Difference between revisions of "SMS Von der Tann"

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{{Specs-Card
 
{{Specs-Card
 
|code=germ_battlecruiser_von_der_tann
 
|code=germ_battlecruiser_von_der_tann
−
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
 
<!-- ''In the first part of the description, cover the history of the ship's creation and military application. In the second part, tell the reader about using this ship in the game. Add a screenshot: if a beginner player has a hard time remembering vehicles by name, a picture will help them identify the ship in question.'' -->
 
<!-- ''In the first part of the description, cover the history of the ship's creation and military application. In the second part, tell the reader about using this ship in the game. Add a screenshot: if a beginner player has a hard time remembering vehicles by name, a picture will help them identify the ship in question.'' -->
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German battlecruiser {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Hot Tracks"]].
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After the commissioning of the British [[HMS Invincible|''Invincible'']]-class and creation of the battlecruiser as a type of warship, the Kaiserliche Marine desired battlecruisers of their own and the Construction Office began work on a unique warship that was to be the first German battlecruiser. Although Admiral Tirpitz wished to create a German version of the Invincible class, with heavy guns and light armour, he was overruled and the ''Von der Tann'' was designed with guns 22mm smaller than the British ships, but with considerably greater protection and speed, setting the trend that subsequent German battlecruisers would follow: they would have greater protection at the expense of lesser firepower. Due to being a pioneering design, the resulting '''SMS Von der Tann''' features several new quirks unique to any German capital ship at that time. She is the first large German warship to be powered by steam turbine, which granted her very high top speed for a capital ship of that time. In addition, she also has a peculiar staggered wing turret arrangement that allows all of her guns to be fired full broadsides and therefore saves weight, a feature that would later be featured on the [[SMS Kaiser|''Kaiser'']]-class battleship before being superseded by superfiring turrets.
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 +
After spending her time bombarding the British coast during the early half of the Great War, ''Von der Tann'' would participate in the Battle of Jutland between 31 May and 1 June 1916, during which she managed to sink the British battlecruiser HMS ''Indefatigable'' during the opening stage of the battle, although she suffered damage and malfunctions that rendered all of her main guns inoperable. Like most of the German high-sea fleet ships, ''Von der Tann'' met her end at Scapa Flow after she was scuttled to prevent the fleet from being divided between the Allied powers.
 +
 
 +
Introduced in [[Update "Hot Tracks"]], the '''{{PAGENAME}}''' is the first battlecruiser on the German battlecruiser line and serves as an introduction to the German battlecruiser design; being significantly faster than its peers with serviceable armour, albeit at a cost of relatively smaller main guns. Due to her staggered wing turret placements, she is capable of firing full broadside with the same firepower as her battleship counterpart [[SMS Westfalen]]. When combined with her speed and heavy secondary armaments, this allowed her to perform very well at closer range except against heavier battleships. Due to these qualities, ''Von der Tann'' excelled at harassing enemy cruisers, where she is capable of outranging them while being highly resilient to their returning fire.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
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{{Specs-Fleet-Armour}}
 
{{Specs-Fleet-Armour}}
 
<!-- ''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.'' -->
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The {{Specs|pseudonym}} is a battlecruiser. This class of ships is supposed to have the firepower of dreadnoughts, whilst having superior speed to catch their prey. This comes at the cost of armor thickness and coverage. She doesn't have coal bunkers protecting all turrets, the front and rear turrets only have armor plates to protect their ammo. A lucky shot will knock a turret out and its ammo storage underneath, especially from other dreadnoughts. Still, the Von der Tann's armour is still very thick and can shield off most of the cruiser's shells and imprevious to destroyers.
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The {{Specs|pseudonym}} is a battlecruiser. This class of ships is supposed to have the firepower of dreadnoughts, whilst having a superior speed to catch on their prey. This comes at the cost of armour thickness and coverage. She doesn't have coal bunkers protecting all turrets, the front, and rear turrets only have armour plates to protect their ammunition. A lucky shot will knock a turret out and its ammo storage underneath, especially from other dreadnoughts. Still, the Von der Tann's armour is still very thick and can shield off most of the cruiser's shells and is impervious to destroyers.
  
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While the lack of AA guns can be problematic against enemy aircraft, this can actually help the Vonn der Tann to preserve more of her crew in a trading firefight against enemy cruisers, as they need to damage your crew compartment or casemate turrets to kill her crew.
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While the lack of AA guns can be problematic against enemy aircraft, this can actually help the Von der Tann to preserve more of her crew in a trading firefight against enemy cruisers, as enemy ships need to damage the crew compartment or casemate turrets to kill her crew.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
 
{{Specs-Fleet-Mobility}}
 
{{Specs-Fleet-Mobility}}
 
<!-- ''Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.'' -->
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Being a battlecruiser, the Vonn der Tann features superior mobility compared to battleship. Thought still slower than majority of the cruisers, getting around the map will not be a problem for her.
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Being a battlecruiser, the Von der Tann features superior mobility compared to battleships of the time, though the ship is only a first generation battlecruiser and thus is still slower than the majority of cruisers in the game.
  
 
{{NavalMobility}}
 
{{NavalMobility}}
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{{main|283 mm/45 SK L/45 (283 mm)}}
 
{{main|283 mm/45 SK L/45 (283 mm)}}
  
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The Vonn der Tann features eight 283 mm SK L/45 cannons inside four twin turrets. While it appears in your harbour that the ship's left and right turrets were obstructed by her lifeboats, these lifeboats will be removed once you get into the battle, allowing the left and right turrets to traverse into the other sides, and thus making her capable of doing full boardsides with decent amount of firing angle.
+
The Von der Tann features eight 283 mm SK L/45 cannons arranged in four twin turrets. While the ship's left and right turrets appear to be obstructed by lifeboats in your hangar screen, they will be removed once you get into battle, allowing the turrets to traverse into the other sides, and thus making her capable of doing full broadsides with a decent firing angle. The guns also have a good minimum reload time for its calibre at 20 seconds with an ace crew.
  
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The gun itself, while not as powerful as other dreadnoughts with 305 mm cannons, still packs a huge punch to the enemy and can do the short work out of enemy destroyers and cruisers. The gun also have good reload time for its carlibre at 20 seconds (ace crew).
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While they are not as powerful as the 305 mm cannons equipping other dreadnoughts, the 283 mm guns still pack a decent punch and can make quick work of destroyers and cruisers. However, these pre-WW1 era guns are a little lacking when it comes to penetration capabilities against more comparable or superior opponents.
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At 5km, the AP shell has a maximum of 324 mm of penetration, barely enough to penetrate the main belt on a number of battleships, and that's assuming the target is not angled to any degree (which they usually are) and that the shell is hitting at a flat trajectory (which is physically impossible at that range unless the target is listing to the side). At 10km, this drops to 212 mm of penetration, at which range the shell is rendered incapable of punching through un-angled main armour belts of even some battlecruisers, let alone the heavy belts of battleships. Whilst this does not mean that the guns cannot damage such targets, it's not as though the entire ship has such protection after all, it does still severely limit the guns usage against any but the most weakly protected capital ships, and captains of the Von der Tann will have to get in to extremely close ranges to be able to punch through the thick armour present at higher tiers.
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{{:283 mm/45 SK L/45 (283 mm)/Ammunition|283 mm Sprgr. L/3.6 Bdz, 283 mm Psgr. L/3.2}}
  
 
=== Secondary armament ===
 
=== Secondary armament ===
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{{main|150 mm/45 SK L/45 (150 mm)|88 mm/45 casemate SK L/45 (88 mm)}}
 
{{main|150 mm/45 SK L/45 (150 mm)|88 mm/45 casemate SK L/45 (88 mm)}}
  
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The Vonn der Tann features 10 х 150 mm SK L/45 cannons, five mounted on a casemate of each sides of the ship. And 16 х 88 mm SK L/45 cannons, placed in a set of four casemate on the bow, stern, and command tower, as well as four turrets the rear fire control tower.
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The Von der Tann features 10 х 150 mm SK L/45 cannons, five mounted in a casemate on each side of the ship. There are also 16 х 88 mm SK L/45 cannons, placed in a set of four casemates on the bow, stern, and command tower, as well as four turrets on the rear fire control tower.
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 +
The 150 mm guns are very reliable against enemy cruisers at mid-to-close range (within 7 km), being able to chew up most of their crew quickly due to the short reload time of 5 seconds, though ineffective beyond 7 km due to its awful dispersion. Other than the HEF shell, the guns have an option to load a SAP shell and an APCBC shell, the SAP is largely useless due to poor penetration, while the APCBC shell can tear up the modules of lightly-armoured enemy at closer range.
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 +
The 88 mm guns mainly act as complementary weapons and can only be loaded with HEF shell. The guns don't pack as much punch as the 150 mm, but are still quite useful against destroyers and PT boats.
  
−
The 150 mm guns is very reliable against enemy cruisers at mid-to-close range (within 7 km), being able to chew up most of their crew quickly due to quick reload time of 5 seconds. Other than HEF shell, the guns have an option to load an SAP shell and APCBC shell, the SAP is largely useless due to poor penetration, while the APCBC shell can tear up the modules of lightly-armoured enemy at closer range.
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{{:150 mm/45 SK L/45 (150 mm)/Ammunition|150 mm Sprgr. L/4.1 Kz, 150 mm Sprgr. L/4.1 Bdz, 150 mm Psgr. L/3.7}}
  
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The 88 mm guns is mainly acts as a supplementary weapons and can only be loaded with HEF shell. The guns doesn't pack as much punch as the 150 mm, but it is still quite useful against destroyers and PT boats.
 
 
=== Anti-aircraft armament ===
 
=== Anti-aircraft armament ===
 
{{Specs-Fleet-AA}}
 
{{Specs-Fleet-AA}}
 
<!-- ''An important part of the ship's armament responsible for air defence. Anti-aircraft armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control <code>Select anti-aircraft weapons</code>. Talk about the ship's anti-air cannons and machine guns, the number of guns and their positions, their effective range, and about their overall effectiveness – including against surface targets. If there are no anti-aircraft armaments, remove this section.'' -->
 
<!-- ''An important part of the ship's armament responsible for air defence. Anti-aircraft armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control <code>Select anti-aircraft weapons</code>. Talk about the ship's anti-air cannons and machine guns, the number of guns and their positions, their effective range, and about their overall effectiveness – including against surface targets. If there are no anti-aircraft armaments, remove this section.'' -->
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{{main|GM08 pattern 1908 (7.92 mm)}}
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{{main|MG08 pattern 1908 (7.92 mm)}}
  
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Being built during the infancy of naval aviation, the Vonn der Tann is barely equipped to deal against aerial threats. Thus her "anti-air" armaments only consists of two antique 7.92 mm machine guns, which won't help to deter any aerial threats. Essentially making her a sitting duck against enemy air support.
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Built during the infancy of naval aviation, the Von der Tann is barely equipped to deal against aerial threats. Therefore, her "anti-air" armament only consists of two antique 7.92 mm machine guns, which won't help to deter any aerial threats. Essentially, it is making her a sitting duck against enemy air support.
  
 
=== Additional armament ===
 
=== Additional armament ===
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{{main|C/06D (450 mm)}}
 
{{main|C/06D (450 mm)}}
  
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Similar with other dreadnought in her era, the Vonn der Tann features four underwater torpedo launchers, one mounted directly at her bow and stern each, and other two is placing on each sides of her bow. Due to this peculiar placement, the torpedo is highly situational and will not help much to destroy enemy ship. The torpedo itself is also pretty weak and slow, with only 122 kg of TNT and a top speed at only 50 km/h. Thus you should relied on her main and secondary firepower instead.
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Similar to other dreadnoughts in her era, the Von der Tann features four underwater torpedo launchers, two mounted directly at her bow and stern respectively, and two others placed on each side of the bow. Due to this peculiar placement, the torpedo is highly situational and will not help much to destroy an enemy ship. The torpedo itself is also pretty weak and slow, with only 122 kg of TNT and a top speed of only 50 km/h. Thus, you should rely on her main and secondary armament instead.
  
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
<!-- ''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
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As a battlecruiser, the Von der Tann is fast and well-armed. The eight 283 mm guns can deal a huge amount of damage and have a reload of 20 seconds, much faster than other battlecruisers and battleships (and the same as some American heavy cruisers), as well as capable of doing full boardsides. While other battleships can punch through your armour, cruisers will seriously struggle. Target cruisers and punish them with your strong secondary guns, colossal main battery firepower, and good reload. They'll struggle with your armour and they'll struggle to outrun you.
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As a battlecruiser, the Von der Tann is (relatively) fast and well-armed. The eight 283 mm guns can deal a capable amount of damage and have a reload of 20 seconds, much shorter than most other battlecruisers and battleships (and the same as some American heavy cruisers), as well as being capable of doing full broadsides. While other battleships can punch through your armour, cruisers will seriously struggle. Target cruisers and punish them with your secondary guns and main battery. They'll struggle with your armour, and they'll struggle to outrun you.
  
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Your main threat will be battleships, who can angle against your guns and punch through your armour comfortably. Use your mobility to get away from, or around them, and don't be afraid to unleash some torpedoes on them if they do get too close.
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Your main threat will be battleships, who can angle against your guns and punch through your armour comfortably. Use your mobility to get away from, or around, them, and don't be afraid to unleash some torpedoes on them if they do get too close.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
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'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
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* Fantastic speed for a ship of its size, able to outrun any battleship and stay close to cruisers
+
* Good speed for a ship of its age, able to outrun most battleships and stay close to cruisers
 
* Out-guns and out-armours every cruiser in the game
 
* Out-guns and out-armours every cruiser in the game
−
* Can do a full boardsides with the same damage potential as [[SMS Westfalen]]
+
* Can do a full broadsides with the same damage potential as the [[SMS Westfalen]]
−
* Fantastic reload on its main guns, better than the Admiral Graf Spee despite them being the same size
+
* Good reload on its main guns, better than the Admiral Graf Spee despite them being the same size
 
* Deadly secondary armament that can punish cruisers if they come too close
 
* Deadly secondary armament that can punish cruisers if they come too close
  
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* Still slower than the majority of cruisers, can easily get left behind
 
* Still slower than the majority of cruisers, can easily get left behind
−
* Battleships will destroy you in a gunnery duel
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* Main armament lacks penetration required to compete with most other capital ships
 +
* Secondary armament is woefully inaccurate beyond 7 km
 +
* Placement of flank turrets makes it prone to ammo detonation from torpedo hits
 
* Effectively no AA protection, easy target for aircraft
 
* Effectively no AA protection, easy target for aircraft
  
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<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the ship and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Ship-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the ship's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the ship and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Ship-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the ship's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 
=== [[wt:en/news/6976-development-heroes-of-jutland-sms-von-der-tann-en|Devblog]] ===
 
=== [[wt:en/news/6976-development-heroes-of-jutland-sms-von-der-tann-en|Devblog]] ===
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With the appearance of HMS Invincible in 1906, the Imperial Navy found itself lacking an appropriate response as the British battlecruiser outmatched any comparable vessel in the German fleet at the time. As a result, German ship builders began working on designing an equivalent vessel in the same year under the name "Cruiser F". As the ship would eventually become Germany's first battlecruiser, its design was carefully considered, with emphasis being put on speed and protection.
+
With the appearance of HMS Invincible in 1906, the Imperial Navy found itself lacking an appropriate response as the British battlecruiser outmatched any comparable vessel in the German fleet at the time. As a result, German ship builders began working on designing an equivalent vessel in the same year under the name "Cruiser F". As the ship would eventually become Germany's first battlecruiser, its design was carefully considered, with emphasis being put on speed and protection.
  
 
By mid 1907, Cruiser F's design had been finalized and its construction approved by the Kaiser in June, christening the vessel SMS Von der Tann in honor of a Bavarian general. Von der Tann was laid down in March 1908 and launched exactly a year later, before being completed and commissioned into service in September 1910. At the time of commissioning Von der Tann quickly became the new symbol of German naval power, being not only the first German warship fitted with steam turbine engines, but also the world's fastest warship of its type at the time. After completing trials, Von der Tann was sent on a cruise to South America before returning to Germany in May 1911.
 
By mid 1907, Cruiser F's design had been finalized and its construction approved by the Kaiser in June, christening the vessel SMS Von der Tann in honor of a Bavarian general. Von der Tann was laid down in March 1908 and launched exactly a year later, before being completed and commissioned into service in September 1910. At the time of commissioning Von der Tann quickly became the new symbol of German naval power, being not only the first German warship fitted with steam turbine engines, but also the world's fastest warship of its type at the time. After completing trials, Von der Tann was sent on a cruise to South America before returning to Germany in May 1911.
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== Media ==
 
== Media ==
 
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
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;Skins
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* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_battlecruiser_von_der_tann Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
 +
 +
;Images
 
<gallery mode="packed" caption="SMS Von der Tann Devblog Images" heights="150">
 
<gallery mode="packed" caption="SMS Von der Tann Devblog Images" heights="150">
 
File:Von der Tann WTWallpaper 001.jpg|
 
File:Von der Tann WTWallpaper 001.jpg|
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* ''reference to the series of the ship;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the ship;''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
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''Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
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;Vessels of a similar role, configuration or era
  
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* ''reference to the series of the ship;''
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* [[HMS Invincible]]
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* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
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* [[wt:en/news/6976-development-heroes-of-jutland-sms-von-der-tann-en|[Devblog] Heroes of Jutland: SMS Von der Tann]]
 
* [[wt:en/news/6976-development-heroes-of-jutland-sms-von-der-tann-en|[Devblog] Heroes of Jutland: SMS Von der Tann]]
  
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{{ShipManufacturer Blohm and Voss}}
 
{{Germany battlecruisers}}
 
{{Germany battlecruisers}}

Latest revision as of 14:01, 16 November 2024

Rank VI USSR | Premium | Golden Eagles
Su-25K Pack
SMS Von der Tann
germ_battlecruiser_von_der_tann.png
GarageImage SMS Von der Tann.jpg
ArtImage SMS Von der Tann.png
SMS Von der Tann
Germany flag.png Germany
V Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
6.3 6.3 6.3
Class:
Research:175 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:490 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

After the commissioning of the British Invincible-class and creation of the battlecruiser as a type of warship, the Kaiserliche Marine desired battlecruisers of their own and the Construction Office began work on a unique warship that was to be the first German battlecruiser. Although Admiral Tirpitz wished to create a German version of the Invincible class, with heavy guns and light armour, he was overruled and the Von der Tann was designed with guns 22mm smaller than the British ships, but with considerably greater protection and speed, setting the trend that subsequent German battlecruisers would follow: they would have greater protection at the expense of lesser firepower. Due to being a pioneering design, the resulting SMS Von der Tann features several new quirks unique to any German capital ship at that time. She is the first large German warship to be powered by steam turbine, which granted her very high top speed for a capital ship of that time. In addition, she also has a peculiar staggered wing turret arrangement that allows all of her guns to be fired full broadsides and therefore saves weight, a feature that would later be featured on the Kaiser-class battleship before being superseded by superfiring turrets.

After spending her time bombarding the British coast during the early half of the Great War, Von der Tann would participate in the Battle of Jutland between 31 May and 1 June 1916, during which she managed to sink the British battlecruiser HMS Indefatigable during the opening stage of the battle, although she suffered damage and malfunctions that rendered all of her main guns inoperable. Like most of the German high-sea fleet ships, Von der Tann met her end at Scapa Flow after she was scuttled to prevent the fleet from being divided between the Allied powers.

Introduced in Update "Hot Tracks", the SMS Von der Tann is the first battlecruiser on the German battlecruiser line and serves as an introduction to the German battlecruiser design; being significantly faster than its peers with serviceable armour, albeit at a cost of relatively smaller main guns. Due to her staggered wing turret placements, she is capable of firing full broadside with the same firepower as her battleship counterpart SMS Westfalen. When combined with her speed and heavy secondary armaments, this allowed her to perform very well at closer range except against heavier battleships. Due to these qualities, Von der Tann excelled at harassing enemy cruisers, where she is capable of outranging them while being highly resilient to their returning fire.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Citadel200 / 250 / 25 mm
Main fire tower230 / 180 / 230 mm
Hull25 mm (steel)
Superstructure16 mm (steel)
Number of section9
Displacement21 300 t
Crew1 174 people

The SMS Von der Tann is a battlecruiser. This class of ships is supposed to have the firepower of dreadnoughts, whilst having a superior speed to catch on their prey. This comes at the cost of armour thickness and coverage. She doesn't have coal bunkers protecting all turrets, the front, and rear turrets only have armour plates to protect their ammunition. A lucky shot will knock a turret out and its ammo storage underneath, especially from other dreadnoughts. Still, the Von der Tann's armour is still very thick and can shield off most of the cruiser's shells and is impervious to destroyers.

While the lack of AA guns can be problematic against enemy aircraft, this can actually help the Von der Tann to preserve more of her crew in a trading firefight against enemy cruisers, as enemy ships need to damage the crew compartment or casemate turrets to kill her crew.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB60 / 34 km/h
RB51 / 29 km/h

Being a battlecruiser, the Von der Tann features superior mobility compared to battleships of the time, though the ship is only a first generation battlecruiser and thus is still slower than the majority of cruisers in the game.

Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode Upgrade Status Maximum Speed (km/h) Turn Time (s) Turn Radius (m)
Forward Reverse
AB Stock ___ ___
Upgraded 60 34
RB/SB Stock ___ ___
Upgraded 51 29

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB22 774 → 28 604 Sl icon.png
RB28 736 → 36 092 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications173 800 Rp icon.png
272 000 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost2 000 Ge icon.png
Crew training140 000 Sl icon.png
Experts490 000 Sl icon.png
Aces1 500 Ge icon.png
Research Aces670 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
450 / 600 / 100 % Sl icon.png
190 / 190 / 190 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Seakeeping Unsinkability Firepower
Mods new ship hull.png
Dry-Docking
Research:
8 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship rudder.png
Rudder Replacement
Research:
9 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
15 000 Sl icon.png
290 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship screw.png
Propeller Replacement
Research:
7 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship engine.png
Engine Maintenance
Research:
19 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
30 000 Sl icon.png
580 Ge icon.png
Mods ship damage control crew.png
Damage Control Division
Research:
8 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
14 000 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods ship fire control crew.png
Fire Division
Research:
9 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
15 000 Sl icon.png
290 Ge icon.png
Mods ship anti fragmentation protection.png
Shrapnel Protection
Research:
7 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
11 000 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods ship venting.png
Ventilation
Research:
7 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
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Armament

Primary armament

4 х Turret2 x 283 mm/45 SK L/45 cannon
Ammunition164 rounds
Vertical guidance-8° / 20°
Main article: 283 mm/45 SK L/45 (283 mm)

The Von der Tann features eight 283 mm SK L/45 cannons arranged in four twin turrets. While the ship's left and right turrets appear to be obstructed by lifeboats in your hangar screen, they will be removed once you get into battle, allowing the turrets to traverse into the other sides, and thus making her capable of doing full broadsides with a decent firing angle. The guns also have a good minimum reload time for its calibre at 20 seconds with an ace crew.

While they are not as powerful as the 305 mm cannons equipping other dreadnoughts, the 283 mm guns still pack a decent punch and can make quick work of destroyers and cruisers. However, these pre-WW1 era guns are a little lacking when it comes to penetration capabilities against more comparable or superior opponents.

At 5km, the AP shell has a maximum of 324 mm of penetration, barely enough to penetrate the main belt on a number of battleships, and that's assuming the target is not angled to any degree (which they usually are) and that the shell is hitting at a flat trajectory (which is physically impossible at that range unless the target is listing to the side). At 10km, this drops to 212 mm of penetration, at which range the shell is rendered incapable of punching through un-angled main armour belts of even some battlecruisers, let alone the heavy belts of battleships. Whilst this does not mean that the guns cannot damage such targets, it's not as though the entire ship has such protection after all, it does still severely limit the guns usage against any but the most weakly protected capital ships, and captains of the Von der Tann will have to get in to extremely close ranges to be able to punch through the thick armour present at higher tiers.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
1,000 m 2,500 m 5,000 m 7,500 m 10,000 m 15,000 m
Sprgr. L/3.6 Bdz SAP 359 312 248 199 162 120
Psgr. L/3.2 APC 469 408 324 260 212 157
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(s) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (kg) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
Sprgr. L/3.6 Bdz SAP 855 302 0.025 15 17 47° 60° 65°
Psgr. L/3.2 APC 855 302 0.025 15 8.95 48° 63° 71°

Secondary armament

10 х Turret150 mm/45 SK L/45 cannon
Ammunition150 rounds
16 х Turret88 mm/45 SK L/45 cannon
Ammunition200 rounds
Main articles: 150 mm/45 SK L/45 (150 mm), 88 mm/45 casemate SK L/45 (88 mm)

The Von der Tann features 10 х 150 mm SK L/45 cannons, five mounted in a casemate on each side of the ship. There are also 16 х 88 mm SK L/45 cannons, placed in a set of four casemates on the bow, stern, and command tower, as well as four turrets on the rear fire control tower.

The 150 mm guns are very reliable against enemy cruisers at mid-to-close range (within 7 km), being able to chew up most of their crew quickly due to the short reload time of 5 seconds, though ineffective beyond 7 km due to its awful dispersion. Other than the HEF shell, the guns have an option to load a SAP shell and an APCBC shell, the SAP is largely useless due to poor penetration, while the APCBC shell can tear up the modules of lightly-armoured enemy at closer range.

The 88 mm guns mainly act as complementary weapons and can only be loaded with HEF shell. The guns don't pack as much punch as the 150 mm, but are still quite useful against destroyers and PT boats.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
1,000 m 2,500 m 5,000 m 7,500 m 10,000 m 15,000 m
Sprgr. L/4.1 Kz HE 21 21 21 21 21 21
Sprgr. L/4.1 Bdz SAPBC 95 80 61 47 37 28
Psgr. L/3.7 APCBC 238 201 153 117 93 71
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(s) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
Sprgr. L/4.1 Kz HE 835 45.3 0 0.1 1,600 79° 80° 81°
Sprgr. L/4.1 Bdz SAPBC 835 45.3 0.01 7 1,050 48° 63° 71°
Psgr. L/3.7 APCBC 835 45.3 0.015 7 990 48° 63° 71°

Anti-aircraft armament

2 х Turret7.92 mm MG08 pattern 1908 machine gun
Ammunition1500 rounds
Belt capacity500 rounds
Fire rate600 shots/min
Main article: MG08 pattern 1908 (7.92 mm)

Built during the infancy of naval aviation, the Von der Tann is barely equipped to deal against aerial threats. Therefore, her "anti-air" armament only consists of two antique 7.92 mm machine guns, which won't help to deter any aerial threats. Essentially, it is making her a sitting duck against enemy air support.

Additional armament

Setup 111 x 450 mm C/06D torpedo
Main article: C/06D (450 mm)

Similar to other dreadnoughts in her era, the Von der Tann features four underwater torpedo launchers, two mounted directly at her bow and stern respectively, and two others placed on each side of the bow. Due to this peculiar placement, the torpedo is highly situational and will not help much to destroy an enemy ship. The torpedo itself is also pretty weak and slow, with only 122 kg of TNT and a top speed of only 50 km/h. Thus, you should rely on her main and secondary armament instead.

Usage in battles

As a battlecruiser, the Von der Tann is (relatively) fast and well-armed. The eight 283 mm guns can deal a capable amount of damage and have a reload of 20 seconds, much shorter than most other battlecruisers and battleships (and the same as some American heavy cruisers), as well as being capable of doing full broadsides. While other battleships can punch through your armour, cruisers will seriously struggle. Target cruisers and punish them with your secondary guns and main battery. They'll struggle with your armour, and they'll struggle to outrun you.

Your main threat will be battleships, who can angle against your guns and punch through your armour comfortably. Use your mobility to get away from, or around, them, and don't be afraid to unleash some torpedoes on them if they do get too close.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Good speed for a ship of its age, able to outrun most battleships and stay close to cruisers
  • Out-guns and out-armours every cruiser in the game
  • Can do a full broadsides with the same damage potential as the SMS Westfalen
  • Good reload on its main guns, better than the Admiral Graf Spee despite them being the same size
  • Deadly secondary armament that can punish cruisers if they come too close

Cons:

  • Still slower than the majority of cruisers, can easily get left behind
  • Main armament lacks penetration required to compete with most other capital ships
  • Secondary armament is woefully inaccurate beyond 7 km
  • Placement of flank turrets makes it prone to ammo detonation from torpedo hits
  • Effectively no AA protection, easy target for aircraft

History

Devblog

With the appearance of HMS Invincible in 1906, the Imperial Navy found itself lacking an appropriate response as the British battlecruiser outmatched any comparable vessel in the German fleet at the time. As a result, German ship builders began working on designing an equivalent vessel in the same year under the name "Cruiser F". As the ship would eventually become Germany's first battlecruiser, its design was carefully considered, with emphasis being put on speed and protection.

By mid 1907, Cruiser F's design had been finalized and its construction approved by the Kaiser in June, christening the vessel SMS Von der Tann in honor of a Bavarian general. Von der Tann was laid down in March 1908 and launched exactly a year later, before being completed and commissioned into service in September 1910. At the time of commissioning Von der Tann quickly became the new symbol of German naval power, being not only the first German warship fitted with steam turbine engines, but also the world's fastest warship of its type at the time. After completing trials, Von der Tann was sent on a cruise to South America before returning to Germany in May 1911.

During WWI, Von der Tann participated in numerous naval operations in the war: including the Battle of Jutland in 1916, as well as participating in raids against British ports and engagements against the Russian Navy in the Baltic Sea. At the end of WWI in 1918, Von der Tann along with the remainder of the German Navy was interned at Scapa Flow. In the following year, the interned German fleet along with Von der Tann scuttled itself to prevent capture by the Allies with this event marking the end of the warship's illustrious career.

Media

Skins
Images
  • SMS Von der Tann Devblog Images
  • Von der Tann WTWallpaper 001.jpg
  • Von der Tann WTWallpaper 002.jpg
  • Von der Tann WTWallpaper 003.jpg
  • Von der Tann WTWallpaper 004.jpg
  • Von der Tann WTWallpaper 005.jpg
  • Von der Tann WTWallpaper 006.jpg

See also

Vessels of a similar role, configuration or era

External links


Blohm & Voss
Destroyers 
Type 1934A  Z15 Erich Steinbrinck
Heavy Cruisers 
Admiral Hipper-class  Admiral Hipper
Battlecruisers 
Unique Ships  SMS Von der Tann · SMS Derfflinger
See Also  Blohm & Voss Aircraft Division

Germany battlecruisers
  SMS Von der Tann*
  SMS Derfflinger*
Scharnhorst-class  Scharnhorst
  * Unique ship

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