DKM "Prinz Eugen" - the German heavy cruiser

"Prinz Eugen" was an "Admiral Hipper" - class heavy cruiser, the third of a class of five vessels. She served in Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II. The ship was laid down in April 1936, launched in August 1938, and entered service after the outbreak of war, in August 1940. She was named after Prince Eugene of Savoy, a distinguished 18th-century general in the service of the Holy Roman Empire. She was armed with a main battery of eight 20.3 cm (8 in) guns and, although nominally under the 10,000-long-ton (10,160 t) limit set by the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, actually displaced over 16,000 long tons (16,257 t). "Prinz Eugen" saw action during Operation "Rheinübung", an attempted breakout into the Atlantic Ocean with the battleship "Bismarck" in May 1941. The two ships destroyed the British line cruiser "Hood" and moderately damaged the battleship 'Prince of Wales" in the Battle of the Denmark Strait. "Prinz Eugen" was detached from "Bismarck" during the operation to raid Allied merchant shipping, but this was cut short due to engine troubles. After putting into occupied France and undergoing repairs, the ship participated in Operation "Cerberus", a daring daylight dash through the English Channel back to Germany. In February 1942, "Prinz Eugen" was deployed to Norway, although her time stationed there was curtailed, when she was torpedoed by the British submarine "Trident" days after arriving in Norwegian waters. The torpedo severely damaged the ship's stern, which necessitated repairs in Germany. Upon returning to active service, the ship spent several months training officer cadets in the Baltic, before serving as artillery support for the retreating German Army on the Eastern Front. After the German collapse in May 1945, she was surrendered to the British Royal Navy before being transferred to the US Navy as a war prize. After examining the ship in the United States, the US Navy assigned the cruiser to the Operation "Crossroads" nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll. Having survived the atomic blasts, "Prinz Eugen"was towed to Kwajalein Atoll, where she ultimately capsized and sank in December 1946. The wreck remains partially visible above the water approximately two miles northwest of Bucholz Army Airfield, on the edge of Enubuj. One of her screw propellers was salvaged and is on display at the Laboe Naval Memorial in Germany. 

Large, well detailed and designed, high level printed model for intermediate to advanced modelers. Several detailed sheets are double-side printed, well-rendered wood decking, rich color reserve. There are no textual instructions, but the graphic redeems everything - it is as abundant as it rarely is.