battleship Bismarck in May 1941. Following some repairs in France, Prinz Eugen was assigned to operations in Norwegian waters in 1942, though this undertaking was cut short by a successful torpedo attack performed by the British submarine HMS Trident, which heavily damaged Prinz Eugen. As a result, Prinz Eugen was ordered back to Germany for repairs.

Once repaired, Prinz Eugen returned to service in the late stages of WWII, acting initially as a training vessel for naval officers and providing artillery support for German ground units on the Eastern Front later on.

After the ceasefire in Europe, Prinz Eugen was handed over to the U.S. Navy as a war prize. After a detailed study of the ship’s design, the U.S. Navy assigned the warship to a nuclear weapons test at the Bikini Atoll in 1946. Having survived two nuclear blasts one aerial and one underwater Prinz Eugen with minor damage was towed to Enubuj Island which was a part of Kwajalein Atoll. There the cruiser was the target of another underwater nuclear explosion. The ship stayed afloat again but the damage caused, coupled with the lack of a concerted effort for survivability, resulted in it eventually capsizing and sinking.

In War Thunder, Prinz Eugen will be the first premium ship to become available to captains at rank IV of the German naval tree with the release of the upcoming update 1.95 "Northern Wind". Although sharing many similarities with its sistership already present in the game, Prinz Eugen, coming to War Thunder in its 1945 refit, will expand upon the capabilities of its older sister by offering its aspiring captains a stronger anti-air suite as well as increased crew count!

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Fun Fact: The capsized, semi-submerged wreck of Prinz Eugen can still be found just off the shores of one of the islands of Kwajalein Atoll and remains a popular local tourist attraction.

The primary factor that helps differentiate Prinz Eugen from the more than familiar Admiral Hipper is its stronger anti-air armament. Namely, the ship was refitted in 1945 to feature a much heavier and more numerous anti-air loadout. As a result, daring pilots who seek a clash with Prinz Eugen can expect to go up against 4 double 37mm cannons, 6 quadruple 20mm cannons, 2 double 20mm cannons as well as a whopping 18 single 40mm Bofors cannons scattered around the ship’s decks.

Download Wallpaper:

In addition to substantially bolstered anti-air firepower, Prinz Eugen has another ace up its sleeve which further enhances it combat capabilities. Namely, Prinz Eugen’s crew count was significantly increased in the later stages of the war, resulting in the ship being manned by 1,768 crew members in total. Therefore, Admiral Hipper proudly passes on the title of “Most Crewed Naval Vessel in War Thunder” to its younger sibling, thus also allowing it to stay engaged in combat for longer and being able to potentially absorb more damage during clashes on the high seas.

Last, but certainly not least - Prinz Eugen will be coming to the game as the first German rank IV premium vessel, on the one hand giving both veteran as well as new captains the chance to faster progress through the German naval tree with every action performed in combat, while on the other hand offering a worthy new addition to the collection of every serious warship connoisseur in the game!

Prinz Eugen can be obtained through the purchase of a special bundle in our online store and will become available to all its prospective captains in War Thunder, following the arrival of the upcoming update 1.95 "Northern Wind". In the meantime, keep a wary eye on the horizon for more news regarding the next major update coming to the game very soon. Until then, calm seas captains!

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