 Prince of Wales fired unopposed until she began a port turn at 05 : 57 , when Prinz Eugen took her under fire . After Hood exploded at 06 : 01 , the Germans opened intense and accurate fire on Prince of Wales , with 15 @-@ inch , 8 @-@ inch and 5 @.@ 9 @-@ inch guns . A heavy hit was sustained below the waterline as Prince of Wales manoeuvred through the wreckage of Hood . At 06 : 02 , a 15 @-@ inch shell struck the starboard side of the compass platform and killed the majority of the personnel there . The navigating officer was wounded , but Captain Leach was unhurt . Casualties were caused by the fragments from the shell 's ballistic cap and the material it dislodged in its diagonal path through the compass platform . A 15 @-@ inch diving shell penetrated the ship 's side below the armour belt amidships , failed to explode and came to rest in the wing compartments on the starboard side of the after boiler rooms . The shell was discovered and defused when the ship was docked at Rosyth . 
