ShipBlog

Captains, it is time! Pan American destroyers will first enter the game. The upcoming update will introduce 10 brand new destroyers to the game, hailing from Central and South America. Additionally, premium Japanese Battleship Shinano '43 will be arriving soon to the game!

New Pan American Destroyers

These newcomers will both feature mechanics already known to players of Pan American cruisers as well as new ones yet not added to the game as their distinct characteristics. The ship line focuses on and relies on their main battery weapons to deal significant damage to the enemy, with torpedoes as a secondary option.

Compared to other destroyers, ships of this line will feature only one shell type: Armor Piercing shells. These shells feature two unusual characteristics - a longer shell fusing time and the inability to ricochet. The shell either penetrates or does not penetrate. Combined with an above average penetration capability, this gives Pan American destroyers a unique pattern of dealing damage. This, in combination with the longer shell fuse timer, will shift the damage potential away from destroyers and more towards cruisers and lightly armored battleships.

The decent amount of fast reloading shells is further enhanced by a new type of reload mechanism, so called readily available shells: Each destroyer has a limited set of shells that reload faster than normal, increasing the damage output in the first few opening salvoes of an engagement. After depleting this reserve, the guns will shift to the regular reload. Once a gun is reloaded and not immediately fired again, the reserve of readily available shells will be restored. Firing again will then start to use those shells again before reverting to regular reloads.

To balance out the fire power provided by such mechanics, the new destroyers will not feature a massive torpedo armament. Mid and high tier destroyers feature a limited number of torpedoes, while lower tier destroyers do have multiple torpedo launchers, but are limited to low damage numbers and limited ranges, like on Russian low tier destroyers.

Last but not least the Pan American destroyers feature long cooldown consumables in combination with combat instructions like those found on Pan American tech tree cruisers. The loadout will be comprised of Damage Control Party, Short Burst Smoke Generator, Engine Boost or Short Range Hydroacoustic Search, Defensive AA Fire as well as Special Repair Teams, with the last three being available from Tier 6 onwards. Combat instructions will be also available from Tier 6 onwards. Starting at Tier 6, due to the availability of combat instructions, the consumable reload time will be longer than normal, with only the Damage Control Party keeping its regular reload time. Ships from Tier 2 to 5 will feature a regular Short Burst Smoke Generator similar to that found on British destroyers and a standard fair Engine Boost. From Tier 6 onwards, Engine Boost can be swapped for the Short Range Hydroacoustic Search consumable.

Combat Instructions (Available through Tiers 6-11)

Name:
Combat Capability - Consumable Operational Readiness

Activation Effect:
Consumables reload time -85 %

Activation conditions:
Main battery shell hits: 3.3 %
Torpedo hits: 45 %
Enemy ship destroyed: 66 %

Effect upon non-fullfillment of conditions:
Time until loss of charge: 15 s
Charge lost per second: 15 %

Pan American Destroyer Maranhao, Tier II

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Former British destroyer Porpoise of the K class, sold to Brazil in 1920 and renamed Maranhao. During the 1940s the ship was refitted with more modern AA, replacing old British 3-pdr. guns with 20 mm Oerlikon mounts. It partook in WW2, being used for patrol and escort operations, notably rescuing survivors of a merchant ship sunk by German submarine U-172 in July 1943. After WW2, she was decommissioned.

In game Maranhao features three fast firing 4" guns and two twin launchers for 450 mm torpedoes. She will already feature the readily available shells mechanic, giving her a quite impressive reload for the first few salvoes. She has very good concealment and a decent torpedo range for her tier.

Pan American Destroyer Serrano, Tier III

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A British designed destroyer ordered by Chile in 1927. Six ships were ordered and build in total, their design being based on the design of British destroyer Amazon. A most notable change compared to the latter was the absence of turret No.4. Instead, half the class was equipped for minelaying, the other half for minesweeping. Despite their service arrangement for various climates, the ships of the Serrano class were unsuited for Antarctic service. Culprit of this was their rather weak hull, resulting in the older ships of the Almirante Lynch class taking on duties in those regions.

Teniente Serrano arrived in Chile in February of 1929 together with her sister Capitán Orella. The destroyers had a rather long career, being decommissioned in the 1960s with relatively uneventful careers, partially due to Chiles neutrality during World War 2.

In game, Serrano continues the trend established by Maranhao, featuring readily available shells, decent torpedoes and rather good concealment and speed for their tier.

Pan American Destroyer Almirante Guise, Tier IV

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The first Peruvian destroyer to enter the game, Almirante Guise shares quite a lot of similarities with Russian destroyer Izyaslav. While this may seem odd, it's intentional: Almirante Guise was acquired by the Peruvian navy in 1933 from Estonia. The latter seized Almirante Guise and another Russian destroyer from World War 1 after the war, commissioning them as Wambola and Lennuk. Lennuk could be considered a sister ship of Izyaslav. Due to her design and service history, Almirante Guise steps back from 533 mm torpedoes to 450 mm torpedoes. These have low damage and short range but good speed for her tier. They should be intended as a weapon of last resort in close quarters, but not a main weapon of the ship. The great number of torpedoes, nine in total, gives Almirante Guise some decent alpha power striking within those ranges though. Outside of that, players should focus on using her consumable suite and good main guns, featuring five single 102 mm main battery guns and powerful AP shells. Due to her large size, her concealment is worse compared to her predecessors, but still decent for her tier. This size, however, comes with a big advantage: hit points. Almirante Guise features one of the highest hit points for her tier, even outpacing some Tier 5 destroyers.

Historically, Almirante Guise started her life as Russian destroyer Avtroil, being launched in 1915 and completed in 1917. In 1918 she was seized by British naval forces and given to the young Estonian navy, where she was renamed Lennuk and commissioned in 1919, participating in the Estonian War of Independence. In 1933, she and her half-sister Wambola were sold off to Peru during the conflict with Colombia. However, they arrived too late for the conflict and thus were stationed in Callao in 1934. After an uneventful service life, Guise was decommissioned in the early 1950s and subsequently scrapped.

Pan American Destroyer Antioquia, Tier V

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Commissioned in 1934, ARC Antioquia was a destroyer of the Colombian Navy, acquired in response to the acquisition of new destroyers by the Peruvian Navy. Both ships of the Antioquia class were originally commissioned as the Portuguese destroyers Tejo and Douro and were acquired by the Colombian Navy during their construction. However, their completion, although on schedule, could not be achieved in time and the destroyers arrived too late to partake in the conflict for which they had been purchased. Both ships were commissioned in 1934 and scrapped in 1961.

Due to Colombian neutrality during the Second World War, Antioquia had a relatively quiet career. In 1936, however, she found herself in a situation that almost ended in an international incident: While heading for the Royal Navy dock in Bermuda, she was unknowingly fired upon by a salute in honour of the late King George V. Not one of the seventy shots fired, over half of them live ammunition, hit the ship. In the first half of the 1950s, Antioquia was modernized in the USA. In the game, however, it is in its original form.

In the game, Antioquia continues what her predecessors started in the tech tree: Special armour-piercing shells and a good rate of fire with shells held at the ready, as well as short-range, medium-damage torpedoes.

Pan American Destroyer Almirante Clemente, Tier VI

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The Almirante Clemente class was commissioned by the Venezuelan navy to serve alongside the more known Nueva Esparta class of destroyers. Classified as destroyer escorts, the ships were designed and built by Ansaldo in Italy. Venezuela ordered a total of six ships, followed by two Indonesian and one Portuguese order, increasing the number of total ships built to 9.

The Venezuelan ships were to accompany the larger destroyers of the Nueva Esparta class, with two of the former and one of the latter forming one division, three in total. Their armament consisted initially of two twin gun turrets of a unique 102 mm OTO Melara build gun, as well as 40mm Bofors-Breda and twin Oerlikons. The AA later was modified to accompany more ASW equipment. A major weapon refit replaced the main battery with 76 mm OTO Melara AA guns. Their torpedo power was rather limited, with only one triple launcher mounted centerline.

Named after heroes from the Venezuelan War of Independence, all six ships were either named after generals or admirals, with the lead ship being named after Lino de Clemente. In terms of their service history, not much is known: The ships got multiple refits and the longer serving vessels got major overhauls during their careers. Four out of six ships were sunk, while the two longest serving ships were dismantled at the end of the 2000s. Almirante Clemente herself was one of those longer serving vessels.

In the game, Almirante Clemente marks the shifting point for the game play. She gets access to the full consumable loadout of Pan American destroyers as well as combat instructions. To reflect a destroyer's duties in World of Warships, the combat instructions will not only be charged by shell hits but also with kills and torpedo hits, rewarding active gameplay and utilization of the ship's full potential. The Specialized Repair Teams consumables will have characteristics similar to those found on Russian destroyer Neustrashimy. Rounding out this toolkit are rather long reloading torpedoes with decent damage, speed, and range.

Pan American Destroyer Marcilio Dias, Tier VII

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The Marcilio Dias class, sometimes called the M-class, is considered to be a milestone for the Brazilian Navy and Brazilian shipbuilding industry. They were the first modern destroyers to be built in Brazil. In terms of design, they may seem familiar to the trained eye. That is not a coincidence, but rather on purpose: The ships were based upon the US-American Mahan class of destroyers, originally intending to be an almost identical ship, armed with five single mounted 127 mm dual purpose guns and three quadruple torpedo launchers, with two being wing mounts like those on Mahan. Due to constraints however, the armament had to be reduced to four single mounted 127 mm guns, retaining the anti-air capabilities. Of the torpedo launchers, only the centerline mounted one survived. In return, the AAA was increased quite substantially, with twin Bofors mountings and several single mounted Oerlikons being added. The latter was mostly supplemented by the US after Brazil entered World War 2 on the side of the allies. Due to the difficulties and hurdles of (re)establishing ship construction on home soil, the Marcilio Dias class took longer than intended to be built, with all three ships being laid down in 1937, but only completed in 1943.

All three ships of the class patrolled in the South Atlantic in coordination with US forces to stop potential Axis blockade runners heading for South America. In 1944, they joined Task Force 41.1 around USS Omaha, making a total of 6 runs to Southern Europe, escorting the Contingents of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force. After the war, they also escorted the Expeditionary Force back and, in the 1950s, became escorts for the new cruisers Barroso and Tamandare, with them partaking in several cooperation exercises with the US Navy and other South American fleets, like UNITAS. Later in the 50s, they became the escort for the only Brazilian Aircraft Carrier of the time, the Minas Gerais. Marcilio Dias and Greenhalgh were decommissioned in 1966, while Mariz e Barros was kept as a training ship until 1972, being replaced by a FRAM-modernized Gearing class destroyer carrying the name of Marcilio Dias.

In game, Marcilio Dias carries on what Almirante Clemente started: Very good concealment, good maneuverability, and good firepower paired with a versatile suite of consumables and decent AA (for a destroyer). Compared to her cousin Mahan, she features fewer guns and torpedoes, but better concealment.

Pan American Destroyer Cuauthémoc, Tier VIII

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The Cuauthémoc class destroyers were two Fletcher class destroyers passed onto the Mexican Navy: USS Harrison (DD 573) and John Rodgers (DD 574), becoming BAM Cuauthémoc and BAM Cuitláhuac. Cuauthémoc was named after the last Aztec emperor of the Mexica, who lived in the early 1500s. Not much is known about the service history of Cuauthémoc, and she was decommissioned in 1982.

In game, she introduces a new layout for Fletcher class destroyers: The round bridge design, but with twin 40 mm Bofors mounts next to the bridge and only one torpedo launcher, but no replacement for it in terms of AA or similar weaponry. Cuauthémoc does not field any short-range AA guns, as those were removed prior to her transfer to the Mexican Navy. Historically, her ASW armament was removed as well. For gameplay purposes, this was kept in, however, giving her an impressive amount of depth charges to unload onto submarines. Gameplay wise, she is a direct continuation to Marcilio Dias, with adding one more gun and torpedo tube to her arsenal as well as strengthening the medium-range AAA. Her concealment is still one of the best at Tier 8, and her maneuverability keeps on a high level.

Pan American Destroyer Nueva Esparta, Tier IX

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Being designed by Vickers-Armstrong, the Nueva Esparta class of destroyers has a distinctly British look to it. Being designed and built for the Venezuelan Navy in the 1950s, the ships derived from the 3rd batch of the Battle class destroyer, of which only two Australian ships were built, but none of the British ones. Armed with three twin turrets of 113 mm guns and a single triple launcher for torpedoes, they were part of the 1949 fleet arrangement plan of the Venezuelan Navy and the largest units built and commissioned within that plan. All three ships were named in association with the states of Venezuela, with different reasons onto why each name was chosen. The namesake of the lead ship Nueva Esparta refers to bravery and loyalty, while her sisters Zulia and Aragua were named to remember the Battle of Lake Maracaibo and in remembrance of the military heart of Venezuela.

They were designed to lead one destroyer division each: Nueva Esparta herself led the first division together with two Almirante Clemente class destroyers. The ships were decommissioned in the late 1970s, with all three of them being sunk in the end. Zulia, the 2nd ship of the class, was used as a floating museum for a bit.

In game, Nueva Esparta puts the Pan American spin onto what is essentially a variation on Jutland. While her concealment is not one of the best in class anymore, her stealth and maneuverability make her a versatile destroyer, nonetheless. Her fire power outmatches that of Jutland itself and makes for quite a fierce opponent. Her rather limited amount of torpedoes is countered by fast torpedo speeds and average damage. Her ASW weaponry marks the shift from World War 2 based depth charge throwers towards ASW mortars: Nueva Esparta features a squid launcher, greatly increasing her Depth Charge damage, while simultaneously reducing the number of launched ordnances.

Pan American Destroyer 20 de Julio, Tier X

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The Colombian Navy ordered these ships in 1954. As with her predecessor in the tech tree, 20 de Julio was not designed or built by its operators but ordered abroad: Based upon the Halland class destroyers, the 20 de Julio (Veinte de Julio) class was built with a different armament, changed interior arrangement and more electronics. The ships were built from 1955 to 1958 at Gotawerken and Cockums and refitted in the US in 1975-76. Added to the game is the class in her original configuration. Compared to the Swedish basis, both ships featured a 3rd 120 mm main battery turret replacing the 57 mm AA turret mounted in B position. Additionally, 2 of the 40 mm AA mounts and one of the quadruple torpedo launchers were removed. In terms of ASW capabilities, one quadruple ASW-Rocket launcher was installed in front of the A-turret.

The careers of both 20 de Julio class destroyers were rather uneventful, as they did not participate in any conflicts or other major actions, aside from periodic exercises with the US Navy.

In the game, 20 de Julio carries the same feature as her tech tree predecessors, improving in terms of firepower, AA capabilities as well as torpedo strengths. She again becomes one of the stealthiest ships of her tier, only being beaten by Japanese destroyer Shimakaze. In return, she is one of the slowest high tier destroyers in the game, with a top speed of only 33 knots. Regardless, she will be a fearsome opponent to fight, as her repair party can restore vast amounts of damage taken.

Pan American Destroyer Almirante Lezo, Tier XI

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Almirante Lezo is based upon the possibility, that the Colombian navy could have ordered such ships, if the Swedish navy had built a ship to the Dalarna ship design instead or in addition to the Halland class destroyers. In this case, there could be two scenarios of acquisition: either as an addition to the existing 20 de Julio class destroyers or instead of one or both. The Almirante Lezo class destroyers give quite an increase in both firepower as well as AA and ASW armaments, being of greater dimensions than the 20 de Julio class. With that in mind, compared to its Swedish half-sister, the Almirante Lezo features more 40 mm AA mounts and deck housing, while removing one of the quintuple torpedo launchers. To prevent a new ammunition caliber from complicating logistics, the 57 mm twin mounts are also removed: the rear one is - similar to the 20 de Julio class - replaced with an additional 120 mm main battery mount, increasing the total amount to four. The forward 57 mm mount was replaced with a single 40 mm Bofors mount.

The ship's name is named after the unprotected cruiser Almirante Lezo, which was originally built for Morocco from 1894 to 1902 but bought by Colombia during her construction.

In World of Warships, this is felt in both an increase in overall damage per minute as well as when kiting the enemy. While the quintuple launcher reloads slower than the quadruple one at Tier 10, this is offset by a longer range of the torpedo. Additionally, the greatly improved AAA makes Almirante Lezo a tough opponent for any aircraft squadron, especially in combination with the Defensive AA fire consumable. While she is on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of hit points and speed, Almirante Lezo can still rely on decent stealth and her outstanding Specialized Repair Teams consumable.

Japanese Battleship Shinano '43, Tier X

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Famously, the Japanese battleship Shinano was converted into the best armored aircraft carrier, just to be sunk by a submarine with torpedoes. In this version, Shinano is not an aircraft carrier, but a battleship. Shinano '43 is what could have been, if she got finished and commissioned as intended, not as converted. She features new Japanese developments like the new 100 mm Type 98 gun replacing the 127 mm guns for her heavy AA battery. Contrary to Yamato in her final forms, Shinano would have retained the 15.5 cm wing turrets of her secondary battery when finished, mending a rather modern AA armament with a rather limited number of guns. Her 25 mm AA guns are partially replaced and supplemented by new 40 mm Type 5 AA guns.

Shinano '43 will differ quite a bit compared to both Yamato and Musashi. She is much more geared towards short and medium engagement ranges. While she maintains the long main battery range of her sisters, Shinano's main battery dispersion is similar to that of Russian battleships. Thus, hitting targets at long ranges is much more difficult. In return, targets at close range should be wary of her firepower. Her main battery isn't the only part of the ship profiting from improved target acquisition: The secondary battery range finders have been upgraded as well, with the 100 mm battery having accuracy similar to that on battleship Ohio. The improvement to her 15.5 cm battery range finding is even more effective, with accuracy parameters as on the Italian cruiser Napoli. Furthermore, the 15.5 cm guns fire very effective HE shells with penetration characteristics akin to those found on cruiser Mogami. Their long reload is countered by this somehow. This overall makes the secondary battery of Shinano'43 very effective against cruisers and destroyers.

These changes are complemented by one highlight of Shinano '43, an alternate firing mode. This mode provides her with increased main and secondary battery reload at the expense of a vast amount of her main battery range. Furthermore, her main battery and secondary battery traverse speed are increased while in this alternative firing mode.

To help Shinano '43 enable her deadly firepower in close ranges, her hull also gets some changes: her upper belt will be increased from 32 mm found on her sisters to 40 mm, helping her prevent being overmatched at those parts of the ship. She will still be susceptible to overmatch from the front and rear, however. In addition, she will be more concealed than her sisters to enable her to get closer before being spotted.

Her consumables are like those found on her sisters: typical Japanese Damage Control Party, a standard Repair Party, and a Spotting Aircraft. To make the latter worth using on Shinano '43, it is not a standard spotting aircraft but one that enables additional secondary battery target acquisition, increasing the range of the secondary battery beyond its normal limits.