Bonjour, Captain!
Pleased to meet you, my name is Charles Martel.
Oui, that's exactly me following cousin Algérie in our cruiser family.
And it's no coincidence, I must say.
In the spring of 1939,
naval engineers decided to design a decent heavy cruiser
specifically based on Algérie.
That's how my blueprints came to be.
It's a pity that I was never constructed
due to the turmoil in France during World War II.
My blueprints named "Heavy cruiser Project C5A3"
had been gathering dust in the dark archives of the Navy for many years
until—voilà—I was given a new life!
In World of Warships!
I was named after my grandfather, a World War I veteran,
squadron ironclad battleship Charles Martél.
And he was named, in his turn, after a ruler of the Francs
who lived in the 8th century AD.
Chronicles read that the chevalier was a brilliant warlord,
tactician, and strategist.
Folks also say that I have a lot in common with him...
What can I say, I'm pretty stunning:
an elegant hull, Atlantic forward bow,
bent funnel, magnificent camouflage...
Mmmmm... I'm going to rock your world!
Everyone swoons at cruisers like myself!
But you can't judge a ship by its appearance,
you can judge a ship only after a good fight in World of Warships.
I'll never back down from a good fight!
Just look at the guns I have!
Nine guns are comfortably housed in three turrets!
Their caliber is 203 mm!
This caliber can be seen on other Tier VIII ships.
Some of my colleagues that can also boast of this are:
Germans Eugen and Hipper,
Japanese Mogami and Atago,
and, of course, American New Orleans.
All these ships have guns with a caliber of exactly 203 mm.
But mine are the most convenient!
Why shouldn't they be?
Their firing range is slightly farther than 17.5 kilometers,
their ballistics are a pure pleasure,
and their most important trait is the reload time!
10 seconds!
Magnifique!
Only Chapayev, Kutuzov, and Edinburgh can reload faster,
but their caliber is smaller.
I know how to shoot,
and I won't disappoint you, captain.
Oh, right! I also have French-produced torpedoes.
Their speed is 60 knots,
range is 9 km, and there are just three baguettes per side...
Oh, pardon!
I meant three torpedoes per side, naturally!
The same torpedoes, by the way, are mounted
on all cruisers of our big family starting with old Émile Bértin
and ending with the unmatched Henrí IV.
No matter how good and beautiful I am,
I have some pétites weaknesses.
C'est la vie!
Monsieur naval engineer gifted me
with a not so powerful antiaircraft defense.
Oui, of course, you can always level up perks, mount upgrades,
and try to oppose aircraft carriers.
However, I strive to be closer to my allies
when I see incoming airborne threats.
It's much more fun and efficient to fight off aircraft together!
Another of my small weaknesses is my armor.
Battleships and other cruisers can penetrate my armor with ease.
My 100 mm is a piece of cake for them.
That's why I try to retreat quickly when somebody's firing at me.
It's much harder to hit me when I'm moving at my maximum speed!
In fact, I'm a very fast ship.
Combining the Engine Boost with a Sierra Mike signal
increases my speed to over 40 knots!
That's incredible!
Napoleon said,
"One jumps into the fray,
then figures out what to do next."
That's why, at the very beginning of a fight,
I join larger allied forces to push through a single direction.
I play safe,
keep my distance, and try not to attract any unwanted attention.
I select slow and clumsy ships as my targets,
as well as those who turn their sides towards me eagerly.
My reload time allows me to change shell types quickly,
while my accuracy and decent chance of fire on a target
can help in various situations,
you can rest assured!
If our team didn't manage to push through a direction,
and the enemy started to turn up the pressure,
I would activate the Engine Boost and hide behind the nearest island.
In the middle of a fight,
if everything is alright on my flank,
I will hurry to the opposite flank
or try to capture vacant points.
And if there is a destroyer bossing around,
it won't be a problem for me to chase it down.
As for those tricksters who like to hide in a smoke screen,
I have a small surprise—
Hydroacoustic Search.
Well, mon ami,
how did you like the story?
I can see in your eyes that you liked it!
Because you like speed and good guns, and I have enough of both!
So prepare credits and a spot in your cozy port.
I won't let you down,
you can trust me!
Warmest Regards, Charles!
So, please don’t forget about me.
I’m Martel!
Charles Martel!