The machinery arrangement required Leipzig to uncouple its diesels and couple the turbines to the shafts, temporarily leaving the ship without motive power. In heavy fog, Prinz Eugen struck forward of the funnel and nearly cut the cruiser in half, wrecking an engine room and killing about 40 crew. The two ships remained locked together for more than a day before Leipzig could be towed away. Repairs kept her afloat but did not restore her to normal service; she later provided fire support and carried refugees west as Soviet forces advanced. After Allied capture she briefly served the mine-sweeping administration clearing wartime mines off the German coast before being scuttled in July 1946.
Chapter · 39:41-43:04
The Prinz Eugen collision that ended Leipzig's service
A difficult switch from diesel cruising engines to steam turbines left Leipzig without propulsion in fog, contributing to a catastrophic collision with Prinz Eugen.