Ship:Worcester

14.8

Worcester

Cruiser | U.S.A. | Tier X

Tech Tree Position

General

Research price242000 exp

Purchase price19,900,000

Hit Points45,400

Main Battery

152 mm/47 DP Mk.16 in a turret6 х 2 pcs.

Rate of Fire13 shots/min

Reload Time4 sec

Rotation Speed25 deg/sec

180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec

Firing Range16.7 km

Maximum Dispersion148 m

HE Shell152 mm HE Mk39

Maximum HE Damage2,200

Chance of Fire12 %

Initial HE Velocity812 m/s

HE Shell Weight47.6 kg

AP Shell152 mm AP 130 lb Mk35

Maximum AP Shell Damage3,200

Initial AP Shell Velocity762 m/s

AP Shell Weight59 kg

AA Defense

20 mm Oerlikon on a Mk.20 mount12 х 2 pcs.

76.2 mm/50 Mk.22 on a Mk.34 mount2 х 1 pcs.

76.2 mm/50 Mk.22 on a Mk.33 mount11 х 2 pcs.

152 mm/47 DP Mk.16 in a turret6 х 2 pcs.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed33 knot

Turning Circle Radius740 m

Rudder Shift Time8.1 sec

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range12.1 km

Air Detectability Range8.5 km

Battle Levels

12345678910

X

19,900,000

Worcester — American Tier X cruiser.

The world's largest light cruiser. She carried 152 mm dual-purpose artillery as her main battery, supplemented by a great number of automatic 76 mm guns. She had the most powerful AA defense among ships of her type.

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/47 DP Mk.16 in a turret	13	7.2	148	2,200	12	3,200		0	2,000,000

	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 ()
Worcester	45,400	6	127	6		12/2/11/6				0	2,600,000

	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SUO_INCREASE_DIST (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Mk10 mod. 1		0		0	2,100,000

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 120,000 hp	33		0	1,600,000

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.

Worcester is a versatile warship. Having access to several consumable choices, rapid fire guns, and a nigh unmatched AA suite, Worcester can do most tasks a team or captain needs her to do.

At her core, Worcester is a utility ship, for starters, having access to not only Surveillance Radar  and Defensive AA Fire  together, but also Hydroacoustic Search  without removing another consumable. This, coupled with her traits, makes her a dangerous foe in the right hands.

For starters, her guns: she has twelve 152mm guns in six dual turrets that can fire every 4.6 seconds to 16.7 km. These guns have a high arc to their shells, so aiming at long range can be a challenge. However, the arc allows the ship to get close to islands and lob shells over at unsuspecting targets with impunity. The real kicker is a 13 rounds per minute rate-of-fire. She can put down a withering barrage of shells similar to Minotaur but her access to HE shells with a 12% fire chance provides her with extremely good fire starting abilities. Destroyers beware, these guns will give anyone a run for their money if she sneaks up on them.

Her next major trait is her control of vision. Worcester can get down to a 9.74 km detectability range enabling her to sneak up on most any cruiser but does not have the capacity to use her radar from stealth without being detected. Hydro is another aspect of her vision control toolkit, allowing her to detect torpedoes while pushing caps with her radar, and spotting destroyers moseying a little too close to the edge of their smokescreens.

Last but not least is her AA firepower. Worcester has the very strong AA DPS. While she is no longer the highest in the game, (having been dethroned by more recent ships like *Gouden Leeuw* and *Almirante Grau*) her AA suite is still quite formidable. Her main rifles are dual purpose and have a max 6.9 km reach and an average DPS of 136.5 alone. That's not even counting her meatier 76mm AA guns with a monstrous 434 dps base at 4.0 km range. Plus she has a short range aura of 20mm guns pumping out 143 DPS at 2.0km range. On top of this, she has access to the DFAA consumable, making her extremely dangerous to enemy plane squadrons in her vicinity.

Now, all this is well and good, but she is fragile, really fragile. Being a light cruiser, she is overmatched by all battleship caliber shells she shall see in her matchmaking spread, and all heavy cruiser HE will pen her hull (sans belt armor) and light cruisers with IFHE will pen her as well. Thus while she is strong, she is weak as well, necessitating teamwork, and good positioning.

In summary: Worcester is a cruiser that rewards tactical play with rapid fire meltdowns of destroyers, shells raining down on battleships, cruisers having to deal with streams of fire, carriers losing strike aircraft rapidly, and caps being lit up by a ship capable of destroying most anything that tries to cap. Playing her to her strengths while keeping mind of her weaknesses will reward players with a fun experience, as well as being a valuable addition to any team.

Pros:

• Twelve rapid fire 152mm guns with a fast traverse rate.
• Very strong anti-air capabilities.
• A versatile toolkit of Surveillance Radar , Hydroacoustic Search , and Defensive AA Fire  all on the same platform with no takeaways.
• Decent concealment rating with a 9.74 km max detection range.
• Long lasting US radar that can be upgraded with the special Surveillance Radar Modification 1 and the Enhanced Countermeasures () legendary modules.

Cons:

• Main guns have a high firing arc, which makes aiming at range or at fast moving targets a hassle.
• Bulk of her AA firepower is in fragile open mounts that can be lost by HE fire.
• 25mm plating on her hull makes her vulnerable to all battleship shells, and HE fire from cruisers. Though 25mm is better than the 16mm Minotaur has.
• Slower than some cruisers at only 33 knots.
• Slower rudder shift than many of her peers, making it hard to kite using her
• Play style is tough to master and can discourage players from playing her.
• Lowest base fire chance of all Tier X cruisers at 12%, though this is offset by her rate of fire.
• If an AP bomber squadron does break through her formidable anti-aircraft defenses, her citadel is vulnerable.

Research

As a Tier X ship, Worcester doesn't have any upgrades to research.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

Worcester is a very versatile ship, and can be configured numerous ways, as an AA ship, a main battery machine, or a utility ship. The upgrades will be listed with their respective builds in mind below (AA, Main Battery, Utility), of course, user preference takes priority, and players can mix and match how they see fit.

• Slot 1: Main Armaments Modification 1 (Main Battery/Utility) or Auxiliary Armaments Modification 1 (AA).
• Slot 2: Damage Control System Modification 1  (Main Battery/AA) or Defensive AA Fire Modification 1 /Hydroacoustic Search Modification 1 /Surveillance Radar Modification 1 (Utility) whichever the player feels best suites their playstyle, though the Radar mod will likely be picked the most.
• Slot 3: Aiming Systems Modification 1 (Main Battery/Utility) or AA Guns Modification 1 (AA/Utility).
• Slot 4: Propulsion Modification 1 (All).
• Slot 5: Concealment System Modification 1  (ALL).
• Slot 6: Main Battery Modification 3 (Main Battery/Utility) or Auxiliary Armaments Modification 2 (AA/Utility) or Enhanced Countermeasures () (Utility).

Commander Skills

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

Worcester equips the following consumables:

• Slot 1: Damage Control Party 
• Slot 2: Defensive AA Fire 
• Slot 3: Surveillance Radar 
• Slot 4: Repair Party 
• Slot 5: Hydroacoustic Search 

Signals

Worcester has a wide variety of flags she can use, but signals such as November Echo Setteseven (), India X-Ray (), and Victor Lima () are good starting points, as well as November Foxtrot() for her consumable loadout.

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

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Historical Info

USS Worcester, 1948

Construction

Builder: New York Shipbuilding Corporation;
   Camden New Jersey, USA

Laid down: 29 January 1945

Launched: 4 February 1947

Commissioned: 26 June 1948

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Specifications

14,700 tons displacement, standard

207.3m length

21.6m beam

7.9m draft

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Machinery

4x Westinghouse 620psi boilers

4x General Electric geared steam turbines

4x shafts

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Performance

33 knots at 120,000 shaft horsepower

8,000 nm at 15 knots

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Armor

Main belt: 5" (127mm)

Decks: 3.5" (89mm)

Barbettes and Turrets: 5" and 6.5" (127mm and 165mm)

Conning tower: 5" (127mm)

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Armament

Main

12 x 6"/47 Mark 16 DP guns (6x2)

Anti-aircraft

24 x 3"/50 Mark 22 AA guns (11x2, 2x1)

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USS Worcester entering San Francisco Bay in 1958.

History

Design

Service

Worcester was assigned to Cruiser Division (CruDiv) 10, and for first year of her commissioned service fitting out and conducting shakedown training off the eastern seaboard. In the summer of 1949 she conducted her first large scale training exercise in Guantanamo Bay and visited Kingston, Jamaica. Later that summer, she departed for the Mediterranean on 6 September 1949 and arrived in Gibraltar 10 days later. During deployment with the 6th Fleet she engaged in exercises and maneuvers with fast carrier task forces, including the carrier USS Leyte (CV-32) and the heavy cruiser USS Des Moines (CA-134). She returned to Norfolk on 10 December.

During her drills and exercises in the Mediterranean, on 20 July 1950, she put into Phaleron Bay; however, she was only there a week before she received orders to sail to the Far East. She departed for Korea and transited the Suez Canal on 29 July. Reaching Colombo for fuel and supplies, she and her escorts sailed stayed there from 7-9 August before pushing on to the Malacca Strait. They then proceeded through the Bashi Channel towards Okinawa; while en route, the ships were diverted through the Bashi Channel to be available to counter any invasion attempt by the communist Chinese of Formosa. Worcester joined the Formosa Patrol and got underway on 27 August to add her powerful AA punch to the screen of Task Force 77, consisting of carriers USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) and USS Valley Forge (CV-45), operating in the Yellow Sea off the coast of Korea.

On 4 September 1950, Worcester’s radar picked up an unidentified contact at 13:31. The Combat Air Patrol (CAP) — F4U Corsairs off of Valley Forge — soon reported the stranger as a twin-engined bomber with a pointed nose, single tailfin, and high inverted gull wings; it also bore red star markings. At 13:45, the F4Us directed the bogey over USS Fletcher (DDE-445), which unceremoniously splashed the intruder 49 miles away. The next day Worcester went to general quarters at 11:08 and commenced maneuvering at 20 knots to avoid possible attack when her radar picked up an unidentified aircraft closing in on the formation. Three minutes later she fired three rounds of 6-inch shells at the bogey to deter the craft; fortunately, the craft was a British Short Sunderland flying boat on patrol. At 21:43 Worcester secured from general quarters and resumed cruising with TF 77.

Over the ensuing days Worcester patrolled off the coast with TG 95.2. She relieved USS Helena (CA-75) in her fire support duties at 06:00 on 24 September freeing the heavy cruiser to proceed to Sasebo, Japan. While her own helicopter was aloft providing an anti-sub screen, Worcester commenced firing at 08:05, shelling nine North Korean troop concentrations ashore. Directed by Korean Military Advisory Group (KMAG) personnel ashore, Worcester delivered call-fire throughout the day with pinpoint accuracy at troop concentrations and command posts. She was relieved by USS Samuel N. Moore (DD-747) as fire support ship. Worcester returned the next day and continued firing on the already beaten and retreating North Korean forces. Throughout the 25th, using KMAG spotting, she delivered for the advancing UN forces breaking up troop concentrations with her precise 6-inch gun fire. As the ship's war diary at one point recorded: "Spotter reported troops dispersed. KMAG reported that all firing has been very effective and instrumental in enemy retreat."

Worcester spent the night hours on the 25th and into the 26th patrolling eight-mile of a stretch of coast between Yonghae and Utchin. The rapid advance of the UN forces on the 26th obviated fire support from Worcester; but the cruiser received word that USS Brush (DD-745) had hit a mine off Tanchon at 12:20. While Samuel N. Moore took over the on-call fire support duties in the vicinity, Worcester put on steam and went to Brush’s aid at 27 knots. The cruisermen found Brush down by the bow with 3-degree list to port. There were five dead and 30 injured. At 01:01 on the 27th, Worcester commenced taking on board the more seriously wounded of the destroyer's company via highline transfer, eventually receiving 15 stretcher cases — all men suffering from burns — by 02:28. The cruiser then made for Japan and, later that day took on four more stretcher patients, six ambulatory patients, and one dead. Proceeding in company with Brush, Worcester headed for Sasebo and reached port late on the 29th. As she was being tied up at port in Sasebo, Worcester received a warm message from Brush’s crew: "With us you are not only big league, but world champions. The kindness, consideration, and eagerness to help of Worcester's ship's company will never be forgotten by the Brush."

The stay in Sasebo was short however, because she left port on the 30th to return to Korean waters to resume fire support duties. Worcester — having served as flagship for TG 95.2, Rear Admiral C. C. Hartman embarked — arrived back at Sasebo for replenishment on 8 October and refueled while the admiral disembarked. While still in port, Worcester became flagship again the next day when Rear Admiral Allan E. Smith, Commander, TF 95, came aboard with his staff and transferred his flag to the cruiser. At 12:48 on the 10th she got underway to return to the east coast of Korea-this time to screen mine-sweeping ops at the port of Wonsan and to support the 3rd Republic of Korea Army Division.

Early on the 11th, the op became truly an international one, when the British destroyer HMS Cockade, the Australian destroyer HMAS Warramunga, and the Canadian destroyer HMCS Athabaskan joined Worcester’s group, which already included the British light cruiser HMS Ceylon and the heavy cruiser USS Helena, besides the other US warships USS Rochester (CA-124), USS Harold J. Thomas (DDR-833), and USS Maddox (DD-731). On the 12th, USS Missouri (BB-63) joined, bringing her big guns to the fleet.

While Missouri’s helicopter searched the bombardment track for mines, the UN force formed up for battle. At 11:50, when a shell from an unobserved shore battery fell 5,000 yards short of the group, it apparently signaled the beginning. Worcester hoisted the blue and white UN flag to the foretruck and commenced firing at exactly noon on 12 October. For the next 90-odd minutes, Worcester’s 6-inch guns hammered at iron works and railroad tunnels in the vicinity. The next day, she extended her target list to include railroad marshalling yards, tearing up sections of track and blasting rolling stock. Over the next few days, Worcester and the ships in company with her proceeded to rain destruction on targets of opportunity near Wonsan: targets ranging from railroad marshalling yards, to rolling stock and adjacent warehouse areas. Also, on 16 October, in an action reminiscent of the "Battle of the Pips" in World War II, Worcester, Helena, and the accompanying destroyers fired at unidentified radar contacts: "blips" on the radar screens that approached from the north. The contacts were probably two flocks of geese.

Worcester left the Far East on 27 October 1950, bound for Pearl Harbor. The day after she sailed, Worcester received a dispatch from Admiral C. Turner Joy, Commander, Naval Forces, Far East, which said: "Upon the Worcester’s departure from the Far East, I wish to extend a hearty 'well done' to the entire ship's company. Your rapid deployment from the European station to the Far East, followed by your immediate and most effective participation in the Korean effort, clearly demonstrates that your status of war readiness was excellent."

The rest of Worcester’s life was far more relaxed than that frenzied summer of 1950. She was overhauled at the Boston Naval Shipyard from 1 December 1950 until 20 March 1951. She then conducted four more 6th Fleet "Med" deployments into the mid-1950s and twice visited northern European ports, during which she participated in fleet maneuvers and exercises and paid good-will calls on many ports-ranging from Bergen, Norway; to Copenhagen, Denmark; to Dublin, Ireland; and Portsmouth, England. She transferred from the Atlantic to the Pacific Fleet in January 1956, and made two more deployments with the 7th Fleet visiting ports such as Sasebo and Yokosuka, Japan; Hong Kong; Manila; as well as the Japanese ports of Hakodate, Nagasaki, Shimoda, Yokohama, and Kobe.

On 2 September 1958, Worcester departed her home port of Long Beach for the last time and steamed to Mare Island to commence the inactivation process. She was decommissioned at Mare Island on 19 December, and simultaneously placed in reserve. She was first berthed at San Francisco and later, at Bremerton, Washington, before she was struck from the Navy list on 1 December 1970. She was sold for scrap on 5 July 1972. The revolutionary light cruiser, that never had a chance to prove herself in her designed role, was subsequently broken up for scrap.

Historical Gallery

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  USS Worcester (CL-144) in November 1949
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  Worcester underway in the Mediterranean Sea, 1953.
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  The stern section of Worcester as seen from USS Baltimore (CA-68).
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  Superstructure of Worcester as seen from Baltimore.
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  The bow of Worcester as seen from Baltimore while in the Mediterranean during 1952.
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  Worcester with her crew at quarters during a Memorial Day service, May 1952.
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  Worcester in icy seas during North Atlantic Ops, 1949-1950.
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  Worcester moored in Boston, 1954.
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  Worcester moored alongside USS Albany (CA-123), and USS Northampton (CLC-1).

References

1. USS Worcester (CL-144) - Wikipedia
2. Worcester-class cruiser - Wikipedia
3. https://www.hazegray.org/danfs/cruisers/cl144.txt
4. Ship's History - USS Worcester - CL-144 -- 1948 - 1958

Ship Change Log

Testing Changes

• March 25, 2018:
  • Preliminary characteristics.
• March 30, 2018:
  • Main battery firing range was increased from 14.7 to 16.7 km.
  • The average damage of the 152 mm AA guns was increased from 76 to 121.
  • Sigma was increased from 2.0 to 2.05.
• April 12, 2018:
  • A fifth consumable slot was added, with the Surveillance Radar and Hydroacoustic Search consumables being made separate.
• May 23, 2018:
  • The consumable slot distribution was changed to: Damage Control Party, Defensive AA Fire, Surveillance Radar, Repair Party, Hydroacoustic Search.
  • The ship's rudder shift time was reduced from 10.8 to 8.2 s.
  • The main deck armor thickness was increased from 25 to 30 mm.
• October 3, 2018:
  • The range of the Surveillance Radar consumable was decreased from 9.45 to 9.0 km.

• Available for testing by supertesters in the game starting from Update 0.7.4.
• Introduced in Update 0.7.6.
  • Fixed a bug due to which the sound of the ships' main battery guns did not match the caliber of the guns.
  • "Enhanced Countermeasures" unique upgrade added (5th slot):
    • +10% to Surveillance Radar duration.
    • +20% to Hydroacoustic Search duration.
    • +20% to Defensive AA Fire duration.
• Update 0.7.7:
  • Minor fixes to geometry and textures on the ship and camouflage.
• Update 0.7.8:
  • Fixed a bug where the medium AA aura was displayed as part of the long range aura in port. Only the display of the aura was changed, the ship's performance characteristics remained the same.
• Update 0.7.10:
  • The range of the Surveillance Radar consumable was decreased from 9.9 to 9 km.
• Update 0.7.11:
  • Fixed the incorrect icon for her unique upgrade.
• Update 0.9.2:
  • HE shell armor penetration was increased from 24 to 30 mm.
• Update 0.9.3:
  • • "Enhanced Countermeasures" unique upgrade moved to the Research Bureau for 19,200 Research Points.
• Update 0.9.4:
  • The "Catapult Fighter" and "Spotting Aircraft" consumables were added to the slot with the "Surveillance Radar" consumable.
• Update 0.9.5:
  • Changes were made to the "Enhanced Countermeasures" unique upgrade:
    • Moved from the fifth to sixth slot.
    • Removed all bonuses on the action time of her consumables.
    • Added a bonus decreasing the reload time of the Priority AA sector by 20%.
    • Added a bonus decreasing the reload time of ship consumables by 20%.
    • Added a bonus increasing the number of the ship's consumable charges by one.
• Update 0.11.3:
  • Minor fixes to geometry and textures of the ship.
• Update 0.11.9:
  • Minor fixes to geometry and textures of the ship.
  • Minor fixes to geometry and textures of the Eagles and Sharks permanent camouflage.

Ships of U.S.A.

Cruisers