Dark Adventurer

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Rank VI USA | Premium | Golden Eagles
A-10A Thunderbolt (Early)
uk_dark_class.png
GarageImage Dark Adventurer.jpg
Dark Adventurer
AB RB SB
2.0 2.0 2.0
Research:14 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:32 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The Dark-class, Dark Adventurer (FPB 1101) is a rank II British motor gun boat with a battle rating of 2.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.83 "Masters of the Sea" as part of the British fleet closed beta test. With the split of the naval tech trees in Update "New Power", Dark Adventurer was moved to the coastal fleet tech tree.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull40 mm (wood)
Superstructure15 mm (wood)
Number of section4
Displacement64 t
Crew15 people

Dark class (FPB 1101) has the following armour layout:

  • 114 mm 8cwt QF Mk I gunshield: 12.7 mm, hardened armour
  • Hull: 40 mm, wood
  • Superstructure: 15 mm, wood
Dark Class, Dark Adventurer (FPB 1101) internals (starboard side). Note the ammo racks below the forward gun.

Like most coastal vessels, Dark class (FPB 1101) has no practical armor. The gunshield is largely superficial, so while it may stop low-calibre machine guns, heavy machine guns and cannons will easily penetrate it at any range. The hull and superstructure are unarmoured and will not stop any sort of gunfire.

The hull is split into four hull sections. Starting from the bow and working towards the stern, the first section starts at the bow and ends just in front of forward gun; the second ends just after the bridge; the third ends where the fuel tanks end, just in front of the engines; and the fourth ends at the stern. Dark class (FPB 1101) can be hull-broken by any round with a large enough diameter and explosive mass. In general, this is limited to HE rounds greater with a diameter greater than or equal to 4 inches (102 mm) and with an explosive mass greater than 1.5 kg. At Dark class (FPB 1101)'s battle rating, the only guns capable of hull-breaking her are:

There is one ammunition storage that holds ammunition for both the primary and secondary gun turrets. It is located directly behind the forward gun turret just above the waterline. Destroying it will instantly destroy the boat.

Dark class (FPB 1101) has a crew complement of 15. With a stock crew, Dark class (FPB 1101) is knocked out when 10 crew are lost; with an aced crew, this is increased to 11. Overall, the survivability is average.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB100 / 37 km/h
RB74 / 27 km/h
Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode Upgrade Status Maximum Speed (km/h) Turn Time (s) Turn Radius (m)
Forward Reverse
AB Stock 73 27 ~26.46 ~53.37
Upgraded 100 37 ~17.53 ~22.22
RB/SB Stock 64 24 ~29.42 ~67.67
Upgraded 74 27 ~23.53 ~42.2

Dark class (FPB 1101) has a displacement of 64 tons.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB911 → 1 148 Sl icon.png
RB1 317 → 1 660 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications13 840 Rp icon.png
20 150 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost860 Ge icon.png
Crew training9 200 Sl icon.png
Experts32 000 Sl icon.png
Aces320 Ge icon.png
Research Aces250 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
80 / 100 / 100 % Sl icon.png
130 / 130 / 130 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Seakeeping Unsinkability Firepower
Mods new ship hull.png
Dry-Docking
Research:
920 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 300 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship rudder.png
Rudder Replacement
Research:
620 Rp icon.png
Cost:
890 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship screw.png
Propeller Replacement
Research:
870 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 300 Sl icon.png
125 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship engine.png
Engine Maintenance
Research:
1 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 200 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods ship damage control crew.png
Damage Control Division
Research:
920 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 300 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods ship fire control crew.png
Fire Division
Research:
620 Rp icon.png
Cost:
890 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods engine smoke screen system.png
Smokescreen
Research:
620 Rp icon.png
Cost:
890 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods new ship pumps.png
New Pumps
Research:
1 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 200 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods ammo.png
40 mm HE clips
Research:
920 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 300 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods new aux caliber turrets.png
Auxiliary Armament Targeting
Research:
620 Rp icon.png
Cost:
890 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods ammo.png
40 mm AP clips
Research:
620 Rp icon.png
Cost:
890 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods new main caliber turrets.png
Primary Armament Targeting
Research:
870 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 300 Sl icon.png
125 Ge icon.png
Mods depth charge.png
Depth Charges
Research:
870 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 300 Sl icon.png
125 Ge icon.png
Mods ship rangefinder.png
Improved Rangefinder
Research:
870 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 300 Sl icon.png
125 Ge icon.png
Mods ship art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
1 500 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 200 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png

The recommended modification research order is:

  • Tool Set
  • Fire Protection System
  • 40 mm HE clips
  • 40 mm AP clips
  • Smokescreen
  • Propeller Replacement
  • Improved Rangefinder
  • Artillery Support

After that, prioritize the rest of the seakeeping modifications first, then finish researching the remaining modifications in whatever order you prefer.

Armament

Primary armament

Turret114 mm/19 8cwt QF Mk I cannon
Ammunition100 rounds
Vertical guidance-8° / 12°
Main article: 8cwt QF Mk I (114 mm)

The primary armament consists of a single 114 mm 8cwt QF Mk I cannon mounted forwards, with a maximum ammunition load of 100 rounds. Stock, the mount can traverse horizontally at a rate of 26°/s and vertically at a rate of 21°/s; with the "Primary Armament Targeting" modification installed, this is increased to 30°/s and 25°/s respectively. The gun is single-shot with a nominal rate of fire of 12 rounds/min. With a stock crew, it can be reloaded in 6.5 seconds; with an aced crew, this is decreased to 5 seconds.

Primary armament guidance
Horizontal Vertical
±180° -8°/+12°

There is only one ammunition type available:

  • 114 mm HE
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of warhead Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
1,000 m 2,500 5,000 m 7,500 m 10,000 m 15,000 m
114 mm HE HE base fuze 34 34 34 34 34 34
Shell details
Ammunition Type of warhead Velocity (m/s) Projectile mass (kg) Fuse delay (m) Fuse sensitivity (mm) Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (kg)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
114 mm HE HE base fuze 457 6.66 0 0.1 2.9 79° 80° 81°

The 114 mm HE round is able to hull-break.

Secondary armament

Turret40 mm QF Mark VII gun
Ammunition2000 rounds
Belt capacity4 rounds
Fire rate160 shots/min
Main article: QF Mark VII (40 mm)

The secondary armament consists of a single 40 mm QF Mk VII cannon mounted aft, with a maximum ammunition load of 1500 rounds. Stock, the mount can traverse horizontally at a rate of 34°/s and vertically at a rate of 29°/s; with the "Auxiliary Armament Targeting" modification installed, this is increased to 40°/s and 34°/s respectively. The gun has a magazine capacity of 4 rounds and a cycle rate of fire of 160 rounds/min. With a stock crew, it can be reloaded in 0.49 seconds; with an aced crew, this is decreased to 0.38 seconds. The reload is short enough that there is a seamless transition between magazines, although continuously firing for too long will cause the gun to overheat and jam. This happens after continuously firing for about 1.25 min, or about 200 rounds. There is no noticeable drop in accuracy as the gun overheats.

Secondary armament guidance
Horizontal Vertical
±180° -10°/+89°

There are three ammunition choices available:

  • Universal: AP-T · HEFI-T
  • 40 mm HE clips: HEFI-T · HEFI-T · HEFI-T · AP-T
  • 40 mm AP clips: AP-T · AP-T · AP-T · HEFI-T
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
Universal 80 77 66 57 50 45
40 mm HE clips 80 77 66 57 50 45
40 mm AP clips 80 77 66 57 50 45

The best ammunition is the 40 mm HE clips because it has the highest ratio of HE rounds to AP rounds. Take mostly 40 mm HE clips along with several 40 mm AP clips for armoured targets. Because of the gun's seamless reload, there is no reason to use the Universal belt once the others are unlocked.

Additional armament

Setup 12 x Mk.VII depth charge
Main article: Mk.VII depth charge

Dark Adventurer has two possible loadouts:

  1. Without load
  2. 2x Mk.VII depth charge

Depth Charges

Mk.VII depth charges numbered according to their drop order (click to view a larger image).

The Mk.VII depth charges are carried amidships in front of the aft gun, one on each side. They are dropped one at a time in the following order:

  1. Starboard
  2. Port

Before spawning, the detonation time delay can be set anywhere between 3 seconds and 10 seconds.

Depth charge characteristics
Mass (kg) Explosive type Explosive mass (kg) TNT equivalent (kg) HE armour penetration (mm) Armoured vehicle destruction radius (m) Fragment dispersion radius (m)
196 TNT 130 130 101 8 122

There is almost no practical reason to use depth charges on any naval vessel in the game. Although they usually result in a one-hit kill if used properly, they are extremely situational, requiring the player to close to point-blank ranges to even use them. In almost every case, anytime a depth charge could be used, the guns or torpedoes can be used instead to greater effect. In fact, depth charges tend to actually be a liability in battle, since they essentially act as exposed ammo racks before they're dropped. They can be shot at, and if destroyed, they have a chance to detonate, instantly destroying the boat.

Despite this, some success can be had in dropping them either next to, or in front of a large, slow target. If dropping them next to the target, remember the depth charge drop order, since it's most likely that only the depth charges dropped on the side closest to the enemy will deal any damage. If dropping in front of the target, rush in from the sides as quickly as possible and drop them all at once directly in front of the target. For both cases, set the depth charge time delay to the minimum 3 seconds, since any higher time delay will only allow the depth charge to sink further away from the target, giving them more time to move out of the way. Again, using depth charges is extremely situational, and they will only be a liability the vast majority of the time, so take them at your own discretion.

Usage in battles

The main armament of Dark Adventurer is a single 114 mm 8cwt QF Mk I. This gun has a powerful HE round with an explosive mass of 2.5 kg of TNT, and, since its larger than 4 inches, it can also hull-break most of the smaller boats seen around this battle rating. Hull-break is triggered by destroying an enemy boat's compartment, and, if done successfully, it will result in a one-shot kill. Despite being one of the only guns at this battle rating capable of hull-breaking, the gun overall is poor. Its rate of fire is relatively slow at 12 rounds per minute, and its muzzle velocity is very low at 457 m/s, both of which contribute to making the gun difficult to use at long ranges and against fast-moving targets. Even at close ranges, it gets outperformed by Dark Adventurer's other weapon anyway. The 8cwt QF Mk I is the primary armament in name only.

The secondary gun, the 40 mm QF Mark VII, is actually a far superior weapon, and there is generally no reason to even use the 8cwt QF Mk I over it. The QF Mark VII is a 40 mm Bofors L/60 gun, one of the best naval automatic cannons in the game, and Dark Adventurer is one of the lowest battle rating vehicles to receive it. Where the 114 mm 8cwt QF Mk I lacks, the 40 mm QF Mark VII excels. Its rate of fire, though a bit low for an automatic cannon, is much higher at 160 rounds per minute. The gun's magazine size of only 4 rounds may seem like a disadvantage on paper, but in practice, the reload is quick enough that the gun can fire continuously as if there wasn't a reload at all. The QF Mark VII also has a much larger effective range of roughly 3.25 km thanks to its higher muzzle and relatively large projectile mass. This allows Dark Adventurer to outrange, and thus be effectively immune to, many guns at this battle rating, most notably the 2 cm/65 C/38 (20 mm) and the Oerlikon Mk.II (20 mm), both of which have a maximum range of roughly 2 km.

The QF Mark VII has a very powerful HE round for its calibre as well as an impressive AP round, the latter of which has a maximum penetration of 80 mm of armour, more than enough to trivialize any armour Dark Adventurer might come across. The gun is very powerful and doesn't require much ammunition to destroy most of its enemies, usually less than 10 rounds if all rounds hit. In fact, it's actually quite rare that Dark Adventurer will use up more than a couple hundred rounds of ammunition throughout the entire match. This is good because firing the gun for too long (indicated by the red circle around the crosshair) will cause the gun to jam and will require a substantial amount of time before it can be fired again. Always pay attention to the red circle and try to never let the gun jam.

Despite how good the QF Mark VII might be, though, the boat it's mounted on has some issues. The first of these is rather obvious: the gun is mounted on the rear of the boat, which of course prevents it from firing forwards. Because of this, there is a ~25° dead zone to either side in which the gun is unable to fire. Second, the survivability of Dark Adventurer is close to nonexistent, especially when considering the ammo racks in the front of the hull. Dark Adventurer can either be played at long range to outrange enemy fire or by using hard cover to hide the hull. Either playstyle is really dependent on the map and is mostly down to player preference. Regardless of how Dark Adventurer is played, she shouldn't be the first to charge into action. If an enemy is met straight-on, time is needed to turn the hull to allow the QF Mark VII to fire, enough time for a smart enemy to inflict major damage.

Depth Charges

It should be noted that Dark Adventurer can carry two Mk.VII depth charges. Being an anti-submarine weapon and without the presence of submarines in the game, their usage against surface targets is very situational. Sailing up right next to a slower target and dropping a depth charge can lead to some success, though again, this is very situational. If attempting this, remember that depth charge on the starboard side always drops first and that there is no reason to use any depth charge activation time setting above the minimum 3 seconds, since higher delay times means the depth charge will sink further, and thus away, from the target. For the most part, though, there is no reason to even take them into battle since if they're not dropped, they essentially become extra ammo racks to shoot at.

Ammunition Choices

The 40 mm HE clips should be the primary ammunition choice since it contains the highest ratio of HE to AP rounds. HE rounds have the highest effectiveness against aircraft and boats, so the choice that maximizes this is the best. A small amount of 40 mm AP clips should also be taken to deal with armoured targets. AP rounds can also be used against boats coming towards Dark Adventurer straight-on. Whereas HE rounds would just explode on an already destroyed bow compartment, AP rounds can pass through and deal damage to the rear of the boat.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Primary armament can hull-break most opponents
  • Secondary armament: very good damage output, high armour penetration, seamless reload

Cons:

  • Primary armament: very low muzzle velocity, low rate of fire, difficult to use
  • Secondary armament is mounted aft, cannot fire directly forwards

History

The Dark class fast patrol boats, also known as the Admiralty Type "A" Fast Patrol Boat (FPB), were 18 patrol boats used by the Royal Navy, with another 8 built for export. The class was originally ordered in the late 1940s, calling for a new diesel-powered FPB, with Saunders-Roe eventually winning the design contract in early 1952. The Dark class was built between 1954 and 1958 primarily by Saunders-Roe alongside several other British shipbuilding companies. The Dark class had interchangeable armaments and could be configured as motor torpedo boats, as motor gun boats, or as minelayers. These armaments include:

  • 4x 21-inch torpedoes
  • 1x 40 mm Bofors gun (forward), 2x 21-inch torpedoes
  • 1x 40 mm Bofors gun (aft), 1x 4.5-inch cannon (forward)
  • 16x mines

The Dark class boats had a length of 71 ft. 8 in., a beam of 19 ft. 5 in., a draught of 6 ft. 1 in, and a standard displacement of 50 long tons and were the first of their kind in Royal Navy service to use diesel engines. Each boat was powered by two 18 cylinder Napier Deltic diesel engines, each producing 2,500 bhp and driving a single shaft, with an exhaust port on the port side hull. The first few Dark class boats were painted entirely in standard grey. However, the port side of the hulls would quickly become stained by the diesel exhaust fumes, even after only a short period of use. Initially, an experimental paint scheme was tried on HMS Dark Biter (P1104) around March 1956 that had the rear hull painted in black with the front hull still in grey. This, too, was found to be unsatisfactory, and eventually, it was decided that the entire hull of the Dark class boats was to be painted in black.

Eighteen Dark class boats served with the Royal Navy. All of these were built with wooden hulls and aluminium decks on aluminium hull frames with the exception of the final boat, the unique HMS Dark Scout (P1116), which had an all-aluminium welded construction, a redesigned bridge, and transom exhaust ports. In addition to these, eight more Dark class boats were also built for export, all built by Saunders-Roe: two standard boats to Finland; five riveted, all-aluminium boats with an additional electric drive system to Burma; and one standard boat to Japan. A further nine Dark class boats were planned to be built as well for Royal Navy service, but these were all cancelled in 1955. During the 1960s and 1970s, of the 18 Dark class boats in Royal Navy service, two were used as target practice with one being sunk. The surviving 17 were sold to various places, including several to Italian law enforcement in the late 1960s.

HMS Dark Adventurer, pennant number P1101, was the first of the Dark-class boats. She was built by Saunders-Roe in Beaumaris and was completed on 28th October 1954. She was sold in early 1970.

Media

Skins
Images
Videos

See also

External links


Britain boats
Motor torpedo boats  Brave Borderer · Dark Aggressor · Dark Aggressor TD · Fairmile D (617) · Fairmile D (697) · Fairmile D (5001) · HMS Gay Archer
  MTB-1(1) · MTB-1(2) · MTB Vosper · MTB Vosper(2) · MTB-422
Motor gun boats  Dark Adventurer · Fairmile A (ML100) · Fairmile B (ML345) · Fairmile C (312) · Fairmile C (332) · Fairmile D (601) · Fairmile H LCS(L)(2)
  HMAS Arrow · MGB-61 · MGB-75 · ML 1383 · SGB Grey Fox · SGB Grey Goose
Gunboats  HMS Spey