Ship:Erich Loewenhardt

14.8

Erich Loewenhardt

Aircraft Carrier | Germany | Tier VI

Tech Tree Position

General

Purchase priceSpecial

Hit Points44,300

Secondary Armament #1

150 mm/55 SK C/28 on a Dop. MPL C/36 mount8 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range5 km

Rate of Fire8 shots/min

Reload Time7.5 sec

HE Shell150 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.5

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,700

Initial HE Shell Velocity875 m/s

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 %

Secondary Armament #2

105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount5 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range5 km

Rate of Fire17.9 shots/min

Reload Time3.4 sec

HE Shell105 mm Spr.Gr. Kz. L/3.84

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,200

Initial HE Shell Velocity900 m/s

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell5 %

AA Defense

20 mm/65 C/38 on a single mount8 х 1 pcs.

37 mm/83 SK C/30 on a Dopp LC/30 mount11 х 2 pcs.

105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount5 х 2 pcs.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed35.8 knot

Turning Circle Radius1140 m

Rudder Shift Time12.7 sec

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range13.1 km

Air Detectability Range10 km

Battle Levels

12345678910

VI

Special

Erich Loewenhardt — German special premium Tier VI aircraft carrier.

The second ship of the Graf Zeppelin class, aircraft carrier B, was laid down in Kiel in 1938 after the first one had been launched. Her construction proceeded at a slow pace, as the builders aimed to address all the teething problems encountered during the construction of the first ship in the series. By the time World War II broke out, all parts of the carrier's hull up to the armored deck had been completed; however, the German leadership made the decision to complete only those ships that were in the advanced stages of construction. As a result, the order for the second aircraft carrier was canceled in September 1939, and the ship herself was scrapped on the slipway in early 1940.

Erich Loewenhardt was released on 4 August 2020. As of the 0.10.5 update (June 2021) She is no longer available.

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 ()
Erich Loewenhardt	44,300	9	100		8/5	8/11/5				0	0

	Speed (knot)	Average Damage per Second (HP/min)	Loadout	Hit Points (HP)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Bf 109T	153			1,270		0	0

	Maximum Torpedo Damage (HP)	Speed (knot)	Hit Points (HP)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Ju 87C	4,200	133	1,610		0	0

	Maximum Bomb Damage (HP)	Speed (knot)	Hit Points (HP)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Ju 87C		156	1,670		0	0

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 200,000 hp	35.8		0	0

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4

Player Opinion

Performance

The first thing that would catch the player's eye would be the massive 12,200 alpha for the HE bombs, and when compared to even Midway's HE bombs, Erich Loewenhardt's HE bombs outperform Midway's in damage, penetration and fire chance. While the max damage may seem very impressive, however it must be kept in mind that it is a HE bomb. To achieve the stated Alpha Damage, the bomb will have to explode inside the citadel of a ship, which at Tier VI (if not in operations), is very rare, and the bombs will mostly be doing about 2-4k damage per hit. The fire chance of her bombs are superb, so not only will they do pretty decent damage for HE bombs at Tier VI, they'll be able to quickly stack damage via fires.

While Erich Loewenhardt's dive bombers are pretty impressive, her torpedo bombers are pretty disappointingly lackluster. Already lacking in terms of damage per torpedo, they do not have the speed to help make up for it (unlike tech tree German aircraft carriers), so Erich Loewenhardt's torpedo bombers will basically be the last ditch weapon if there are no other alternatives.

Her AP rocket planes, taken from Parseval's stock AP rocket planes, feature very impressive performance for Tier VI, with a good amount of penetration and damage. Against cruisers she would see in her matchmaking spread, the AP rockets are very deadly if they're caught with their broadside open to the rockets.

A very powerful secondary battery is also another distinguishing point of Erich Loewenhardt, having a whopping 4x2 150 mm per side and 5x2 105 mm (2x2 in front of the island and 3x2 behind, in a style similar to Graf Zeppelin's 105 mm mounts), it is the heaviest secondary broadside among Tier VI carriers.

All in all, your main targets should be cruisers (since your AP rocket performance is splendid for Tier VI). The other 2 squadron types should only serve as damage supplements for when there's either no cruisers to hit or when you're waiting for your rocket planes to regenerate.

Pros:

• Aircraft have good cruising and max speeds, and a decent enough HP pool.
• AP rockets are the same as Parseval's stock AP rockets (Sprenggranate), but at Tier VI
• HE bomber reticle is a circle (similar to Graf Zeppelin's AP bombers), which means you can attack from any angle
• HE bombs instead of AP bombs means you're not limited to striking only certain classes to bring out the full potential of the ordnance
• Very strong secondary battery array, featuring 4x2 150 mm cannons on each side and 5x2 105 mm mounted on the deck in front and behind the superstructure
• Strong armor scheme that makes Erich Loewenhardt very durable against AP fire

Cons:

• Only 6 plane per squadron and 9 on deck (for each type), which means heavy losses will be felt
• Very poor torpedo performance; weak damage, low flooding chance, and very slow speeds, unlike the tech tree versions
• Dive bomber behavior is very different from other nation's dive bomber behavior, and would require some getting used to
• Large hull makes Erich Loewenhardt vulnerable to HE fire
• AP rockets quickly loses their effectiveness against angled targets or by hitting light plating

Research

As a premium ship, Erich Loewenhardt doesn't have any upgrades to research.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

The recommended upgrades for Erich Loewenhardt are as follows:

• Slot 1: Air Groups Modification 1
• Slot 2: Aircraft Engines Modification 1
• Slot 3: Attack Aircraft Modification 1
• Slot 4: Attack Aircraft Modification 2

Commander Skills

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

Erich Loewenhardt can equip the following consumables:

Aircraft Carrier:

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

All aircraft carrier consumables are automatically activated.

Attack Aircraft:

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

Torpedo Bombers:

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

Bombers:

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

Camouflage

As a premium ship, Erich Loewenhardt comes with Type 10 camouflage that lowers her detection radius, reduces the accuracy of incoming shells, reduces her repair costs, and increases the amount of experience she earns.

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

Erich Loewenhardt

Specifications

23,200 tons displacement, standard

257.3m length (loa)

30m beam

7.35m draft (mean)

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Machinery

16 LaMont boilers, 4 Brown, Boveri & Cie turbines

Two 450hp Voith-Schneider devices for low speed maneuvers

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Performance

36.5 knots at 200,000 shaft horsepower

11,480nm range at 15.3 knots

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Armor

Main belt: 60-100mm

Torpedo bulkhead: 20mm

Decks: 20mm flight deck, locally increasing to 40mm around the elevators; 40mm main deck with 60mm slopes

150mm casemates: up to 30mm

Command posts: up to 17mm

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Armament

Main

Sixteen (8x2) 150mm L/55 anti surface guns

Secondary

Ten (5x2) 105mm L/65 dual purpose guns

Anti-Aircraft

Twenty-two (11x2) 37mm guns

Eight (8x1) 20mm guns

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Aircraft

Eighteen (18) Fi167 torpedo bombers

Thirteen (13) Ju87C dive bombers

Ten (10) Bf109 fighters

Two (2) pneumatic catapults to assist launching

History

The idea of a German aircraft carrier was born in 1933, when Adolf Hitler took the post of German chancellor and initiated the Luftwaffe as new branch in the German military. This gave birth to the idea of utilizing aircraft to provide extended vision for the surface ships via float planes and to have an aviation ship with following demands (dated March 1933):

Capable of operating in the Northern Seas and the Atlantic

A displacement of 15,000 tons

Speed of 33kn

Either nine 150mm guns or six 203mm guns, as well as a strong anti-air-artillery

Operational range of 12,000nm

Armor on the level of a light cruiser

60 aircraft, of which a third must have foldable wings

Two catapults

Minimum flight deck length of 180m

Lacking carrier experience as well as not having access to in-depth plans of foreign designs the design team was met with the difficulty of meeting those demands while also working under time pressure. This led to taking visual input from the British Courageous-class of carriers with a multiple flight deck design study, which was completed within a year, but the 203mm artillery had been completely discarded in favor of a 150mm artillery. What followed was a ship design that would be justified by the Anglo-German-Naval Agreement, which permitted Germany a carrier force of 38,500 tons, or two units with 19,250 tons each. To gain more insight into carrier design the team was given limited access to the British carrier HMS Furious and the Japanese carrier Akagi. Despite latter receiving a major refit a few weeks after the inspection, the blueprints (over 100 of them) would become the foundation of the design.

The design was then finalized in 1935, and the first keels of the Graf Zeppelin-class were laid down starting 1936. During a presentation of the design to Adolf Hitler, the chancellor questioned the usefulness of heavy artillery on an aircraft carrier. His suggestion was to delete the 150mm casemates and instead install more 105mm gun mounts for increased AA defense. As the construction of Graf Zeppelin was too far underway to allow for such structural changes, this could not be met without unreasonable expenses. As such a compromise was accepted, the heavy artillery remained but a sixth 105mm twin mount would be added on the flight deck. Erich Loewenhardt represents the design of Graf Zeppelin prior to this change.

Design

The armament consisted of sixteen 150mm L/55 C/28 guns, mounted in eight twin casemates along the side of the hull. These could fire a 45kg heavy projectile at ranges up to 22km, and would also allow for barrage fire against plane formations using time fuzed shells. The primary anti air weaponry consisted of ten twin mounted 105mm L/65 C/33 guns, with three mounts being placed superfiring aft of the island and two in front. These could fire a 15.1kg heavy shell with 15-18 rounds per minute. Despite being labeled as anti-air weapon, they were also able to engage surface targets. Medium anti air weapon was the 37mm Flakzwilling 30, of which 22 barrels in 11 twin mounts were placed along the sides of the flight deck and the island. Close range defenses were ensured by eight 20mm guns.

To meet the high speed demands, Erich Loewenhardt is equipped with a four shaft (unique to ships of the Kriegsmarine) propulsion. Sixteen boilers, each delivering 60 tons of 450°C hot steam at roughly 1,150psi (75atü) pressure per hour, power four sets of geared turbines to develop 200,000shp. This was projected to allow for a maximum speed of 36.5kn for a short period of time, with 34.5kn being the highest sustainable speed. A fuel oil reserve of 5,187 tons was to allow a cruising range of either 11,480nm at 15.3kn or 8,000nm at 19kn. The main machinery was subdivided into four boiler rooms and three turbine rooms, each boiler room housing four boilers and the turbines for the outer shafts sharing the same turbine room. Electric power was developed in four auxiliary machinery rooms, with in total five Diesel generators and six turbogenerators, for a maximum output of 2,280kW at 220V.

Aircraft were stored in two hangar decks, each being 6m tall and offering a total of 5,450m^2 surface for plane storage. Three electrically powered elevators, measuring 13m(length) x 14m(width) connected the hangar decks with the 244m long and 30m flight deck. Travelling from the upper hangar deck to the fligth deck would take roughly eight seconds when loaded with 6,500kg. To allow for rapid launches a system of carts was developed, and the plane would be brought up to te flight deck sitting on such a cart. From there it would be brought to the front, where the pneumatic catapult was placed, and then launched. The cart would remain on the ship and be delivered to the upper hangar deck via a rail system. The pneumatic reserves allowed for nine launches per catapult, meaning that after eighteen planes it would take 50 minutes to recharge the catapults. Until then planes could only launch conventionally, using the length of the flight deck. Four cables for catching landing planes were installed, allowing for a brake distance of 20-30m.

Historical Gallery

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References

Wargaming

• Armada: Erich Loewenhardt. 14 Aug 2020.

Ship Change Log

• Available for testing by supertesters in the game starting from Update 0.9.5.

Testing Changes

• DevBlog 18:
  • Preliminary characteristics.
• DevBlog 33:
  • AP rockets penetration was increased.
• DevBlog 39:
  • Rocket aircraft were changed:
    • Attack height increased.
    • Sight aiming time was accelerated.
    • Preparation time decreased from 6 to 3 s.
    • Ricochet angle for rockets increased from 60 to 70 degrees.
    • Rocket damage increased from 2,150 to 2,350.
• DevBlog 58:
  • Dive bombers' attack time lowered from 5 to 4 s.

• Update 0.9.7:
  • Available for purchase in the Armory for doubloons and in the Premium store.
• Update 0.9.8:
  • Fixed the names of rockets and bombs.
• Update 0.10.0:
  • The speed of the patrol fighters was increased to 221 knots.
• Update 0.10.1:
  • Bombers received similar sound effects to VIII Graf Zeppelin's bombers.
• Update 0.10.5:
  • Erich Loewenhardt was removed from sale in the Armory and the Premium store.

Ships of Germany

Aircraft Carriers