a note to Prinz Eugen

**DONOTDELETE** · « **on:** August 17, 2001, 12:55:00 PM »

As I have a severe intrest in World War 2 and all things related, I just wanted to say hello, and say I'm glad someone here is trying to keep a bit of that history alive!

prinz · « **Reply #1 on:** August 18, 2001, 02:04:00 AM »

My pleasure! The Prinz was a fine looking ship. Her hydrophone underwater listening system was of great interest to the United States ..Proably the bedrock on which the SOSIS sys was built... Her 8in 60cal guns were also of interest. Her high preasure steam system was a decade ahead of the allies...not such a problem when you consider all the troubles the Germans had with them.

cheers PE

homevintner · « **Reply #2 on:** August 18, 2001, 12:09:00 PM »

I am also a nut for history history in general, and WWII in particular. Thanks for having that pic up on your site, it's the best one I've seen of her.

prinz · « **Reply #3 on:** August 19, 2001, 12:40:00 AM »

Your welcome..I currently making a 1/400 kit of her cut to the waterline as she looked late war..I will take this when finnished take several digital camera shots..inport to Vue 4.0 where a digital water plane and sky await her...add a poser of Roberta on water skis behind her.. thats my plan anyway...touch up in photoshop..This will require quite a bit of work ...just a plan at the moment.. There is a new book out on the Heavy Cruisers of the Hipper Class ,lots of good photos of all of them... The photo at my Gallery is her at wars end offloading Ammo in Denmark. nice to hear from other WWII buffs who also like Biggins! cheers PE

gOOber · « **Reply #4 on:** August 19, 2001, 01:36:00 AM »

I was wondering, is your handle pronounced "oye-gun"?

St Stephan · « **Reply #5 on:** August 19, 2001, 05:35:00 AM »

Prinz Eugen can pronounce his* name as he* wishes, of course, but since the original was an Austrian hero, and Prinz-Eugen-Straße is a major Viennese street, I can tell you that Austrians usually pronounce the name Oy-GANE, or occasionally OY-genn.

Oddly enough, Prince Eugene of Savoy was born in Paris, but since he spent most of his life fighting for Austria against the French, or sometimes the Turks, he is generally considered an Austrian military leader - enough so that the Germans, who considered Austria a German province, named a warship after him.

Although the English name is Prince Eugene, I don't suppose anyone would translate the ship's name, so: "PRINTZ Oy-GANE".
0 (_(o^{^{^{^!}}}< J
*Technically we should refer to our Prinz Eugen, who is clearly named after the ship and not the person, as "she", like all ships. But I'm pretty sure PE is a man - it would be pretty rare to find a woman who is so into warships that she names herself after one - so we'd better call him "he". Right, PE?

[ August 19, 2001: Message edited by: St Stephan ]

prinz · « **Reply #6 on:** August 19, 2001, 06:12:00 AM »

ST Stephan is correct on both counts Im a guy..and it would be pronounced Printz oy-gane ..Almost went with the handle Admiral Hipper instead...Now there was a fighting Admiral! cheers PE

homevintner · « **Reply #7 on:** August 19, 2001, 08:09:00 AM »

What is the title and who is the author of that book on the Hipper class? It sounds like one to put on my wish list.

gOOber · « **Reply #8 on:** August 19, 2001, 09:01:00 AM »

Thanks guys-and to think some people say these august halls of learning contain only boobs.

prinz · « **Reply #9 on:** August 20, 2001, 01:45:00 AM »

Your welcome Goober! A little history with those Boobs!! gotta love it..:0 Vintner the Book is available through Greenhill books and the Navel Institute Press.. Its called "Heavy Cruisers of the Admiral Hipper Class" by Gerhard Koop and Klaus-Peter Schmolke its in english...these guys also have books on all the other German WW2 heavy warship classes...a must for any serious ship modeler or warship buff.. cheers PE

homevintner · « **Reply #10 on:** August 20, 2001, 01:01:00 PM »

Thanks PE!!! The tip is greatly appreciated.

prinz · « **Reply #12 on:** August 21, 2001, 07:10:00 AM »

Ah, you ask good questions..These very questions are discussed at length by those of us who love the history of Warfare in the 20th century... As for Hood, desperate times dictate desperate measures..She was due for a refit to increase her horizontal Armor..but England stood alone in the spring of 1941..the refit would have to wait..She was a creature of her day..A "Battlecruiser" She was powerful and fast but the engineering of 1916-1917 couldnt produce steam turbines powerful enough to carry the weight of armor and guns at a useful speed.. The engineering of 1935-1936 could...Bismarck was a "Fast Battleship" Prinz Eugen was an 18,000 ton HeavyCruiser with 60cal 8in guns..In 1941 she was far more powerful than any Allied heavy cruiser..Her guns hit Hood amidships and started a fire..We still debate whether it wasnt this fire that ate its way down to Hoods after Magazine...In blowing herself to bits Hood followed the tradition of other British Battlecruisers,, Queen Mary,Invinicible, Inflexible..all on the same day at Jutland..The German Battlecruiser tho not as fast were made of sterner stuff Seyditz made port with 5,000 tons of water aboard after recieving 21 heavy calibur hits ,15 med cal and a torpedo.. During the chase of Bismarck the Battlecruiser Renown was not allowed to take part in the final battle for fear that she too wouldnt be able to withstand the heavy shells.. As for the Japaneses , why they didnt send that third wave to destroy the oil tanks, sub base and repair shops is beyond me...Nagomo was not the right man for that job, he turned away before the job was done..He didnt know were our Carriers were and it got the better of him. Had he launched that wave he would of ended Pearl Harbors usefulness as a base.. The nearest fuel oil would of been on the west coast..It would of added years to the war. Such are the fortunes of that nasty buiness known as war..cheers PE

homevintner · « **Reply #13 on:** August 21, 2001, 07:55:00 AM »

Prinz Eugen scores with another broadside! The only thing that I have to add is that the three British battle cruisers that blew up at Jutland were all struck in a turret and the blast flashed down through a series of open single hatches to the magazines.
The HMS Lion almost suffered the same fate, but the magazine was flooded in time to prevent that. After Jutland that was corrected. The single doors were changed to doubles, and closed after a shell and powder was hoisted through. This was already SOP on the German vessels. The Hood would have benefitted from this. Still, there were only three survivors, so no one can say for certain. Maybe Dr. Ballard should look for the Hood next.
Also, at Jutland the British were firing lyddite(a picric acid high explosive) shells, having had succes with them earlier. However, many of these were shattering on impact with the heavy armor belts of the German battlewagons. The Germans, on the other hand, were firing the old tried and true armor piercing rounds.

**DONOTDELETE** · « **Reply #14 on:** August 21, 2001, 03:32:00 PM »

To St. Stephan (and other interested folks), about Midway. I may leave out some info, but to the best of my recollection from many history books and TV programs, here's what happened prior to the actual battle. The US intercepted several japaneese broadcasts (in a code we'd only partially deciphered) refering to they're next target. We (specifically Adm. Nimitz) thought they MIGHT be referring to Midway, so he had Midway send out a message that their desalinisation (sp?) plant (the system to make **94** water from sea water) was down. WThen we intercepted their (Japan's) message saying a desalinisation (sp?) plant at (let's just say they said YYZ, can't recall what they said for sure) was not working, the name the matched with the name of the Japaneese next target, giving the US Fleet a clue as to where and when to be ready.

Re: a note to Prinz Eugen