Difference between revisions of "HMS Liscomb"

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{{Specs-Card|code=uk_isles_class_trawler}}
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{{Specs-Card
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|code=uk_isles_class_trawler
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
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}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
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<!-- ''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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<!-- ''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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[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
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The '''HMS Liscomb (T285)''' was one of the 197 British ''Isles''-class naval trawlers, a class of coastal minesweeper and minelayers designed in 1939 based on a design of fishing trawlers in order to simplify and hastened the production to fulfil the coastal patrol duties, in addition of being easily converted back into civilian trawlers and sold off once the war is over. Much like the larger [[HMCS Brantford|''Flower'']]-class corvettes (which shared similar improvised design), a large number of ''Isles''-class ships were built in Canada to guard the vast coastline of the British Empire.
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{{Break}}
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British sub-chaser {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.83 "Masters of the Sea"]] as part of the British fleet closed beta test.
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HMS ''Liscomb'' was built by the Kingston Shipyard in Ontario, Canada to the ''Dance''-subclass specifications. ''Liscomb'' was commissioned on 3 September 1942 and would be loaned to the Royal Canadian Navy and served uneventfully until the end of the war. She was later decommissioned in 1945 and sold off to the Norwegian trawler a year later, who renamed her ''Aalesund''. Her final fate, however, remains unknown.
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Introduced in [[Update 1.83 "Masters of the Sea"]] as part of the British fleet Closed Beta Test. The Liscomb is an absurdly tough coastal vessel especially for her BR thanks to her detailed damage model that allowed her to shrug off any machine guns and most autocannons she commonly faces. However, she has a figurative "Achilles' heel" in the form of an extremely vulnerable ammo rack. In addition, her mobility is among the worst of any coastal vessel which, combined with her large size, made her highly vulnerable to torpedoes and artillery strike. On the other hand, Liscomb has an access to a reasonably powerful armament to support the allies. Because of this, the Liscomb is best suited as a "bullet sponge", capable of taking numerous hits so long as her ammo racks is not exposed, though she would often needs some escort to guard her vulnerable sides.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
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[[File:X-Ray profile Isles Class T-285.png|thumb|X-Ray profile of the T-285. Note the large engine at the centre and the ammunition stored in the lower bow of the ship.]]
 
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
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{{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 T-285 is a large, heavy ship. As such it doesn't possess very good mobility or speed.  Even with all the seakeeping upgrades installed the T-285 is a slow ship that has difficulty manoeuvring around the map. Coupled with its tall profile and relatively large size, captains of this ship can often find themselves to be an easy target. Torpedoes and aerial bombing, in particular, are rather dangerous as by the time you realise they're heading for you, you wouldn't have enough time or navigational ability to avoid them.
 
  
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As such, the T-285 works well as a support craft to other ships by staying at a distance where it can use this to minimise the number of enemy ships and torpedoes that can engage it while supporting allies with the potent 4 Inch QF Mark V cannon with the three Oerlikon Mk. II cannons providing anti-air support. Other notable upgrades include shrapnel protection that provides the interior to shrapnel resistance.
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[[File:X-Ray profile Isles Class T-285.png|thumb|Isles class (T-285) internals (starboard side). Note the large ammo racks below the forward gun and in the bow.]]
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HMS Liscomb is notable for being the lowest-BR ship that has a "detailed" damage model; instead of having each section of the hull being treated as a block of crews (and therefore took a crew loss whenever it was damaged), she has a separate crew compartments modelled within the ship's hull instead. This alone makes her impervious to any machine guns she commonly faces at lower ranks despite the lack of armour, due to these guns simply doesn't have enough penetration to reach the internal crew compartments. Even larger-caliber guns will took quite awhile to damage the Liscomb, and that also requires some precise aiming to do so effectively.
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However, the Liscomb has one fatal weakness; her poor ammo rack placement. Both the main and secondary ammo racks of the ship are placed well above the waterline, with the secondary ammo rack being placed right below the main gun's platform directly above the main shell room. This means should one of these ammo racks detonate, it will cause a chain reaction that will destroy the ship. As such, it is advised to face the bow of the Liscomb towards enemy at all times, as her frontal bow is still spacious enough that it will dissipate most autocannon rounds before it could reach your ammo racks.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
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{{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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While the T-285 is a large, heavy ship, it maintains a forward max speed can reach up to 24.7 kph (or 32 kph with the appropriate upgrades). However, these did little to improve the T-285's manoeuvrability.
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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! colspan="6" | '''Mobility Characteristics'''
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|-
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! rowspan="2" | Game Mode
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! rowspan="2" | Upgrade Status
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! colspan="2" | Maximum Speed (km/h)
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! rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Turn Time (s)|Time needed to complete a 360° turn at maximum speed}}
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! rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Turn Radius (m)|At maximum speed}}
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|-
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! rowspan="1" | Forward
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! rowspan="1" | Reverse
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|-
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| rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|AB|Arcade Battles}}
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| {{Annotation|Stock|All modifications removed}} || 25 || 11 || ~127.36 || ~95.72
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|-
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| {{Annotation|Upgraded|All modifications installed}} || 34 || 15 || ~67.95 || ~60.08
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|-
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| rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|RB|Realistic Battles}}/{{Annotation|SB|Simulator Battles}}
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| {{Annotation|Stock|All modifications removed}} || 19 || 8 || ~187.63 || ~107.84
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|-
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| {{Annotation|Upgraded|All modifications installed}} || 22 || 10 || ~127.78 || ~90.39
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|-
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|}
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The Liscomb's overall mobility is awful. With a top speed of just 34 (AB)/22 (RB) km/h when fully upgraded, she can be easily outpaced by almost every coastal vessels. Her turn rate is also quite bad, with slow rudder response time and wide turn radius. This leaves her very vulnerable to enemy torpedoes and also made it impossible for her to evade incoming fire.
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=== Modifications and economy ===
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{{Specs-Economy}}
  
 
== Armament ==
 
== Armament ==
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{{Specs-Fleet-Armaments}}
 
=== Primary armament ===
 
=== Primary armament ===
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{{Specs-Fleet-Primary}}
 
<!-- ''Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: <code><nowiki>{{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}</nowiki></code>. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: <code><nowiki>{{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}</nowiki></code>. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.'' -->
 
{{main|4 in QF Mark V (102 mm)}}
 
{{main|4 in QF Mark V (102 mm)}}
  
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The main armament is the 4 Inch QF Mark V cannon with a maximum of 150 rounds stocked on board. With a choice of high-explosive, semi-armour piercing and fragmentation rounds. With a muzzle velocity of 805 m/s, hitting targets up to 4 km shouldn't be too difficult although the gun is prone to the occasional inaccurate shot. Generally speaking the high explosive rounds will be enough to tackle any target the T-285 will encounter and while you might encounter destroyers where the semi-armour piercing rounds would be better suited to the task, the opportunity to do so is unlikely given the number of shots it would probably require to sink them let alone survive long enough from counter-fire or aerial bombardment  to do so. Fragmentation rounds can be rather potent as well but given the nature of their timed explosive they can be rather inconsistent but with enough practice and skill, it is possible to use this to your advantage, even in knocking out any low flying aircraft if you're good enough.
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For her primary armament, the Liscomb has one 4 in QF Mark V cannon in a single mount forward. It has 150 rounds of ammunition available for it. Stock, the mount can traverse horizontally at a rate of 10°/s and vertically at a rate of 6.8°/s; with the "Primary Armament Targeting" modification installed, it can traverse horizontally at a rate of 12°/s and vertically at a rate of 8°/s. The gun is single-shot and has a nominal rate of fire of 12 rounds/min. With a stock crew, it can be reloaded in 6.5 seconds; with an aced crew, it can be reloaded in 5 seconds.
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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! colspan="2" | '''Guidance for the Primary Gun Turret'''
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|-
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! Horizontal !! Vertical
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|-
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| ±180° || -7°/+80°
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|-
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|}
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There are three choices of ammunition available:
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{{:4 in QF Mark V (102 mm)/Ammunition|4 inch HE, 4 inch SAP, 102 mm shrapnel}}
  
 
=== Secondary armament ===
 
=== Secondary armament ===
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{{Specs-Fleet-Secondary}}
 
<!-- ''Some ships are fitted with weapons of various calibres. Secondary armaments are defined as weapons chosen with the control <code>Select secondary weapon</code>. Evaluate the secondary armaments and give advice on how to use them. Describe the ammunition available for the secondary armament. Provide recommendations on how to use them and which ammunition to choose. Remember that any anti-air armament, even heavy calibre weapons, belong in the next section. If there is no secondary armament, remove this section.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Some ships are fitted with weapons of various calibres. Secondary armaments are defined as weapons chosen with the control <code>Select secondary weapon</code>. Evaluate the secondary armaments and give advice on how to use them. Describe the ammunition available for the secondary armament. Provide recommendations on how to use them and which ammunition to choose. Remember that any anti-air armament, even heavy calibre weapons, belong in the next section. If there is no secondary armament, remove this section.'' -->
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{{main|Oerlikon Mk.II (20 mm)}}
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{{main|20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II (20 mm)}}
  
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Auxiliary armaments consist of three 20mm Oerlikon Mk. II cannons with two sitting behind the Mark V cannon and the third sitting on the aft. Ammunition belts are the Universal (HEF-T. HEF-I, AP-T), High Explosive (HEF-T. HEF-I, AP-T, HEF-I) and Armour Piercing (AP-T, AP-T, AP-T, HEF-I). These guns provide good anti-air support but can also be used to against any smaller, faster ships within 2 km or less regardless of ammunition used.
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For her secondary armament, the Liscomb has three 20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II cannons in three single mounts, one aft and two on either side in front of the bridge. For each mount, there are 1,200 rounds of ammunition available for a total of 3,600 rounds. Stock, each mount can traverse horizontally at a rate of 64°/s and vertically at a rate of 64°/s; with the "Auxiliary Armament Targeting" modification installed, they can traverse horizontally at a rate of 75°/s and vertically at a rate of 75°/s. Each gun has a belt capacity of 60 rounds and a rate of fire of 450 rounds/min. With a stock crew, they can be reloaded in 2.9 seconds; with an aced crew, they can be reloaded in 2 seconds. Their maximum range against surface targets is roughly 2.1 km.
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{{Notice|Turrets are named sequentially, clockwise, starting at the bow}}
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="75%"
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! colspan="8" | '''Guidance for the Secondary Gun Turrets'''
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|-
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! colspan="2" rowspan="1" | No.1 Turret
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! colspan="2" rowspan="1" | No.2 Turret
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! colspan="2" rowspan="1" | No.3 Turret
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|-
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! Horizontal !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Vertical
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|-
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| ±180° || -5°/+70° || ±180° || -5°/+70° || ±180° || -5°/+70°
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|-
 +
|}
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There are three choices of ammunition available:
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* '''Universal:''' {{Annotation|HEF-T|High-explosive fragmentation tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}
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* '''20 mm HE:''' {{Annotation|HEF-T|High-explosive fragmentation tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary}}
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* '''20 mm AP:''' {{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|AP-T|Armour-piercing tracer}}{{-}}{{Annotation|HEF-I|High-explosive fragmentation incendiary}}
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 +
{{:20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II (20 mm)/Ammunition|HEF-T, AP-T, HEF-I}}
  
 
=== Anti-aircraft armament ===
 
=== Anti-aircraft armament ===
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{{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.'' -->
 
{{main|Lewis 1916 (7.72 mm)}}
 
{{main|Lewis 1916 (7.72 mm)}}
  
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Flanking the bridge is a pair of dual-mounted 7.72 Lewis Machine guns that are technically designated as the ships anti-air guns but given their small calibre and somewhat awkward angle they shouldn't be relied upon.
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For her anti-aircraft armament, the Liscomb has four 7.72 mm Lewis 1916 machine guns in two twin mounts, one on either side of the bridge. For each mount, there are 3,880 rounds of ammunition available, 1,940 rounds per gun, for a total of 7,760 rounds. There are no stated horizontal or vertical traverse rates given in-game, though the mounts handle very similarly to, if not exactly the same as, other twin and quadruple 7.72 mm Lewis 1916 machine gun mounts which, when stock, can all traverse horizontally at a rate of 64°/s and vertically at a rate of 64°/s; with the "Anti-Air Armament Targeting" modification installed, traverse horizontally at a rate of 75°/s and vertically at a rate of 75°/s. Each gun has a magazine capacity of 97 rounds and has a rate of fire of 550 rounds/min. With a stock crew, the guns can be reloaded in 10.4 seconds; with an aced crew, they can be reloaded in 8 seconds. Their maximum range against surface targets is roughly 1.6 km.
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{{Notice|Turrets are named sequentially, clockwise, starting at the bow}}
  
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=== Special armament ===
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
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<!-- ''Depth charges, mines, rocket launchers and missiles are also effective in skilled hands and can take an off-guard opponent by surprise. Evaluate the ammunition of this type of armament and rate its performance in combat. If there are no special armaments, remove this section.'' -->
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! colspan="8" | '''Guidance for the Anti-Aircraft Gun Turrets'''
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|-
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! colspan="2" rowspan="1" | No.1 Turret
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! colspan="2" rowspan="1" | No.2 Turret
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|-
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! Horizontal !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Vertical
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|-
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| ±55° || -5°/+50° || ±55° || -5°/+50°
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|-
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|}
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No ammunition choices are available for this gun. Although not directly stated in-game, the guns fire one tracer round every other round, so they most likely use the standard Default ammunition choice of the 7.72 mm Lewis 1916 machine gun which has the following composition and penetration statistics:
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* Default: {{Annotation|AP|Armour-piercing}}/{{Annotation|T|Tracer}}/{{Annotation|AP|Armour-piercing}}/{{Annotation|T|Tracer}}
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{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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! colspan="7" | '''Penetration Statistics'''
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|-
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! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
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! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
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|-
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! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
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|-
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| Default || 10 || 9 || 8 || 7 || 6 || 5
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|-
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|}
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=== Additional armament ===
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{{Specs-Fleet-Additional}}
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<!-- ''Describe the available additional armaments of the ship: depth charges, mines, torpedoes. Talk about their positions, available ammunition and launch features such as dead zones of torpedoes. If there is no additional armament, remove this section.'' -->
 
{{main|Mk.VII depth charge}}
 
{{main|Mk.VII depth charge}}
  
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Finally, the T-285 can also deploy the Mk. VII depth charge behind it with a rather high capacity of 20 charges. But considering the ship's slow speed and poor mobility the chances of getting close enough to enemy ships to use them is very rare and therefore it's not recommended to carry them as they are an explosive liability when exposed to enemy gunfire.
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The Liscomb can carry up to 20 Mk.VII depth charges. These are split into two chutes on the stern carrying 10 depth charges each. They drop one at a time in this order: alternating port and starboard starting on the port side.
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Being anti-submarine weapons and with the present lack of submarines in the game, there is no practical reason to use depth charges. There is especially no reason to use them on the Liscomb because the depth charges drop off of the stern. Because of the Liscomb's very slow top speed and bad manoeuvrability, there will almost never be an opportunity to use them. This is doubly so, since, if they are not dropped, depth charges act like exposed and unarmoured ammo racks.
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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! colspan="4" | '''Depth Charge Characteristics'''
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|-
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! Mass (kg)
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! Explosive Type
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! Explosive Mass (kg)
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! TNT Equivalent (kg)
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|-
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| 196 || TNT || 130 || 130
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|}
  
 
== 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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Despite being classified as a minelayer, the T-285 acts more like a heavy gun platform with it's varied and effective weaponry on a slow-moving ship. Because of its large size and poor mobility, it's not particularly suited to the frontlines and tight spaces. Instead, captains of the ship should provide covering fire for allies from a distance. This is to make yourself a smaller target against ships and give a higher chance to avoid torpedoes as well as the fact the Mark V cannon has good muzzle velocity for attacking distant targets while reducing counter-fire
 
  
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The Oerlikon guns should concentrate on providing anti-air support as bombers often find the T-285 to be a rather attractive target due to it's size but you should also be aware of any enemy motor torpedo boats attempting to deploy their torpedoes on you which is where the Oerlikon guns can be used to counter them, particularly if they are within 1 km or less to you as the Mark V cannon may not have enough time to react to them. One final note about the two Oerlikon guns behind the Mark V cannon is that they have limited negative vertical traverse when pointed towards the bow. As such, when attempting to aim at any close proximity targets in front of you, you will need to turn the ship left or right from the target to give the guns enough depression to aim down at them.
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[[File:Isles_class_(T-285)_skin_"Isles_class_'Hornet'".png|thumb|Isles class (T-285) with the fictional camouflage ''Isles class 'Hornet''', available on the [http://trade.gaijin.net Gaijin Marketplace].]]
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Lacking in speed, the Liscomb is best used as a support vessel. Stay at the back of the rest of the team and use the 4 in QF Mark V cannon to take out any tough enemies the team may have trouble dealing with. Priority targets include other large vessels such as sub-chasers, German barges, and Soviet armoured guns boats, since, in one way or another, all of these possess high survivability and powerful armaments, making them difficult for smaller boats to effectively engage. In particular, prioritize Soviet armoured gun boats. These are some of the only boats in rank I and rank II with any substantial armour, and the 4 in QF Mark V cannon, with its SAP round, is one of the only guns that can reliably penetrate them when angled. If possible, try to aim for their ammunition storages located below their guns at the waterline. This will almost always result in a knock-out. Otherwise, target the heavily-armoured "citadel" at the centre of the boats as, chances are, the less-armoured bow and stern compartments may already be destroyed. For larger vessels such as sub-chasers, use the shrapnel round; for all other targets, the HE round will suffice.
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Despite being one of the largest guns at its tier, the 4 in QF Mark V cannon cannot hull-break, requiring multiple hits to take out even the smallest boats. Because of the cannon's relatively poor accuracy and slow traverse rates, reliably landing shots on small, fast boats may be difficult. For such targets, switch to the secondary 20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II cannons. Because of the way the cannons are arranged, only two of them can ever be aimed at a target at once. Nevertheless, the two cannons actually fire more TNT per minute when using the 20 mm HE belt than the 4 in QF Mark V cannon can with its HE round, so they will usually be enough to handle most boats. However, the 20 mm cannons may struggle against certain armoured targets, so always be prepared to switch back to the 4-inch cannon.
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Primarily, the Liscomb should be played away from the fray, sniping dangerous targets from afar. Try to always keep the hull pointed directly towards the enemy, i.e. show as little of the sides as possible. Due to Isles class (T-285)'s massive bulk, the middle and rear hull compartments will become virtually immune from fire. While there are ammunition storages located in the bow, it appears as though they never detonate when destroyed, so taking damage with the bow is a very viable tactic. This doesn't make Isles class (T-285) completely invincible though, since some crew can still be chipped away by destroying the bridge and gun mounts, but it does substantially increase survivability. Liscomb is extremely vulnerable to artillery strikes and, to a lesser extent, torpedoes. Always try to stay on the move and occasionally change direction to through off their aim.
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Another way to play the Liscomb is to take it into close-range engagements around capture points, using the 20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II cannons and levering Liscomb's high survivability to take out smaller boats before they can deal any significant damage back. When playing like this, remember that none of the 20 mm cannons can fire in a ~45° arc directly forwards, and only one of them can fire in a ~70° arc directly aft, so always keep enemies to the sides to maximize firepower. Additionally, the 20 mm cannons cannot depress far enough to target anything within a ~60 m radius around the boat, so don't let enemies get too close and avoid staying near islands and other forms of cover for too long. The Liscomb is more susceptible to artillery and torpedoes at close range, so as with playing at long-range, always keep moving.
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Another thing to note is that while controlling the 20 mm cannons, there will be no effective AI-controlled anti-aircraft weapons. She makes for an easy target for aircraft due to her large size and low speed, so periodically check the skies and, if you're not confident with your aim, switch back to the 4-inch cannon to give control of the 20 mm cannons to the AI gunners.
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Lastly, be aware that playing at close-range is a much more viable tactic in a downtier, as the Liscomb is practically immune to any machine guns common at the low tier. In an uptier, however, the Liscomb will face opponents with much more powerful armaments, partially negating her survivability advantage.
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;Ammunition Choices
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[[File:Isles_class_(T-285)_skin_"Isles_class,_HMS_Alisa_Craig".png|thumb|The Liscomb with the semihistorical camouflage ''Isles class, HMS Alisa Craig'', available on the [http://trade.gaijin.net Gaijin Marketplace].]]
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For the 4 in QF Mark V cannon, the best ammunition choice, in general, is the 4 inch HE round. The 4 inch HE round has the most high-explosive mass among the three rounds that the 4 in QF Mark V cannon has access to, making it the best general-purpose round overall.
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The 4 inch SAP rounds should be reserved only for Soviet armoured gun boats. Any other targets will simply not have any sort of armour, and the round will generally over-penetrate the hull without triggering its fuse, dealing minimal damage to the target. Identify the enemy first and only use the SAP round if the other rounds are ineffective.
 +
 
 +
The 102 mm shrapnel should be used on large targets without armour such as sub-chasers. Against such targets, the HE round will most likely fail to destroy the hull compartments in a single hit, and internal components will rarely be damaged. In contrast, the shrapnel round can consistently destroy their hull compartments, and it creates a cone of spalling upon penetration that can travel much further into the hull. Keep in mind, though, that the shrapnel round will almost always be stopped by any kind of armour and that it only has about 30% of the explosive mass of the HE round, making it less versatile against smaller boats unless specifically aiming for ammunition storages. The shrapnel round also has a timed fuse that could possibly be used against aircraft, though with the 4 in QF Mark V cannon's slow traverse and elevation rates as well as its slow rate of fire, it's better to leave anti-aircraft defence to the other weaponry.
 +
 
 +
For the 20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II cannons, the best ammunition choice is the 20 mm HE because it has the highest ratio of HE rounds to AP rounds, making it the most effective against both aircraft and surface targets. The 20 mm HE belt should be the main ammunition choice, though a small amount of the 20 mm AP belt should also be taken in case any armoured targets get around to the sides of the boat. Aside from ammunition costs, there is no reason to use the Universal belt once the other options have been researched.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
Line 55: Line 199:
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
−
* Well-armed ship that can tackle most targets
+
* Detailed damage model; almost completely immune against machine guns, and highly resilient to larger-calibre guns in general
−
* Mark V cannon possesses high-velocity ammunition
+
* 4-inch cannon, while cannot hull-break most PT boats, is still powerful enough to deal damage against most coastal vessel
−
* Powerful 20 mm secondary armament can be used for both anti-air and anti-ship purposes
+
* Has three Oerlikon autocannons with good damage output
 +
* Stable firing platform
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
−
* Slow and difficult to navigate
+
* Quite large in size, can be easily targeted
−
* Large profile and size makes it an easy target
+
* Terrible top speed and manoeuvrability, susceptible to torpedoes, artillery, and aircraft attacks
−
* Prone to catch fire
+
* Ammo racks are stored directly on the bow and right below the main gun, making it very vulnerable
−
* Useless at close range
+
* The 4-inch cannon has poor traverse rates and accuracy
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
−
''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).''-->
 +
 
 +
The Isles-class, also known as the Western Isles-class, was a class of 197 Royal Navy naval trawlers built between 1939 and 1945. The Isles-class actually comprised of four separate classes of trawlers: the Tree-class, the Dance-class, the Shakespearean-class, and the Isles-class. While the four classes of trawlers are separate, their overall designs were very similar. All four had a length overall of 164 ft, a beam of 27 ft 8 in, and a deep load displacement of 11 ft 1 in. They were all powered by a single shaft vertical triple expansion boiler producing 850 bhp, giving them a top speed of 12.25 knots. Royal Navy trawlers used for minesweeping and convoy escort — which includes the Tree-class, the Shakespearean-class, and the Isles-class — were armed with the standard armament consisting of a single 3-inch QF 12-pdr 12 cwt cannon on the bow, as well as several Oerlikon 20 mm cannons and 30 depth charges. Those used for anti-submarine operations — in this case, only the Dance-class — were additionally given ASDIC equipment and a 4-inch/45 BL Mk IX cannon in place of the 12-pdr cannon.
 +
 
 +
The Tree-class was the first attempt at a purpose-built naval trawler by Britain during the Second World War. Based on the design of the previous Basset-class trawler of 1935, 20 Tree-class trawlers were ordered in 1939 at the start of the war, with 19 completed between 1939 and 1940 and one completed in 1942. Of the 20 built, 6 were lost during the war. Of the surviving vessels, all but two were sold off in 1946, with the remaining two sold off in 1948.
 +
 
 +
Following the Tree-class were two groups of trawlers, the Dance-class and the Shakespearean-class, ordered together later in 1939. Twenty Dance-class and 12 Shakespearean-class trawlers were ordered, with all 32 completed between 1940 and 1941. The Dance-class was similar to the Tree-class but was built for anti-submarine duty and given a 4-inch gun instead of the 12-pdr, while the Shakespearean-class was nearly identical to the Tree-class. One Dance-class and six Shakespearean-class trawlers were lost during the war. Aside from four Dance-class trawlers along with one Shakespearean-class trawler sent to Italy in 1946, as well as one Shakespearean-class trawler sent to Kenya also in 1946, all survivors were sold off in 1946 except for two Dance-class trawlers which were sold in 1947.
 +
 
 +
Last is the Isles-class consisting of 145 trawlers all built through to the end of the war. The Isles-class was again very similar in design to the previous trawlers, and because the Isles-class was much more numerous than the others, the other classes are often considered subclasses of it. Twenty-three Isles-class trawlers were lost during the war with most survivors sold off in 1946. Several Isles-class trawlers were sent to the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy as well as to the Italian Navy, the Portuguese Navy, and the German Navy. A small number of Isles-class trawlers remained in service with the Royal Navy as late as the 1960s.
 +
 
 +
HMS Liscomb was one of 16 Isles-class trawlers built for the Royal Navy by Canada. She was ordered 8th August 1941 and was laid down on 1st July 1941 at Kingston Shipyards in Ontario. Liscomb was launched on 23rd March 1942 and commissioned later that year on 8th September as HMS Liscomb (T-285). During the war, HMS Liscomb was one of 8 Isles-class trawlers loaned to the Royal Canadian Navy, although they weren't recommissioned as RCN vessels and still retained their RN crewmen. HMS Liscomb was commanded by the following while on loan to the RCN:
 +
 
 +
* I.D. Smith, RNVR: 20th August 1942 to February 1944
 +
* Lt. J.C. Smith, RCNR: February 1944 to 16th October 1944
 +
* T/Lt. R.V. Harris, RNVR: 16th October 1944 onwards
 +
 
 +
After the end of World War II in Europe, HMS Liscomb was returned to the Royal Navy on 17th June 1945 and paid off the same day. She was sold in 1946 to the Norwegian trawlers, and was later renamed ''Aalesund''. Her final fates remain unknown.
  
 
== 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.'' -->
 +
 
 +
;Skins
 +
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=uk_isles_class_trawler Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
−
''Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
+
<!--''Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
  
 
* ''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.''-->
 +
 
 +
* {{Specs-Link|uk_flower_class}}
 +
* {{Specs-Link|uk_fairmile_b_ml345}}
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
−
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
+
<!--''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
  
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
−
* ''encyclopedia page on the ship;''
+
* ''other literature.''-->
−
* ''other literature.''
+
 
 +
* [https://ww2db.com/ship_spec.php?ship_id=789 World War II Database - Isles-class Trawler]
 +
* [https://www.naval-history.net/WW2BritishLosses2Auxiliary.htm#traw naval-history.net - British vessels lost at sea in World War 2 - Auxiliary Warships] - originally published in British Vessels Lost at Sea, 1935-45, His Majesty's Stationary Office, 1947
 +
* [http://www.forposterityssake.ca/Navy/HMS_LISCOMB_T285.htm For Posterity's Sake - HMS LISCOMB T285]
 +
* [https://uboat.net/allies/ships/trawlers.htm uboat.net - Anti-Submarine Trawlers]
 +
* [http://www.harry-tates.org.uk/trawlers.htm Harry Tate's Navy - The Trawlers Go To War]
 +
 
 +
===References===
 +
;Bibliography
 +
* Chesneau, R., & Gardiner, R. (1980). ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922-1946'' (pp. 65-66). London, England: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-1467.
  
−
{{Britain boats}}
+
{{ShipManufacturer Kingston Shipyards}}
 +
{{Britain sub-chasers}}

Latest revision as of 02:00, 10 November 2024

Rank VI USA | Premium | Golden Eagles
A-10A Thunderbolt (Early)
HMS Liscomb
uk_isles_class_trawler.png
GarageImage HMS Liscomb.jpg
HMS Liscomb
Britain flag.png Britain
II Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
2.0 2.3 2.3
Class:
Research:7 900 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:10 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The HMS Liscomb (T285) was one of the 197 British Isles-class naval trawlers, a class of coastal minesweeper and minelayers designed in 1939 based on a design of fishing trawlers in order to simplify and hastened the production to fulfil the coastal patrol duties, in addition of being easily converted back into civilian trawlers and sold off once the war is over. Much like the larger Flower-class corvettes (which shared similar improvised design), a large number of Isles-class ships were built in Canada to guard the vast coastline of the British Empire.

HMS Liscomb was built by the Kingston Shipyard in Ontario, Canada to the Dance-subclass specifications. Liscomb was commissioned on 3 September 1942 and would be loaned to the Royal Canadian Navy and served uneventfully until the end of the war. She was later decommissioned in 1945 and sold off to the Norwegian trawler a year later, who renamed her Aalesund. Her final fate, however, remains unknown.

Introduced in Update 1.83 "Masters of the Sea" as part of the British fleet Closed Beta Test. The Liscomb is an absurdly tough coastal vessel especially for her BR thanks to her detailed damage model that allowed her to shrug off any machine guns and most autocannons she commonly faces. However, she has a figurative "Achilles' heel" in the form of an extremely vulnerable ammo rack. In addition, her mobility is among the worst of any coastal vessel which, combined with her large size, made her highly vulnerable to torpedoes and artillery strike. On the other hand, Liscomb has an access to a reasonably powerful armament to support the allies. Because of this, the Liscomb is best suited as a "bullet sponge", capable of taking numerous hits so long as her ammo racks is not exposed, though she would often needs some escort to guard her vulnerable sides.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull16 mm (steel)
Superstructure4 mm (steel)
Number of section4
Displacement554 t
Crew40 people
Isles class (T-285) internals (starboard side). Note the large ammo racks below the forward gun and in the bow.

HMS Liscomb is notable for being the lowest-BR ship that has a "detailed" damage model; instead of having each section of the hull being treated as a block of crews (and therefore took a crew loss whenever it was damaged), she has a separate crew compartments modelled within the ship's hull instead. This alone makes her impervious to any machine guns she commonly faces at lower ranks despite the lack of armour, due to these guns simply doesn't have enough penetration to reach the internal crew compartments. Even larger-caliber guns will took quite awhile to damage the Liscomb, and that also requires some precise aiming to do so effectively.

However, the Liscomb has one fatal weakness; her poor ammo rack placement. Both the main and secondary ammo racks of the ship are placed well above the waterline, with the secondary ammo rack being placed right below the main gun's platform directly above the main shell room. This means should one of these ammo racks detonate, it will cause a chain reaction that will destroy the ship. As such, it is advised to face the bow of the Liscomb towards enemy at all times, as her frontal bow is still spacious enough that it will dissipate most autocannon rounds before it could reach your ammo racks.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB34 / 15 km/h
RB22 / 10 km/h
Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode Upgrade Status Maximum Speed (km/h) Turn Time (s) Turn Radius (m)
Forward Reverse
AB Stock 25 11 ~127.36 ~95.72
Upgraded 34 15 ~67.95 ~60.08
RB/SB Stock 19 8 ~187.63 ~107.84
Upgraded 22 10 ~127.78 ~90.39

The Liscomb's overall mobility is awful. With a top speed of just 34 (AB)/22 (RB) km/h when fully upgraded, she can be easily outpaced by almost every coastal vessels. Her turn rate is also quite bad, with slow rudder response time and wide turn radius. This leaves her very vulnerable to enemy torpedoes and also made it impossible for her to evade incoming fire.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB445 → 564 Sl icon.png
RB673 → 853 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications6 910 Rp icon.png
6 750 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost530 Ge icon.png
Crew training3 000 Sl icon.png
Experts10 000 Sl icon.png
Aces125 Ge icon.png
Research Aces160 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
30 / 40 / 100 % Sl icon.png
112 / 112 / 112 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Seakeeping Unsinkability Firepower
Mods new ship hull.png
Dry-Docking
Research:
280 Rp icon.png
Cost:
270 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship rudder.png
Rudder Replacement
Research:
260 Rp icon.png
Cost:
250 Sl icon.png
60 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship screw.png
Propeller Replacement
Research:
350 Rp icon.png
Cost:
340 Sl icon.png
85 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship engine.png
Engine Maintenance
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 100 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods ship damage control crew.png
Damage Control Division
Research:
280 Rp icon.png
Cost:
270 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods ship fire control crew.png
Fire Division
Research:
260 Rp icon.png
Cost:
250 Sl icon.png
60 Ge icon.png
Mods engine smoke screen system.png
Smokescreen
Research:
260 Rp icon.png
Cost:
250 Sl icon.png
60 Ge icon.png
Mods ship anti fragmentation protection.png
Shrapnel Protection
Research:
350 Rp icon.png
Cost:
340 Sl icon.png
85 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship pumps.png
New Pumps
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 100 Sl icon.png
260 Ge icon.png
Mods new aa caliber turrets.png
Anti-Air Armament Targeting
Research:
280 Rp icon.png
Cost:
270 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
102mm_uk_mkxvi_navy_SAP_ammo_pack
Research:
280 Rp icon.png
Cost:
270 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods ammo.png
20 mm HE magazines
Research:
280 Rp icon.png
Cost:
270 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods new aux caliber turrets.png
Auxiliary Armament Targeting
Research:
260 Rp icon.png
Cost:
250 Sl icon.png
60 Ge icon.png
Mods shrapnel tank.png
102mm_uk_mkxvi_navy_shrapnel_ammo_pack
Research:
260 Rp icon.png
Cost:
250 Sl icon.png
60 Ge icon.png
Mods ammo.png
20 mm AP magazines
Research:
260 Rp icon.png
Cost:
250 Sl icon.png
60 Ge icon.png
Mods new main caliber turrets.png
Primary Armament Targeting
Research:
350 Rp icon.png
Cost:
340 Sl icon.png
85 Ge icon.png
Mods ship rangefinder.png
Improved Rangefinder
Research:
350 Rp icon.png
Cost:
340 Sl icon.png
85 Ge icon.png
Mods depth charge.png
Depth Charges
Research:
350 Rp icon.png
Cost:
340 Sl icon.png
85 Ge icon.png

Armament

Primary armament

Turret4 in/45 QF Mark V cannon
Ammunition200 rounds
Vertical guidance-7° / 80°
Main article: 4 in QF Mark V (102 mm)

For her primary armament, the Liscomb has one 4 in QF Mark V cannon in a single mount forward. It has 150 rounds of ammunition available for it. Stock, the mount can traverse horizontally at a rate of 10°/s and vertically at a rate of 6.8°/s; with the "Primary Armament Targeting" modification installed, it can traverse horizontally at a rate of 12°/s and vertically at a rate of 8°/s. The gun is single-shot and has a nominal rate of fire of 12 rounds/min. With a stock crew, it can be reloaded in 6.5 seconds; with an aced crew, it can be reloaded in 5 seconds.

Guidance for the Primary Gun Turret
Horizontal Vertical
±180° -7°/+80°

There are three choices of ammunition available:

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
4 inch HE HE 11 11 11 11 11 11
4 inch SAP SAP 90 72 51 37 28 24
102 mm shrapnel Shrapnel 5 5 5 5 5 5
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%
4 inch HE HE 805 14.06 0 0.1 721 79° 80° 81°
4 inch SAP SAP 805 15.2 0.015 5 520 47° 60° 65°
102 mm shrapnel Shrapnel 805 17.7 0 0.1 218 62° 69° 73°

Secondary armament

3 х Turret20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II autocannon
Ammunition1800 rounds
Belt capacity60 rounds
Fire rate450 shots/min
Main article: 20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II (20 mm)

For her secondary armament, the Liscomb has three 20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II cannons in three single mounts, one aft and two on either side in front of the bridge. For each mount, there are 1,200 rounds of ammunition available for a total of 3,600 rounds. Stock, each mount can traverse horizontally at a rate of 64°/s and vertically at a rate of 64°/s; with the "Auxiliary Armament Targeting" modification installed, they can traverse horizontally at a rate of 75°/s and vertically at a rate of 75°/s. Each gun has a belt capacity of 60 rounds and a rate of fire of 450 rounds/min. With a stock crew, they can be reloaded in 2.9 seconds; with an aced crew, they can be reloaded in 2 seconds. Their maximum range against surface targets is roughly 2.1 km.

Msg-info.png Turrets are named sequentially, clockwise, starting at the bow
Guidance for the Secondary Gun Turrets
No.1 Turret No.2 Turret No.3 Turret
Horizontal Vertical Horizontal Vertical Horizontal Vertical
±180° -5°/+70° ±180° -5°/+70° ±180° -5°/+70°

There are three choices of ammunition available:

  • Universal: HEF-T · HEF-I · AP-T
  • 20 mm HE: HEF-T · HEF-I · AP-T · HEF-I
  • 20 mm AP: AP-T · AP-T · AP-T · HEF-I

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
HEF-T 2 2 2 2 2 2
AP-T 34 32 24 17 12 8
HEF-I 2 2 2 2 2 2
Shell details
Ammunition Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(m) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
HEF-T 830 0.12 0 0.1 6.57 79° 80° 81°
AP-T 830 0.12 - - - 47° 60° 65°
HEF-I 830 0.12 0 0.1 11.17 79° 80° 81°

Anti-aircraft armament

2 х Turret2 x 7.72 mm Lewis machinegun 1916
Ammunition3880 rounds
Belt capacity97 rounds
Fire rate551 shots/min
Main article: Lewis 1916 (7.72 mm)

For her anti-aircraft armament, the Liscomb has four 7.72 mm Lewis 1916 machine guns in two twin mounts, one on either side of the bridge. For each mount, there are 3,880 rounds of ammunition available, 1,940 rounds per gun, for a total of 7,760 rounds. There are no stated horizontal or vertical traverse rates given in-game, though the mounts handle very similarly to, if not exactly the same as, other twin and quadruple 7.72 mm Lewis 1916 machine gun mounts which, when stock, can all traverse horizontally at a rate of 64°/s and vertically at a rate of 64°/s; with the "Anti-Air Armament Targeting" modification installed, traverse horizontally at a rate of 75°/s and vertically at a rate of 75°/s. Each gun has a magazine capacity of 97 rounds and has a rate of fire of 550 rounds/min. With a stock crew, the guns can be reloaded in 10.4 seconds; with an aced crew, they can be reloaded in 8 seconds. Their maximum range against surface targets is roughly 1.6 km.

Msg-info.png Turrets are named sequentially, clockwise, starting at the bow
Guidance for the Anti-Aircraft Gun Turrets
No.1 Turret No.2 Turret
Horizontal Vertical Horizontal Vertical
±55° -5°/+50° ±55° -5°/+50°

No ammunition choices are available for this gun. Although not directly stated in-game, the guns fire one tracer round every other round, so they most likely use the standard Default ammunition choice of the 7.72 mm Lewis 1916 machine gun which has the following composition and penetration statistics:

  • Default: AP/T/AP/T
Penetration Statistics
Ammunition Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
Default 10 9 8 7 6 5

Additional armament

Setup 120 x Mk.VII depth charge
Main article: Mk.VII depth charge

The Liscomb can carry up to 20 Mk.VII depth charges. These are split into two chutes on the stern carrying 10 depth charges each. They drop one at a time in this order: alternating port and starboard starting on the port side.

Being anti-submarine weapons and with the present lack of submarines in the game, there is no practical reason to use depth charges. There is especially no reason to use them on the Liscomb because the depth charges drop off of the stern. Because of the Liscomb's very slow top speed and bad manoeuvrability, there will almost never be an opportunity to use them. This is doubly so, since, if they are not dropped, depth charges act like exposed and unarmoured ammo racks.

Depth Charge Characteristics
Mass (kg) Explosive Type Explosive Mass (kg) TNT Equivalent (kg)
196 TNT 130 130

Usage in battles

Isles class (T-285) with the fictional camouflage Isles class 'Hornet', available on the Gaijin Marketplace.

Lacking in speed, the Liscomb is best used as a support vessel. Stay at the back of the rest of the team and use the 4 in QF Mark V cannon to take out any tough enemies the team may have trouble dealing with. Priority targets include other large vessels such as sub-chasers, German barges, and Soviet armoured guns boats, since, in one way or another, all of these possess high survivability and powerful armaments, making them difficult for smaller boats to effectively engage. In particular, prioritize Soviet armoured gun boats. These are some of the only boats in rank I and rank II with any substantial armour, and the 4 in QF Mark V cannon, with its SAP round, is one of the only guns that can reliably penetrate them when angled. If possible, try to aim for their ammunition storages located below their guns at the waterline. This will almost always result in a knock-out. Otherwise, target the heavily-armoured "citadel" at the centre of the boats as, chances are, the less-armoured bow and stern compartments may already be destroyed. For larger vessels such as sub-chasers, use the shrapnel round; for all other targets, the HE round will suffice.

Despite being one of the largest guns at its tier, the 4 in QF Mark V cannon cannot hull-break, requiring multiple hits to take out even the smallest boats. Because of the cannon's relatively poor accuracy and slow traverse rates, reliably landing shots on small, fast boats may be difficult. For such targets, switch to the secondary 20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II cannons. Because of the way the cannons are arranged, only two of them can ever be aimed at a target at once. Nevertheless, the two cannons actually fire more TNT per minute when using the 20 mm HE belt than the 4 in QF Mark V cannon can with its HE round, so they will usually be enough to handle most boats. However, the 20 mm cannons may struggle against certain armoured targets, so always be prepared to switch back to the 4-inch cannon.

Primarily, the Liscomb should be played away from the fray, sniping dangerous targets from afar. Try to always keep the hull pointed directly towards the enemy, i.e. show as little of the sides as possible. Due to Isles class (T-285)'s massive bulk, the middle and rear hull compartments will become virtually immune from fire. While there are ammunition storages located in the bow, it appears as though they never detonate when destroyed, so taking damage with the bow is a very viable tactic. This doesn't make Isles class (T-285) completely invincible though, since some crew can still be chipped away by destroying the bridge and gun mounts, but it does substantially increase survivability. Liscomb is extremely vulnerable to artillery strikes and, to a lesser extent, torpedoes. Always try to stay on the move and occasionally change direction to through off their aim.

Another way to play the Liscomb is to take it into close-range engagements around capture points, using the 20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II cannons and levering Liscomb's high survivability to take out smaller boats before they can deal any significant damage back. When playing like this, remember that none of the 20 mm cannons can fire in a ~45° arc directly forwards, and only one of them can fire in a ~70° arc directly aft, so always keep enemies to the sides to maximize firepower. Additionally, the 20 mm cannons cannot depress far enough to target anything within a ~60 m radius around the boat, so don't let enemies get too close and avoid staying near islands and other forms of cover for too long. The Liscomb is more susceptible to artillery and torpedoes at close range, so as with playing at long-range, always keep moving.

Another thing to note is that while controlling the 20 mm cannons, there will be no effective AI-controlled anti-aircraft weapons. She makes for an easy target for aircraft due to her large size and low speed, so periodically check the skies and, if you're not confident with your aim, switch back to the 4-inch cannon to give control of the 20 mm cannons to the AI gunners.

Lastly, be aware that playing at close-range is a much more viable tactic in a downtier, as the Liscomb is practically immune to any machine guns common at the low tier. In an uptier, however, the Liscomb will face opponents with much more powerful armaments, partially negating her survivability advantage.

Ammunition Choices
The Liscomb with the semihistorical camouflage Isles class, HMS Alisa Craig, available on the Gaijin Marketplace.

For the 4 in QF Mark V cannon, the best ammunition choice, in general, is the 4 inch HE round. The 4 inch HE round has the most high-explosive mass among the three rounds that the 4 in QF Mark V cannon has access to, making it the best general-purpose round overall.

The 4 inch SAP rounds should be reserved only for Soviet armoured gun boats. Any other targets will simply not have any sort of armour, and the round will generally over-penetrate the hull without triggering its fuse, dealing minimal damage to the target. Identify the enemy first and only use the SAP round if the other rounds are ineffective.

The 102 mm shrapnel should be used on large targets without armour such as sub-chasers. Against such targets, the HE round will most likely fail to destroy the hull compartments in a single hit, and internal components will rarely be damaged. In contrast, the shrapnel round can consistently destroy their hull compartments, and it creates a cone of spalling upon penetration that can travel much further into the hull. Keep in mind, though, that the shrapnel round will almost always be stopped by any kind of armour and that it only has about 30% of the explosive mass of the HE round, making it less versatile against smaller boats unless specifically aiming for ammunition storages. The shrapnel round also has a timed fuse that could possibly be used against aircraft, though with the 4 in QF Mark V cannon's slow traverse and elevation rates as well as its slow rate of fire, it's better to leave anti-aircraft defence to the other weaponry.

For the 20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II cannons, the best ammunition choice is the 20 mm HE because it has the highest ratio of HE rounds to AP rounds, making it the most effective against both aircraft and surface targets. The 20 mm HE belt should be the main ammunition choice, though a small amount of the 20 mm AP belt should also be taken in case any armoured targets get around to the sides of the boat. Aside from ammunition costs, there is no reason to use the Universal belt once the other options have been researched.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Detailed damage model; almost completely immune against machine guns, and highly resilient to larger-calibre guns in general
  • 4-inch cannon, while cannot hull-break most PT boats, is still powerful enough to deal damage against most coastal vessel
  • Has three Oerlikon autocannons with good damage output
  • Stable firing platform

Cons:

  • Quite large in size, can be easily targeted
  • Terrible top speed and manoeuvrability, susceptible to torpedoes, artillery, and aircraft attacks
  • Ammo racks are stored directly on the bow and right below the main gun, making it very vulnerable
  • The 4-inch cannon has poor traverse rates and accuracy

History

The Isles-class, also known as the Western Isles-class, was a class of 197 Royal Navy naval trawlers built between 1939 and 1945. The Isles-class actually comprised of four separate classes of trawlers: the Tree-class, the Dance-class, the Shakespearean-class, and the Isles-class. While the four classes of trawlers are separate, their overall designs were very similar. All four had a length overall of 164 ft, a beam of 27 ft 8 in, and a deep load displacement of 11 ft 1 in. They were all powered by a single shaft vertical triple expansion boiler producing 850 bhp, giving them a top speed of 12.25 knots. Royal Navy trawlers used for minesweeping and convoy escort — which includes the Tree-class, the Shakespearean-class, and the Isles-class — were armed with the standard armament consisting of a single 3-inch QF 12-pdr 12 cwt cannon on the bow, as well as several Oerlikon 20 mm cannons and 30 depth charges. Those used for anti-submarine operations — in this case, only the Dance-class — were additionally given ASDIC equipment and a 4-inch/45 BL Mk IX cannon in place of the 12-pdr cannon.

The Tree-class was the first attempt at a purpose-built naval trawler by Britain during the Second World War. Based on the design of the previous Basset-class trawler of 1935, 20 Tree-class trawlers were ordered in 1939 at the start of the war, with 19 completed between 1939 and 1940 and one completed in 1942. Of the 20 built, 6 were lost during the war. Of the surviving vessels, all but two were sold off in 1946, with the remaining two sold off in 1948.

Following the Tree-class were two groups of trawlers, the Dance-class and the Shakespearean-class, ordered together later in 1939. Twenty Dance-class and 12 Shakespearean-class trawlers were ordered, with all 32 completed between 1940 and 1941. The Dance-class was similar to the Tree-class but was built for anti-submarine duty and given a 4-inch gun instead of the 12-pdr, while the Shakespearean-class was nearly identical to the Tree-class. One Dance-class and six Shakespearean-class trawlers were lost during the war. Aside from four Dance-class trawlers along with one Shakespearean-class trawler sent to Italy in 1946, as well as one Shakespearean-class trawler sent to Kenya also in 1946, all survivors were sold off in 1946 except for two Dance-class trawlers which were sold in 1947.

Last is the Isles-class consisting of 145 trawlers all built through to the end of the war. The Isles-class was again very similar in design to the previous trawlers, and because the Isles-class was much more numerous than the others, the other classes are often considered subclasses of it. Twenty-three Isles-class trawlers were lost during the war with most survivors sold off in 1946. Several Isles-class trawlers were sent to the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy as well as to the Italian Navy, the Portuguese Navy, and the German Navy. A small number of Isles-class trawlers remained in service with the Royal Navy as late as the 1960s.

HMS Liscomb was one of 16 Isles-class trawlers built for the Royal Navy by Canada. She was ordered 8th August 1941 and was laid down on 1st July 1941 at Kingston Shipyards in Ontario. Liscomb was launched on 23rd March 1942 and commissioned later that year on 8th September as HMS Liscomb (T-285). During the war, HMS Liscomb was one of 8 Isles-class trawlers loaned to the Royal Canadian Navy, although they weren't recommissioned as RCN vessels and still retained their RN crewmen. HMS Liscomb was commanded by the following while on loan to the RCN:

  • I.D. Smith, RNVR: 20th August 1942 to February 1944
  • Lt. J.C. Smith, RCNR: February 1944 to 16th October 1944
  • T/Lt. R.V. Harris, RNVR: 16th October 1944 onwards

After the end of World War II in Europe, HMS Liscomb was returned to the Royal Navy on 17th June 1945 and paid off the same day. She was sold in 1946 to the Norwegian trawlers, and was later renamed Aalesund. Her final fates remain unknown.

Media

Skins

See also

External links

References

Bibliography
  • Chesneau, R., & Gardiner, R. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922-1946 (pp. 65-66). London, England: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-1467.


Kingston Shipbuilding Company
Minesweepers 
Isles-class  HMS Liscomb

Britain sub-chasers
HMS Liscomb · HMCS Brantford · LÉ Orla · HMS Peacock

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