Chester

13.3

Cruiser | U.S.A. | Tier II

Tech Tree Position

stock

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Battle Levels

12345678910

II

69,300

Chester — American Tier II cruiser.

A light cruiser with reasonably good speeds for her time, but suffering from rather poor armament and armor. The ship could act as a scout and a destroyer flotilla leader. The cruisers of this class were the first ships in the U.S. Navy to feature turbine propulsion. They remained the only turbine cruisers in the U.S. Navy for a long time.

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/50 Mk.6 on a single mount	7.5	12	96	1,800	4	2,100		0	8,500
152 mm/50 Mk.6 on a single mount	8.6	22.5	96	2,100	7	3,000		180	23,000

	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 ()
Chester (A)	15,100	6	38	4	4					0	10,500
Chester (B)	18,400	6	38	6	2/4	1/2				280	31,000

	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SUO_INCREASE_DIST (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Mk2 mod. 1		0		0	5,000
Mk2 mod. 2		0		170	17,800

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 16,000 hp	24		0	4,000

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1

Player Opinion

Performance

At first, the Chester may seem like a downgrade from the Erie, as the gun range goes down by over a kilometer, the turning speed decreases, and the detection range goes up. This ship requires some getting used to. The first few battles sees a player getting used to the ship's speed and turning capabilities, and the ship's gun range (Which, as stock, is actually less than the detection range, meaning by the time Chester can engage an opponent, it's already been spotted).

The Chester actually has less cannons at hand than the Erie, since despite having 4 cannons, only 3 can be brought to bear upon an enemy at most. The upgraded fire control system is a welcome relief, bringing Chester's gun range to nearly a kilometer above her detection range, which can come in handy in engagements with slow, lumbering battleships, where she can use her better agility to escape before coming under serious fire. The Chester is surprisingly agile for her size. The hull upgrade will increase her firepower by more than 30%, as she gets an additional cannon on each side of the ship. The gun upgrade gives a wonderful boost to her damage output, as the HE shells do a potential 300 more damage per shell, while the AP shells soar a whopping 900 potential damage increase per shell(Remember, however, that AP can be harder to use, so players inexperienced with using the shell type may prefer to stick to HE.)

If the Chester top tier, she can afford to be more aggressive against smaller Tier I ships. However, Tier II and III ships can still heavily damage her. Players should always stay on alert for destroyers, who relish the thought of sending a sudden spread of torpedoes into her side. Players should constantly be on the look out for destroyers, and if one appears, should take evasive maneuvers.

If Chester is bottom tier, players should be much more cautious. Chester doesn't have the guns to punch a hole through anything but destroyer armor, and players should be vary of devastating battleship fire. Remember that she is a big target, and that she will fall if under concentrated fire. In these cases, never stop moving. Chester is faster than Tier III battleships and some other cruisers, and stands a good chance of outrunning them. Supporting the big capital ships is a viable strategy, as it will draw fire away from her, though make sure to not stray into the lines of fire of enemies (or allies).

As players make the jump to the next USN cruiser, the St. Louis, they should be prepared for more battleship-styled play, as the firepower of the St. Louis is vastly improved, but she is also very slow and not very maneuverable.

Pros:

When full upgraded the Chester has great firepower.
24.4 knots speed with a quick rudder shift makes the Chester maneuver fast for its size.
Works well in Division play.

Cons:

Large size makes the Chester susceptible to torpedo attacks.
Short gun range compared to the other Tier II cruisers.
Does not stand up well to battleships alone.
Weak armor despite its armored look.

Research

This is a suggested research path:

Mk2 FCS mod. 2
Chester (B) Hull
152 mm/50 Mk6 main batteries

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

Slot 1: Main Armaments Modification 1 keeps the guns active and firing.

Commander Skills

Because Chester has the option of the 127mm main batteries, players that enjoy and wish to continue playing this ship have the option of selecting the following skills that can greatly benefit this ship: Basic Firing Training, Advanced Firing Training, and Inertia Fuse for HE Shells.

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. Χ	Direction Center for Fighters +1 fighter to carrier fighter squadrons or catapult fighters. Χ	Improved Engine Boost +10% Aircraft engine boost time. Χ	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. Χ
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. Χ	Smoke Screen Expert +20% to the radius of the smoke screen. Χ	Improved Engines +2.5% Squadron speed. Χ	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. Χ	Aircraft Armor Reduces continuous damage to aircraft in all AA defense zones. -10% continuous damage. Χ	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 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 +25% to the armor penetration of HE shells. -50% to base chance of fire caused by HE shells. ★★★	Sight Stabilization Speeds up the aiming of a carrier's aircraft. +7.5% attack aircraft and torpedo bomber aiming speed. +15% dive bomber aiming speed. Χ	Advanced Firing Training +20% to firing range of main battery guns with a caliber up to 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +15% AA flak burst damage. ★★★	Massive AA Fire +100% instantaneous damage. No boost to continuous damage in a reinforced sector. Shorter effective cooldown. Χ	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

As a Tier II cruiser, Chester has access to only Damage Control Party .

Camouflage

Type 1, 2, or 5 camouflage can be equipped for credits; Types 2 or 5 are recommended at a minimum to reduce the accuracy of incoming shells.

Signals

As a Tier II ship, it is highly recommended to save signals for use in the later tiers. But should the player have a surplus and enjoy playing this ship, they should utilize the following recommended signals.

Recommended Signal Flags
Combat
Juliet Charlie -100% to the risk of magazine detonation. ★★	Juliet Yankee Bissotwo -20% to flooding duration.	India Yankee -20% to fire duration. ★★	Hotel Yankee -20% to damage received when ramming the enemy. +50% to damage dealt when ramming the enemy. ★	Victor Lima +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. +4% chance of torpedoes causing flooding. ★★	India X-Ray +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. +5% to the risk of your ship's magazine detonating. ★★
Juliet Whiskey Unaone +15% chance of causing flooding. +5% to the risk of your ship's magazine detonating.	Mike Yankee Soxisix +5% to secondary battery maximum firing range. -5% to maximum dispersion of secondary battery shells. -5% to secondary battery loading time.	November Echo Setteseven +5% continuous AA damage at all ranges. +5% damage from flak bursts.	Sierra Mike +5% to the ship's maximum speed. ★★★	November Foxtrot -5% reload time on all consumables. ★	India Delta +20% to the amount of HP recovered when Repair Party  is used.
X-Ray Papa Unaone +10% action time of a Smoke Generator .	Sierra Bravo +10% action time of Hydroacoustic Search  -10% reload time of Defensive AA Fire .

Note: Use of the Juliet Charlie signal makes detonation impossible.

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

Cruisers

Japan	I Hashidate • II Chikuma • III Tenryū • III Katori • IV Yūbari • IV Kuma • IV Iwaki Alpha • V Furutaka • V Agano • V Yahagi • VI Aoba • VI Gokase • VII Myōkō • VII Omono • VII Tokachi • VII Maya • VII ARP Myōkō • VII ARP Ashigara • VII ARP Haguro • VII Southern Dragon • VII Eastern Dragon • VII ARP Nachi • VIII Mogami • VIII Tone • VIII Atago • VIII Shimanto • VIII Atago B • VIII ARP Takao • VIII ARP Maya • IX Ibuki • IX Takahashi • IX Azuma • IX AL Azuma • IX Chikuma II • X Zaō • X Yodo • X Yoshino • X Yoshino B • X Kitakami
U.K.	I Black Swan • II Weymouth • III Caledon • IV Danae • V Emerald • V Hawkins • V Exeter • VI Leander • VI Devonshire • VI London • VI Dido • VI Orion '44 • VII Fiji • VII Surrey • VII Belfast • VIII Edinburgh • VIII Albemarle • VIII Cheshire • VIII Tiger '59 • VIII Belfast '43 • VIII Hampshire • VIII Nottingham • VIII AL Cheshire • VIII STAR Edinburgh • IX Neptune • IX Drake • X Monmouth • X Minotaur • X Goliath • X Plymouth • X Gibraltar • X Defence • ★ Edgar
France	I Bougainville • II Jurien de la Gravière • III Friant • IV Duguay-Trouin • V Émile Bertin • VI La Galissonnière • VI De Grasse • VI Dupleix • VI Montcalm • VII Algérie • VII Toulon • VIII Charles Martel • VIII Cherbourg • VIII Bayard • IX Saint-Louis • IX Brest • IX Carnot • X Henri IV • X Marseille • X Colbert • ★ Condé
U.S.S.R.	I Orlan • II Diana • II Diana Lima • II Novik • III Aurora • III Bogatyr • III Oleg • III Varyag • III AL Avrora • IV Svietlana • V Murmansk • V Kotovsky • V Krasny Krym • V Mikoyan • V Kirov • VI Budyonny • VI Molotov • VI Admiral Makarov • VII Shchors • VII Lazo • VII Lazo B • VIII Chapayev • VIII Tallinn • VIII Mikhail Kutuzov • VIII Ochakov • VIII Pyotr Bagration • VIII Dmitry Pozharsky • IX Dmitri Donskoi • IX Riga • IX Kronshtadt • X Moskva • X Alexander Nevsky • X Petropavlovsk • X Stalingrad • X Smolensk B • X Smolensk • X Sevastopol • X Kommissar • ★ Novosibirsk
U.S.A.	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
Germany	I Hermelin • II Dresden • II Emden • III Kolberg • IV Karlsruhe • V Königsberg • VI Nürnberg • VI Admiral Graf Spee • VI Leipzig • VI HSF Admiral Graf Spee • VII Yorck • VII München • VII Weimar • VIII Admiral Hipper • VIII Prinz Eugen • VIII Mainz • VIII Schill • VIII Mainz B • VIII Cross of Dorn • VIII Wiesbaden • IX Roon • IX Siegfried • IX Ägir • IX Admiral Schröder • IX Roon CLR • X Hindenburg • ★ Clausewitz
Pan-Asia	I Chengan • III Ning Hai • V Chungking • VI Rahmat • VI Huanghe • VII Chumphon • VIII Harbin • VIII Irian • VIII Wukong • IX Sejong • IX Dalian • IX Mengchong • IX Tianjin • X Jinan
Spain	I Júpiter • II Méndez Núñez • III Navarra • IV Almirante Cervera • V Galicia • VI Baleares • VI Canarias • VII Asturias • VIII Cataluña • VIII Numancia • IX Andalucía • X Castilla
Europe	I Gryf • VI Elli
Netherlands	I Van Kinsbergen • II Gelderland • III Java • IV De Ruyter • V Celebes • VI Kijkduin • VII Eendracht • VIII Haarlem • VIII De Zeven Provinciën • IX Johan de Witt • IX Van Speijk • X Gouden Leeuw • X Prins van Oranje
Italy	I Eritrea • II Nino Bixio • III Taranto • IV Alberto di Giussano • V Raimondo Montecuccoli • V Genova • VI Trento • VI Duca d'Aosta • VII Zara • VII Duca degli Abruzzi • VII Francesco Ferruccio • VII Gorizia • VIII Amalfi • IX Brindisi • IX Michelangelo • X Venezia • X Napoli • X Napoli B • ★ Piemonte
Commonwealth	I Sutlej • II Port Jackson • III Caradoc • IV Dunedin • V Delhi • VI Hobart • VI Perth • VI Mysore • VII Uganda • VIII Auckland • IX Encounter • IX Hector • X Cerberus • X Brisbane
Pan-America	I Hércules • II Almirante Barroso • II Almirante Abreu • III Vicente Guerrero • IV Córdoba • V La Argentina • VI Almirante Cochrane • VII Coronel Bolognesi • VII Nueve de Julio • VIII Ignacio Allende • VIII Almirante Grau • IX Santander • X San Martín

Games

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Chester

Modules

Compatible Upgrades