"Prinz Eugen" saw action during Operation Rheinübung, an attempted breakout into the Atlantic Ocean with the battleship in May 1941. The two ships destroyed the British battlecruiser and moderately damaged the battleship 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 days after arriving in Norwegian waters. The torpedo severely damaged the ship's stern, which necessitated repairs in Germany.