Albatros
| This page is about the German motor torpedo gun boat Albatros. For the Italian gunboat, see Albatros F543. |
Contents
Description
The Albatros-class, Albatros (143) is a rank V German motor torpedo gun boat with a battle rating of 3.7 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.79 "Project X" as part of the fleet closed beta test.
General info
Survivability and armour
The Albatros' armour is lacklustre and will be only able to withstand low calibre fire and small amounts of explosive fragmentation. The bridge, hull, and turrets barely have armour, meaning they will quickly be damaged or even destroyed by 12.7 mm or 20 mm armour-piercing rounds. When it comes to components, it is easy to make ammo explosion in the Albatros as the ammunition is above the waterline. When it comes to air threats (machine gun strafes, rockets, bombs), the Albatros will be able to survive them with some exceptions to bombs. Bombs that land within a 40 m radius of the ship can cause fatal damage (it will also depend on the type of bomb, weight, TNT equivalent, etc).
Mobility
The Albatros, as a Cold War fast attack craft, changes completely the doctrine of previous ships, meaning it compensates armour with speed. It is able to reach speeds above 40 knots (~75 km/h), making it terrifyingly fast for a ship of its with its firepower. It is more than capable of reaching the battlefield faster than other destroyers and will outrun cruisers and battleships. When it comes to manoeuvrability, the Albatros leaves nothing to be desired. It is able to do tight turns (relatively tight turns but with greater speed than other destroyers) as well as accelerate and decelerate quickly.
| Mobility Characteristics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Mode | Upgrade Status | Maximum Speed (km/h) | |
| Forward | Reverse | ||
| AB | |||
| Upgraded | 101 | 53 | |
| RB/SB | |||
| Upgraded | 76 | 40 | |
Modifications and economy
| Seakeeping | Unsinkability | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armament
Primary armament
The Albatros is armed with the powerful OTO-Melara 76 mm Compact autocannon, the same gun as seen in the OTOMATIC. They are powerful weapons which will decimate almost every vessel it faces, not only because of the calibre but also because the rate of fire, which is doubled as it has two turrets. The autocannons have access to both high explosive and proximity fuzed ammunition, this being HE and HE-VT. It is recommended to utilize HE as primary ammunition against everything but aircraft. When it comes to aircraft, HE-VT is recommended due to the proximity fuse. With the use of radar, engaging enemy targets becomes easier than engaging them with eyesight.
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 100 m | 1,000 m | 2,000 m | 3,000 m | 4,000 m | 5,000 m | ||
| 76 mm DM-251 | HE | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| 76 mm DM-261 | HE-VT | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 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% | ||||||||||
| 76 mm DM-251 | HE | 914 | 6.3 | 0 | 0.1 | 864.6 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| Proximity-fused shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Arming distance (m) |
Trigger radius (m) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | |||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| 76 mm DM-261 | HE-VT | 925 | 6.3 | 0 | 0.1 | 380 | 10 | 668.1 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |
Additional armament
Armament consists of two Seal DM2A1 torpedoes mounted in tubes on the aft deck. These torpedoes are launched with their tails facing forward. Upon entering the water, they make a tight turn left until coming parallel with the launching ship's original course. They can only be aimed in a forward direction, as the tubes are static.
Usage in battles
In Realistic naval battles, the Albatros is a mixed bag. Its high speed makes it great for rushing in to secure capture points and strategic positions at the start of the round. However, the ship lacks in the armour department, and with only 2 main guns, it can get overwhelmed by enemies easily. This ship is best used in a supporting role, where its awesome 76 mm OTO-Melara cannons can shred enemy ships while also benefiting from the extra firepower and protection of friendly craft. In a situation where a player finds themselves alone in the Albatros, it's best to use your speed to head toward friendly forces. It can be good in a one-on-one situation, but as soon as another enemy vessel arrives, the Albatros finds itself at a disadvantage. Torpedoes should be used in rush tactics against larger ships, however it's again advised to do so with support from other vessels. One round from a destroyer or cruiser can badly cripple or even outright sink the Albatros.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good speed to get into great positions before the enemy
- Fast firing 76 mm main armaments that can give even destroyers a run for their money
- Guns are stable at high speeds
- Variable time fuse shells paired with the great guns makes dealing with aircraft easy
- Access to air search and tracking radar
Cons:
- Lightly armoured
- Small crew size
- Small size means compartments and modules are packed rather tight
- Torpedo tubes are static
- Only two main guns and no secondary armament
History
The Albatros-class fast attack craft was the replacement ship for the Type 141 Seeadler-class fast attack craft, a derivative of the Type 140 Jaguar fast attack craft. The design and development started in the 1960s and finished design stages in 1966. It was set under production, with the first unit being launched and commissioned in 1976.
Media
- Skins
- Gallery
Type 143 Albatros view from aft deck with the cannon and torpedoes looking fore.
Type 143 Albatros aft deck torpedo launchers and cannon.
Type 143 mid ship MM-38 EXOCET missile launchers.
Type 143 dual purpose OTO Melara 76 mm guns
Type 143 Albatros Side View
Type 143 bow mounted OTO Melara.
Type 143 Albatros turning at high speed.
- Video
See also
- Related development
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| Lürssen Werft | |
|---|---|
| Schnellboot | |
| Type S-38 | S-38 · S-38b · MC 485* |
| Type S-100 | S-100 · S-147 · S-204 Lang |
| Fast Attack Craft | |
| Jaguar-class | Jaguar |
| Albatros-class | Albatros · Bussard |
| *S-67 in post-war Italian Service | |
| Germany boats | |
|---|---|
| Motor torpedo boats | LS 3 · LS 4 Esau · KM-5 · VS-10 |
| S-38 · S-38b · S-100 · S-147 · S-204 Lang · S-701 | |
| R-301 | |
| V-990 | |
| Jaguar · Hugin · Pfeil | |
| Motor gun boats | R-41 · R-130 · Krischan der Große |
| Motor torpedo gun boats | Albatros · Bussard · MZ1 · Pr. 206 |
| Minelayers | VS-8 |
