HMS Vega

HMS Vega

HMS Calpe

HMS Vega

HMS Calpe

Britain

I Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.7	3.7	3.7

Class:

Destroyer

Research:Free

Purchase:Free

Show in game

Description

The HMS Vega (L41) is a member of the V-class destroyer family. As part of the 9th Order of the 1916–1917 Naval Program, the HMS Vega was ordered on June 30, 1916. William Doxford & Sons laid her down in Sunderland, England, on December 11, 1916, and she was launched on September 1, 1917. On December 14, 1917, she was commissioned into service after being completed on December 12, 1917. The HMS Vega saw action in the final year of World War I, serving with the Grand Fleet or Harwich Force. In 1918, the ship sustained damage while in fleet service. The HMS Vega later served with the Atlantic Fleet's 6th Destroyer Flotilla in 1921. After that, she was put into reserve and given to the Reserve Fleet. The HMS Vega was chosen to be converted into an anti-aircraft escort destroyer as part of the 1939 Rearmament Programme after World War II began. She arrived at Chatham Dockyard in May 1939 to start the conversion process. When she re-entered service in 1939, her pennant number changed to L41. The HMS Vega resumed her role in the North Sea convoy in July 1940. This ended on November 11, 1940, when she was severely damaged after running into a naval mine off Sunk Head, Harwich, England. She took part in the remainder of the war after the repairs were finished in late 1942. The HMS Vega was decommissioned and put into reserve again on August 15, 1945, the day that the armistice with Japan ended World War II. She was sold by Clayton and Davies at Dunston on Tyne on March 4, 1947, to BISCO for scrapping. On March 26, 1947, she arrived at the shipbreaker's yard.

Introduced in Update "Direct Hit", the HMS Vega is a unique destroyer for beginners; it has no torpedo armament and is entirely devoted to gunnery. The HMS Vega is vulnerable in close-quarters combat given that other vessels equipped with torpedoes could quickly destroy it, or out-turn it as the ship's turrets rotate very slowly. Therefore, it is more advisable to favour mid-range encounters, where the HMS Vega's exceptional gunnery and great manoeuvrability can be utilized to their fullest.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Main fire tower3 / 3 / 0 mm

Hull16 mm (steel)

Superstructure4 mm (steel)

Number of section6

Displacement1 523 t

Crew170 people

The Vega lacks survivability, but not necessarily to a crippling degree. There is no additional armour beyond the structural steel used in the Vega, and any ammunition can penetrate the Vega. This is a vulnerability shared by all destroyers, save for some American destroyers with minor anti-fragmentation hull armour. This flaw applies to all external components of the Vega as well, so primary weaponry and anti-aircraft mounts will be disabled frequently, even by machine gun fire. In addition to this, the size and crew count of the Vega is quite small, so the Vega will be destroyed quite easily.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB77 / 23 km/h

RB63 / 19 km/h

While suffering from a very low speed, Vega can showcase a decent manoeuvrability, enabling it to evade incoming fire where other destroyers would struggle. Mobility is a significant advantage of the Vega and should be used to both obtain and hold strategic positions and outmanoeuvre enemy fire.

Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode	Upgrade Status	Maximum Speed (km/h)		Turn Time (s)	Turn Radius (m)
		Forward	Reverse
AB	Stock	57	17	~108.12	~191.19
	Upgraded	77	23	___	___
RB/SB	Stock	___	___	___	___
	Upgraded	63	19	___	___

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

ABfree

RBfree

Total cost of modifications3 580

164

Talisman cost190

Crew trainingfree

Experts1 000

Aces10

Research Aces80 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

20 / 30 / 100 %

100 / 100 / 100 %

Modifications

Seakeeping	Unsinkability	Firepower
Dry-Docking Research: 330 Cost: 15 50 Rudder Replacement Propeller Replacement Engine Maintenance	Damage Control Division Fire Division Smokescreen Research: 240 Cost: 11 35 Ventilation Research: 270 Cost: 12 40 Shrapnel Protection Research: 270 Cost: 12 40 New Pumps Ammo Wetting Research: 530 Cost: 25 80	20 mm HE magazines Research: 330 Cost: 15 50 102mm_uk_mkxvi_navy_SAP_ammo_pack Research: 330 Cost: 15 50 Auxiliary Armament Targeting 20 mm AP magazines Research: 240 Cost: 11 35 102mm_uk_mkxvi_navy_he_dist_fuse_ammo_pack Research: 240 Cost: 11 35 Primary Armament Targeting Improved Rangefinder 102mm_uk_mkxvi_navy_he_radio_fuse_ammo_pack Research: 270 Cost: 12 40 Bomb mortar Research: 530 Cost: 25 80

Armament

Primary armament

2 х Turret2 x 4 inch/45 Mark XVI cannon

Ammunition400 rounds

Vertical guidance-10° / 80°

Two twin 4"/45 Mark XVI turrets provide the primary armament of the Vega, and they are powerful compared to other destroyers at a similar BR range. The rate of fire on these turrets is unparalleled among the starter destroyers of any nation, with 20 rounds per minute nearly doubling the other nation's rates of fire. The ammunition fired is also competitive among the starter destroyers, with the 4" shells of the Vega being more powerful than both the American and Soviet 4" shells. The German 12.7 cm, the Japanese 120 mm, and the Italian 120 mm are more destructive shell-for-shell than the smaller 4"/45 Mark XVI, but the Vega still maintains the significant rate of fire advantage over those guns.

Also notable is the very good front firing angles of the guns. Both turrets are fully traversable around 360°, and the rear turret has no obstructions near it, so it only has a very small blind area at the very front of the ship. Even a slight angling of the Vega will allow 100% of the ship's main armament to be brought upon a target. In addition to this, the turrets have a very good maximum elevation of 80°, allowing for potential combating of air targets. However, the turrets on the Vega do suffer from some significant weaknesses; the rotation speed is painfully slow, even with the appropriate Primary Armament Targeting modification researched. Moreover, the guns are elevated so close range combat with coastal vessels can potentially be impaired by a lack of gun depression. These issues are particularly impactful at the BR of the Vega due to the prevalence of fast and nimble vessels.

The twin 4"/45 Mark XVI turrets on the Vega have access to HE, SAP, HE-TF, and HE-VT shells. The HE shells can be used to target coastal vessels and destroyers to an extent, but internal damage and turret damage is limited by a relatively small explosive mass of 1.55 kg of TNT. More recommendable in destroyer-to-destroyer combat is the SAP shell, capable of penetrating enemy armour and exploding internally to disable engines, detonate ammo racks, and more quickly reduce enemy crew counts. SAP, in conjunction with the high rate of fire, is competent against coastal vessels as well, although the hull-break provided by HE ammunition is more reliable. HE-TF and HE-VT are valid choices for combating air targets, with the high elevation of the guns, and HE-VT is more reliable than the HE-TF if given a choice between the two.

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	20	20	20	20	20	20
4 inch SAP	SAP	102	85	64	48	38	30
4 inch HE-TF	HE-TF	20	20	20	20	20	20
4 inch HE-VT	HE-VT	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	811	15.88	0	0.1	1,550	79°	80°	81°
4 inch SAP	SAP	811	17.35	0.015	5	600	47°	60°	65°
4 inch HE-TF	HE-TF	811	15.88	0	0.1	1,550	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%
4 inch HE-VT	HE-VT	811	15.88	0	0.1	274	18	1,550	79°	80°	81°

Secondary armament

4 х Turret20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II autocannon

Ammunition1800 rounds

Belt capacity60 rounds

Fire rate450 shots/min

Four single-mount 20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II autocannons make up the secondary armament of the Vega. These are good at combating air targets and coastal vessels due to their high rate of fire and adequate overall damage output. These guns are only limited by the rather small number of them available on the Vega, and thus can't be completely relied upon as a complete defence against fast targets.

• 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°

Additional armament

Setup 112 x Y-gun Mk.VII depth charge

The Vega does not have access to torpedoes, and can only equip depth charges. The depth charges have an explosive mass of 130 kg of TNT and are effective at delivering close range damage, although the range of these significantly limit their impact on larger battles.

Usage in battles

The Vega is a unique starter destroyer, completely focused on gunnery and lacking any torpedo armament. Close range combat is dangerous for the Vega, as other ships with torpedoes may easily dispatch the Vega, or fast enemies could outrun the very slow rotation rate of the Vega's turrets. It's therefore more recommendable to favour mid-range engagements, where the superb gunnery and great manoeuvrability of the Vega can shine. The high rate of fire and adequate explosive filler of the 4" guns will make targeting evasive coastal vessels and destroyer components much easier than any other destroyer at the Vega's battle rating.

Attacking the enemy head-on might be a good idea, as you can fire both your guns at the target while turning only about ten degrees to a side. Rapidly switch sides to disrupt the enemy's aim, and keep firing with both cannons. Load the SAP shell and aim for their engines or ammunition racks. Never let torpedo boats get close. Your poor traverse will make aiming at them near impossible. Try opening fire at any you see from afar, fast reload rates will make that job easier. Taking sharp turns will tilt your ship, making aiming guns, which have nearly no depression, difficult.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Fantastic rate of fire with effective shell choice
• Nearly perfect firing angles for both turrets
• Dual-purpose main armament capable of targeting planes
• Very manoeuvrable

Cons:

• No torpedoes
• Poor survivability
• Very poor turret rotation

History

The V-class of destroyers were built and initially deployed during the First World War, and were some of the most advanced vessels of their type. Notable improvements in engine technology allowed for more efficient engines to be fit in smaller spaces, and resulted in a more compact and powerful destroyers. The Vega was part of the Admiralty V subclass, which were intended to combat newly designed German destroyers. The V-class destroyers also served in WW2, after refits, as escorts. The Vega specifically underwent the WAIR refit, which focused more on anti-aircraft capability.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the HMS Vega from live.warthunder.com.

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;
• other literature.

William Doxford & Sons
Destroyers
V-class	HMS Vega