Ship:Tiger '59

14.8

Tiger '59

Cruiser | U.K. | Tier VIII

Tech Tree Position

General

Purchase priceSpecial

Hit Points33,100

Main Battery

152 mm/50 QF Mk.V on a Mk.XXVI mount2 х 2 pcs.

Rate of Fire18.8 shots/min

Reload Time3 sec

Rotation Speed38.3 deg/sec

180 Degree Turn Time4.7 sec

Firing Range15.6 km

Maximum Dispersion69 m

AP Shell152 mm AP Mk V

Maximum AP Shell Damage3,200

Initial AP Shell Velocity768 m/s

AP Shell Weight58.85 kg

AA Defense

76.2 mm/70 QF Mk.N1 on a Mk.6 mount3 х 2 pcs.

152 mm/50 QF Mk.V on a Mk.XXVI mount2 х 2 pcs.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed30.3 knot

Turning Circle Radius590 m

Rudder Shift Time8.9 sec

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range11.4 km

Air Detectability Range8.5 km

Battle Levels

12345678910

VIII

Special

Tiger '59 — British special premium Tier VIII cruiser.

In 1941, two "improved Fiji"-class cruisers were ordered. In 1948, it was decided to complete the ships according to a modified project by installing two 152 mm dual-purpose mounts. HMS Tiger was laid down in October 1941. The ship was launched only in 1945, and the next year, all work on her was halted. In March 1959, Tiger entered service in a new capacity, having been converted into an anti-aircraft defense cruiser. Between 1968 and 1972, she was transformed into a helicopter carrier.

Tiger '59 was first released for sale on 28 May 2021.

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 ()
152 mm/50 QF Mk.V on a Mk.XXVI mount	18.8	4.7	69			3,200		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 ()
Tiger '59	33,100	13	102	2		3/2				0	0

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

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 80,000 hp	30.3		0	0

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4
Slot 5

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.

Tiger '59 is a Tier VIII premium cruiser in the British lineup.

The main armament consists of two twin turrets with auto-loading 152mm guns. While Tiger '59 reloads very fast, the low barrel count results in her having a below average dpm. To make matters worse, the arrangement in two turret means that a incapacitated or destroyed turret cuts her damage output in half. Lacking torpedoes means that Tiger '59 has no tool to deal high Alpha damage, forcing her to rely on damage over time via the AP shells. Fortunately, her AP shells come with improved ricochet angles and fuze settings, making her damage output against soft targets like destroyers or superstructures very consistent.

In terms of survivability Tiger '59 is a mixed bag. She features an above water citadel which is largely un-overmatchable, and unlike Edinburgh her hull plating is 25mm, allowing her to ricochet shells up to 356mm and to shatter most destroyer-grade HE shells. Her health pool is the second-lowest of the Tier VIII cruisers, leaving her especially vulnerable to high Alpha strikes like torpedoes or battleship fire. Being a British light cruiser however Tiger '59 comes with the Damage Repair consumable. The improved Specialized Repair Teams  consumables allows Tiger '59 to heal back large amounts of health. Regular penetrating hits can be fully healed, and even citadel hits get repaired by 50%. This makes Tiger '59 very resilient against shellfire when angled, even if she does take large amounts of damage, provided the rate at which the damage taken does not the exceed the rate at which it can be repaired.

The maneuverability of Tiger '59 is second to none compared to her counterparts, with a tight turning circle and improved acceleration. The only downside being the low top speed of only 30kn, Tiger '59 will have to be careful when picking direct confrontations as the ability to gain distance will be hampered especially while maneuvering.

While being a modern ship and the presence of Defensive AA Fire would imply an impressive AA defense, Tiger '59 has little means to deter air strikes.

For the playstyle Tiger '59 should aim at making the most of her advantages while avoiding open 1 vs 1 engagements. Access to the Smoke Generator  and the Surveillance Radar  consumables allows Tiger '59 to break line of sight and temporarily gain vision on targets. Ideally however she uses spotting by her teammates, saving the Surveillance Radar for destroyers. While in a Smoke Screen Tiger '59 must be very careful regarding nearby ships, as she has no means of quickly disposing off a rushing destroyer and the absence of Hydroacoustic Search  makes her vulnerable against torpedoes.

Pros:

• Very fast main battery traverse speed
• Good main battery firing angles, also both turrets can turn 360 degrees
• Fast main battery rate of fire
• Improved AP shells with better penetration angles, short fuse timers, and low arming threshold
• Outstanding main battery accuracy, currently the best of any cruiser
• Reasonably armored for a British light cruiser, with 25mm plating and a 27mm deck
• Excellent maneuverability
• Excellent concealment with all the relevant upgrades
• Access to Surveillance Radar  and Smoke Generator  in separate slots
• Access to Specialized Repair Teams 

Cons:

• Smallest health pool of all Tier 8 cruisers
• Second slowest cruiser in its tier spread, only Admiral Graf Spee is slower
• Only four main guns - even with the fast reload, damage output per salvo is low
• Low shell velocity and high shell arcs make hitting targets at range difficult
• Short main battery range
• Like most other British light cruisers, Tiger '59 does not carry HE shells
• No torpedoes or secondary armaments
• Mediocre AA suite, even counting the aid of Defensive AA Fire 
• Exposed and poorly protected citadel
  

Research

As a premium ship, Tiger '59 has no upgrades to research.

Optimal Configuration

Tiger '59 lacks the typical radar cruiser ability to be a DD hunter/killer. When she radars a destroyer, her low damage per minute (DPM) makes it difficult to destroy it. Further, the low DPM and lack of hydro makes it difficult to defend against sudden offensive action by the target. Thus, Tiger '59 needs friends. She can find targets, but she needs friends to reliably kill them, and to help defend her.

Build her for Support roles. Beyond improving her radar and concealment, buffing her offensive capabilities won't make much difference. Instead, an Anti-Aircraft build may be the best. No, Tiger '59 doesn't have great AA, but what she has can combine with that of her friends to make her (and them) an uninviting and costly target.

Upgrades

The recommended upgrades for Tiger '59 are:

• Slot 1: Main Armaments Modification 1
• Slot 2: Surveillance Radar Modification 1  *
• Slot 3: Aiming Systems Modification 1
• Slot 4: Steering Gears Modification 1
• Slot 5: Concealment System Modification 1 

If one lacks the Surveillance Radar Modification 1 module, it can be replaced by Engine Room Protection

Commander Skills

Priority skills: Last Stand, Expert AA Marksman (if the Surveillance Radar Upgrade is installed) or Consumables Enhancements, Adrenaline Rush, and Concealment Expert.

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Attack				Defense
1	Grease the Gears +15% main battery traverse speed.	Swift Fish +5% torpedo speed.	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 of a salvo fired at your ship from more than 4.5km.	Last Stand The ship remains able to move and maneuver - slowly - while the engine or steering gears are incapacitated. ★★★
2	Demolition Expert +1% chance of main and secondary HE shells causing a fire. +15% to the fragmentation damage area of HE ordnance fired at submarines.	Fill the Tubes -10% torpedo tubes reload time.	Consumables Enhancements +10% action time of Hydroacoustic Search, Surveillance Radar, Smoke Generator, & Engine Boost. ★★	Eye in the Sky Spotting Aircraft: • +2 charges • -50% cooldown time.	Priority Target The detection indicator will show the number of enemies targeting you with main battery. ★★	Focus Fire Training In an active priority AA sector: •  +1.5% (to 5%) immediate damage. •  +25% continuous damage. •  +1 flak burst per salvo. −10% aircraft preparation time. −15% reload time of Airstrike armament.. ★★
3	Heavy HE and SAP Shells +10% HE and SAP shell damage. +15% ship detectability guns 149mm and up.	Pack a Punch +15% torpedo damage. +20% secondary battery range..	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% reload time of all armaments per 1% HP lost +0.2% AA continuous damage per 1% HP lost. ★★★	Heavy AP Shells +5% damage for AP shells 190mm and larger.	Superintendent +1 charge to all consumables. ★★	Survivability Expert +450 HP per ship tier. ★
4	Top Grade Gunner -10% reload time of secondary batteries If enemy ship is spotted within detectability range, -8% reload time of main battery. ★★	Outnumbered If there are fewer allies than visible enemies within the ship's base main caliber firing range: +8% ship speed -10% main battery dispersion.	Radio Location Shows the direction to the nearest enemy ship. The enemy is alerted that a bearing has been taken.. ★	Inertial Fuse for HE Shells +25% armor penetration of HE shells Base fire chance reduced by half.	Concealment Expert -10% detectability range of the ship. ★★★	AAA & ASW Expert +25% continuous AA and flak damage. +15% damage inflicted by depth charges. While AAA is active: −50% ship consumables reload time.. ★
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful      ★★ - Frequently Useful      ★ - Occasionally Useful     No stars - Not Useful

Consumables

Tiger '59 equips the following consumables:

• Slot 1: Damage Control Party 
• Slot 2: Specialized Repair Teams  – 3 charges
• Slot 3: Smoke Generator  – 3 charges
• Slot 4: Surveillance Radar  – 3 charges
• Slot 5: Defensive AA Fire  – 3 charges

Camouflage

As a premium ship, Tiger '59 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

Tiger '59, 1959

Construction

John Brown Shipyard; Clydebank, Scotland

Laid down: 1 October 1941

Launched: 25 October 1945

Commissioned: 18 March 1959

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Specifications

9,550 tons displacement, standard

11,700 tons displacement, full

169.3m length

19.5m beam

6.4m draft (7.0m full load)

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Machinery

Four (4) Admiralty 3-drum boilers

Two (2) Parsons geared steam turbines

1,900 tons oil

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Performance

31.5 knots at 80,000 shaft horsepower

6,500 nautical miles at 13 knots

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Armor

Main belt: 76-89mm

Decks: 51mm

Bulkheads: 38-51mm

Turrets: 25-51mm

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Armament

Main

Four (2x2) 6"/50 (152mm) Mk.26

Anti-Aircraft

Six (3x2) 3"/70 (76mm) Mk.6

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Complement

880

History

Design

Initially, Tiger was laid down as a Swiftsure-class light cruiser, a wartime design meant to increase stability, operational range (via increased fuel capacity) and anti-aircraft defenses versus the preceding Crown Colony (Fiji)-class light cruisers. However, due to strained resources, and other projects receiving higher priority, construction was slow, and as such only the members of the class laid down in 1941 (Swiftsure, Minotaur, Superb) were completed as intended from 1944 to 1945.

The next trio in the class, all laid down in 1942 (Tiger, Lion, Blake) were all launched in 1944/45, but languished after the end of the war, while various ideas were debated in regards to how they should be completed, given the original design was now obsolete. In 1951, the decision was finally reached to complete them as anti-aircraft cruiser, centered around the 6”/50 QF Mark N5 dual-purpose guns. Though dimensionally not much different from the original Swiftsure-class, the Tiger-class cruisers displaced considerably more, by 665 tons at standard load. Overall, machinery and armor protection saw little in the way of change, and endurance and top speed remained largely the same. However, armament changed radically. While the Swiftsure-class embarked a variety of weapon systems – nine 6”/50 Mk.XIII, ten 4” AA guns, 40mm and 20mm AA guns, and a pair of 21” triple torpedo banks - the Tiger-class only carried two gun systems.

The first of these was the 6”/50 QF Mark N5, four guns in two Mk.26 twin mounts. These were high-rate of fire weapons (15-20 rpm) in power-operated turrets with rapid elevation and traverse rates (40°/sec train rate), and capable of high-angle elevation (+78.5°) for anti-aircraft work. Backing them up was the medium anti-aircraft armament – six 3”/70 QF Mark N1 in three Mk.6 twin mounts. Each gun was capable of 70-90 rpm, an impressively high rate of fire for the era. Each gun mount was controlled by a MRS 3 director (five total), each of which was fitted with a Type 903 fire control radar. For surface search a Type 992Q radar was installed on the foremast, while for air surveillance a Type 960 search radar and Type 277Q height-finding radar were installed on the mainmast. Six 40mm/70 Bofors anti-aircraft cannons in three Mk.11 twin mounts were intended to supplement the 3”/70, but this installation was cancelled in 1957 in order to allow more spacious and comfortable crew quarters. Royal Navy adoption of the 40mm/70 Bofors was cancelled in favor of developing the Seacat missile, which could itself eventually be fitted to Tiger.

Unfortunately, both gun systems had major reliability issues in service, similar to their American counterparts on the Worchester-class. With sufficient maintenance, the 6”/50 QF Mk.N5 was mostly reliable, but this was very intensive and constant maintenance. The 3” guns were of greater concern, as their maximum service rate of fire fell well below the planned 120 rpm, and jams were constant.

The design of Tiger was radically revised when she was rebuilt as a helicopter cruiser in the late 1960s. Her aft 6” mount and the aft 3” mounts were both removed, along with one of the MRS 3 directors, and the rear of the ship rebuilt to accommodate a flight deck and hangar for four helicopters (the Westland Wessex, a license-built version of the Sikorsky H-34). Two Seacat GWS.22 quadruple mounts were fitted aft, providing the ship with anti-aircraft defense in the former of surface-to-air missiles. Guidance was provided, conveniently, by the MRS 3 directors. Alongside the change in armament came an update to the air search and height-finding radars, being replaced with the Type 965M and Type 278 respectively. Thanks to enhanced C3 capabilities (Command, Control & Communication), she was also particularly well suited to acting as a flagship.

Service

HMS Tiger was laid down on 1 October 1941 at the John Brown Shipyard, but due to reduced priority and wartime constraints, was ultimately not launched until after the end of the war, on 25 October 1945. She languished for a decade before serious work on completing her began, so ultimately she did not commission until 18 March 1959 – almost twenty years after being laid down.

Due to the reliability issues present in her armament, much of the initial service life of Tiger was spent on trials, and even after this her operational ability was hampered due to personnel shortages. After a service life of barely seven years, she went into reserve (December 1966), and two years later began her conversion into a helicopter cruiser. This was completed only in 1972, and she recommissioned on 6 May 1972 after running over time and budget by a factor of almost three.

Due to financial constraints on the Royal Navy, especially in the face of the economic downturn of the late 1970s, and the high operating cost of the manpower-intensive vessel, Tiger was not long for the world even after this refit. Though she did take part in the Fleet Review for Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee in 1977, the year after she was put into reserve and then finally decommissioned on 4 May 1979.

Ordinarily, this would have been the definitive end of the ship, but when the Falklands War erupted in April 1982, the key-to-be-scrapped Tiger got one last chance at life – she was considered suitable to recommission after a brief refit, being still in good material state, and having a desperately needed flight deck. However, with the painful losses to the Argentine and British fleets in May 1982, to submarine and air attack, the Royal Navy halted recommissioning efforts, due to the woeful state of the ship’s armament against modern air threats (the gun systems were already considered obsolete when the ship was commissioned in 1959, and Sea Cat was now twenty years old), combined with the fact it was judged likely that the war would end before Tiger’s restoration could b e completed anyway. When the conflict ended, so did any chance of her recommissioning, and Tiger languished for another four years until sold to a scrapping company in Spain. Work began in October 1986 - forty-five years after she had been first laid down. This was an impressive figure on paper, but ultimately she only spent about fourteen years in commission.

Historical Gallery

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References

Wargaming

• Armada:Tiger '59. 28 May 2021.

Wikipedia

• HMS Tiger (C20)

Ship Change Log

• Available for testing by supertesters in the game starting from Update 0.10.2.

Testing Changes

• DevBlog 120:
  • Preliminary characteristics.
• DevBlog 135:
  • Changed the Repair Party consumable:
    • Restoration of citadel damage increased from 10% to 50%.
    • Restoration of non-citadel damage increased from 50% to 60%.
  • Main battery accuracy increased to the improved destroyer dispersion formula.
• DevBlog 145:
  • Ship detection range of the Surveillance Radar consumable decreased from 10 to 9 km.

• Update 0.10.4:
  • Available for purchase in the Armory for doubloons and in the Premium store.
  • Main battery turrets can rotate 360 degrees.

Ships of U.K.

Cruisers