Some were destroyed in battle;
others weren't completed.
Some are laid up and could only dream about battles...
But now they're getting a new lease of life!
We recreate ships accurately,
according to their historical blueprints,
and send them into battle!
World of Warships: Dry Dock
Greetings, Captains!
While the installation of the main deck, bulkheads,
and barbette of the rear main turret is in progress on battleship Odin,
I want to direct your attention to the famous German heavy cruiser,
Admiral Graf Spee.
There were three ships of her class: Admiral Graf Spee; Admiral Scheer;
and the lead ship—Deutschland, which was later renamed Lützow.
The original idea behind these armored cruisers,
which were designed in Germany in the second half of the 1920s,
was captured in their nickname— "pocket battleships."
The German shipbuilders managed to find a balanced combination
of the powerful armament that was common for the battleships of that time,
and the displacement of comparatively lightweight cruisers.
Admiral Graf Spee’s main battery comprised six 283 mm guns
placed in sets of three across two turrets;
her secondary battery comprised eight 150 mm guns.
The ship also carried various AA armaments
and two quadruple-tube torpedo launchers.
Admiral Graf Spee's armor was the thickest out of the ships of her series.
The cruiser's vertical armor was 140 mm thick
and was capable of protecting vital parts of the ship against 203 mm shells.
One of the most important engineering solutions
was the use of diesel engines as her main propulsion.
These gave the ship a unique cruising range
that would only be surpassed by nuclear-powered ships.
Eight nine-cylinder motors, each providing 7,100 hp,
allowed the cruiser to speed up to 29 knots
and gave her a cruising range of up to 20,000 miles
at a 10-knot cruising speed.
Admiral Graf Spee met the beginning of World War II in the South Atlantic,
where she had been sent to raid British commercial ships in August 1939.
By the end of September, the English had amassed quite an impressive force
with the objective of intercepting her.
For almost 3 months, Admiral Graf Spee
successfully carried out her mission to terrorize merchant sailors
and confuse the British Admiralty,
but she wouldn’t go unchecked—
the elusive raider was eventually spotted by a British task force
off the coast of Uruguay.
On December 13, 1939,
the first large naval battle of World War II
took place close to the La Plata estuary.
Admiral Graf Spee took on three English cruisers
that ceded the German ship in terms of their firepower,
but she still managed to deal some damage
and make a safe retreat to neutral Uruguay.
Four days later, with no chance to break through to her home waters,
Admiral Graf Spee was scuttled near Montevideo.
The history of German "pocket battleship," Admiral Graf Spee,
and her interesting combat characteristics are what motivated us
to revive her in the virtual shipyard of World of Warships.
In our game, the famous raider is a Tier VI Premium ship
that offers unique gameplay opportunities due to her dual nature—
a unique mixture of battleship and cruiser characteristics.
As veteran players say:
"Admiral Graf Spee can destroy any ship that can catch up to her,
and escape from any ship that might threaten her survival."
However, despite that gung-ho and optimistic sentiment,
the cruiser isn't actually well-suited to acting without support.
Her guns don’t reload fast enough
to stand alone against several targets of different types.
The number and placement of her guns
also make it hard for her to dictate the terms of engagement to her enemies.
However, those mighty guns can inflict some serious damage,
even to enemy battleships, provided she changes shell types effectively
and has support from her allies.
The cruiser's torpedo armament can come in very handy
in battles against battleships;
two quadruple-tube launchers with torpedoes that travel up to 8 km
are ready for use in case of a tactical retreat or as a last-chance weapon.
Admiral Graf Spee is highly effective against cruisers
if you prevent any enemies equipped with torpedoes from getting in close—
the ship isn't maneuverable enough to effectively evade torpedoes.
As for the rest, two or three successful salvos from Admiral Graf Spee
can send an enemy cruiser back to the Port.
The German ship's secondary guns are great against destroyers,
but you should keep them at an optimal distance.
The Hydroacoustic Search consumable
will definitely help increase your confidence when fighting against them.
To counteract aviation, Admiral Graf Spee has decent AA artillery
and offers the possibility of mounting the AA Defensive Fire consumable
instead of Hydroacoustic Search if you prefer.
The cruiser also carries a fighter aboard.
Cruiser Admiral Graf Spee’s capabilities
allow her to have a decisive impact on the way a battle plays out,
while her convenient and intuitive gameplay
should help you notch up a great many victories.
Take this unique historical ship under your command
and test all her strength in battle!
Good luck, Captains!