Difference between revisions of "USS Helena"
Ketrab9713 (talk | contribs) (Added lots of pros and cons, added info about survivability and armor) (Tag: Visual edit) |
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== Description == | == Description == | ||
| − | <!-- ''In the first part of the description, cover the history of the ship's creation and military application. In the second part, tell the reader about using this ship in the game. Add a screenshot | + | <!-- ''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.'' --> |
[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]] | [[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]] | ||
| − | {{ | + | {{Break}} |
| − | The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} American cruiser {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.93 "Shark Attack"]]. | + | The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} American light cruiser {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.93 "Shark Attack"]]. |
== General info == | == General info == | ||
=== Survivability and armour === | === Survivability and 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.'' --> | |
| + | Armour on Helena is pretty strong for a light cruiser, as it can definitely hold out against large calibre HE shells. One should remember that Brooklyn-class cruisers oftentimes could survive a torpedo hit, so if you have enough crew, you can easily tank one or even two torpedoes. Your main concern while playing Helena should be high calibre AP shells, as they can wreck your ship in no time, especially if they are coming from fast reloading guns like American 5"/38, or if they are shot at you by a ship with lots of guns like [[IJN Suzuya]]. | ||
| − | Turret face | + | Turret face armour is 165 mm, side, rear and top armour are 76 mm, 76 mm, and 51 mm thick respectively, and mantlets are 100 mm of RHA. Barbettes are 152 mm of rolled cemented armour. Secondaries are protected only by 32 mm of antifragmentation armour, so expect them to be knocked out as soon as any high calibre shell hits them. |
| − | Bow ammo magazines are protected by 51 mm of | + | Bow ammo magazines are protected by 51 mm of antifragmentation armour on the top and sides, and 127 mm of antifragmentation armour in the front. They are also hidden deep below the waterline and behind fuel tanks, which makes them a very difficult target. Aft shells and charges are protected from the top and rear by the same armour as bow magazines, but since there are no fuel tanks, they get 120 mm rolled cemented armour as side armour. Rear of the bow ammo stowage and front of the aft ammo stowage are protected by 95 mm of rolled cemented armour. Ammo elevators are protected by 127 mm of antifragmentation armour. |
| − | Bridge is protected by 127 mm of antifragmentation | + | Bridge is protected by 127 mm of antifragmentation armour on the sides and 57 mm of the same armour on the top. |
| − | Thanks to unit system (engines and boilers are alternating inside the hull) it's very hard to disable propulsion on the ship, even with a torpedo. | + | Thanks to the unit system (engines and boilers are alternating inside the hull) it's very hard to disable propulsion on the ship, even with a torpedo. |
=== Mobility === | === Mobility === | ||
| Line 24: | Line 25: | ||
== Armament == | == Armament == | ||
=== Primary armament === | === Primary armament === | ||
| − | ''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|6 inch/47 Mk.16 (152 mm)}} |
| + | |||
| + | ''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.'' | ||
=== Secondary armament === | === Secondary armament === | ||
| + | {{main|5 inch/38 Mk.12 (127 mm)}} | ||
| + | |||
''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.'' | ||
=== Anti-aircraft armament === | === Anti-aircraft armament === | ||
| + | {{main|Bofors L/60 Mark 2 (40 mm)|20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II (20 mm)}} | ||
| + | |||
''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.'' | ||
== 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).'' | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Modules === | ||
| + | {| class="wikitable" | ||
| + | ! Tier | ||
| + | ! Seakeeping | ||
| + | ! colspan="2" | Unsinkability | ||
| + | ! colspan="3" | Firepower | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | I | ||
| + | | Dry-Docking | ||
| + | | Tool Set | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | | 6 inch Mk.35 AP | ||
| + | | Anti-Air Armament Targeting | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | II | ||
| + | | Rudder Replacement | ||
| + | | Fire Protection System | ||
| + | | Smokescreen | ||
| + | | 6 inch Mk.34 HC | ||
| + | | Auxiliary Armament Targeting | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | III | ||
| + | | Propeller Replacement | ||
| + | | Shrapnel Protection | ||
| + | | Ventilation | ||
| + | | 5 inch AAVT Mk.31 | ||
| + | | Primary Armament Targeting | ||
| + | | Improved Rangefinder | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | IV | ||
| + | | Engine Maintenance | ||
| + | | New Pumps | ||
| + | | Ammo Wetting | ||
| + | | 6 inch Mk.34 HC | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | | | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | ! colspan="7" | This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | |} | ||
=== Pros and cons === | === Pros and cons === | ||
| + | <!-- ''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:''' | ||
* 2 x triple-mount 6 inch and 2 x dual-mount 5 inch cannons can fire straight ahead, allowing decent firepower while only exposing a small silhouette towards the enemy | * 2 x triple-mount 6 inch and 2 x dual-mount 5 inch cannons can fire straight ahead, allowing decent firepower while only exposing a small silhouette towards the enemy | ||
| − | * Extensive use of antifragmentation | + | * Extensive use of antifragmentation armour, rendering Helena as almost HE-"proof" |
| − | * Best citadel | + | * Best citadel armour out of all light cruisers in the game |
| − | * One of the highest fire rates out of all light cruisers (10 rpm) | + | * One of the highest main calibre fire rates out of all light cruisers (10 rpm) |
| − | * | + | * Very hard to disable all of the engines with one torpedo hit, thanks to unit system of machinery (transmission and engines are alternated inside the ship) |
* Highest ammo count out of all cruisers | * Highest ammo count out of all cruisers | ||
| − | * Shells and charges are hidden below waterline, are protected by loads of antifragmentation | + | * Shells and charges are hidden below waterline, are protected by loads of antifragmentation armour, rolled cemented armour and fuel, making it very hard to one hit kill Helena |
| − | * Second thickest turret face in the game (only Chapayev and Sverdlov have thicker turret | + | * Second thickest turret face in the game (only [[Chapayev]] and [[Sverdlov]] have thicker turret armour) |
* Second best AA in game in terms of amount of guns, best AA in game in terms of ammo and flexibility (out of all light cruiser that is) | * Second best AA in game in terms of amount of guns, best AA in game in terms of ammo and flexibility (out of all light cruiser that is) | ||
* Mobility is comparable to other ships (except top tier Japanese and Italian cruisers) | * Mobility is comparable to other ships (except top tier Japanese and Italian cruisers) | ||
| − | * Bridge is protected by 127 mm of antifragmentation | + | * Bridge is protected by 127 mm of antifragmentation armour |
* One of the highest crew counts in the game | * One of the highest crew counts in the game | ||
'''Cons:''' | '''Cons:''' | ||
| − | * Citadel and ammoracks are well | + | * Citadel and ammoracks are well armoured, but other parts of the ship are protected by only 16 mm of antifragmentation armour |
* There are some shells hidden inside barbettes, so unlucky hit may cause heavy fires or even one hit kill a ship | * There are some shells hidden inside barbettes, so unlucky hit may cause heavy fires or even one hit kill a ship | ||
| − | * Auxiliary turrets have their first stage ammo stowages unprotected, so unlucky | + | * Auxiliary turrets have their first stage ammo stowages unprotected, so unlucky hits may cause heavy fires |
* Second worst 152 mm penetration in game (but it's still enough to kill any vessel) | * Second worst 152 mm penetration in game (but it's still enough to kill any vessel) | ||
* Turret No. 3 can shoot only when retreating or when showing broadside | * Turret No. 3 can shoot only when retreating or when showing broadside | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
== History == | == History == | ||
| Line 69: | Line 119: | ||
== 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.'' | ||
| Line 75: | Line 124: | ||
== 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;'' | * ''encyclopedia page on the ship;'' | ||
Revision as of 10:41, 3 July 2020
Contents
Description
The Brooklyn-class, USS Helena (CL-50), 1943 is a premium rank IV American light cruiser
with a battle rating of 6.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.93 "Shark Attack".
General info
Survivability and armour
Armour on Helena is pretty strong for a light cruiser, as it can definitely hold out against large calibre HE shells. One should remember that Brooklyn-class cruisers oftentimes could survive a torpedo hit, so if you have enough crew, you can easily tank one or even two torpedoes. Your main concern while playing Helena should be high calibre AP shells, as they can wreck your ship in no time, especially if they are coming from fast reloading guns like American 5"/38, or if they are shot at you by a ship with lots of guns like IJN Suzuya.
Turret face armour is 165 mm, side, rear and top armour are 76 mm, 76 mm, and 51 mm thick respectively, and mantlets are 100 mm of RHA. Barbettes are 152 mm of rolled cemented armour. Secondaries are protected only by 32 mm of antifragmentation armour, so expect them to be knocked out as soon as any high calibre shell hits them.
Bow ammo magazines are protected by 51 mm of antifragmentation armour on the top and sides, and 127 mm of antifragmentation armour in the front. They are also hidden deep below the waterline and behind fuel tanks, which makes them a very difficult target. Aft shells and charges are protected from the top and rear by the same armour as bow magazines, but since there are no fuel tanks, they get 120 mm rolled cemented armour as side armour. Rear of the bow ammo stowage and front of the aft ammo stowage are protected by 95 mm of rolled cemented armour. Ammo elevators are protected by 127 mm of antifragmentation armour.
Bridge is protected by 127 mm of antifragmentation armour on the sides and 57 mm of the same armour on the top.
Thanks to the unit system (engines and boilers are alternating inside the hull) it's very hard to disable propulsion on the ship, even with a torpedo.
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.
Armament
Primary armament
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: {{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.
Secondary armament
Some ships are fitted with weapons of various calibres. Secondary armaments are defined as weapons chosen with the control Select secondary weapon. 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.
Anti-aircraft armament
An important part of the ship's armament responsible for air defence. Anti-aircraft armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control Select anti-aircraft weapons. 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.
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).
Modules
| Tier | Seakeeping | Unsinkability | Firepower | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Dry-Docking | Tool Set | 6 inch Mk.35 AP | Anti-Air Armament Targeting | ||
| II | Rudder Replacement | Fire Protection System | Smokescreen | 6 inch Mk.34 HC | Auxiliary Armament Targeting | |
| III | Propeller Replacement | Shrapnel Protection | Ventilation | 5 inch AAVT Mk.31 | Primary Armament Targeting | Improved Rangefinder |
| IV | Engine Maintenance | New Pumps | Ammo Wetting | 6 inch Mk.34 HC | ||
| This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase | ||||||
Pros and cons
Pros:
- 2 x triple-mount 6 inch and 2 x dual-mount 5 inch cannons can fire straight ahead, allowing decent firepower while only exposing a small silhouette towards the enemy
- Extensive use of antifragmentation armour, rendering Helena as almost HE-"proof"
- Best citadel armour out of all light cruisers in the game
- One of the highest main calibre fire rates out of all light cruisers (10 rpm)
- Very hard to disable all of the engines with one torpedo hit, thanks to unit system of machinery (transmission and engines are alternated inside the ship)
- Highest ammo count out of all cruisers
- Shells and charges are hidden below waterline, are protected by loads of antifragmentation armour, rolled cemented armour and fuel, making it very hard to one hit kill Helena
- Second thickest turret face in the game (only Chapayev and Sverdlov have thicker turret armour)
- Second best AA in game in terms of amount of guns, best AA in game in terms of ammo and flexibility (out of all light cruiser that is)
- Mobility is comparable to other ships (except top tier Japanese and Italian cruisers)
- Bridge is protected by 127 mm of antifragmentation armour
- One of the highest crew counts in the game
Cons:
- Citadel and ammoracks are well armoured, but other parts of the ship are protected by only 16 mm of antifragmentation armour
- There are some shells hidden inside barbettes, so unlucky hit may cause heavy fires or even one hit kill a ship
- Auxiliary turrets have their first stage ammo stowages unprotected, so unlucky hits may cause heavy fires
- Second worst 152 mm penetration in game (but it's still enough to kill any vessel)
- Turret No. 3 can shoot only when retreating or when showing broadside
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: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Ship-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the ship's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
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
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- encyclopedia page on the ship;
- other literature.
| USA light cruisers | |
|---|---|
| Omaha-class | USS Detroit · USS Raleigh · USS Trenton |
| Atlanta-class | USS Atlanta |
| Brooklyn-class | USS Brooklyn · USS Helena |
| Cleveland-class | USS Cleveland |
| Fargo-class | USS Fargo |
| Worcester-class | USS Roanoke |
| USA premium ships | |
|---|---|
| Motor torpedo boats | PT-3 · PT-109 · PT-174 · Thunderbolt (PT-556) · PT-658 · PT-811 |
| Motor gun boats | LCM(6) Zippo · USS Douglas · USS Flagstaff |
| Sub-chasers | Carmi (PC-466) |
| Destroyers | USS Welborn C. Wood · USS Wilkinson · USS Bennion · USS Cowell · USS Davis · USS Moffett · USS Phelps · USS Frank Knox |
| Light cruisers | USS Detroit · USS Helena |
| Heavy cruisers | USS Des Moines |
| Battleships | USS Arkansas |
