 On 21 February 1942 , Admiral Scheer , the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen , and the destroyers Z4 Richard Beitzen , Z5 Paul Jakobi , Z25 , Z7 Hermann Schoemann , and Z14 Friedrich Ihn steamed to Norway . After stopping briefly in Grimstadfjord , the ships proceeded on to Trondheim . On 23 February , the British submarine Trident torpedoed Prinz Eugen , causing serious damage . The first operation in Norway in which Admiral Scheer took part was Operation Rösselsprung , in July 1942 . On 2 July , the ship sortied as part of the attempt to intercept Arctic convoy PQ @-@ 17 . Admiral Scheer and Lützow formed one group while Tirpitz and Admiral Hipper composed another . While en route to the rendezvous point , Lützow and three destroyers ran aground , forcing the entire group to abandon the operation . Admiral Scheer was detached to join Tirpitz and Admiral Hipper in Altafjord . The British detected the German departure and ordered the convoy to scatter . Aware that surprise had been lost , the Germans broke off the surface attack and turned the destruction of PQ @-@ 17 over to the U @-@ boats and Luftwaffe . Twenty @-@ four of the convoy 's thirty @-@ five transports were sunk . 
