Benson

Revision as of 00:17, 1 November 2016

13.3

Destroyer | U.S.A. | Tier VIII

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VIII

9,040,000

Benson — American Tier VIII destroyer.

The new destroyers were planned as an improved Sims class with an échelon arrangement of the propulsion unit. Based on the experience with previous classes, it was decided to rearrange all torpedo tubes along the centerline, reduce their number to two, and replace the quadruple-tube torpedo launchers with quintuple-tube launchers. During World War II, USS Benson escorted convoys in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, and she supported landings in Sicily and Italy. Later, she accompanied aircraft carriers in the Pacific. Over the course of the war, she was awarded four battle stars.

Modules

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	180° Turn Time (sec)	Maximum Dispersion (m)	Maximum HE Shell Damage (HP)	Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell (%)	Maximum AP Shell Damage (HP)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
127 mm/38 Mk.12 on a Mk.21 mod.0/Mk.30 mod.1 mount	18	5.3	101	1,800	5	2,100		0	650,000

	Hit Points (HP)	Armor (mm)	Armor (mm)	Main Turrets (pcs.)	Secondary Gun Turrets (pcs.)	AA Mounts (pcs.)	Torpedo Tubes (pcs.)	Hangar Capacity (pcs.)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Benson (A)	12,800	6	20	5		6/5	2			0	690,000
Benson (B)	15,400	13	20	5		2/4/5	2			18,000	1,400,000

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	Torpedo Tubes Reload Time (sec)	180° Turn Time (sec)	Maximum Damage (HP)	Torpedo Speed (knot)	Torpedo Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Mk15 mod. 0	0.6	109	7.2	11,600	55	9.2		0	780,000
Mk15 mod. 3	0.5	122	7.2	16,633	55	9.2		18,000	1,470,000

	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SUO_INCREASE_DIST (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Mk8 mod. 1		0		0	395,000
Mk8 mod. 2		0		12,000	950,000

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 50,000 hp	38		0	625,000

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4
Slot 5

Player Opinion

Performance

Tier VIII's Benson is where the American destroyer line finally comes together with the complete package that makes them the most flexible destroyers in the game. The key to this transformation is access to Upgrade Slot 6 and Concealment Systems Modification 1, allowing Benson and subsequent American destroyers to have concealment values that rival that of those found in the Japanese destroyer line. When their newfound stealth is combined with a potent torpedo armament and fast-firing main battery guns, Benson, Fletcher, and Gearing become true jack-of-all-trades ships with an incredibly high ceiling in the hands of a skilled captain.

For Benson, it all starts with her main battery. When built for maximum stealth, her detection radius of 5.8 km combined with 18 rounds per minute from each of the five guns in her main battery make her a terror to enemy destroyers. She can work in close, then cut opposing destroyers down very quickly with her high rate of fire. Fully configured for stealthiness, Benson is capable of firing shells at targets from beyond her own detection range — even without the Advanced Firing Training commander's skill — though landing shells against anything other than battleships at such ranges is exceedingly difficult.

Beyond her main battery, Benson is the first American destroyer whose stock torpedo armament range exceeds her detection radius. She has a very long reload time for her torpedo tubes, but the torpedoes themselves are harder to detect than their Japanese counterparts and give her targets far less reaction time to dodge out of the way.

Even a ship as good as Benson has drawbacks. Her anti-aircraft suite might generously be called "mediocre", though captains who wish to sacrifice one of her main battery guns can equip Hull (C) and have access to Defensive AA Fire to help drive off enemy planes. As a destroyer she has no real armor to speak of, and most shells that hit her will disable at least one module of some kind. Her shell arcs become challenging to use past the 7-8 km range, and require excessive lead in order to land hits.

Despite the negatives, though, Benson is one of the best-balanced destroyers in World of Warships, capable of providing a valuable contribution to any team she finds herself on in the hands of a skilled captain.

Pros:

Excellent main battery; stellar rate of fire and fast turret traverse speed.
Two centerline-mounted quintuple-tube torpedo launchers give her a solid torpedo armament.
Capable of delivering torpedoes from beyond her detection range.
First American destroyer capable of lowering her detection range below 6.0 km by combining Concealment Expert and Concealment System Modification 1.
Can equip the Defensive AA Fire consumable when Hull (C) is mounted.
Good speed, responsive rudder, and excellent handling; Benson has the tightest turning circle of all Tier VIII destroyers.

Cons:

Weak armor; stealth and maneuverability are her best defenses.
Anti-aircraft suite is mainly for show and will rarely shoot anything down (even with Defensive AA Fire active).
Very long torpedo reload time.
High shell arcs make it hard to hit fast moving ships, especially if they are maneuvering to avoid incoming fire.
Hull (C) reduces main battery size to four guns when equipped.

Research

Like Mahan, Hull (B) is the best place to invest early experience gains. After that, captains are encouraged to research the upgraded Torpedo module for better reload times and more damage. Benson is one of the first American destroyers that can be played as a torpedo-centric destroyer if desired. Pick up the Fire Control System upgrade to her main battery range last.

Hull (C) is an optional upgrade for captains who wish to maximize their defenses against enemy aircraft by gaining access to the Defensive AA Fire consumable. It is probably best skipped entirely or acquired after unlocking Fletcher.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

As usual, Main Armaments Modification 1 is the best choice for Upgrade Slot 1. Upgrade Slot 2 is most commonly filled with Aiming Systems Modification 1, but captains who have equipped Hull (C) may wish to use AA Guns Modification 2 in order to increase the radius of Defensive AA Fire. Upgrade Slot 4 and Upgrade Slot 5 are best filled with Propulsion Modifications 1 and 2, respectively. Benson’s best defense is to keep moving, so keeping her engine going is critical to survival. Upgrade Slot 6 should be filled with Concealment System Modification 1 regardless of other commander skills or upgrades.

Commander Skills

Benson isn't quite as flexible as her Tier IX cousin Fletcher, but she's close.

Lacking access to Upgrade Slot 3, the best she can do to increase her torpedo reload time is for her commander to sink points into Torpedo Armament Expert at Tier 2. The trouble with this, however, is that Last Stand is virtually a must-have skill for gunboat destroyers that will find themselves under enemy fire, a description that fits Benson to a "T". Technically this is captain's choice, but — as with all other American destroyers — Last Stand is highly recommended.

Beyond that, Basic Firing Training at Tier 1 and Survivability Expert at Tier 4 are very strong skills for Benson commanders. Concealment Expert at Tier 5 is a must-have. Tier 3 is a more personal choice: Vigilance is recommended over Superintendent if premium consumables are equipped; Superintendent is recommended before Vigilance otherwise.

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Endurance		Attack		Support		Versatility
1	Priority Target Situational Awareness indicator will show the number of opponents currently aiming at you with main battery guns.	Preventative Maintenance -30% to the risk of incapacitation of main turrets, torpedo tubes, steering gear, engines. ★★	Expert Loader -50% to reload time when shell type is switched.	Air Supremacy -5% aircraft restoration time.	Direction Center for Fighters +1 fighter to carrier fighter squadrons or catapult fighters.	Improved Engine Boost +10% Aircraft engine boost time.	Incoming Fire Alert Indicator of long-range enemy artillery fire.	Last Gasp Completely restores the engine boost for the last attack flight of the carrier's planes.
2	High Alert -10% to reload time of Damage Control Party consumable. ★★	Jack of All Trades -5% to reload time of all consumables. ★★	Expert Marksman +2.5 deg/sec to traverse speed of guns with a caliber up to 139mm. +0.7 deg/sec to traverse speed of guns with a caliber above 139mm.	Torpedo Acceleration +5 knots to torpedo speed. -20% to torpedo range.	Smoke Screen Expert +20% to the radius of the smoke screen.	Improved Engines +2.5% Squadron speed.	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% to reload times of all types of armament for each 1% of total health lost. +0.2% squadron speed for each 1% of total health lost.	Last Stand The ship remains able to move and maneuver while the engine or steering gears are incapacitated. ★★★
3	Basics of Survivability -15% to time of repair, fire extinguishing, and recovery from flooding.	Survivability Expert +350 ship HP for each ship tier. +15 aircraft HP for each ship tier. ★★★	Torpedo Armament Expertise -10% to reload time of torpedo tubes. ★★	Aircraft Armor Reduces continuous damage to aircraft in all AA defense zones. -10% continuous damage.	Basic Firing Training -10% to reload time of main battery guns with a caliber up to and including 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +10% to continuous damage from AA guns. ★★★	Superintendent +1 additional charge to all consumables mounted on a ship. ★★★	Demolition Expert +2% chance of HE shells causing a fire on target. +1% chance of rockets causing a fire on target. +5% chance of HE bombs causing a fire on target. ★★	Vigilance +25% to detection range of enemy torpedoes. ★★★
4	Manual Fire Control for Secondary Armament Tightens dispersion of shells from secondary batteries. -15% for Tier I-VI ships. -60% for Tier VII-X ships. Manually selected target only.	Fire Prevention -10% to the risk of fire. The maximum number of fires on a ship is reduced to three.	Inertia Fuse for HE Shells +30% to the armor penetration capacity of HE shells. -1% chance of fire on target caused by shells <=139mm. -3% chance of fire on target caused by shells >139mm.	Sight Stabilization Speeds up the aiming of a carrier's aircraft. +5% attack aircraft aiming speed. +5% torpedo bomber aiming speed. +10% dive bomber aiming speed.	Advanced Firing Training +20% to firing range of main battery guns with a caliber up to 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +15% damage/sec. within the explosion radius of shells fired from long-range AA defenses. ★	Massive AA Fire Instantaneous Damage +100%. Priority AA sector cooldown +50%.	Radio Position Finding Shows the direction to the nearest enemy ship. The enemy is alerted that a bearing has been taken.	Concealment Expert -10% to the detection radius of all ships and aircraft. ★★★
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful ★★ - Frequently Useful ★ - Occasionally Useful No stars - Meh Χ - Not recommended

Consumables

A gunboat destroyer such as Benson is inevitably going to come under heavy fire; the abbreviated cooldown on Repair Party II will eventually pay for itself. Shelling out the doubloons or credits here is highly recommended. Paying for Smoke Generator II is captain's choice, but there are times that the shortened cooldown on smoke is the difference between sneaking away and going to the bottom.

Camouflage

Type 1, 2, or 5 camouflage can be equipped for credits; Types 1 or 5 are recommended at a minimum to reduce detectibility range.

Players who wish to spend doubloons can equip Benson with Type 18 camouflage that lowers her detection radius, reduces the accuracy of incoming shells, reduces her repair costs, and increases the amount of experience she earns.

Gallery

Ships of U.S.A.

Destroyers	II Sampson • II Smith • III Wickes • IV Clemson • V Nicholas • V Hill • VI Farragut • VI Monaghan • VII Mahan • VII Sims • VII Sims B • VIII Benson • VIII Kidd • IX Fletcher • IX Benham • IX Halford • IX Black B • IX Black • X Gearing • X Somers • X Forrest Sherman • ★ Joshua Humphreys
Cruisers	I Erie • II Chester • II Albany • III St. Louis • III Charleston • IV Phoenix • V Omaha • V Marblehead • V Marblehead Lima • V Rattlehead • VI Pensacola • VI Dallas • VII Atlanta • VII New Orleans • VII Helena • VII Indianapolis • VII Atlanta B • VII Boise • VII Flint • VIII Baltimore • VIII Cleveland • VIII Wichita • VIII Anchorage • VIII Congress • VIII Rochester • VIII San Diego • VIII AL Montpelier • IX Buffalo • IX Seattle • IX Vallejo • IX Alaska • IX Tulsa • IX Alaska B • X Des Moines • X Worcester • X Puerto Rico • X Salem • X Austin • ★ Annapolis
Battleships	III South Carolina • IV Wyoming • IV Arkansas Beta • V New York • V Oklahoma • V Texas • VI New Mexico • VI Arizona • VI W. Virginia '41 • VII Colorado • VII Florida • VII West Virginia '44 • VII California • VIII North Carolina • VIII Kansas • VIII Nebraska • VIII Alabama • VIII Massachusetts • VIII Alabama VL • VIII Constellation • VIII Massachusetts B • VIII Alabama ST • VIII North Carolina CLR • IX Iowa • IX Minnesota • IX Delaware • IX Missouri • IX Kearsarge • IX Illinois • IX Kearsarge B • IX Georgia • X Montana • X Vermont • X Louisiana • X Ohio • X Rhode Island • X Wisconsin • ★ Maine
Aircraft Carriers	IV Langley • VI Independence • VI Ranger • VIII Yorktown • VIII Lexington • VIII Enterprise • VIII Saipan • VIII Hornet • VIII Saipan B • X Essex • X Midway • X Franklin D. Roosevelt • ★ United States

Destroyers

Japan	II Tachibana • II Umikaze • II Tachibana Lima • III Wakatake • IV Isokaze • V Minekaze • V Fūjin • V Kamikaze • V Kamikaze R • V Mutsuki • VI Fubuki • VI Hatsuharu • VI Shinonome B • VI Shinonome • VII Akatsuki • VII Shiratsuyu • VII Yūdachi • VIII Akizuki • VIII Kagerō • VIII Asashio • VIII HSF Harekaze II • VIII Asashio B • VIII HSF Harekaze • VIII AL Yukikaze • IX Yūgumo • IX Kitakaze • IX Minegumo • IX STAR Kitakaze • X Shimakaze • X Harugumo • X Hayate • ★ Yamagiri
U.K.	II Medea • III Valkyrie • III Campbeltown • IV Wakeful • V Acasta • VI Icarus • VI Gallant • VII Jervis • VII Jupiter '42 • VIII Lightning • VIII Cossack • VIII Cossack B • IX Jutland • IX Somme • X Daring • X Druid
France	II Enseigne Gabolde • III Fusilier • IV Bourrasque • V Jaguar • V Siroco • VI Guépard • VI Aigle • VII Vauquelin • VIII Le Fantasque • VIII Le Terrible • IX Mogador • X Kléber • X Marceau • X Kléber CLR
U.S.S.R.	II Storozhevoi • III Derzki • IV Izyaslav • V Gremyashchy • V Podvoisky • V Okhotnik • VI Gnevny • VII Minsk • VII Leningrad • VII Tashkent '39 • VIII Ognevoi • VIII Kiev • IX Udaloi • IX Tashkent • IX Neustrashimy • X Khabarovsk • X Grozovoi • X Delny • ★ Zorkiy
U.S.A.	II Sampson • II Smith • III Wickes • IV Clemson • V Nicholas • V Hill • VI Farragut • VI Monaghan • VII Mahan • VII Sims • VII Sims B • VIII Benson • VIII Kidd • IX Fletcher • IX Benham • IX Halford • IX Black B • IX Black • X Gearing • X Somers • X Forrest Sherman • ★ Joshua Humphreys
Germany	II V-25 • III G-101 • IV V-170 • V T-22 • VI Ernst Gaede • VI T-61 • VI Karl von Schönberg • VII Leberecht Maass • VII Z-31 • VII Z-39 • VIII Z-23 • VIII Gustav-Julius Maerker • VIII Z-35 • IX Z-46 • IX Felix Schultz • IX Z-44 • IX ZF-6 • X Z-52 • X Elbing • X Z-42
Pan-Asia	II Longjiang • III Phra Ruang • IV Shenyang • V Jianwei • VI Fushun • VI Anshan • VII Gadjah Mada • VIII Hsienyang • VIII Siliwangi • VIII Loyang • VIII Fenyang • VIII Loyang B • VIII Ship Smasha • IX Chung Mu • X Yueyang • X Lüshun • ★ Kunming
Spain	X Álvaro de Bazán
Europe	II Tátra • III Romulus • IV Klas Horn • V Visby • V Muavenet • VI Västerås • VI Stord • VII Skåne • VII Grom • VII Błyskawica • VII Stord '43 • VIII Öland • VIII Split • VIII Orkan • IX Östergötland • IX Lambros Katsonis • IX Velos • IX Friesland • IX Jäger • X Halland • X Gdańsk • X Småland • X Ragnar • ★ Dalarna
Netherlands	IX Groningen • X Tromp
Italy	II Curtatone • III Nazario Sauro • IV Turbine • V Maestrale • VI Aviere • VI Leone • VII Luca Tarigo • VII FR25 • VIII Vittorio Cuniberti • IX Adriatico • IX Paolo Emilio • X Attilio Regolo
Commonwealth	III Vampire • VII Haida • VII Huron • X Vampire II
Pan-America	VI Juruá

@@ Line 85: / Line 85: @@
 [[Ship:Camouflage#Standard Camouflage|Type 1, 2, or 5 camouflage]] can be equipped for credits; Types 1 or 5 are recommended at a minimum to reduce detectibility range.
-Players who wish to spend doubloons can equip ''Benson'' with [[Ship:Camouflage#Permanent_Camouflage|Type 18 camouflage]] that lowers her detection radius, reduces the accuracy of incoming shells, and increases the amount of experience she earns.
+Players who wish to spend doubloons can equip ''Benson'' with [[Ship:Camouflage#Permanent_Camouflage|Type 18 camouflage]] that lowers her detection radius, reduces the accuracy of incoming shells, reduces her repair costs, and increases the amount of experience she earns.
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Benson

Revision as of 00:17, 1 November 2016

Modules

Compatible Upgrades