Ship:Black B

14.8

Black B

Destroyer | U.S.A. | Tier IX

Tech Tree Position

General

Purchase priceSpecial

Hit Points17,100

Main Battery

127 mm/38 Mk.12 on a Mk.30 mod.0 mount5 х 1 pcs.

Rate of Fire18 shots/min

Reload Time3 sec

Rotation Speed33.96 deg/sec

180 Degree Turn Time5.3 sec

Firing Range12.8 km

Maximum Dispersion111 m

HE Shell127 mm HE Mk32

Maximum HE Damage1,800

Chance of Fire5 %

Initial HE Velocity792 m/s

HE Shell Weight24.5 kg

AP Shell127 mm AP/SC Mk38

Maximum AP Shell Damage2,100

Initial AP Shell Velocity792 m/s

AP Shell Weight25 kg

Torpedo Tubes

533 mm Mk142 х 5 pcs.

Rate of Fire0.6 shots/min

Reload Time96 sec

Rotation Speed  deg/sec

180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec

TorpedoMk29

Maximum Damage21,600

Torpedo Speed43 knot

Torpedo Range13.7 km

AA Defense

20 mm Oerlikon on a Mk.4 mount7 х 1 pcs.

20 mm Oerlikon on a Mk.24 mount2 х 2 pcs.

40 mm/56 Bofors on a Mk.1 mount3 х 2 pcs.

127 mm/38 Mk.12 on a Mk.30 mod.0 mount5 х 1 pcs.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed35 knot

Turning Circle Radius560 m

Rudder Shift Time3 sec

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range7.2 km

Air Detectability Range3.2 km

Battle Levels

12345678910

IX

Special

Black B — American special premium Tier IX destroyer.

USS Black, a Fletcher-class destroyer, was involved in patrol operations in the central part of the Pacific Ocean during World War II, and she took part in landings on Saipan and Guam, the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and raids on Okinawa. Over the course of World War II, the ship was awarded six battle stars.

Black B was first released for sale on 03 November 2023.

Modules

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	180° Turn Time (sec)	Maximum Dispersion (m)	Maximum HE Shell Damage (HP)	Chances of HE shells causing a fire on target (%)	Maximum AP Shell Damage (HP)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
127 mm/38 Mk.12 on a Mk.30 mod.0 mount	18	5.3	111	1,800	5	2,100		0	0

	Hit Points (HP)	Armor (mm)	Armor (mm)	Main Turrets (pcs.)	Secondary Gun Turrets (pcs.)	AA Mounts (pcs.)	Torpedo Tubes (pcs.)	Hangar Capacity (pcs.)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Black B.	17,100	6	20	5		7/2/3/5	2			0	0

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	Torpedo Tubes Reload Time (sec)	180° Turn Time (sec)	Maximum Damage (HP)	Torpedo Speed (knot)	Torpedo Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Mk29	0.6	96	7.2	21,600	43	13.7		0	0

	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SUO_INCREASE_DIST (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Mk9 mod. 1		0		0	0

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 60,000 hp	35		0	0

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4
Slot 5
Slot 6

Player Opinion

Performance

Warning: The data presented in the AA Defense sidebar section may be incorrect.
Refer to the in-game Port screens for more useful data.

Black B, or Black Black, is a clone of Black with an attractive black skin.

Tier IX premium ship Black B is very similar to her American tech tree counterpart Fletcher, with the main differences being her torpedoes and the availability of the Surveillance Radar  consumable. Black B is unique among American destroyers in that she can equip Surveillance Radar, though her radar is weaker than those available to most other Tier IX ships, featuring only 7.5 km range and 19 seconds of uptime. Despite the reduction in range and short duration, this radar — combined with five fast-firing American destroyer guns — still makes Black B a fearsome ship when contesting control points, able to see through smoke to spot for her team and continue damaging enemy destroyers.

The other major difference between Black B and Fletcher is their torpedo armament. Black B’s torpedoes feature a 13.7 km range and are rated for 21,600 damage, but travel at a painfully slow 43 knots. These torpedoes are almost more for area denial, as leading targets with them is almost impossible; they take longer to reach their max range than they do to reload. Note, however, that these torpedoes are harder to detect than most others found on Tier IX destroyers (0.9km detection radius), and adding the Torpedo Acceleration commander's skill to Black B’s commander will likely result in more torpedo hits.

There are some other minor differences between the sister ships — Black B is slower with a smidgen less anti-aircraft firepower — but most important characteristics remain the same. Black B brings a slightly different play style to the American destroyer family, and fans of Fletcher will find Black B a great addition to their port.

Pros:

• Extremely fast main battery traverse speed
• Very quick main battery rate of fire
• Very good main battery base range
• Torpedoes have very low detectability, good reload speed, good range and high alpha damage
• Has access to the Surveillance Radar  consumable
• Decent AA suite for a destroyer, can be further improved with the Defensive AA Fire  consumable
• Good turn radius and quick rudder shift time

Cons:

• Ship modules are fragile
• Poor shell velocity and very high arcs make long range gunnery difficult
• Torpedoes are exceptionally slow
• Slower ship speed than techtree counterpart Fletcher

Research

As a premium ship, Black B has no module upgrades to research.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

The recommended upgrades for Black B are as follows:

• Slot 1: Main Armaments Modification 1
• Slot 2: Engine Room Protection or Surveillance Radar Modification 1
• Slot 3: Aiming Systems Modification 1
• Slot 4: Propulsion Modification 1
• Slot 5: Concealment System Modification 1 
• Slot 6: Main Battery Modification 3

Commander Skills

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Attack				Defense
1	Grease the Gears +15% main battery traverse speed.	Liquidator +30% chance (multiplicative) of causing flooding. ★	Consumable Specialist −7.5% cooldown time of all Consumables except:  Damage Control Party ,  Repair Party .	Gun Feeder -40% time to switch shell type.	Incoming Fire Alert Receive a warning about a salvo fired at your ship from more than 4.5 km. ★	Preventive Maintenance −30% chance of main armament, engines, steering becoming incapacitated +15% to HP of secondary and AA guns. ★★★
2	Demolition Expert +1% chance of main and secondary HE shells causing a fire. +15% to the damage-inflicting area of HE shells fired at submarines. ★	Swift Fish +5% torpedo speed.	Consumables Enhancements +10% action time of: Hydroacoustic Search , Surveillance Radar , Smoke Generator , & Engine Boost . ★★	Extra-Heavy Ammunition +7.5% main battery AP shell damage. +10% damage from depth charges.	Priority Target The detection indicator will show the number of enemies aiming at you with main battery. ★★	Last Stand The ship remains able to move and maneuver - slowly - while the engine or steering gears are incapacitated. ★★★
3	Main Battery & AA Specialist -5% main battery reload time. +10% continuous AA damage. ★★	Fill the Tubes -10% torpedo tubes reload time. ★	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% reload time of all armaments per 1% HP lost +0.2% AA continuous damage per 1% HP lost. ★★★	Inertial Fuse for HE Shells +25% armor penetration of HE shells Base fire chance reduced by half.	Superintendent +1 charge to all consumables. ★★	Survivability Expert +350 HP per ship tier. ★★★
4	Main Battery & AA Expert +20% main battery range. +15% flak damage. ★	Swift in Silence So long as the ship remains undetected: +8% ship speed +5% main battery reload time. ★★	Radio Location Shows the direction to the nearest enemy ship. The enemy is alerted that a bearing has been taken.. ★★★	Fearless Brawler +1 flak burst per salvo. -10% main battery reload when ship is spotted.	Concealment Expert -10% detectability range of the ship. ★★★	Dazzle For 15 seconds after you are detected: * +20% dispersion of enemy shells fired at you. * +8% ship speed. ★★
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful      ★★ - Frequently Useful      ★ - Occasionally Useful     No stars - Not Useful

Consumables

Black B equips the following consumables:

• Slot 1: Damage Control Party 
• Slot 2: Smoke Generator  – 3 charges
• Slot 3: Surveillance Radar  – 3 charges or Engine Boost  – 3 charges or Defensive AA Fire  – 4 charges

Camouflage

As a premium ship, Black B comes with Default permanent camouflage and a set of permanent combat bonuses.

Signals

Recommended Signal Flags
Combat
Charlie Kilo +5% ship HP; +2.5% squadron HP.	Juliet Yankee Bissotwo -20% to flooding duration.	India Yankee -20% to fire duration.	Hotel Yankee -20% to damage received when ramming the enemy. +50% to damage dealt when ramming the enemy.	Victor Lima +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. +4% chance of torpedoes causing flooding. ★★	India X-Ray +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. ★★
Juliet Whiskey Unaone +15% chance of causing flooding. ★★★	Mike Yankee Soxisix +5% to secondary battery maximum firing range. -5% to maximum dispersion of secondary battery shells. -5% to secondary battery loading time.	November Echo Setteseven +5% continuous AA damage at all ranges. +5% damage from flak bursts. ★★	Sierra Mike +5% to the ship's maximum speed. ★★★	November Foxtrot -5% reload time on all consumables. ★★★	India Delta +20% to the amount of HP recovered when Repair Party  is used.
X-Ray Papa Unaone +10% action time of a Smoke Generator . ★★	Sierra Bravo +10% action time of Hydroacoustic Search  -10% reload time of Defensive AA Fire .

Gallery

Historical Info

USS Black B, 1944

Construction

Builder: Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company;
   Kearny, New Jersey

Laid down: 14 November 1942

Launched: 28 March 1943

Commissioned: 21 May 1943

Decommissioned: 5 August 1946

Recommissioned: 18 July 1951

Decommissioned: 21 September 1969

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Specifications

2,050 tons displacement, standard

114.7m length

12.1m beam

4.2m draft

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Machinery

4 boilers, 2 turbines

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Performance

35.0 knots at 60,000 shaft horsepower

6,500 nm at 15 knots

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Armament

Main

Five (5x1) 127mm guns

Torpedoes

Ten (2x5) 533mm torpedo tubes

Anti-Aircraft Guns

Four (2x2) 40mm Bofors cannons

Four (4x1) 20mm Oerlikon cannons

USS Black (DD-666) underway during the early 1950's, probably soon after she was recommissioned in July 1951. The ship is still essentially in her late World War II configuration.

History

Design

As the first class of destroyers produced by a wartime United States, the Fletcher-class was seen as a logical progression from the pre-war designs. The design firm of Gibbs and Cox took their experience in designing the previous Benson and Gleaves classes and sought to rectify the deficiencies in both designs. Coming in above 1,500 tons, the previous designs failed to meet the armament requirement of five (5) 5-inch guns and ten (10) torpedo tubes; they were seen as too small and top heavy. History would prove their third creation to be a war-winner; the mettle and venerability of the Fletchers were displayed regularly during the grueling combat of the Pacific campaign in World War II.

The Fletcher-class ships were the first destroyers in the US Navy to exceed 2,000 tons displacement. In a change from previous design practice, Fletchers had flush decks as opposed to the raised forecastle design seen on the Benson class. This increased her length but decreased her freeboard and improved her handling; overall, this was considered a very structurally sound and seaworthy design. An interesting design choice to note: early build Fletchers have the taller rounded-tower superstructure design – as seen on the in-game model for Fletcher – whereas late-build Fletchers (such as USS Kidd) had a superstructure that was lower in height with a flat-faced bridge.

In order to maintain the 38 knot speed despite the increase in tonnage, new propulsion machinery was utilized: boilers that were 20-30% more efficient and turbines that were 20% more powerful than predecessors were installed. Ultimately, a third of the internal space was consumed by propulsion machinery in a unique configuration. The forward boiler and turbine room were separated from the rear boiler and engine room via watertight bulkheads. Each individual segment ran the port and starboard propulsion screws, respectively. This configuration resulted in greater machine survivability from combat damage.

As required by U.S. Navy specifications, each Fletcher class ship was able to mount five (5) 5-inch guns in single, enclosed, dual-purpose mounts; two guns forward, two guns rear, and one amidships. All turrets were controlled by Mark 37 and Mark 22 fire directors. Feeding information to the gun computer, the main battery could all be remotely controlled if required. Furthermore, the class got to implement SG surface radar and "Variable-Time" proximity fuses — both novelties to the Navy — that allowed effective engagement of both surface and air threats.

Learning from the experience of Pearl Harbor, the Navy decided to invest in heavier anti-aircraft armament. After seeing their effectiveness during the Spanish Civil War, the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd) arranged manufacturing licences for Oerlikon 20mm and Bofors 40mm cannons. Anti-aircraft armament was constantly being changed throughout the war; USS Black, for instance, was armed with four (4) 20mm and four (4) 40mm AA guns for most of her time in the Pacific.

Finally, the class was able to mount ten (10) torpedoes in two quintuple-tube launchers amidships, the heaviest torpedo broadside of any U.S. Navy destroyer at the time. By also carrying depth charge launchers in conjunction with anti-submarine sonar, Fletchers were well-equipped to conduct anti-submarine operations as well. Overall, the class was armed with a plethora of tools to combat a myriad of threats.

In light of the mounting ferocity and desperation of Japanese kamikaze attacks against US carrier strike groups late into the Pacific campaign, the Navy saw it fit to increase anti-aircraft potency in picket ships however possible. In 1945, about 55 Fletcher-class destroyers – such as USS Kidd – had their forward torpedo tubes removed to install an anti-aircraft platform mounting two quad-barrel 40mm. In addition to the three existing dual-barrel 40mm emplacements, the total was brought up to fourteen (14) 40mm AA guns. Furthermore, the seven (7) single-barrel 20mm were replaced with six dual-barrel emplacements, bringing the total up to twelve (12) 20mm AA guns.

In the end, 175 Fletchers were produced from 11 shipyards throughout the United States. USS Black (DD-666) was the 138th Fletcher-class destroyer to be produced, named after Lieutenant Commander Hugh D. Black. Commander Black was killed in action as a result of the loss of USS Jacob Jones (DD-130, a Wickes-class destroyer) to a German U-boat off the New Jersey coast in 1942. With the sponsorship of Mrs. Black, Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. in Kearny, New Jersey built the namesake destroyer and launched her on 28 March 1943.

Service

Following her completion and commissioning in 1943, USS Black headed for Pearl Harbor in preparation for her deployment into the Pacific Theatre. In late 1943, she sailed for Tarawa, where she remained until January 1944. USS Black did not see combat until February 1944, when she participated in the invasion of the Marshall Islands. Throughout 1944, USS Black participated in the battles of Saipan, Guam, and Leyte gulf, providing anti-air cover and assisting in shore bombardments. In late November, she returned to San Francisco for repairs. In February 1945, with her repairs complete, USS Black sailed to the Caroline Islands where she joined Task Force 58. The ship later participated in several coastal operations during the Battle of Okinawa. USS Black remained off the coast of Japan through early 1946 before again returning to the United States. The ship was decommissioned and placed in reserve in August 1946.

Historical Inaccuracies

• Black was constructed with a square bridge. The in-game model uses a round bridge.
• Historical overall Navy Blue paint scheme is missing. This scheme, known as Measure 21, only exists in the game as expendable camouflage.
• Black's hull number was only enlarged after she was recommissioned in 1951.

Historical Gallery

• 
  Ship's emblem of USS Black (DD-666).
• 
  Black underway in an unnamed Pacific harbor, May 1945.
• 
  Black at sea (date unknown) following her mid-1950s modernization, in which she lost one 5"/38 gun mount and received three 3"/50 twin mounts.
• 
  Black refueling from USS Eldorado (AGC-11), 14 November 1960.
• 
  USS Tolovana (AO-64) refueling Black and USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) in the Gulf of Tonkin, 12 September 1966.
• 
  Black patrolling the Gulf of Tonkin, as seen from the deck of USS Intrepid (CVA-11), circa 1966 or 1967.
• 
  Black at sea, circa 1968.

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References

1. USS Black (DD-666) - Wikipedia
2. Fletcher-class destroyer - Wikipedia

Ship Change Log

• Available for purchase in the Premium Store during the Black Friday 2023 sale during Update 12.9. Could also drop from Black Friday containers.

Ships of U.S.A.

Destroyers