Greetings, fellow Captains!
In our previous episodes we told you how to properly prepare for a battle,
control your ship, and use your weapons in World of Warships.
In this episode we’ll talk about warship types.
Let’s start with the most versatile and multipurpose type—the cruiser.
On the one hand, it’s quite well armored and is equipped with heavy weaponry.
On the other hand, it’s nicely maneuverable,
which allows it to evade the shells of battleships and the torpedoes of destroyers.
Shipbuilding techniques,
as well as battle strategy and tactics,
are different from country to country.
In this episode we’ll talk about the cruisers of the American Tech Tree.
U.S. cruisers are distinguished by their heavy artillery, handsome armor protection,
highly effective AA guns, and high speed.
Des Moines—a Tier X cruiser—is a wonderful example of her type.
She is fast and maneuverable,
and is equipped with nine rapid-firing guns putting out 90 shots per minute.
Indeed, every cruiser in this line is worth playing; you need not skip any of them.
The Tier II light cruiser Chester can’t boast high speed,
but thanks to the armor deck tapered towards the sides, bow, and stern,
she is well able to withstand Armor Piercing shells
and go toe-to-toe against destroyers and cruisers of her same tier.
However, facing enemy battleships or higher tier cruisers will be a challenge for her.
The Tier III cruiser St. Louis literally bristles with guns.
In top configuration, she is equipped with 14×6-inch main guns and 18 secondary guns.
St. Louis poses a serious threat to all ships of Tier II through Tier IV.
However, her very weak AA guns leave her vulnerable to attacks from aircraft carriers.
Her armor protection is as good as Chester's,
and the best way to penetrate her hull is to hit her with Armor Piercing shells
from a long distance.
True, her low speed and poor maneuverability
make St. Louis an easy target for torpedoes.
However, to sneak up to the proper distance to launch a torpedo against her
will be a very difficult task.
The Tier IV light cruiser Phoenix embodies a new stage in cruiser development,
completely different from her forerunners at lower tiers.
The armor scheme has changed drastically:
the previously tapered armor deck has become flat,
and only the engine room is protected by the belt armor.
Lighter armor allows better speed and maneuverability,
and the Phoenix also carries more-effective AA guns and,
most importantly, torpedo armament.
While still oriented toward long- to medium-range artillery battles,
Phoenix is significantly improved over her predecessors.
Increased speed and maneuverability allow her to successfully dodge torpedo attacks
and, in turn, get in close to launch powerful torpedo salvoes.
The AA guns
mounted on Phoenix
may not be effective enough to destroy enemy squadrons alone.
However, two or three Phoenix cruisers can knock the stuffing out of enemy aircraft.
Omaha represents the result of further development of the Phoenix design.
She is considered the first fully-featured light cruiser built for the U.S. Navy.
Omaha is equipped with more powerful main guns, a reconnaissance plane,
and a larger number of torpedoes.
However, moving forward, American engineers decided to focus on artillery guns:
Omaha is the last U.S. cruiser to mount torpedo tubes.
Cleveland is a light cruiser placed at Tier VI, at least for the moment.
This is a high-speed and maneuverable warship.
With her 12×6-inch guns she can unleash a hail of fire on any adversary.
She is a menace to destroyers and cruisers,
and a pain in the neck for battleships and aircraft carriers.
With her powerful AA guns,
she can confidently fight against one or two enemy squadrons alone.
Pensacola is the first U.S. Navy heavy cruiser.
She is well armored and equipped with powerful artillery and AA guns.
This is a confident warrior.
In top configuration, Pensacola is equipped with four main turrets—
two double and two triple—
allowing her to take on any type of opponent.
New Orleans and Baltimore are second-generation heavy cruisers.
Compared to their predecessors,
they feature enhanced armor of the main turrets and magazines.
These ships are also characterized by improved maneuverability,
increased speed, and powerful AA guns.
And finally, the heavy cruiser Des Moines.
She is equipped with the most powerful AA guns of any cruiser.
Des Moines can provide outstanding cover from enemy destroyers and aircraft,
but she can be an effective attacker as well.
Des Moines can present a real threat even to the most heavily armored battleships.
U.S. Navy cruisers were primarily designed for maneuver battles
using artillery armament.
The key to success is to fight the adversary at long
and medium ranges to avoid torpedoes,
while using agility to make yourself a difficult target for battleships’ main guns.
With their powerful AA guns,
high-tier cruisers can be effectively used to screen allied ships.
U.S. Navy cruisers are multipurpose warships, good both for attack and defense.
A cruiser can pose a serious threat when acting alone,
but two or three cruisers acting together can be a real battle-winning unit.
That’s it for now. In our next episode,
we’ll talk about the cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy.