On 26 May, "Prinz Eugen" rendezvoused with the supply ship "Spichern" to refill her nearly empty fuel tanks. She had by then only 160 tons fuel left, enough for a day. Afterwards the ship continued further south on a mission against shipping lines. Before any merchant ship was found, defects in her engines showed and on 27 May, the day "Bismarck" was sunk, she was ordered to give up her mission and make for a port in occupied France. On 28 May "Prinz Eugen" refuelled from the tanker "Esso Hamburg". The same day more engine problems showed up, including trouble with the port engine turbine, the cooling of the middle engine and problems with the starboard screw, reducing her maximum speed to 28 knots. The screw problems could only be checked and repaired in a dock and thus Brest, with its large docks and repair facilities, was chosen as destination. Despite the many British warships and several convoys in the area, at least 104 units were identified on the 29th by the ship's radio crew, "Prinz Eugen" reached the Bay of Biscay undiscovered, and on 1 June the ship was joined by German destroyers and aircraft off the coast of France south of Brest; and escorted to Brest, which she reached late on 1 June where she immediately entered dock.