For a long time, humankind wondered—
"What would happen if you tried to combine things
that seem completely incompatible?"
This idea was based on both pure curiosity—
for example, what would happen if you combined a toaster and a refrigerator—
and practical interest—
"How might you combine a monarchy and democracy?"
History has seen several quite successful examples of such syntheses.
For example, the mule—an enduring and not particularly stubborn animal—
is the result of crossing a donkey and a horse.
Then you have the Art Deco style in architecture,
constitutional monarchies in politics.
This line of thought inspired the World of Warships designers
to create the unique battleship-aircraft carrier, Kearsarge.
The history of this ship began in the 1930s.
At that time, the idea of creating a large warship
with almost equivalent artillery and aircraft weaponry was quite popular.
The emergence of hybrid battleship projects
has a completely rational explanation.
A capital warship has powerful protection and armament.
If you add a large air group,
you can avoid using aircraft carriers in general battles
since the latter are vulnerable to artillery and torpedo attacks.
And the project of such a ship actually existed!
Here's the story:
In 1936, the Soviet Union approached American shipbuilders
with a cooperative offer.
The U.S.S.R. was interested in designing and constructing a conventional battleship
with a 406 mm main battery in the U.S.
Alternatively, the Soviets wanted to obtain a project of such a battleship
and get technical assistance in constructing it at Soviet shipyards.
The American "Gibbs & Cox" company
put forward a project of a hybrid warship.
They were primarily interested
in developing an advanced but untested concept
at the expense of a foreign customer.
Design work and negotiations continued from 1937 through 1939.
However, the Soviet Naval High Command and the U.S.S.R.'s leadership
decided to abandon the idea of such a battleship.
The U.S. Navy was not interested in it either.
Until recently, it was believed
that the blueprints for the aircraft-carrying battleship
developed by the Gibbs & Cox company had been lost.
Only general drawings of the project were available.
However, we discovered these blueprints in the Russian State Naval Archives,
and now our players can truly touch history!
Kearsarge can become the dream ship of any World of Warships Captain.
Just imagine: twelve 406 mm main guns in four turrets,
fourteen 127 mm coaxial guns,
and a squadron of five attack aircraft armed with powerful Tiny Tim rockets.
When it comes to game tactics for Kearsarge,
she offers some very interesting gameplay possibilities
but requires good skills with both battleships and carriers.
Kearsarge's capabilities encourage playing at medium ranges:
the ship has a large HP pool,
can unleash a weighty main gun salvo
that will cause the enemy considerable distress,
and has strong air defenses.
However, it's worth remembering
that this hybrid has long gun reloading and traverse times,
as well as mediocre maneuverability
and a rather vulnerable hangar in the center of her hull.
Let's talk about aircraft.
The attacking flight is limited to five planes,
but this is compensated for by an impressive HP pool,
while the Tiny Tim rockets have high penetration capabilities
and chances of setting their target on fire,
and they can also deal considerable damage.
If used skillfully, the attack aircraft will help you scout enemy positions,
drive away enemy destroyers,
and strike any light cruisers that dare shower you
with HE shells from behind islands.
However, due to the high penetration capabilities
and chances of starting fires,
it's possible to cause decent damage to more heavily armored targets as well.
Keep in mind that while you are in control of the squadron,
the battleship herself remains unattended.
Concerning upgrades.
I recommend mounting Main Armaments Modification 1;
Damage Control System Modification 1;
Main Battery Modification 2
or Artillery Plotting Room Modification 1;
Damage Control System Modification 2
or, if you really lack maneuverability, Steering Gears Modification 1;
Concealment System Modification 1;
Main Battery Modification 3
or Artillery Plotting Room Modification 2.
You can get this unusual ship by participating in our draw.
You only need to subscribe to our channel,
like this video, and provide the correct answer to the following question:
"What type of aircraft does Kearsarge carry,
and how many of them are there in one squadron?"
Most importantly, don't forget to correctly specify your in-game nickname
and the server you play on in the comment with your answer.
We'll announce the winner in a comment with the next Armada video.
They will receive Kearsarge with a 10-skill point Commander,
commemorative flag, and other desirable items.
Play and win! Good luck in battle, Captains!