Hampshire
203 mm/50 Mk VIII on a Mk.I* mount5 х 2 pcs. |
Rate of Fire6 shots/min. |
Reload Time10 sec. |
Rotation Speed8 deg./sec. |
180 Degree Turn Time22.5 sec. |
Firing Range16.8 km. |
Maximum Dispersion148 m. |
Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell0 % |
AP Shell203 mm AP 256 lb |
Maximum AP Shell Damage4,350 |
Initial AP Shell Velocity884 m./s. |
AP Shell Weight116.1 kg. |
102 mm/45 QF Mk.XVI on a Mk.XIX mount6 х 2 pcs. |
Firing Range6.6 km. |
Rate of Fire20 shots/min. |
Reload Time3 sec. |
HE Shell102 mm HE 35 lb |
Maximum HE Shell Damage1,500 |
Initial HE Shell Velocity811 m./s. |
Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell6 % |
533 mm QR Mk IV2 х 4 pcs. |
Rate of Fire0.63 shots/min. |
Reload Time96 sec. |
Rotation Speed25 deg./sec. |
180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec. |
Torpedo533 mm Mk IXM |
Maximum Damage15,533 |
Torpedo Speed62 knot |
Torpedo Range9.99 km. |
102 mm/45 QF Mk.XVI on a Mk.XIX mount6 х 2 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second56.4 |
. . . Firing Range5.01 km. |
20 mm Oerlikon Mk.II on a Mk.V mount18 х 2 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second109.8 |
. . . Firing Range2.01 km. |
40 mm/39 Vickers QF Mk.VIII on a Mk.VI mount4 х 8 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second79.2 |
. . . Firing Range2.49 km. |
20 mm Oerlikon Mk.I on a Mk.IIA mount4 х 1 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second14.4 |
. . . Firing Range2.01 km. |
40 mm/39 Vickers QF Mk.VIII on a Mk.VII mount4 х 4 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second56 |
. . . Firing Range2.49 km. |
Maximum Speed30 knot |
Turning Circle Radius710 m. |
Rudder Shift Time9.8 sec. |
Surface Detectability Range11.48 km. |
Air Detectability Range7.28 km. |
Hampshire — British special premium Tier VIII cruiser.
The Japanese constructing cruisers with ten 8-inch guns made the British Admiralty think about improving the combat characteristics of future ships. In May 1927, an order was given to develop cruisers with five main battery turrets and one additional turret. Following long discussions, it was decided to discard the idea of the additional turret in favor of armor. This would later spur the emergence of the Surrey-class cruisers.
Hampshire was first released for sale on 26 August 2022 as 1 of 35 random bundles for Navigator Tokens, or in an Admiral bundle in the premium shop. She was then made available in the Armory and Premium Shop on 03 January 2023.
Modules
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 () | ||
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533 mm Mk IXM | 0.6 | 96 | 7.2 | 15,533 | 62 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Compatible Upgrades
Slot 1 |
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Slot 2 |
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Slot 3 |
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Slot 4 |
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Slot 5 |
Player Opinion
Performance
Refer to the in-game Port screens for more useful data.
Premium tier VIII Hampshire sits between the light and heavy British cruiser lines. Although she carries 203mm guns like many other heavy cruisers, she shares many characteristics with the British light cruisers, including an AP-only main battery with improved penetration angles and shorter fuse times.
Armament
Hampshire carries ten 203mm guns in five twin turrets, three forward of the superstructure and two behind. Like the tech tree light cruisers, Hampshire only fires AP shells. Her shells have the same significantly improved penetration angles and short fuse time, and despite their larger caliber they share the same 12mm arming threshold. The short fuse time and low threshold mean she rarely overpenetrates her target, and make her particularly lethal against destroyers and thinly armored cruisers. However, she will struggle against ships with turtleback or spaced armor schemes, and can only citadel cruisers with exposed citadels. Like the British light cruisers, she rarely gets high damage salvos but will deal consistent damage to broadside targets. As she lacks HE shells, she will struggle against sharply angled targets and must rely on hitting superstructure or selecting a more favorable target.
Her turret traverse is fast for a heavy cruiser, allowing her to quickly switch between targets. Her third turret faces backwards like those found on many Japanese cruisers, and her second is able to rotate a full 360 degrees. Although it limits the guns she can bring to bear when pushing, she can keep most of her guns pointing toward the enemy when kiting.
Her 16.8km main battery range is average for the tier, but good enough for her damage farming role and can be increased with her Spotting Aircraft consumable. Her reload is also average, although one of the fastest among her heavy cruiser counterparts. Combined with her large salvo, she has the potential to deal significant damage with her AP. She also has improved ballistics and lower flight times than her light and heavy British counterparts.
In addition to her main guns, Hampshire carries one quadruple torpedo launcher on each side. Her torpedoes are identical to those found on Tier VIII heavy cruiser Albemarle, with average stats across the board. Like other British ships, Hampshire can choose between single fire or narrow spread. Although her launchers can rotate almost completely to the stern, her actual firing angles are rather limited and often require exposing her side to use. When fully built for concealment, Hampshire has a 0.3km stealth torpedo window.
Hampshire's secondary armament is fairly useless. Identical to those on Edinburgh and Belfast '43, Hampshire's consists of three twin 102mm mounts on each side. Although they only penetrate 17mm, they have a high rate of fire and can reliably set fires. Getting close enough to use secondaries is highly discouraged, but ambushing enemies may be in for an unexpected fiery welcome.
Consumables
Hampshire's consumable suite is relatively unsurprising for a Tier VIII cruiser. In addition to the cruiser Damage Control Party, she carries a standard Hydroacoustic Search, Defensive AA Fire, and a choice of Catapult Fighter or Spotting Aircraft. Unlike most cruisers, her Hydroacoustic Search and Defensive AA Fire are in separate slots.
In contrast to most Tier VIII British cruisers, Hampshire does not have access to a Repair Party. Although she strongly resembles a larger gunned light cruiser, she also lacks the Smoke Generator or Surveillance Radar found on Edinburgh and the premium light cruisers.
Maneuverability
One of Hampshire's most noticeable shortcomings is her lack of speed. At only 30 knots, she is the slowest cruiser in her tier (just behind Tiger '59), and one of the slowest in her entire matchmaking range. Even with the Sierra Mike signal, Hampshire can’t reach 32 knots. She’ll often be one of the last ships to reach the battle, and will trail behind her fleet if forced to run away. Although she lacks speed, Hampshire does retain the typical “British” improved acceleration. Like the tech tree cruisers and destroyers, she accelerates significantly faster from 0 to 6 knots but can’t mount the Propulsion Modification 1 upgrade.
The rest of Hampshire's agility is similarly underwhelming. Her rudder shift is average, and her turning circle is only slightly better than average. She also lacks the improved energy retention of the light cruisers and destroyers, losing more speed in turns
Survivability
Overall, Hampshire lacks survivability. Her health is below average for a Tier VIII cruiser, and is the lowest among heavy cruisers. She also lacks the Repair Party of many other British cruisers, so any damage she takes is permanent.
Like the other British cruisers, Hampshire can’t rely on her armor to stay alive either. As a heavy cruiser, she has a 25mm bow and stern compared to Edinburgh’s 16mm. Although it protects against small caliber HE and can bounce cruiser caliber AP, battleship AP and cruiser HE pose a much bigger threat. Her “bow” section is also huge, with the 25mm plating extending all the way to her superstructure, making it an easy target to hit. Her 27mm upper belt and 30mm deck offer a bit more protection, but are still vulnerable to most cruiser HE and most battleship caliber AP. Although she struggles against larger ships, she is well protected against most destroyers. Her superstructure is rather small, and any shells that miss will shatter harmlessly on her deck.
Her citadel is small for a cruiser, and protected behind a small 152mm plate. It extends above the waterline, but its small size makes it more difficult to hit, saving her from a potentially deadly broadside hit. However, that small size can also be a negative. As the only part of her armor able to reliably bounce battleship AP, being a small target limits the times it will bounce AP or shatter HE. And surrounded by 27mm plating, anything that doesn’t hit that small belt will likely penetrate.
Hampshire's concealment is average for her tier, although she is still stealthier than many cruisers in her matchmaking range. With Concealment Expert and the Concealment System Modification 1 upgrade, she can get her surface detection down to 9.7km.
Hampshire has relatively weak torpedo protection. Her 7% reduction is slightly better than those of the light cruisers, but still offers little protection against severe damage from torpedoes. Her turrets are also rather vulnerable. The entire turret and barbette is covered in 25mm plating, and can easily become incapacitated or destroyed under sustained cruiser or battleship fire.
Anti-aircraft
Hampshire struggles to protect herself against aircraft. Her long range defenses are noticeably weak, with low continuous damage and only a couple low-damage flak clouds. Almost all of her damage comes from her short and mid range mounts, with most in her short range aura. Although her mid range damage is high for a heavy cruiser, she shares Belfast '43’s lowest-in-tier 2.5km range. By the time most of her AA is firing, planes will be well into their attack run.
Hampshire carries the Defensive AA Fire consumable by default, which increases her flak and continuous damage. But with most of her damage coming from short range defenses, it offers less improvement in practice. She also has the option to swap her Spotting Aircraft for a Catapult Fighter, if she wants a bit more protection.
Battle performance
Hampshire is all about farming damage, much like Atago, Admiral Hipper, and Albemarle. When she gets an ideal position with lots of broadside targets, she’ll have a great game, and her improved penetration angles keep her guns effective for longer. But as soon as they angle enough, her potential drops significantly. She’s good at farming cruisers and slapping destroyers that get too close, but less suited for fighting bigger targets.
In many ways, she’s a light cruiser with bigger guns and a bit more protection. She ideally wants to be at mid range on a flank, or in another spot where she can shoot broadsides without too much return fire. Distance is her friend when it comes to survival. If she has to get closer, island cover or concealing herself inside a friendly smokescreen will help keep her alive while using her decent range and good ballistics to hit favorable targets.Pros:
- Small citadel
- Improved AP pen angles
- Short AP fuse time
- Torpedoes, with single fire or narrow spread options
- Strong short range AA defenses
- “British” improved acceleration from 0 knots
- Carries the DFAA and Hydroacoustic Search consumables in separate slots
Cons:
- Poor health and weak armor
- Very low torpedo damage reduction
- Does not have access to HE shells
- Weak overall AA defenses
- Slow
- No Repair Party or Surveillance Radar consumable
Research
Optimal Configuration
Upgrades
Hampshire is all about dealing damage. As such, players should select skills and upgrades that increase her damage potential wherever possible. Like the British light cruisers and destroyers, Hampshire cannot mount the Slot 4 Propulsion Modification 1 upgrade.
The recommended upgrades are:
- Slot 1: Main Armaments Modification 1 *
- Slot 2: Engine Room Protection or Hydroacoustic Search Modification 1 or Damage Control System Modification 1
- Slot 3: Aiming Systems Modification 1
- Slot 4: Steering Gears Modification 1
- Slot 5: Concealment System Modification 1
In Slot 1, the coal Spotting Aircraft Modification 1 upgrade is also available, to further increase the action time of her Spotting Aircraft.
Commander Skills
Unique Commander Andrew Cunningham can be a good fit for Hampshire. Although more difficult to activate, Hampshire would benefit from his Lightning Fast talent that increases her speed if she causes two floodings.
Consumables
Hampshire equips the following consumables:
- Slot 1: Damage Control Party
- Slot 2: Hydroacoustic Search – 3 charges
- Slot 3: Defensive AA Fire – 3 charges
- Slot 4: Spotting Aircraft – 4 charges or Catapult Fighter – 3 charges
Camouflage
As a premium ship, Hampshire comes with Default permanent camouflage and a set of permanent combat bonuses.
Signals
Recommended Signal Flags | |||||
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Combat | |||||
★★★ |
★ |
★ |
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★ |
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★★ |
★★★ |
★★ |
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★ |
Note: Use of the Juliet Charlie signal makes detonation impossible.
Gallery
Historical Info
Historical Gallery
Video
References
Ship Change Log
See here for links to Update notes.
- Available for testing by supertesters in the game starting from Update 0.11.5.
Testing Changes
- DevBlog 325:
- Preliminary characteristics.
- DevBlog 336:
- Main battery reload time increased from 10 to 10.5 s.
- Maximum AP shell damage reduced from 4,500 to 4,350.
- DevBlog 351:
- Main battery firing range increased from 15.7 to 16.8 km.
- First appeared on sale on August 26, 2022, during Update 0.11.7:
- Available in 1 of 35 random bundles available in the Armory for Navigator Tokens, and in the Premium store (Admiral bundle only).
- Update 0.11.8:
- Minor fixes to geometry and textures of the ship.
- Update 12.0:
- Available for purchase on 03 January 2023, in the Armory for 11,300 doubloons and in the Premium Shop.
- Update 12.5:
- Main battery reload time reduced from 10.5 to 10 seconds.
- Detectability range by sea reduced from 12 to 11.5 km.
- Other detectability values have been reduced accordingly.