Difference between revisions of "HMS Kent"

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{{Specs-Card|code=uk_cruiser_kent}}
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{{Specs-Card
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|code=uk_cruiser_kent
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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 '''{{Specs|name}}''' was a County-class heavy cruiser built for Royal Navy in the mid 1920s. She was laid down on 15th November 1924 and commissioned on 25th June 1928. She was armed with four twin 8 inch/50 Mark VIII cannons in superfiring positions with two on bow and two aft. The secondary armament was made of six 4 inch/45 QF Mark V cannons in single mounts on various locations amidship and four 2 pdr QF Mk.VIII autocannons for anti-aircraft protection and two quadruple 533 mm torpedo launchers. After completion, Kent was sent to China where she stayed until the outbreak of WWII when she was tasked with hunting the German pocket battleship Graf Spee in the East Indies together with the French heavy cruiser Suffren and Australian destroyers Vampire and Voyager. In mid 1940, after Italy declared war, Kent was transferred to the Mediterranean where she arrived in August. Two weeks later, she escorted convoys between Alexandria and Malta. During the night of 17 to 18th September 1940, Kent was attacked by Italian S.M.79 torpedo bombers from 279th Squadriglia Autonoma Aerosiluranti. She was towed to Alexandria by destroyers where temporary repairs were conducted before she departed bound for UK. She spent the rest of 1941 undergoing repairs and refitting during which she gained various radars and multiple Oerlikon autocannons. Between 8th and 12nd December 1941, she sailed to Murmansk with British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden on board. She was assigned to the Home Fleet and escorted convoys bound for Russia until 1944 when she took part in Operation Mascot, covering the carriers performing raids on German battleship Tirpitz in Norway. Kent was put into reserve in January 1945 until being sold for scrap in January 1948.
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{{Break}}
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British heavy cruiser {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]].
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The Kent was introduced in [[Update 1.97 "Viking Fury"]]. Her armour protection is very poor for a heavy cruiser with only 25 mm belt armour protecting the machinery and ammo elevators of the turret with 101 mm thick armour plate protecting the magazines. As Kent is in her 1934 fit, she does not possess adequate anti-air protection as the aircraft were not seen as such big threat as later on in the war. The module layout however plays in Kent's favour, as the majority of ship above the waterline is empty so when hit no modules except the ones on superstructure such as secondary weapons or bridge are damaged. All the vital components are located under the waterline being naturally protected from the damage. The 8 inch guns with average fire rate compared to other heavy cruisers possess quite capable penetration capabilities thanks to the SAPBC rounds.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
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{{Specs-Fleet-Armour}}
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<!-- ''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.''
 
''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.''
  
 
=== 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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{{NavalMobility
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|SpeedForwardStockAB =
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|SpeedBackStockAB =
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|TurnTimeStockAB =
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|TurnSpeedStockAB =
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|TurnTimeSpadedAB =
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|TurnSpeedSpadedAB =
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|SpeedForwardStockRB =
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|SpeedBackStockRB =
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|TurnTimeStockRB =
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|TurnSpeedStockRB =
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|TurnTimeSpadedRB =
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|TurnSpeedSpadedRB =
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}}
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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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''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.''
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{{Specs-Fleet-Primary}}
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<!-- ''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.'' -->
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{{main|8 inch/50 Mark VIII (203 mm)}}
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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|-
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! colspan="5" | [[8 inch/50 Mark VIII (203 mm)|203 mm 8 inch/50 Mark VIII]] (x 8)
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|-
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! colspan="5" | Turrets (Bow to stern)
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|-
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!  || Front turret (x2) || Front elevated turret (x2) || Rear elevated  turret (x2) || Rear turret (x2)
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|-
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! scope="row" | Vertical guidance
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| -°/+° || -°/+° || -°/+° || -°/+°
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|-
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! scope="row" | Horizontal guidance
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| -°/+° || -°/+° || -°/+° || -°/+°
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|-
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! scope="row" | Ammo capacity
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| colspan="5" |
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|-
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! scope="row" | Rounds per turret
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| colspan="5" |
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|-
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|}
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{{:8 inch/50 Mark VIII (203 mm)/Ammunition|8 inch HE, 8 inch Mark I.B. SAPCBC}}
  
 
=== Secondary armament ===
 
=== Secondary armament ===
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''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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{{Specs-Fleet-Secondary}}
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<!-- ''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|4 in QF Mark V (102 mm)}}
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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|-
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! colspan="6" | [[4 in QF Mark V (102 mm)|102 mm 4 in QF Mark V]] (x 6)
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|-
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! colspan="6" | Turrets (Bow to stern)
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|-
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!  || Front port turret (x2) || Front starboard turret (x2) || Middle port turret (x2) || Middle starboard turret (x2) || Rear turret (x2)
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|-
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! scope="row" | Vertical guidance
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| -°/+° || -°/+° || -°/+° || -°/+° ||  ±°
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|-
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! scope="row" | Horizontal guidance
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| -°/+° || -°/+° || -°/+° || -°/+° ||  ±°
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|-
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! scope="row" | Ammo capacity
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| colspan="6" |
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|-
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! scope="row" | Rounds per turret
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| colspan="6" |
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|-
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|}
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{{:4 in QF Mark V (102 mm)/Ammunition|4 inch HE, 4 inch SAP, 4 inch HE-TF}}
  
 
=== Anti-aircraft armament ===
 
=== Anti-aircraft armament ===
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''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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{{Specs-Fleet-AA}}
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<!-- ''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|2pdr QF Mk.VIII (40 mm)|Vickers Mk.V (12.7 mm)}}
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 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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|-
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! colspan="8" | [[2pdr QF Mk.VIII (40 mm)|40 mm 2pdr QF Mk.VIII]] (x 4)
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|-
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! colspan="8" | Turrets (Bow to stern)
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|-
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!  || Front port turret || Middle port turret || Front starboard turret || Middle starboard turret  || Rear port turret || Rear starboard turret || Rear stern turret
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|-
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! scope="row" | Vertical guidance
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| -°/+° || ±° || -°/+° || ±° || colspan="3" | ±180°
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|-
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! scope="row" | Horizontal guidance
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| colspan="7" | -°/+°
 +
|-
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! scope="row" | Ammo capacity
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| colspan="7" |
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|-
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! scope="row" | Rounds per turret
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| colspan="7" |
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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.'' -->
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{{main|Mk.V (533 mm)}}
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 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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! colspan="9" | Torpedo Characteristics
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|-
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! Torpedo Mode !! Mass (kg) !! Maximum speed in water (km/h) !! Travel distance (km) !! Depth stroke (m) !! Arming distance (m) !! Explosive type !! Explosive mass (kg) !! TNT equivalent (kg)
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|-
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| {{Annotation|No|'Torpedo Mode' modification uninstalled}} ||1,736||74||4.57||1||50||TNT||305||305
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|-
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| {{Annotation|Yes|'Torpedo Mode' modification installed}} ||1,736||46||12.34||1||50||TNT||305||305
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|}
  
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=== Torpedo armament ===
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=== Scout plane ===
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''Torpedoes launchers are standard equipment on many ships and boats. Torpedoes are a significant means of defeating an opponent. Evaluate the position of the torpedo launchers, discuss the ammunition available, firing specifics such as dead zones, features of the torpedoes themselves, etc. If there is no torpedo armament, remove this section.''
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{{Specs-Fleet-Plane}}
  
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=== Special armament ===
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Located amidships is a catapult with one Osprey Mk IV scout plane which provides unique offensive and defensive abilities, expanding tactical options. Ship-launched scout planes fly just like regular tree units but lack munition choices and cockpit views. The Osprey may look familiar as it is a derivative of the [[Nimrod Mk II|Nimrod fighter]], but as a 2 seater equipped with a defensive machine gun along with the fixed machine gun and no bombs. It does have the scout plane ability to cap zones and lay down smoke cover (up to 3 times). Captains will be wise to remember to utilise the aircraft and consider when best to use it, for example to cap a point early or late in the match, to create a smoke screen to stymie enemy bombardment and repair, to attack enemy units directly, or perhaps something completely new!
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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.''
 
  
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
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''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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<!-- ''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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HMS Kent provides incredible protection: it features torpedo protection of 250 kg, which translates into taking multiple torpedo strikes, without sinking. However, this heavy cruiser can still be sunk by a single well placed torpedo. If it was to hit the front of starboard (left) or port (right) sides which is the closes  to the ammunition storage for turret A (first turret on the ship). HMS Kent has the 8" cannons installed, which are the same cannons on the previous ship HMS York. The Kent, has four turrets with two 8" cannons per turret providing it a total of eight, 8" cannons with 1,200 rounds of ammunition. The ammunition choices for main 8" armament is limited to fire only HE or SAPCBC rounds or a combination of both.
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HMS Kent secondary armament consists of six 4" deck cannons, which can carry 1,200 rounds of the following ammunition HE, SAP or HE-TF. The anti-aircraft is placed on the mid-ships of the ship, the armament consists only of four 40 mm 2-pdr automatic cannons, with 8,960 rounds of ammunition. Two quad firing 12.7 mm, Vickers machine guns with 16,000 rounds of ammunition.
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To get the best performance out of HMS Kent, it's important to keep enemy ships at range - the eight 8" cannons will be able to knock out any enemy ship fast with well placed shots. To do this, aim for the enemy ship turrets and knock them out so it cannot fire back. Additionally, the SAPCBC rounds will penetrate the deck of the ship and detonate the ammo racks knocking that turret out completely. To do this use the SAPCBC which provide up to 263 mm of penetration and at long range up to 15,000 m up to 143 mm of penetration. This is able to penetrate any ship deck and cause catastrophic damage to the enemy ship.
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 +
===== Biggest Naval threats =====
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The biggest naval threats to this ship are the following ships:
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 +
* [[Kirov (Family)|Kirov-class light cruisers]]: offer fast speed, agile handling along with a devastating salvo which is able to penetrate the armour of HMS Kent.  Importantly, the Kirov class ships lack armour protection and can be easy destroyed at range by the SAPCBC rounds. However at close ranges the Kirov class, light cruisers require precision aiming for the weak parts on their hull and armour to be sunk.
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* [[Chapayev]], [[Zheleznyakov]] & [[Sverdlov]] light cruisers offer great handling, good speed, incredible powerful main armament and powerful secondary armament. Both of these two Russian naval ships feature incredible strong hull and belt armour able to with stand non-armour piercing rounds. However, these two ships have one major weakness the turrets and deck armour can be easily knocked out by the British 8" cannons when firing SAPCBC rounds.
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* [[Admiral Graf Spee]] heavy cruiser - The legendary and iconic heavy cruiser called by Great Britons "The Pocket Battleship", the Admiral Graf Spree is one of the most formable ships in the game with two turrets containing 3 x 283 mm/52 SK C/28 cannons, which are the same cannons used on some German battleships! The rounds from this pocket battleship are able to destroy any ship with a few salvos fired from it. HMS Kent with its 8" cannons firing SAPCBC rounds is able to destroy the Admiral Graf Spree at ranges of over 15,000 m. However to do this, HMS Kent must stay hidden from the Admiral Graf Spree, aim for its frontal turret as a marker use the SAPCBC rounds to penetrate its weak deck armour and detonate its magazine.
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* [[Admiral Hipper]] & [[Prinz Eugen]] heavy cruisers - These German heavy cruisers offer great armour protection and powerful cannons along with torpedoes. These heavy cruisers are able to be a royal pain for HMS Kent, they are able to withstand salvos fired from her 8" cannons. The ammunition fired from the Admiral Hipper & Prinz Eugen heavy cruisers, can cause major damage and penetrate HMS Kent turret armour causing the turrets to become knocked out. HMS Kent can knock out the Admiral Hipper & Prinz Eugen heavy cruisers however it is not easy even at close range - the ideal distance to knock them out is between 5,000 and 8,000 m with SAPCBC rounds performing a  full broadside - Aim for the front  of the Admiral Hipper & Prinz Eugen Heavy cruisers.
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 +
Another way of knocking Admiral Hipper & Prinz Eugen Heavy cruisers out is by aiming for the bridge and castle deck and setting it on fire with every salvo. Over time this will knock the crew out slowly and cause the ship to run out, causing critical damage to the ship making repairs longer and longer. Allowing for more hits to happen and possibly a torpedo strike from HMS Kent to finally sink the Admiral Hipper & Prinz Eugen heavy cruisers.
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* [[Mogami (Family)|Mogami class]] light and heavy cruisers: they are incredible strong at long range engagements, the main armament from the Mogami-class cruisers are able to penetrate and destroy HMS Kent with ease. The armour on Mogami-class cruisers can reduce the 8" SAPCBC impact. At close ranges from under 8,000 m Mogami-class cruisers can be easily knocked out from the 8" SAPCBC round. To do this, target the front turrets and the SAPCBC round will penetrate the ammo racks and cause the magazines of the three main guns to explode.
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===== Handling aircraft threats =====
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HMS Kent is able to handle aircraft threats very well, its defensive armament when loaded with HE-TF is able to destroy the enemy torpedo and bomber aircraft with ease. However, it's important that you stay aware of them in battle. If they drop any torpedoes they must be dodged, only one torpedo needs to miss the torpedo protection and it's game over.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
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''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".''
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<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
  
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
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*
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 +
* Great main and secondary armament
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* 8" SAPCBC round is one of the best in game, able to cause major damage to any ship it hits
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* Good survivability and features torpedo protection
 +
* Torpedo protection offers protection of up to 250 kg warheads
 +
* One scout seaplane
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
*
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 +
* Not as fast as some other heavy cruisers
 +
* Long turning radius
 +
* Limited anti-aircraft protection compared to [[HMS London]]
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* Limited armour protection, does not protect all the critical parts
 +
* Fuel tanks are not protected by armour plates and if penetrated can cause fires
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
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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).''
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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).'' -->
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[[File:HMS Kent (54).jpg|thumb|470x470px|HMS Kent underway near Scapa Flow]]
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HMS Kent was a County-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy. Built in the 1920s, the ship enjoyed a long service life stretching into the final stages of World War II. After her commissioning, she served in the China Station until the start of the Second World War. Following the outbreak of war, she participated in the hunt for [[Admiral Graf Spee]], escorted convoys in the Indian ocean and saw service in Norway. Following the end of war, she was decommissioned, and was eventually scrapped after being used as a target ship.
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 +
=== Design and construction ===
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HMS Kent was the lead ship of the Kent subclass of the County-class cruisers. As the first 'treaty' cruisers designed following the Washington Naval Treaty, they were built within the 10-thousand ton standard-displacement limit. She carried substantial armament of eight 8-inch (203 mm) guns in four double mounts, as well as two quadruple torpedo launchers and numerous AA defences. However, she was very lightly protected due to the imposed weight limitations. She could make a top speed of 31.5 knots (58 km/h).
 +
 
 +
Kent was laid down on November 15th 1924, and was launched in March of 1926. Following her completion, she was formally commissioned in June of 1928.
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 +
=== Service History ===
 +
Following her completion, Kent was assigned to the 5th Cruiser squadron of the China Station. She spent the majority of her pre-war years serving with the China Station, though she returned to the UK in 1937 to receive additional armour plating.<ref name=":0">Russian Convoy Club of New Zealand. (2004)</ref> Following the outbreak of war, she joined the French cruiser Suffren and two Australian destroyers on the hunt for Graf Spee. She was then reassigned to troop convoy escort duties in the Indian ocean for the first part of 1940.<ref name=":1">Smith, G. (2005)</ref>
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 +
After Italy declared war, she was reassigned once again to the British Mediterranean squadron. In September of that year, she was torpedoed by Italian SM.79 bombers, and subsequently underwent a lengthy refit receiving numerous additional anti-aircraft guns.<ref name=":0" /> She went on to serve as a convoy escort between 1942 and 1943, and provided cover for British aircraft carriers attacking the Tirpitz in Operation Mascot.<ref name=":1" />
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In early 1945, it was apparent that the ship's deteriorating condition and lack of crew was impeding its ability to operate. As a result, the ship was paid off in early 1945. She remained in reserve until early 1948, when she was used as a target ship.<ref name=":0" /> Thereafter, she was given to BISCO for scrapping.<ref name=":1" />
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
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''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''
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<!-- ''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=uk_cruiser_kent Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
Line 54: Line 220:
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
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''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
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<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
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* ''encyclopedia page on the ship;''
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* ''other literature.'' -->
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* ''other literature.''
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=== References ===
 +
;Citations
 +
<references/>
 +
 
 +
;Bibliography
 +
* Russian Convoy Club of New Zealand. (2004). Royal Navy Ships G. Retrieved November 17, 2020, from <nowiki>http://www.russianconvoyclub.org.nz/RoyalNavyShipsGL.html</nowiki>
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* Smith, G. (2005). HMS Kent, heavy cruiser, WWII. Retrieved November 17, 2020, from <nowiki>https://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-06CA-Kent.htm</nowiki>
  
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{{ShipManufacturer Chatham Dockyard}}
 
{{Britain heavy cruisers}}
 
{{Britain heavy cruisers}}

Latest revision as of 17:36, 7 December 2023

Rank VI USA | Premium | Golden Eagles
A-10A Thunderbolt (Early)
HMS Kent
uk_cruiser_kent.png
GarageImage HMS Kent.jpg
HMS Kent
Britain flag.png Britain
IV Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
5.7 5.7 5.7
Class:
Research:75 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:250 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
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Description

The County-class, HMS Kent (54), 1934 was a County-class heavy cruiser built for Royal Navy in the mid 1920s. She was laid down on 15th November 1924 and commissioned on 25th June 1928. She was armed with four twin 8 inch/50 Mark VIII cannons in superfiring positions with two on bow and two aft. The secondary armament was made of six 4 inch/45 QF Mark V cannons in single mounts on various locations amidship and four 2 pdr QF Mk.VIII autocannons for anti-aircraft protection and two quadruple 533 mm torpedo launchers. After completion, Kent was sent to China where she stayed until the outbreak of WWII when she was tasked with hunting the German pocket battleship Graf Spee in the East Indies together with the French heavy cruiser Suffren and Australian destroyers Vampire and Voyager. In mid 1940, after Italy declared war, Kent was transferred to the Mediterranean where she arrived in August. Two weeks later, she escorted convoys between Alexandria and Malta. During the night of 17 to 18th September 1940, Kent was attacked by Italian S.M.79 torpedo bombers from 279th Squadriglia Autonoma Aerosiluranti. She was towed to Alexandria by destroyers where temporary repairs were conducted before she departed bound for UK. She spent the rest of 1941 undergoing repairs and refitting during which she gained various radars and multiple Oerlikon autocannons. Between 8th and 12nd December 1941, she sailed to Murmansk with British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden on board. She was assigned to the Home Fleet and escorted convoys bound for Russia until 1944 when she took part in Operation Mascot, covering the carriers performing raids on German battleship Tirpitz in Norway. Kent was put into reserve in January 1945 until being sold for scrap in January 1948.

The Kent was introduced in Update 1.97 "Viking Fury". Her armour protection is very poor for a heavy cruiser with only 25 mm belt armour protecting the machinery and ammo elevators of the turret with 101 mm thick armour plate protecting the magazines. As Kent is in her 1934 fit, she does not possess adequate anti-air protection as the aircraft were not seen as such big threat as later on in the war. The module layout however plays in Kent's favour, as the majority of ship above the waterline is empty so when hit no modules except the ones on superstructure such as secondary weapons or bridge are damaged. All the vital components are located under the waterline being naturally protected from the damage. The 8 inch guns with average fire rate compared to other heavy cruisers possess quite capable penetration capabilities thanks to the SAPBC rounds.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Citadel25 / 25 / 35 mm
Main fire tower25 / 25 / 25 mm
Hull25 mm (steel)
Superstructure8 mm (steel)
Number of section9
Displacement13 500 t
Crew784 people

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.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB66 / 30 km/h
RB56 / 26 km/h

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.

Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode Upgrade Status Maximum Speed (km/h) Turn Time (s) Turn Radius (m)
Forward Reverse
AB Stock ___ ___
Upgraded 66 30
RB/SB Stock ___ ___
Upgraded 56 26

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB9 670 → 13 102 Sl icon.png
RB9 385 → 12 716 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications66 500 Rp icon.png
128 500 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost1 500 Ge icon.png
Crew training72 000 Sl icon.png
Experts250 000 Sl icon.png
Aces940 Ge icon.png
Research Aces480 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
420 / 600 / 100 % Sl icon.png
166 / 166 / 166 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Seakeeping Unsinkability Firepower
Mods new ship hull.png
Dry-Docking
Research:
2 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 200 Sl icon.png
190 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship rudder.png
Rudder Replacement
Research:
3 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 800 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship screw.png
Propeller Replacement
Research:
3 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 400 Sl icon.png
230 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship engine.png
Engine Maintenance
Research:
4 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 300 Sl icon.png
300 Ge icon.png
Mods ship damage control crew.png
Damage Control Division
Research:
2 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 200 Sl icon.png
190 Ge icon.png
Mods ship fire control crew.png
Fire Division
Research:
3 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 800 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods engine smoke screen system.png
Smokescreen
Research:
3 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 800 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods ship anti fragmentation protection.png
Shrapnel Protection
Research:
3 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 400 Sl icon.png
230 Ge icon.png
Mods ship venting.png
Ventilation
Research:
3 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 400 Sl icon.png
230 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship pumps.png
New Pumps
Research:
4 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 300 Sl icon.png
300 Ge icon.png
Mods ship ammo wetting.png
Ammo Wetting
Research:
4 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 300 Sl icon.png
300 Ge icon.png
Mods new aa caliber turrets.png
Anti-Air Armament Targeting
Research:
2 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 200 Sl icon.png
190 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
102mm_uk_mkxvi_navy_SAP_ammo_pack
Research:
2 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 200 Sl icon.png
190 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
203mm_uk_mk8_mark_ib_sapc_ammo_pack
Research:
2 700 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 200 Sl icon.png
190 Ge icon.png
Mods new aux caliber turrets.png
Auxiliary Armament Targeting
Research:
3 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 800 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods he frag dist fuse ship.png
102mm_uk_mkxvi_navy_he_dist_fuse_ammo_pack
Research:
3 000 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 800 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods new main caliber turrets.png
Primary Armament Targeting
Research:
3 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 400 Sl icon.png
230 Ge icon.png
Mods ship rangefinder.png
Improved Rangefinder
Research:
3 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 400 Sl icon.png
230 Ge icon.png
Mods torpedo.png
Torpedo Mode
Research:
4 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 300 Sl icon.png
300 Ge icon.png
Mods shipSupportPlane.png
Hydroplane
Research:
4 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
8 300 Sl icon.png
300 Ge icon.png

Armament

Primary armament

4 х Turret2 x 8 inch/50 Mark VIII cannon
Ammunition300 rounds
Vertical guidance-3° / 70°
Main article: 8 inch/50 Mark VIII (203 mm)
203 mm 8 inch/50 Mark VIII (x 8)
Turrets (Bow to stern)
Front turret (x2) Front elevated turret (x2) Rear elevated turret (x2) Rear turret (x2)
Vertical guidance -°/+° -°/+° -°/+° -°/+°
Horizontal guidance -°/+° -°/+° -°/+° -°/+°
Ammo capacity
Rounds per turret

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
HE HE 62 62 62 62 62 62
Mark I.B. SAPCBC SAPCBC 274 248 209 178 153 119
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%
HE HE 855 116.1 0 0.1 10 79° 80° 81°
Mark I.B. SAPCBC SAPCBC 855 116.1 0.025 9 5.2 48° 63° 71°

Secondary armament

6 х Turret4 in/45 QF Mark V cannon
Ammunition200 rounds
Main article: 4 in QF Mark V (102 mm)
102 mm 4 in QF Mark V (x 6)
Turrets (Bow to stern)
Front port turret (x2) Front starboard turret (x2) Middle port turret (x2) Middle starboard turret (x2) Rear turret (x2)
Vertical guidance -°/+° -°/+° -°/+° -°/+° ±°
Horizontal guidance -°/+° -°/+° -°/+° -°/+° ±°
Ammo capacity
Rounds per turret

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
4 inch HE-TF HE-TF 20 20 20 20 20 20
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°
4 inch HE-TF HE-TF 811 15.88 0 0.1 1,550 79° 80° 81°

Anti-aircraft armament

4 х Turret40 mm 2pdr QF Mk.VIII automatic cannon
Ammunition2240 rounds
Belt capacity56 rounds
Fire rate200 shots/min
2 х Turret4 x 12.7 mm Vickers Mk.V machine gun
Ammunition8000 rounds
Belt capacity200 rounds
Fire rate600 shots/min
Main articles: 2pdr QF Mk.VIII (40 mm), Vickers Mk.V (12.7 mm)
40 mm 2pdr QF Mk.VIII (x 4)
Turrets (Bow to stern)
Front port turret Middle port turret Front starboard turret Middle starboard turret Rear port turret Rear starboard turret Rear stern turret
Vertical guidance -°/+° ±° -°/+° ±° ±180°
Horizontal guidance -°/+°
Ammo capacity
Rounds per turret

Additional armament

Setup 18 x 533 mm steam turbined Mk.V torpedo
Main article: Mk.V (533 mm)
Torpedo Characteristics
Torpedo Mode Mass (kg) Maximum speed in water (km/h) Travel distance (km) Depth stroke (m) Arming distance (m) Explosive type Explosive mass (kg) TNT equivalent (kg)
No 1,736 74 4.57 1 50 TNT 305 305
Yes 1,736 46 12.34 1 50 TNT 305 305

Scout plane

Main article: Osprey Mk IV

Located amidships is a catapult with one Osprey Mk IV scout plane which provides unique offensive and defensive abilities, expanding tactical options. Ship-launched scout planes fly just like regular tree units but lack munition choices and cockpit views. The Osprey may look familiar as it is a derivative of the Nimrod fighter, but as a 2 seater equipped with a defensive machine gun along with the fixed machine gun and no bombs. It does have the scout plane ability to cap zones and lay down smoke cover (up to 3 times). Captains will be wise to remember to utilise the aircraft and consider when best to use it, for example to cap a point early or late in the match, to create a smoke screen to stymie enemy bombardment and repair, to attack enemy units directly, or perhaps something completely new!

Usage in battles

HMS Kent provides incredible protection: it features torpedo protection of 250 kg, which translates into taking multiple torpedo strikes, without sinking. However, this heavy cruiser can still be sunk by a single well placed torpedo. If it was to hit the front of starboard (left) or port (right) sides which is the closes to the ammunition storage for turret A (first turret on the ship). HMS Kent has the 8" cannons installed, which are the same cannons on the previous ship HMS York. The Kent, has four turrets with two 8" cannons per turret providing it a total of eight, 8" cannons with 1,200 rounds of ammunition. The ammunition choices for main 8" armament is limited to fire only HE or SAPCBC rounds or a combination of both.

HMS Kent secondary armament consists of six 4" deck cannons, which can carry 1,200 rounds of the following ammunition HE, SAP or HE-TF. The anti-aircraft is placed on the mid-ships of the ship, the armament consists only of four 40 mm 2-pdr automatic cannons, with 8,960 rounds of ammunition. Two quad firing 12.7 mm, Vickers machine guns with 16,000 rounds of ammunition.

To get the best performance out of HMS Kent, it's important to keep enemy ships at range - the eight 8" cannons will be able to knock out any enemy ship fast with well placed shots. To do this, aim for the enemy ship turrets and knock them out so it cannot fire back. Additionally, the SAPCBC rounds will penetrate the deck of the ship and detonate the ammo racks knocking that turret out completely. To do this use the SAPCBC which provide up to 263 mm of penetration and at long range up to 15,000 m up to 143 mm of penetration. This is able to penetrate any ship deck and cause catastrophic damage to the enemy ship.

Biggest Naval threats

The biggest naval threats to this ship are the following ships:

  • Kirov-class light cruisers: offer fast speed, agile handling along with a devastating salvo which is able to penetrate the armour of HMS Kent. Importantly, the Kirov class ships lack armour protection and can be easy destroyed at range by the SAPCBC rounds. However at close ranges the Kirov class, light cruisers require precision aiming for the weak parts on their hull and armour to be sunk.
  • Chapayev, Zheleznyakov & Sverdlov light cruisers offer great handling, good speed, incredible powerful main armament and powerful secondary armament. Both of these two Russian naval ships feature incredible strong hull and belt armour able to with stand non-armour piercing rounds. However, these two ships have one major weakness the turrets and deck armour can be easily knocked out by the British 8" cannons when firing SAPCBC rounds.
  • Admiral Graf Spee heavy cruiser - The legendary and iconic heavy cruiser called by Great Britons "The Pocket Battleship", the Admiral Graf Spree is one of the most formable ships in the game with two turrets containing 3 x 283 mm/52 SK C/28 cannons, which are the same cannons used on some German battleships! The rounds from this pocket battleship are able to destroy any ship with a few salvos fired from it. HMS Kent with its 8" cannons firing SAPCBC rounds is able to destroy the Admiral Graf Spree at ranges of over 15,000 m. However to do this, HMS Kent must stay hidden from the Admiral Graf Spree, aim for its frontal turret as a marker use the SAPCBC rounds to penetrate its weak deck armour and detonate its magazine.
  • Admiral Hipper & Prinz Eugen heavy cruisers - These German heavy cruisers offer great armour protection and powerful cannons along with torpedoes. These heavy cruisers are able to be a royal pain for HMS Kent, they are able to withstand salvos fired from her 8" cannons. The ammunition fired from the Admiral Hipper & Prinz Eugen heavy cruisers, can cause major damage and penetrate HMS Kent turret armour causing the turrets to become knocked out. HMS Kent can knock out the Admiral Hipper & Prinz Eugen heavy cruisers however it is not easy even at close range - the ideal distance to knock them out is between 5,000 and 8,000 m with SAPCBC rounds performing a full broadside - Aim for the front of the Admiral Hipper & Prinz Eugen Heavy cruisers.

Another way of knocking Admiral Hipper & Prinz Eugen Heavy cruisers out is by aiming for the bridge and castle deck and setting it on fire with every salvo. Over time this will knock the crew out slowly and cause the ship to run out, causing critical damage to the ship making repairs longer and longer. Allowing for more hits to happen and possibly a torpedo strike from HMS Kent to finally sink the Admiral Hipper & Prinz Eugen heavy cruisers.

  • Mogami class light and heavy cruisers: they are incredible strong at long range engagements, the main armament from the Mogami-class cruisers are able to penetrate and destroy HMS Kent with ease. The armour on Mogami-class cruisers can reduce the 8" SAPCBC impact. At close ranges from under 8,000 m Mogami-class cruisers can be easily knocked out from the 8" SAPCBC round. To do this, target the front turrets and the SAPCBC round will penetrate the ammo racks and cause the magazines of the three main guns to explode.
Handling aircraft threats

HMS Kent is able to handle aircraft threats very well, its defensive armament when loaded with HE-TF is able to destroy the enemy torpedo and bomber aircraft with ease. However, it's important that you stay aware of them in battle. If they drop any torpedoes they must be dodged, only one torpedo needs to miss the torpedo protection and it's game over.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Great main and secondary armament
  • 8" SAPCBC round is one of the best in game, able to cause major damage to any ship it hits
  • Good survivability and features torpedo protection
  • Torpedo protection offers protection of up to 250 kg warheads
  • One scout seaplane

Cons:

  • Not as fast as some other heavy cruisers
  • Long turning radius
  • Limited anti-aircraft protection compared to HMS London
  • Limited armour protection, does not protect all the critical parts
  • Fuel tanks are not protected by armour plates and if penetrated can cause fires

History

HMS Kent underway near Scapa Flow

HMS Kent was a County-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy. Built in the 1920s, the ship enjoyed a long service life stretching into the final stages of World War II. After her commissioning, she served in the China Station until the start of the Second World War. Following the outbreak of war, she participated in the hunt for Admiral Graf Spee, escorted convoys in the Indian ocean and saw service in Norway. Following the end of war, she was decommissioned, and was eventually scrapped after being used as a target ship.

Design and construction

HMS Kent was the lead ship of the Kent subclass of the County-class cruisers. As the first 'treaty' cruisers designed following the Washington Naval Treaty, they were built within the 10-thousand ton standard-displacement limit. She carried substantial armament of eight 8-inch (203 mm) guns in four double mounts, as well as two quadruple torpedo launchers and numerous AA defences. However, she was very lightly protected due to the imposed weight limitations. She could make a top speed of 31.5 knots (58 km/h).

Kent was laid down on November 15th 1924, and was launched in March of 1926. Following her completion, she was formally commissioned in June of 1928.

Service History

Following her completion, Kent was assigned to the 5th Cruiser squadron of the China Station. She spent the majority of her pre-war years serving with the China Station, though she returned to the UK in 1937 to receive additional armour plating.[1] Following the outbreak of war, she joined the French cruiser Suffren and two Australian destroyers on the hunt for Graf Spee. She was then reassigned to troop convoy escort duties in the Indian ocean for the first part of 1940.[2]

After Italy declared war, she was reassigned once again to the British Mediterranean squadron. In September of that year, she was torpedoed by Italian SM.79 bombers, and subsequently underwent a lengthy refit receiving numerous additional anti-aircraft guns.[1] She went on to serve as a convoy escort between 1942 and 1943, and provided cover for British aircraft carriers attacking the Tirpitz in Operation Mascot.[2]

In early 1945, it was apparent that the ship's deteriorating condition and lack of crew was impeding its ability to operate. As a result, the ship was paid off in early 1945. She remained in reserve until early 1948, when she was used as a target ship.[1] Thereafter, she was given to BISCO for scrapping.[2]

Media

Skins

See also

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;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

References

Citations
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Russian Convoy Club of New Zealand. (2004)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Smith, G. (2005)
Bibliography
  • Russian Convoy Club of New Zealand. (2004). Royal Navy Ships G. Retrieved November 17, 2020, from http://www.russianconvoyclub.org.nz/RoyalNavyShipsGL.html
  • Smith, G. (2005). HMS Kent, heavy cruiser, WWII. Retrieved November 17, 2020, from https://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-06CA-Kent.htm


Chatham Dockyard
Light Cruisers 
Arethusa-class  HMS Arethusa
Heavy Cruisers 
Hawkins-class  HMS Hawkins
County-class  HMS Kent

Britain heavy cruisers
Hawkins-class  HMS Hawkins
York-class  HMS York
County-class  HMS Kent · HMS London · HMS Norfolk

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