Le Terrible

13.11

Le Terrible

Destroyer | France | Tier VIII

Tech Tree Position

General

Purchase price9,500

Hit Points18,600

Main Battery

139 mm/50 Mle 1929 on an Mle 1929 mount5 х 1 pcs.

Rate of Fire12 shots/min.

Reload Time5 sec.

Rotation Speed10 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time18 sec.

Firing Range12.27 km.

Maximum Dispersion107 m.

HE Shell139 mm HE OEA Mle 1928

Maximum HE Shell Damage2,000

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell10 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity840 m./s.

HE Shell Weight40.2 kg.

AP Shell139 mm SAP OPFA Mle 1924

Maximum AP Shell Damage2,700

Initial AP Shell Velocity840 m./s.

AP Shell Weight39.9 kg.

Torpedo Tubes

550 mm tube lance-torpilles3 х 3 pcs.

Rate of Fire0.78 shots/min.

Reload Time77 sec.

Rotation Speed25 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec.

Torpedo550 mm 24V

Maximum Damage18,400

Torpedo Speed65 knot

Torpedo Range8.01 km.

AA Defense

37 mm/50 CAIL Mle 1933 on a CAD Mle 1933 mount2 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second4.6

. . . Firing Range3 km.

37 mm/50 Mle 1925 on a CA Mle 1925 mount1 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second1.6

. . . Firing Range3 km.

13.2 mm Hotchkiss Mle 1929 on a CAD Mle 1929 mount2 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second7

. . . Firing Range1.2 km.

12.7 mm Browning on a single mount2 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second5

. . . Firing Range1.2 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed43 knot

Turning Circle Radius690 m.

Rudder Shift Time4.3 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range8.21 km.

Air Detectability Range3.67 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

13.11

Le Terrible

Destroyer | France | Tier VIII

Tech Tree Position

General

Purchase price9,500

Hit Points18,600

Main Battery

139 mm/50 Mle 1929 on an Mle 1929 mount5 х 1 pcs.

Rate of Fire12 shots/min.

Reload Time5 sec.

Rotation Speed10 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time18 sec.

Firing Range12.27 km.

Maximum Dispersion107 m.

HE Shell139 mm HE OEA Mle 1928

Maximum HE Shell Damage2,000

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell10 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity840 m./s.

HE Shell Weight40.2 kg.

AP Shell139 mm SAP OPFA Mle 1924

Maximum AP Shell Damage2,700

Initial AP Shell Velocity840 m./s.

AP Shell Weight39.9 kg.

Torpedo Tubes

550 mm tube lance-torpilles3 х 3 pcs.

Rate of Fire0.78 shots/min.

Reload Time77 sec.

Rotation Speed25 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec.

Torpedo550 mm 24V

Maximum Damage18,400

Torpedo Speed65 knot

Torpedo Range8.01 km.

AA Defense

37 mm/50 CAIL Mle 1933 on a CAD Mle 1933 mount2 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second4.6

. . . Firing Range3 km.

37 mm/50 Mle 1925 on a CA Mle 1925 mount1 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second1.6

. . . Firing Range3 km.

13.2 mm Hotchkiss Mle 1929 on a CAD Mle 1929 mount2 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second7

. . . Firing Range1.2 km.

12.7 mm Browning on a single mount2 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second5

. . . Firing Range1.2 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed43 knot

Turning Circle Radius690 m.

Rudder Shift Time4.3 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range8.21 km.

Air Detectability Range3.67 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

VIII

9,500

Le Terrible — French premium Tier VIII destroyer.

One of the Le Fantasque-class torpedo-boat destroyers—large fast ships with powerful artillery armament. During sea trials, she reached a top speed that remains unsurpassed by any destroyer since.

Le Terrible was first released for sale worldwide on 27 October 2018.

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 ()
139 mm/50 Mle 1929 on an Mle 1929 mount	12	18	107	2,000	10	2,700		0	0

	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 ()
Le Terrible	18,600	6	20	5		2/2/1/2	3			0	0

	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 ()
550 mm 24V	0.8	77	7.2	18,400	65	8		0	0

	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SUO_INCREASE_DIST (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
PCA n° 8 Mle 1		0		0	0

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 86,433 hp	43		0	0

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4
Slot 5

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.

Le Terrible exemplifies the fast, gunboat style of destroyer play found in ships such as the Kiev and Khabarovsk. Having a large surface detection range, somewhat poor torpedoes, and no Smoke Generator  consumable, Le Terrible must rely on her guns and pure, blistering speed to have an impact in battle.

First and foremost, Le Terrible is currently the fastest tier VIII ship in the game, topping out at 53.8 knots with all pertinent boosts active. While her base top speed matches that of Khabarovsk, her improved Engine Boost  provides the edge need to claim the moniker of "fastest ship in the game". Le Terrible also has a meaty health pool to draw upon, facilitating her ability to draw and dodge most enemy fire through sheer speed and maneuverability. In addition, this health pool will help her to win destroyer duels, though her similarly large spotting radius functionally means that enemy destroyers will typically spot Le Terrible first in most situations. With her speed, however, it's unlikely that opposing destroyers will be able to escape upon being spotted. Le Terrible also has access to the Main Battery Reload Booster  consumable, doubling her rate of fire for fifteen seconds and letting her relatively high damage HE shells tear apart any enemy unlucky enough to be targeted.

It's not all peaches and cream, unfortunately. For all her speed, health, and bursty guns, Le Terrible sacrifices her smoke screen. Unlike other destroyers who might have an option to forgo smoke, it's simply not available on Le Terrible. Functionally, this forces her to rely entirely upon speed and health for disengagements while also ensuring any damage done by Le Terrible will be done in the open. Unless clever island play is used, Le Terrible will be spotted so long as her guns are firing (and assuming she hasn't drafted some other ship's smoke for her own use). Additionally, the firing arcs on Le Terrible’s third and fourth turrets are abysmally bad, forcing her to go nearly broadside to allow her entire main battery to enter action. While this isn't a huge issue when fighting at range, it becomes a critical weakness against other destroyers, as sailing side on during a knife-fight only causes her to take more damage. Admittedly, this weakness is somewhat mitigated by Le Terrible’s Main Battery Reload Booster , but it's something captains should keep in mind nonetheless.

In short, Le Terrible is a speed demon in the most literal sense, sacrificing a key element of most destroyer play in order to more heavily specialize in speed and firepower. Those who enjoy living life on the edge will surely enjoy the experience afforded by this super-sonic destroyer.

Pros:

• Large health pool; only Akizuki and Z-23 have more health at Tier VIII.
• Large 138.6mm guns with heavy shells hit for high damage.
• Can equip the Main Battery Reload Booster , doubling main battery rate of fire for 15 seconds.
• With a base speed of 43 knots (matched only by Khabarovsk) and access to the improved French version of the Engine Boost  consumable, Le Terrible can become the fastest ship in her tier, able to reach a top speed of 53.8 knots with all available upgrades.
• Due to her top speed, Le Terrible handles well while maneuvering (in spite of her large turning circle).

Cons:

• No Smoke Generator  consumable.
• Second worst concealment in her tier for destroyers, only behind Kiev.
• Combination of poor concealment and subpar torpedo range means launching torpedoes from stealth is difficult.
• Anti-aircraft armament is essentially non-existent.

Research

As a premium ship, Le Terrible has no module upgrades to research.

Optimal Configuration

The primary build for Le Terrible is a gunboat. Her nine torpedo tubes reload relatively quickly with decent damage and okay range and speed, but a torpedo-boat build is hard to justify.

Upgrades

The recommended upgrades for Le Terrible are as follows:

• Slot 1: Main Armaments Modification 1
• Slot 2: Engine Room Protection or Engine Boost Modification 1
• Slot 3: Aiming Systems Modification 1
• Slot 4: Propulsion Modification 1
• Slot 5: Concealment System Modification 1 

Commander Skills

All builds start with Preventive Maintenance and Last Stand. For a pure gunboat build or solely for Co-op, take Main Battery and AA Specialist plus Fearless Brawler for an effective -15% main battery reload. For other builds, Concealment Expert is the overwhelming choice.

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Attack				Defense
1	Grease the Gears +15% main battery traverse speed.	Liquidator +30% chance (multiplicative) of causing flooding.	Consumables Specialist −7.5% cooldown time of all Consumables except:  Damage Control Party ,  Repair Party . ★★	Gun Feeder -40% time to switch shell type.	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	Demolition Expert +1% chance of main and secondary HE shells causing a fire. +15% to the damage-inflicting area of HE shells fired at submarines.	Swift Fish +5% torpedo speed.	Consumables Enhancements +10% action time of: Hydroacoustic Search , Surveillance Radar , Smoke Generator , & Engine Boost .	Extra-Heavy Ammunition +7.5% main battery AP shell damage. +10% damage from depth charges.	Priority Target The detection indicator will show the number of enemies aiming at you with main battery. ★	Last Stand The ship remains able to move and maneuver - slowly - while the engine or steering gears are incapacitated. ★★★
3	Main Battery & AA Specialist -5% main battery reload time. +10% continuous AA damage. ★★	Fill the Tubes -10% torpedo tubes reload time.	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% reload time of all armaments per 1% HP lost +0.2% AA continuous damage per 1% HP lost. ★★	Inertial Fuse for HE Shells +25% armor penetration of HE shells Base fire chance reduced by half.	Superintendent +1 charge to all consumables.	Survivability Expert +350 HP per ship tier. ★★
4	Main Battery & AA Expert +20% main battery range. +15% flak damage.	Swift in Silence So long as the ship remains undetected: +8% ship speed +5% main battery reload time.	Radio Location Shows the direction to the nearest enemy ship. The enemy is alerted that a bearing has been taken..	Fearless Brawler +1 flak burst per salvo. -10% main battery reload when ship is spotted. ★★	Concealment Expert -10% detectability range of the ship. ★★	Dazzle For 15 seconds after you are detected: * +20% dispersion of enemy shells fired at you. * +8% ship speed.
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful      ★★ - Frequently Useful      ★ - Occasionally Useful     No stars - Not Useful

Consumables

Le Terrible equips the following consumables:

• Slot 1: Damage Control Party 
• Slot 2: Engine Boost 
• Slot 3: Main Battery Reload Booster 

Camouflage

As a premium ship, Le Terrible comes with Default permanent camouflage and a set of permanent combat bonuses.

Signals

Le Terrible captains should mount standard signal flags to improve the ship's performance in battle. Sierra Mike () flags are highly recommended to increase the ship's top speed. Victor Lima () and India X-Ray () flags are recommended to improve the main battery's fire chance. November Foxtrot () flags can also be mounted to decrease consumable cooldown time.

Recommended Signal Flags
Combat
Charlie Kilo +5% ship HP; +2.5% squadron HP.	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. ★
Juliet Whiskey Unaone +15% chance of causing flooding. ★	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 .

Gallery

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Historical Info

Le Terrible, 1940

Construction

Builder: Chantiers Navals Français; Caen, France

Laid down: 8 December 1931

Launched: 30 November 1933

Commissioned: 1 May 1936

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Specifications

Displacement: 2,569 tons, standard

Length: 132.40 m

Beam: 12.45m

Draft: 5.01m

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Machinery

4 Yarrow-Loire boilers, 2 Rateau-Bretagne turbines

580 tons of fuel oil

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Performance

37 knots at 81,400 shaft horsepower

6,600 nautical miles at 17 knots

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Armament

Main

Five (5x1) 138/45mm Mle 1929 guns

Anti-Aircraft

Four (2x2) 37mm Mle 1925 guns

Four (4x1) 13.2mm Hotchkiss machine guns

Torpedoes

Nine (3x3) 550mm launchers

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Complement

210 personnel

Le Terrible underway.

History

Design

With the latest class of large destroyers (the Vauquelin class) being considered too small for the French needs, design work was done in an effort to create a faster and more powerful class of Destroyers. Given how the current designs with a displacement of 2,400 tons did not allow such improvements, it was decided to increase the displacement. The resulting ship displaced 2569 tons standard, 2800 tons under normal load and 3400 tons under a full load. The size increased to an overall length of 132.4m, a beam of 12.35m and a draft of 5m. Despite these enlargements, the complement in fact decreased to only 210, divided into 13 Officers and 197 men.

The main armament of the Le Fantasque class was improved over the previous classes. Whereas the Vauquelin class used a 138.6mm/40 gun, Le Fantasque carried a 138.6mm/50 gun. The longer barrel gave the shell a faster velocity and better range. The maximum gun range increased to 20km, an improvement of more than 3km. The theoretical rate of fire of 12 rounds per minute was only possible for a short time, because the 40kg heavy projectiles had to be loaded by hand. The practical rate of fire was noticeably lower at only seven rounds per minute. Five of these guns were mounted along the centerline: a superfiring pair at the bow and stern of the ship, with the last gun being mounted on the after superstructure facing forward.

Torpedo armament featured three triple launchers for the standard 550mm Torpedoes. These were not all mounted on the centerline, but rather saw two triple launchers between the smoke stacks — one on each side of the ship — with the third launcher being mounted further astern on the centerline, such that only two launchers could be trained onto a single target. The torpedo used was the 1923 Model DT, which carried a 415kg warhead filled with TNT, and had two settings for the speed: one allowing for a range of 14km at a speed of 35 knots, while the other reduced the range to 10km at 39 knots.

Initial anti-aircraft armament of these ships was typical of its time: four hand-loaded 37mm guns in two twin mounts, and an equal number of 13.2mm machine guns. Two depth charge racks with a total of 16 depth charges would be used to combat submarines, and it was possible to carry up to 50 mines.

The ships of the class that eventually escaped to the United States following the fall of Vichy France received a refit that improved the AA defenses: one quadruple 40mm Bofors — as well as two twin Bofors — replaced the 37mm guns, while ten single mounted 20mm Oerlikons provided an adequate short range defense. This, however, came at the cost of the centerline torpedo launcher aft, which had to be removed in order to maintain stability and to empty up the space required.

The most important aspect of the Le Fantasque-class, however, was undoubtedly her machinery. Four boilers and two sets of turbines produced a combined power of 81,400 shaft horsepower for a design speed of 37 knots, but during trials up to 101,800 shaft horsepower were achieved... along with the record speed of 45.03 knots. These happened under light loads in ideal test conditions, but under a full load a respectable speed of 37kn was still achievable. The engines were prone to machinery defects, thought, which showed themselves in the stripping of the turbine blades and boiler issues. The machinery also caused severe vibrations when used above certain levels of power, which negatively influenced the weapon and optical systems; during combat a speed of 28kn was deemed the maximum.

Service

Laid down on 8 December 1931, launched on 30 November 1933, and commissioned into the Marine Nationale on 1 May 1936, Le Terrible joined the French navy alongside her sister-ship Le Fantasque. She did little more than trials in the pre-war period, being present in a review of the fleet on 30 May 1936, followed by another fleet review on 27 May 1937. When war was declared in 1939, Le Terrible — alongside several of her sister ships — were assigned to the Force de Raid based in Brest in Northern France. Le Terrible enjoyed her first triumph on 25 October 1939, where she captured the German cargo ship Santa Fe alongside Le Fantasque.

However, following the capitulation of France in mid-1940, the Marine Nationale was split between the Allied Free French forces and the Axis-aligned Vichy France, and Le Terrible found herself on the side of the Axis. Swiftly following the capitulation, Le Terrible was present in Algeria when the British fleet descended on a French fleet containing four French battleships in what became the Battle of Mers-el-Kébir. Le Terrible fought hard against her former allies, leaving the harbor to engage and torpedo the British fleet, but she was recalled to escort wounded Strasbourg to Toulon following the battle. Le Terrible survived her first serious fight. Her second engagement against the British happened at Dakar, where she successfully warded off a joint British-Free French naval force attempting to overthrow the pro-German French administration in Senegal. Le Terrible remained in Vichy French ports along the coast of Africa until Operation Torch.

After Operation Torch began, the fleet in French West Africa, including Le Terrible, returned to the Allies. In early 1943, she sailed to Boston alongside several other French ships, to undergo a major refit and modernization that equipped her with radar and a vastly improved anti-air suite. She was reclassified as a light cruiser, despite lacking the range of actual cruisers and possessing virtually no armor. Her first major operation on the Allied side was supporting Operation Baytown — the Allied invasion of the Italian mainland — in September 1943, bombarding shore targets and making good use of her powerful new AA suite.

By 1944, she was part of the 10th Light Cruiser Division alongside her similarly overhauled sister ships Le Fantasque and Le Malin, attacking Axis convoys in the Adriatic Sea (including the successful Battle off Ist). In mid-August 1944, Le Terrible provided gunnery and AA support in Operation Dragoon – the Allied invasion of southern France — where she fought to liberate her homeland. In December 1944, she collided with her sister Le Malin, knocking both ships out of action for the rest of the war.

After repairs were completed, she was put in reserve and re-classified as a “swift escort” to match NATO standards. Thanks to her high speed, she was used as an escort for foreign-built French aircraft carriers La Fayette, Bois Belleau, and Arromanches. In 1956, she began service as a training ship in Brest until she was finally decommissioned and scrapped in mid-1962.

Historical Gallery

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  French destroyer Le Terrible, post-war

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  Le Terrible underway pre-war. Description states her class, and that she was capable of 44+ knots of speed.

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  Le Terrible at anchor with signals strung from her masts.

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  Le Terrible arrives at the Boston Navy Yard in Massachusetts on February 21, 1943.

Video

References

1. French destroyer Le Terrible - Wikipedia
2. Le Fantasque-class destroyer - Wikipedia
3. Armada: Le Terrible - News - World of Warships

Ship Change Log

See here for links to Update notes.

• Available for testing by supertesters in the game starting from Update 0.7.8.

Testing Changes

• July 21, 2018:
  • Preliminary characteristics.
• September 13, 2018:
  • Main battery reload time decreased from 7 to 6 s.
  • Main battery firing range increased from 11.24 to 12.27 km.
  • Main battery 180 degree turn time decreased from 25.7 to 18 s.
  • Firing angles of the turrets were improved, most noticeably on the fifth turret.
  • Torpedo tubes reload time decreased from 90 to 77 s.
  • New torpedoes were installed, which have less range, but have better speed and maximum damage:
    • Maximum damage increased from 14,833 to 18,400.
    • Range decreased from 9 to 8 km.
    • Detectability increased from 1.3 to 1.4 km.
    • Speed increased from 60 to 65 knots.
  • The Smoke Generator consumable was removed.
• October 3, 2018:
  • Main Battery reload time decreased from 6 to 5 s.
  • Detectability range from ships decreased from 9.1 to 8.46 km.
  • Detectability when firing main guns in smoke changed from 3.74 to 3.42 km.
  • Changed the Main Battery Reload Booster:
    • Cooldown increased from 120 (80 for Main Battery Reload Booster II) to 150 s (100).
    • Duration increased from 10 to 15 s.
    • Main battery reload time reduction bonus decreased from 75% to 50%.

• First released in October 2018.
• Update 0.7.11:
  • Minor fixes to geometry and textures.
• Update 0.7.12:
  • Minor fixes to geometry and textures.
• Update 0.8.3:
  • The initial velocity of the AP shell was increased from 800 to 840 m/s.
  • The Krupp value for the AP shell was increased from 2100 to 2400.
  • Air drag coefficient decreased from 0.3498 to 0.234 for HE and AP shells.
  • The distribution of HP inside the ship was changed.
• Update 0.8.6:
  • The chance of the engine and steering gears being incapacitated was decreased (unlisted change, see here for details).
• Update 0.8.7:
  • Added the permanent camouflage "Dazzling" with standard bonuses:
    • −3% to detectability from ships.
    • +4% to the dispersion of enemy shells fired at your ship.
    • −10% to the cost of post-battle ship maintenance.
    • +50% to experience earned in a battle.
  • Fixed firing angles of torpedo tubes.
  • Increased the normalization of AP shells from 8.5 to 10 degrees.
• Update 0.8.8:
  • Updated silhouette of the ship.

Ships of France

Destroyers