Armada Marlborough
The famous reformer of the Royal Navy, Admiral John Fisher, once said,
"the Navy travels first class,"
meaning that the Britain's naval power was unflinching
and based on the most modern and powerful ships in the world—
battleships, first of all.
However, as early as the 1930s,
the British Royal Navy, bound by the strict limits of international treaties,
risked finding itself in an old fishing boat,
left behind by the powerful and quick liners of other naval powers.
However, we must give credit to the British gentlemen—
they honestly tried to follow the restrictions imposed on naval armaments
by treaties, although this later led them into a situation
where they had to maneuver in narrow straits, figuratively speaking.
Today, I want to tell you about a ship created by World of Warships designers
as a tribute to British shipbuilders of the 1930s.
She is Tier IX Premium battleship Marlborough.
Soon after the large series of King George V-class battleships
with a total displacement of 35,000 tons and 356 mm guns
stipulated by the London treaty of 1936 had been completed in 1937,
the international naval treaties that limited the dimensions
and the main caliber of capital ships effectively collapsed.
Britain found itself in a situation
where it had to quickly respond to new super battleships
with 380–406 mm artillery
that were being designed and constructed by other naval powers.
In reality, the Lion-class battleships laid down in summer of 1939
were their response. Unfortunately,
their construction was canceled rather quickly.
The main impediment was the long time needed to develop and produce
new 406 mm guns and mounts for them that existed only on blueprints.
The Navy found the solution in creating a new battleship project
around 381 mm twin-gun mounts from 1916 that were stored in warehouses.
This effort resulted in the construction of Vanguard.
There was another hypothetical variant—
increase the displacement of future battleships
and equip them with numerous 356 mm quadruple-gun turrets
from the King George V class that were ready for production.
Moreover, these guns were conceived for a specific tactical concept.
British specialists believed that battleships
needed to approach each other to a range of 11–14 kilometers
for a decisive battle because they wouldn't be able to ensure
the sinking of each other from a longer distance.
At shorter ranges, guns of a smaller caliber
could develop a higher firing rate,
which guaranteed them an advantage.
Our Marlborough was created on the basis of design solutions
taken from Lion and Vanguard when it comes to her hull and superstructure.
As for her armament systems,
we drew inspiration from King George V-class battleships,
taking into consideration that a ship like this laid down in Britain
before World War II would have been surely completed after its end.
Hence, the battleship's main advantages.
Numerous guns with a quick reload for her type,
as well as good concealment and decent speed and maneuverability.
Sure, there are downsides as well.
Low accuracy of her main battery
and not the strongest armor among battleships.
A heavy salvo, low detectability, and good maneuverability
make Marlborough an effective medium-range fighter.
Thanks to her good concealment,
she can approach the enemy to a distance that allows for an accurate salvo
and unleash the power of her 16 main battery guns.
Due to the large number of guns,
you can efficiently fire at enemies that are at your maximum range as well,
but you need to keep her mediocre accuracy and modest gun caliber in mind.
Good speed and maneuverability allow you to quickly change position
or withdraw with minimum losses if the situation on the battlefield
is not in your favor.
The ship can't boast of having the strongest armor,
so you should take a balanced approach to planning your attack.
As for ship upgrades,
we recommend reinforcing her main battery and survivability.
Mount Main Armament Modification 1 in the first slot;
Damage Control System Modification 1 in the second slot;
Aiming Systems Modification 1 in the third slot;
Damage Control System Modification 2 in the fourth slot;
Concealment System Modification 1 in the fifth slot;
and Gun Fire Control System Modification 2
or Main Battery Modification 3 in the sixth slot.
Captains, I would like to turn your attention to the fact
that Update 0.10.11 introduced a new Dockyard
where you can build battleship Marlborough.
This Dockyard will span three updates— 0.10.11; 0.11.0; and 0.11.1.
Please note that by progressing through shipbuilding phases,
you can add such legendary British ships as Dreadnought and Repulse
to your fleet, earn loads of valuable rewards, and of course,
become the owner of battleship Marlborough at the end.
Now, the traditional Armada draw.
This time, our main prize is a Premium ship IX container.
It is guaranteed to drop a 10-skill-point Commander, Port slot,
and what's most intriguing—a Tier IX ship.
This trophy could become yours if you like this video,
subscribe to our channel, and answer this question correctly:
"What is the maximum firing range
of battleship Marlborough's main battery guns?"
Leave your comment with the correct answer under this video
and don't forget to specify your nickname and game server.
The winner will be announced in the first comment
under the next Armada episode.
Participate in the draw and good luck, Captains!