Bellerophon

13.8

Bellerophon

Battleship | U.K. | Tier III

Tech Tree Position

stock

 top

General

Research price2700 exp

Purchase price314,000

Hit Points33,400

Main Battery

305 mm/45 Mk.X on a BVIII mount5 х 2 pcs.

Rate of Fire2 shots/min.

Reload Time30 sec.

Rotation Speed3 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time60 sec.

Firing Range13.68 km.

Maximum Dispersion210 m.

HE Shell305 mm HE Mk IIa

Maximum HE Shell Damage5,200

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell32 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity831 m./s.

HE Shell Weight386 kg.

AP Shell305 mm AP Mk VIa

Maximum AP Shell Damage8,100

Initial AP Shell Velocity831 m./s.

AP Shell Weight389.8 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

102 mm/50 BL Mk.VII on a PII mount14 х 1 pcs.

Firing Range3.2 km.

Rate of Fire8 shots/min.

Reload Time7.5 sec.

HE Shell102 mm HE Mk II

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,500

Initial HE Shell Velocity873 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell6 %

AA Defense

76.2 mm/45 QF HA Mk.I on an HA Mk.IV mount1 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second2.1

. . . Firing Range3 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed20.36 knot

Turning Circle Radius560 m.

Rudder Shift Time16.3 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range13.27 km.

Air Detectability Range6.79 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

13.8

Bellerophon

Battleship | U.K. | Tier III

Tech Tree Position

stock

 top

General

Research price2700 exp

Purchase price314,000

Hit Points38,100

Main Battery

305 mm/45 Mk.X on a BVIII mount5 х 2 pcs.

Rate of Fire2 shots/min.

Reload Time30 sec.

Rotation Speed3 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time60 sec.

Firing Range15.05 km.

Maximum Dispersion210 m.

HE Shell305 mm HE Mk IIa

Maximum HE Shell Damage5,200

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell32 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity831 m./s.

HE Shell Weight386 kg.

AP Shell305 mm AP Mk VIa

Maximum AP Shell Damage8,100

Initial AP Shell Velocity831 m./s.

AP Shell Weight389.8 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

102 mm/50 BL Mk.VII on a PII mount14 х 1 pcs.

Firing Range3.2 km.

Rate of Fire8 shots/min.

Reload Time7.5 sec.

HE Shell102 mm HE Mk II

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,500

Initial HE Shell Velocity873 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell6 %

AA Defense

40 mm/39 Vickers QF Mk.II on a Mk.II HA mount4 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second22.8

. . . Firing Range2.49 km.

76.2 mm/45 QF HA Mk.I on an HA Mk.IV mount2 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second4.2

. . . Firing Range3 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed22.5 knot

Turning Circle Radius560 m.

Rudder Shift Time11.7 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range13.27 km.

Air Detectability Range6.79 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

III

314,000

Bellerophon — British Tier III battleship.

The Bellerophon-class battleships were developed from the renowned Dreadnought class. The ship inherited turbine propulsion and a main battery consisting of ten 305 mm guns from her predecessor, but, unlike the prototype, she had armored torpedo protection.

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 ()
305 mm/45 Mk.X on a BVIII mount	2	60	210	5,200	32	8,100		0	32,000

	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 ()
Bellerophon (A)	33,400	10	305	5	14	1				0	74,000
Bellerophon (B)	38,100	10	305	5	14	4/2				1,600	160,000

	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SUO_INCREASE_DIST (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Mk III mod. 1		0		0	24,000
Mk III mod. 2		0		800	80,000

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 25,000 hp	20.4		0	17,000
Propulsion: 26,400 hp	22.5		500	40,000

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2

Player Opinion

Performance

Warning: The data presented in the AA Defense sidebar section may be incorrect.
Refer to the in-game Port screens for more useful data.

With her Propulsion upgrade, Bellerophon is the fastest battleship of her Tier III contemporaries. She also has decent rudder shift time and turning radius similar to Nassau’s, although slightly worse. Similar to König Albert and Kawachi, she has two wing turrets making it possible for her ever to have only 4 of her turrets bear on either side. Like most other battleships, her turret traverse is very slow, making the guns unable to keep track on a selected target when performing sharp turns.

Bellerophon has a decent array of secondary batteries which can be deadly to enemy ships that wander too close. Unlike Nassau or König Albert, her secondaries are 102mm in caliber (as compared to the Germans' 150mm) and fire high explosive shells rather than armor piercing ones. This can be useful in dealing the extra damage needed when engaging at short range.

Players that have played König Albert — or even Kaiser — will find Bellerophon to be comfortably familiar.

Pros:

• Large health pool — like Kawachi — for a Tier III battleship.
• Decently armored.
• Powerful main guns with good damage and penetration for both HE and AP shells.
• Very good main battery firing range, second only to South Carolina.
• Fastest Tier III battleship at 22.5 knots.
• Decent rudder shift and turning radius.

Cons:

• Slow turret traverse: Bellerophon is unable to keep her guns on target during sharp maneuvers.
• Mostly useless anti-aircraft armament (like most other Tier III ships).
• Terrible detectability - she cannot really hide from enemy ships.
• Questionable secondary battery arrangement.

Research

Quickly research Hull (B) for better rudder shift and the increase in total hit points, as her stock propulsion is enough to get around. Then research the Mk. III mod. 2 Fire Control System for better range, as it may prove useful when attempting to fight higher tier battleships with better range. Finally, research the Propulsion module upgrade to unlock the ability to outrun her Tier III battleship contemporaries.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

The recommended upgrades for Bellerophon are as follows:

• Slot 1: Main Armaments Modification 1
• Slot 2: Damage Control System Modification 1 

Commander Skills

As a battleship, Bellerophon does not really need to worry much about its modules being incapacitated, but rather being set on fire and surviving enemy salvos for a considerable amount of time. Therefore, survivability skills are recommended. Concealment Expert may help in providing a surprise upon unsuspecting enemy cruisers or battleships. And Grease the Gears is a must-have for this ship, as she has very poor turret traverse.

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Attack			Defense
1	Gun Feeder -40% time to switch shell type. ★★	Demolition Expert +1% chance of main and secondary HE shells causing a fire +15% to the fragmentation damage area of HE ordnance when firing at submarines.	Consumables Specialist −7.5% cooldown time of all Consumables except:  Damage Control Party ,  Repair Party .	Emergency Repair Specialist -3% cooldown time of Damage Control Party  and Repair Party . ★★	Incoming Fire Alert Receive a warning about a salvo fired at your ship from more than 4.5 km.	Preventive Maintenance −30% chance of main armament, engines, steering becoming incapacitated +15% to HP of secondary and AA guns.
2	Grease the Gears +20% main turret traverse speed. ★★	Inertial Fuse for HE Shells +25% armor penetration of HE shells. Base fire chance reduced by half.	Brisk So long as the ship remains undetected: +10% ship speed.	Vigilance +25% detection range of enemy torpedoes +7% damage reduction of Torpedo Protection System. .	Priority Target The detection indicator will show the number of enemies targeting you with main battery. ★★	AAA & ASW Expert +15% continuous AAA and flak damage . +10% damage inflicted by depth charges. While AAA is active: −40% ship consumables reload time..
3	Super-Heavy AP Shells +7.5% AP shell damage −10% fire and flood damage received +25% fire and flood duration.	Long-Range Secondary Battery Shells +20% secondary battery firing range.	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% reload time of all armaments per 1% HP lost +0.2% AA continuous damage per 1% HP lost. ★★	Basics of Survivability -15% repair, fire, and flooding duration.	Improved Repair Party Readiness −0.8% reload time of Repair Party each time your ship receives potential damage equal to 100% of the ship's base HP. After receiving 2M HP potential damage: +1 charge of Repair Party ..	Focus Fire Training In an active priority AA sector: •  +1.5% (to 5%) immediate damage. •  +25% continuous damage. •  +1 flak burst per salvo. −10% aircraft preparation time. −15% reload time of Airstrike armament..
4	Furious 1st fire / flood   −10% Main battery reload time 2nd etc. (up to 5), each   −5% Main battery reload time ★★	Manual Secondary Battery Aiming −10% secondary battery reload time. −10% secondary battery dispersion. When firing at a manually selected target: dispersion gradually improves from -25% to -50%.	Close Quarters Combat -10% reload time of main battery if an enemy ship is spotted within secondary range.	Emergency Repair Expert Damage Control Party  and Repair Party : +1 charge (each). +10% action time . ★★	Concealment Expert -10% detectability range of the ship. ★★	Fire Prevention Expert -10% risk of fire. Three fires maximum.
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful      ★★ - Frequently Useful      ★ - Occasionally Useful     No stars - Not Useful

Consumables

Bellerophon can equip the following consumables:

• Slot 1: Damage Control Party 
• Slot 2: Repair Party 

Signals

Again, due to her low-tier nature, it is not necessary to mount flags on Bellerophon. Should the player insist on mounting flags, the following recommendations are available.

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

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Historical Info

HMS Bellerophon, 1909

Construction

Builder: HM Dockyard, Portsmouth, United Kingdom

Laid down: 3 December 1906

Launched: 27 July 1907

Commissioned: 27 February 1909

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Specifications

18,900 tons displacement, standard

22,102 tons displacement, full

160.3m length

25.1m beam

8.2m draft

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Machinery

18 Babcock & Wilcox boilers

2 Parsons steam turbines

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Performance

21 knots at 25,060 shaft horsepower

5,720 nm at 10 knots

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Armor

Main belt: 203-254mm

Decks: 19-102mm

Bulkheads: 203mm

Turrets: 279mm face and sides, 76mm roof

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Armament

Main

Ten (5x2) 305mm/45 Mk.X guns

Secondary

Sixteen (16x1) 102mm/50 Mk.VII guns

Saluting

Four (4x1) 47mm/40 Hotchkiss Mk.I cannons

Torpedoes

Three (3x1) 450mm torpedo tubes

HMS Bellerophon underway in 1909.

History

Design

Born from the creation and principles used to build HMS Dreadnought, HMS Bellerophon and her sister ships — Temeraire and Superb — became the basis for the conventional form of capital battleships at the time. With the advent of Dreadnought rendering previous battleships obsolescent at a stroke, the Royal Navy quickly sought to keep the numerical advantage of battleships, as they had done previously with "pre-dreadnought" battleships. Therefore, four battleships were planned for the 1906/7 construction program, although one of these was subsequently cut by the British government at the time.

Therefore, the Bellerophon-class used the same successful turbines and machinery of Dreadnought to drive the ship at 21 knots, and the same ten 12-inch (305mm)/50 caliber BL Mk.X guns, in the same 'A', 'P', 'Q', 'X', 'Y' arrangement. Although the ships were very similar to Dreadnought, they incorporated some modifications of her design.

For strarters, they were improved with two large tripod masts in better locations: one in front of each funnel, instead of Dreadnought’s tripod mast and pole masts aft of the funnels. Bellerophon initially also had sixteen (16) 4-inch (101.6mm) guns which posed a more credible threat to torpedo boats than the twenty-seven (27) 3-inch (76.2mm) guns fitted to Dreadnought. These guns were fitted in pairs on 'A', 'P', 'Q' and 'Y' turrets, and 4 per side in the superstructure. The torpedo bulkheads were also extended to cover the machinery spaces between the magazines, unlike with Dreadnought. This overall improved the survivability of the ship, despite the belt armor of Bellerophon being an inch thinner than her predecessors, down to 10 inches (254mm) at its maximum thickness. To make up for the ships' larger size and displacement, the hull form was refined to allow Bellerophon to keep the top speed of 21 knots achieved by Dreadnought, which was also helped by weight savings achieved by reductions in the capacity of fuel carried. Bellerophon also only carried 3 torpedo tubes and 18 torpedoes, as opposed to 5 and 27 on Dreadnought.

In May 1910, an experimental fire-control system was mounted on the main mast, which provided electrical data to the turrets below. It was subsequently removed and replaced by production models in 1915 and 1916 for all three ships. Modifications also included moving the 4-inch guns from the turret roofs to the superstructure, although this reduced the overall count of guns by two to fourteen. The guns mounted just aft of 'P' and 'Q' turrets were removed from the superstructure later on during World War I. Two (2) 3-inch (76.2mm) anti-aircraft guns were added during the war, one later being replaced by a 4-inch (101.6mm) model. Flying off platforms for aircraft on top of 'A' and 'Y' turrets were fitted in 1918.

Bellerophon was laid down in December 1906, with Temeraire and Superb following in 1907. All three were launched during that year, and completed in 1909.

Service

HMS Bellerophon was the lead ship of the class, and upon completion assigned to the Home Fleet's First Division. In 1911, she was present at the coronation review of King George V, although she had sustained minor damage the previous month in a collision with HMSInflexible. In late 1913, she was present with the Mediterranean fleet and visited Greece. At the outbreak of the First world war, Bellerophon was due for a refit in Gibraltar, but was sent back to Britain to form part of the Grand Fleet. At this time, she was part of the 4th Battle Squadron. 1914 and 1915 consisted of sweeps, patrols and Grand fleet exercises, but in 1916, Bellerophon was present for the Battle of Jutland. She was the 14th battleship in the Grand Fleets line of battleships, and during the battle, fired upon the German ships including destroyers, the light cruiser SMS Wiesbaden and the battlecruiser SMS Derfflinger. Bellerophon at least hit the Derfflinger with one shell, and returned from the battle undamaged. Bellerophon also took part in the inconclusive Action of 19 August, but afterwards, her service generally consisted of routine patrols and training in the North Sea as before. As the second dreadnought battleship in service, the ship was deemed obsolete after the war and was used as a training ship in 1919 before she was placed in reserve. Bellerophon was sold for scrap in 1921 and broken up beginning the following year.

HMS Temeraire was the last of the three ships commissioned, although second laid down and launched. Also present at the fleet reviews in 1909 and 1911, Temeraire spent her pre-war service in the home fleet, visiting Cherbourg in 1913. Transferred to the 4th Battle Squadron to join Bellerophon at the outbreak of war, her wartime career imitated that of her older sister. At the Battle of Jutland, Temeraire was the 15th ship in line, immediately behind Bellerophon. Firing at the same targets, she failed to hit Derfflinger, but did claim 2 or 3 hits on Wiesbaden. In 1918, she was joined the Mediterranean fleet, and was present in Constantinople for the armistice between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies. Temeraire also provided a crew for the Derzki-class destroyer Schastlivy after the Germans handed the ex-Russian ship over at the armistice. In 1919, she returned to Britain, and although initially placed in reserve, was then used as a training ship and once more arrived in the Mediterranean on a training cruise. By 1921, her services in this role were over, and she was subsequently sold for scrap, being broken up in 1922.

HMS Superb was the seventh ship of the name in the Royal Navy, and her career followed the same lines as those of her sisters. She served with the First Division (later 1st Battle Squadron), was in attendance at fleet reviews, and visited the Mediterranean and Cherbourg, France. Although initially assigned to the 1st Battle Squadron, she was transferred to the 4th Battle Squadron in late 1915, joining her sisters. After numerous sweeps, training exercises, and sorties in the North Sea, by the time of the Battle of Jutland, Superb was the flagship of the Third Division, 4th Battle Squadron (as the regular flagship, Iron Duke-class Emperor of India was under refit). During the battle, she was the 11th ship in the Grand Fleets battle line after deployment, and — like Temeraire — claimed hits on the crippled light cruiser Wiesbaden. Refitting throughout the early stages of 1918, she was transferred to the Mediterranean fleet as the flagship, and lead the fleet to Constantinople for the armistice with the Ottoman Empire. She provided a crew for the Russian destroyer Derzki, and visited Egypt and the Black Sea during 1918 and 1919. In September, she briefly replaced Bellerophon as a training ship, before being reduced to reserve in December, and used for gunnery experiments in 1922. She followed her sisters to the scrapyard in 1923.

Historical Inaccuracies

• Bellerophon is represented in game in roughly 1916 condition, as her 4-inch (101.6mm) secondary guns are mounted in the superstructure instead of the turret roofs, she carries 3-inch (76.2mm) anti-aircraft guns, and her topmasts are lowered in height, but not completely removed (which happened to the fore topmast in 1918).
• However, although the torpedo nets along the side of the hull were removed in 1915, she keeps them in game.
• Bellerophon had two 3-inch (76.2mm) anti-aircraft guns, however on Hull (B) the second 3-inch (76.2mm) AA gun is on the quarterdeck, rather than "Y" turret where it was historically.
• The 3-inch (76.2mm) gun on Y-turret was later replaced with a 4-inch (101.6 mm) AA gun in April 1917, and moved to the quarterdeck when flying-off platforms were fitted in 1918.
• Bellerophon and her two sisters never received any 40mm (2-pdr) AA machine guns such as those found on "A" and "X" turrets on Hull (B) in game.
• Bellerophon had a nominal top speed of 20.7 knots, not the 22.5 knot in game value given by the propulsion upgrade.
• Bellerophon’s three underwater torpedo tubes are modeled, but are not usable on the ship. The stern torpedo tube was removed in 1917.
• The funnel cap added to Bellerophon’s forward funnel in 1917 is not present.
• Flying-off platforms on the fore ("A") and aft ("Y") turret roofs are also missing; these were added in 1918.

Historical Gallery

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  Bellerophon underway in 1909.

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  Broadside view of Bellerophon from Jane's Fighting Ships, 1919.

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  Plan view of Bellerophon from Jane's Fighting Ships, 1919.

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  The 3-inch AA gun on the former searchlight platform, c. 1918.

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  Bellerophon at anchor, 1911.

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  Bellerophon firing her main armament.

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  Bellerophon underway, 1918, with a kite balloon in the upper left background.

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  A side plan view of Bellerophon as built.

References

1. HMS Bellerophon (1907) - Wikipedia
2. Bellerophon-class battleship - Wikipedia

Ship Change Log

See here for links to Update notes.

Testing Changes

• August 15, 2017:
  • The AP shell fuse delay was reduced from 0.033 to 0.015 s.

• Introduced into the game as a researchable ship in Update 0.6.10.
  • Players who received Blueprint I from the British Battleships Mission chain during Update 0.6.9 were credited Bellerophon upon the release of Update 0.6.10.
• Update 0.6.11:
  • Fixed a bug where the guns on the fourth main caliber turret intersected the ship hull, leading to a decrease to the firing angles by 3 degrees on all sides.
• Update 0.6.12:
  • Detectability when firing main guns in smoke changed to 10.47 km.
• Update 0.6.13:
  • Minor fixes to ship geometry and textures.
• Update 0.9.10:
  • Fixed a bug due to which part of the armor was missing in the barbettes.
• Update 0.10.0:
  • The firing range of the secondary battery was increased to 3.2 km.

Ships of U.K.

Battleships