Ship:Aquila

14.8

Aquila

Aircraft Carrier | Italy | Tier VIII

Tech Tree Position

General

Purchase priceSpecial

Hit Points51,100

Secondary Armament #1

135 mm/45 Model 1938 on a shielded mount8 х 1 pcs.

Firing Range4.5 km

Rate of Fire19.4 shots/min

Reload Time3.1 sec

HE Shell135 mm proiettili HE 1938

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,950

Initial HE Shell Velocity875 m/s

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell9 %

AA Defense

20 mm/70 Scotti Model 1941 on a sextuple mount22 х 6 pcs.

65 mm/64 Model 1939 on a Model 1939 mount12 х 1 pcs.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed30 knot

Turning Circle Radius950 m

Rudder Shift Time12.9 sec

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range13.4 km

Air Detectability Range10 km

Battle Levels

12345678910

VIII

Special

Aquila — Italian special premium Tier VIII aircraft carrier.

Liner Roma was converted into an aircraft carrier during World War II. The ship's hull was extended, equipped with bulges, and a new bow section grafted. The propulsion unit was redesigned using turbines and boilers from unfinished ships Cornelio Silla and Paolo Emilio. 135 mm guns from unfinished ships of the Capitani Romani class were used as anti-mine weapons. The 80% complete aircraft carrier was captured by Germany. Aquila was damaged by Allied aviation and sank after being damaged by Italian submarine saboteurs.

Aquila was first released for sale on 22 July 2022.

Modules

	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 ()
Aquila	51,100	6	40		8	22/12				0	0

	Speed (knot)	Average Damage per Second (HP/min)	Loadout	Hit Points (HP)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Reggiane Re.2001	169			1,030		0	0

	Maximum Torpedo Damage (HP)	Speed (knot)	Hit Points (HP)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Reggiane Re.2001	7,133	169	1,150		0	0

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 151,000 hp	30		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.

Performance

Aquila is a tier VIII Italian aircraft carrier that focuses on damaging capital ships with rockets and torpedoes. Her fast aircraft speed allows her to quickly set up optimal angles of attack in addition to having a generous hanger size coupled with a short aircraft restoration period allowing for numerous strikes. However, her aircraft have very low HP pools that make breaking through concentrated anti-aircraft artillery fire nearly impossible along with torpedoes that have very slow speeds albeit they have very high alpha damage. Aquila's hull also has extremely poor AA firepower with an extremely poor firing range of only 3.2km, which makes her extremely vulnerable to attack by enemy aircraft carriers. Thus, Aquila is a very situational aircraft carrier that must choose her targets extremely carefully.

Reggiane Re 2001 Attack Aircraft

Aquila’s attack aircraft carry a large number of armor-piercing rockets with low penetration. These rockets are unable to citadel battleships, but they are able to citadel some of the more lightly armored light cruisers, especially those of lower tiers. The attack aircraft begin their attack from a higher altitude, making them far easier to use than the German aircraft carrier AP rockets which have a low flight altitude and a very shallow angle of attack. Each squadron consists of 10 aircraft with a strike consisting of 5 planes that launch 12 rockets each. While each of Aquila’s rockets have a low alpha, a single strike can launch up to 60 rockets. In addition, these attack aircraft are extremely fast at 204 knots, enabling them to actively maneuver around targets to find an optimal angle of attack. These attack aircraft should be used similar to the German aircraft carrier attack aircraft in terms of attacking the broadside of enemy cruisers and even aircraft carriers due to their weaker side armor which makes obtaining citadel hits more common.

Reggiane Re 2001 Torpedo Bombers

Aquila’s torpedo bombers are her primary source of damage. Each squadron consists of 6 aircraft with a strike consisting of 2 planes dropping 1 torpedo each. The Reggiane Re 2001 torpedo bombers themselves are extremely fast at up to 204 knots, bested at tier VIII only by the Ta 152C-1/R14 torpedo and dive bombers found on Graf Zeppelin and the de Havilland Sea Hornet attack aircraft and bombers on HMS Indomitable at 221 and 217 knots respectively. In addition, the torpedoes sport extremely high alpha damage among tier VIII aircraft carriers, second only just to those found on Shokaku. However, this is coupled with slow torpedo speed. In fact, Aquila's torpedoes are the absolute slowest torpedoes to be dropped from any aircraft carrier of any tier in the game at 30 knots, which also makes them the slowest torpedoes in World of Warships. This forces the torpedoes to be dropped with a significant amount of lead, although if led correctly, the torpedoes will inflict significant damage to the enemy vessel. Moreover, Aquila's torpedo bombers also have extremely low HP pools, having the lowest HP per plane of any aircraft carrier amongst all tiers, including tier IV aircraft carriers. This is counteracted by an in-flight repair consumable that allows for increased survivability against anti-aircraft artillery fire. These torpedo bombers should be Aquila's primary source of damage, with very good plane speed and torpedo alpha strike but very slow torpedoes and extremely poor HP pools. They should be used very carefully to pick out more isolated battleships, heavy cruisers, and aircraft carriers and deal significant amounts of damage to them.

Tips

• The attack aircraft reticle has a short “machine-gun” period
• The torpedo bomber reticle allows for adjustments mid-attack with no penalty to accuracy.
• All squadrons perform poorly against angled targets. Aim for broadsides.

Pros:

• All planes have excellent speed
• Very good deck space and plane restoration speed
• AP rockets have improved penetration characteristics and are dropped in huge numbers, each drop can deal significant damage
• AP rockets have a short pre-launch delay and a large area of effect, can be a threat to destroyers
• Torpedoes do high damage and have a high flood chance

Cons:

• Slowest aerial torpedoes in the game
• Worst plane durability for a Tier 8 aircraft carrier
• Plane strikes are only effective against broadsides
• Access to only attack aircraft and torpedo bombers, lacks a third plane type
• Extremely poor hull armour, Aquila is incredibly vulnerable to most damage sources
• Hull AA is very short-ranged

Research

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

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

The recommended upgrades are:

• Slot 1: Air Groups Modification 1
• Slot 2: Aircraft Engines Modification 1
• Slot 3: Aerial Torpedoes Modification 1
• Slot 4: Torpedo Bombers Modification 2
• Slot 5: Concealment System Modification 1  or Flight Control Modification 1

Commander Skills

• Note: Hidden Menace states that your planes reach safe altitude at 50% lower height which is not true because your planes are still vulnerable to flak, therefore the skill is bugged and not recommended.

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Attack			Defense		Support
1	Last Gasp Completely restores engine boost for the last attack squadron.	Improved Engine Boost +10% Aircraft engine boost time. ★★★	Engine Techie -20% Engine Cooling cooldown time.	Air Supremacy -5% aircraft restoration time. ★★★	Direction Center for Fighters +1 fighter to CAP squadrons.	Search and Destroy +10% to action radius of Patrol Fighter and Interceptor squadrons.
2	Torpedo Bomber -10% torpedo arming distance. ★★★	Swift Fish +5% to torpedo speed. ★	Improved Engines +2.5% aircraft squadron speed. ★★★	Repair Specialist +1 In-flight Repair consumable +10% its action time. ★★	Secondary Armament Expert +10% flak and continuous damage -10% secondary battery reload time.	Patrol Group Leader +1 fighter to Patrol Fighter or Interceptor squadrons.
3	Sight Stabilization +7.5% aiming speed.	Enhanced Armor-Piercing Ammunition +3% damage from AP bombs and rockets.	Pyrotechnician +1% chance of HE rockets causing a fire. +5% chance of HE bombs causing a fire.	Aircraft Armor -10% continuous AA damage while in an aura. ★★★	Survivability Expert +25 aircraft HP per ship tier. ★★★	Interceptor Interceptors replace Patrol Fighters:  +10% action radius.  Invulnerable to fighters.  Cannot attack fighters.  Cannot spot ships.
4	Bomber Flight Control +5% speed all bomber types.	Proximity Fuze -10% (absolute) to target's torpedo protection. ★★★	Close Quarters Expert Secondary batteries: +20% range -30% dispersion.	Enhanced Aircraft Armor -25% damage from flak. ★★★	Hidden Menace -15% ship detectability range. -20% Damage Control Party cooldown. +50% aircraft return time.	Enhanced Reactions -80% time before activated Patrol Fighters or Interceptors attack. +25% action time. +50% cooldown time.
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful      ★★ - Frequently Useful      ★ - Occasionally Useful     No stars - Not Useful

Consumables

Aquila equips the following consumables:

Aircraft Carrier:

• Slot 1: Damage Control Party  unlimited
• Slot 2: CAP Fighter 

All aircraft carrier consumables are automatically activated.

Torpedo Bombers:

• Slot 1: Engine Cooling 
• Slot 2: Patrol Fighter 
• Slot 3: In-flight Repair 

Attack Aircraft:

• Slot 1: Engine Cooling 
• Slot 2: Patrol Fighter 

Camouflage

As a premium ship, Aquila 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

Aquila, 1941-1952

Construction

Builder: Cantieri Ansaldo, Genoa

Laid down: November 1941

Fate: Seized by Germany, 1943

sold for scrap in 1952

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Specifications

23,500 long tons (23,900 t) (standard)

27,800 long tons (28,200 t) (full load)

772 ft 8 in (235.5 m) length

98 ft 5 in (7.3 m) beam

23 ft 11 in (7.3 m) draft

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Machinery

8 boilers

4 steam turbines

4 shafts

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Performance

30 knots(56 km/h, 35 mph)

151,000 shaft horsepower (113,000 kW)

5,500 nm(10,200 km, 6,300 mi) range,

at 18 knots(33 km/h, 21mph)

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Armor

Waterline belt: 1.6-3.1 in (4-8 cm)

Deck: 3.1 in (8 cm)

Magazines: 2.4-3.1 in (60-80 mm)

Steering Gear: 1.2 in (30mm)

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Anti-Aircraft

8 × 135 mm (5.3 in)/45 cal guns

12 × 65 mm (2.56 in)/64 cal guns

132 × 20 mm (0.79 in)/65 cal anti-aircraft cannons

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Complement

107 Officers

1,313 Enlisted

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Aircraft & Handling

51 Aircraft capacity

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In the years following World War I, the Italian Navy expected to operate primarily in the relatively narrow confines of the Mediterranean Sea, making the lack of a naval air division seem acceptable. The location of mainland Italy and its territorial islands were viewed as natural aircraft carriers, allowing for Italian Air Force operations to be conducted from several airbases where planes would have the range to assist naval units when necessary. Even so, the Italian military and political leaders debated the role and necessity of aircraft carriers in the expanding Italian fleet. Naval Leadership supported the development of a fleet air division, the building of aircraft carriers, and the consolidation of the air and naval academies. However, political Leaders opposed these ideas not based on military tactics but, due to concerns regarding practicality and cost. With regard to aircraft carrier construction, these concerns included shortages in money, inadequate shipyard space, and limited industrial capacity, which prevented Italian naval leadership from seeing their vision of a naval air fleet come to fruition.

During that time, France was considered to be Italy's most likely foe in the event of another European war. Due to the threat posed by the French Navy, Italian leadership prioritized development and modernization, leading to a naval arms-race between these countries. For Italy, keeping up with French naval assets became a priority. Between 1932 and 1937, the French Navy laid down four new capital surface ships. In response, Italy would seek to build new battleships and modernize existing ones, setting aside any aspirations of aircraft carrier construction, much less a naval air fleet. Shortly after Italy's entry into World War II, Mussolini ordered the modest conversion of ocean liner Roma into an auxiliary aircraft carrier in June of 1940. After the successful British aircraft carrier raid on Taranto in 1941, Mussolini realized the full potential of naval air units and authorized an ambitious and extensive conversion of Roma into a full fleet aircraft carrier.

Due to rising costs, material shortages, and technical limitations concerning development of catapults, arresting gear, and aircraft elevators, it became apparent that more time was needed to achieve this conversion. Italy needed more time to develop folding-wing aircraft and to study the effects of air turbulence over the flight deck caused by the island superstructure typical of aircraft carriers. Thus, the order to retrofit Roma was canceled. Italian leadership also cited concerns over the vulnerability of such units following the heavy damage inflicted on the British aircraft carrier Illustrious by German dive bombers.

Specifically, the damage inflicted to Illustrious demonstrated the vulnerability of aircraft carriers operating in the Mediterranean, where land-based air units had sufficient range and ordnance to disable or destroy such ships. However, aircraft carriers were not the only units vulnerable to air attack in the Mediterranean. Three heavy cruisers were sunk by aircraft near Cape Matapan in March of 1941.

Despite these concerns, Italian Naval and Air Force leaders concluded that an aircraft carrier could have changed the fate of these cruisers. Setting aside apparent vulnerabilities of aircraft carriers, the conversion of Roma was again restarted in June of 1941. During a mission in November of 1941, Italian forces acquired two catapults, five sets of arresting gear, and plans for other critical components intended for Germany's second carrier build. During this time, a battleship under construction was given the name Roma, and the aircraft carrier project was renamed Aquila.

In August of 1942, Aquila′s engines and catapults were successfully tested, but the arresting gear failed to work properly. By March of 1943, the arresting gear was deemed usable after extensive modifications. Aquila had passed her first static test, and was nearing completion when Italy surrendered to the Allies on September 8, 1943. Germany then seized Aquila and placed her under guard.

On June 16, 1944, during an Allied air attack on Genoa, Aquila was damaged. As the war was nearing its end, the Italian government feared the Germans might use Aquila to block the entrance to Genoa harbor. On April 19, 1945, Italian divers scuttled Aquila in a harmless location. After the war, she was initially raised in 1946, and again in 1949, when she was towed to La Spezia for a conversion that was later canceled. Aquila was scrapped in 1952 having never launched an airplane.

The text has been adapted from [1] and the adaptation is made available under the Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0.

Historical Gallery

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References

[2]

Ship Change Log

• Available for testing by supertesters in the game starting from Update 0.11.3.

Testing Changes

• DevBlog 291:
  • Preliminary characteristics.
• DevBlog 320:
  • In Update 0.11.4:
    • Changed the torpedo bomber parameters:
      • Number of planes in a squadron decreased from 8 to 6.
      • Number of planes on deck reduced: 26 to 21.
      • Distance between planes during the torpedo launch is reduced by half. This will reduce the gap between the launched torpedoes.
      • Reduced the reticle dispersion when maneuvering during preparation for an attack and when attacking.
      • The damage received by the attacking flight during the aiming state decreased by 10%.
    • Changed the attack aircraft parameters:
      • Reduced altitude during preparation for an attack and at the moment of aiming.
      • Attack preparation time reduced from 2.5 to 1.75 s.
      • Increased the reticle reduction speed (aims faster) when preparing to attack and when attacking.
      • Increased rocket velocity, which will allow taking a slightly smaller lead before attacking and facilitate penetration of 38 mm deck armor more frequently.
• DevBlog 328:
  • Maximum torpedo damage decreased from 8,367 to 7,133.
    • By extension, the blast radius from a torpedo explosion, its damage, and its chance to disable modules were proportionately reduced.
  • Chance to cause flooding decreased from 71% to 61%.
• DevBlog 332:
  • Number of torpedo bombers on deck reduced from 21 to 18.
  • Number of Engine Cooling consumables for the attack aircraft increased from 2 to 4.
  • Number of Patrol Fighters consumables for attack aircraft and torpedo bombers increased from 3 to 4.

• Update 0.11.5:
  • The name of the AA gun 20 mm/70 Breda Model 1941 was changed to 20 mm/70 Scotti Model 1941.
• First appeared on sale on July 22, 2022, during Update 0.11.6:
  • Available for purchase in the Armory for 12,300 doubloons and in the Premium store.

Ships of Italy

Aircraft Carriers