The Prinz Eugen

John Mitchell

John Mitchell dove the Prinz Eugen while in the Marshall Islands during the years 1986-87. At the time, the Eugen was restricted to sport divers and only those with security clearance could have access to the site. John has donated this dive report and pictures to the site.

John's report:

Some 2200 miles southeast of Hawaii in an island chain known as the Marshalls, the German heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen (pronounced prinz oygen) lies inverted in warm pristine tropical waters of the Kwajalein lagoon. It serves as an ironic oxymoron in that German naval activity never ventured this far in the war, yet scores of her allies also lie within a few miles of her. Remnants of the Japanese fleet clutter the bottom where Prinz Eugen now makes its last resting-place. The clear turquoise water is a far cry from the cold realities of the North Atlantic.

Prinz Eugen was launched in 1938 and served both as a symbol of defiance and national pride. It was built and put to sea in clear violation of the Versailles Treaty of 1918, but also represented German ambivalence. Indeed, Prinz Eugen was part of a series of bold efforts the Kregsmarine undertook to match German naval strength with that of the Royal Navy.

Ironically for all its intimidation the Eugen’s big guns never struck an enemy warship. Its only stake in history lies in its first war patrol. In May 1941, it sailed alongside the Bismarck as an escort vessel, and was present during the destruction of the RMS Hood.

Throughout the remainder of the war, Eugen enjoyed a relatively easy duty and was the only German major surface ship to survive the war intact. For that reason its crew fondly dubbed her “the lucky ship”.

At the conclusion of hostilities, Eugen was surrendered to the British, who subsequently turned it over the US Navy for atomic bomb testing. It was towed to Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands and took part in Operations Able and Baker. Once again the “lucky ship” proved itself worthy of the title in surviving two atomic air blasts but with considerable damage its starboard side hull. After the second test it was towed to Kwajalein Lagoon. But, the trauma of two atomic blasts and a storm were proving too much for the lucky ship. While being towed out to deeper water for scuttling, the Eugen began sinking in the lagoon. The tugs attempted to keep it away from the islands but it ended up striking a reef and rolling upside down, where it lies to this day.

Kwajalein is home of the Reagan Ballistic a restricted area used by the US Air Force for ballistic missile re entry vehicle testing. Unfortunately, due to the sensitivity of the work there, only people with security clearance or their families are allowed entry onto Kwajalein Island. Kwajalein is a closed lagoon hence no commercial diving is allowed there. That was a special treat in that much of the Japanese fleet lies at the bottom of the lagoon relatively untouched. Only those folks having lived on Kwaj are the lucky ones to have seen its treasures beneath! I spent two years in the Kwajalein Atoll working in deep space tracking and missile testing. Hence, I had the unique opportunity to visit the wrecks cluttered among the reefs.

Diving the Prinz Eugen held a special fascination. Its sheer size could be intimidating! When approaching the wreck, a portion the stern section rises 30 feet out of the water. Both propeller shafts and the ships immense rudder are completely exposed. From that point she dips down below the elements with her bow finally coming to rest 654 feet away…100 feet beneath.

And when it comes to conditions one cannot ask for better diving! Water temps hover around 82 degrees and visibilities are at least 100 feet and sometimes more. Add to that, the Eugen lies tucked inside the Kwajalein lagoon thus minimizing any impact of surf conditions.

Our standard entry into the ship was from the stern. We began by swimming beneath the massive overturned aft deck. Once clearing the aft structure, we were greeted to the sight of six 16-inch guns! The gravity mount gun turret fell off when it overturned and they lay like huge sewer pipes half buried in the sand. Even with spectacular viz the remainder of the heavy cruiser disappeared into the turquoise green aquatic mist.

We entered the Prinz Eugen via a small open hatch about midway down the stern deck. After a tight squeeze we’d find ourselves in one the machine shops. From there it was though an open door which connected to the main internal deck way. Known affectionately to us as “The Tour” this passageway spanned over 350 feet in a straight shot. The Eugen, was once a city of sorts, and just like any city, this main boulevard took us by machine ships, crews quarters, storage areas and finally terminated at the ships galley. At the end of the passageway it was a right turn and down a set of stairs which led to the ships mess hall. The final leg of the tour was a swim through the open mess hall. It was like swimming in a cavern as portholes teased us with a little ambient light. But, it was always a welcome sight, since that was the first light we had seen since entering the Eugen. It also signified the tour was nearly at an end! We exited the mess hall via a large door, leading us outside to the main deck. Wow…what a dive! And despite the long penetration, it was a relatively simple one. There were no tricky obstacles for becoming snagged on, and it was comfortably wide enough to allow for easy finning through the wreck. And although it was dark, the water was so clear that our divelights illuminated the path before us quite nicely!

The Prinz Eugen has always been one of my fondest wrecks. Its size and rich history along with spectacular dive conditions makes it a sure bet!

For now, the Prinz Eugen pretty much remains a prize only for those of us who were lucky enough to have lived on Kwajalein Island. But the Marshall Islands in general offer some of worlds most spectacular diving. And you can also visit the Nuclear Fleet, those ships sunk by Operation Baker, off Bikini Atoll.

Photos courtesy of John Mitchell: