Des Moines
Revision as of 11:56, 26 June 2015 Haswell:na moved page Ship:Des Moines to Ship:PASC020 Des Moines 1948 | Latest revision as of 17:00, 4 October 2024 Protected "Ship:Des Moines" ([Edit=Allow only administrators] (indefinite)) | |||
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? | # | + | <!-- DO NOT EDIT OR DELETE LINES WITH COMMENTS (it's look like as this or next line) | |
+ | -->{{WoWs_Ship|Promo=<!-- in case of gift or promo ship write conditions to get it. --> | |||
+ | ||||
+ | |Anno=<!-- you can write below short description for the ship. it will replace default once. --> | |||
+ | ||||
+ | ||||
+ | |Performance=<!-- write text about performance in battles below --> | |||
+ | {{AA Sidebar Warning Insert}} | |||
+ | Only a handful of high tier cruisers are known to have absurd firing rates: ''[[Smolensk]]'', ''[[Neptune]]'', ''[[Minotaur]]'', ''[[Plymouth]]'', ''[[Seattle]]'', ''[[Worcester]]'', ''[[Austin]]'', ''[[Salem]]'', ''[[Colbert]]'', and this heavy cruiser. It is no surprise that due to her being the last all-gun cruiser made, she has all the lessons learned from her cruiser predecessors in the Second World War incorporated in her design. A very noticeable trait on ''Des Moines'' is her absurd rate of fire for a heavy cruiser, with each turret reloading at 5.5 seconds, making her extremely deadly to destroyers within radar range and other cruisers. She also can whittle down battleships quickly and, with her impressive AA suite, wipe out carrier strike squadrons with ease. However, she is extremely fragile: her thin armor makes her susceptible to penetration from most Tier IX and Tier X battleships at all ranges. <br /> | |||
+ | ||||
+ | While ''{{#var:ship_name}}'' has impressive firepower and AA, her maneuverability is mediocre and her armor is okay at best. With a standard cruiser speed of 33 kts and fast base rudder shift time of 8.6 seconds, ''{{#var:ship_name}}'' can evade incoming shells and torpedoes relatively well. However, while she can turn well, the speed loss on turning is massive enough to make her an easy target for any other ship with their guns loaded and ready. With her 30mm midsection(same as zao and hindenburg), it makes her vulnerable to bb shells of 431mm and above, also, the bow is 27mm, which is vulnerable to 406mm guns and above. Additionally, because of how flat her stern is designed in comparison to the other Tier X heavy cruisers, this makes her extremely susceptible to enemy battleship AP shells being able to penetrate her citadel through her stern. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | In contrast to her weak points, the ''{{#var:ship_name}}'' high shell arc and gun layout gives her a unique advantage that her cruiser colleagues at her tier lack and as such she is capable of weighing anchor behind an island and lob shells over the island at distant targets with relative safety. Should the island be too tall, one can also park the ship around the corner of an island while bow on to act as a deterrent to advancing enemy ships, while presenting a relatively small profile. Exploiting this technique allows one to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Additionally, firing AP shells at bigger targets such as battleships can deal a surprising amount of damage in such a short time. However, it is recommended to do so only when she is close enough to have the rounds deal maximum penetration or if the target is broadside. Furthermore, given her rate of fire and decent fire chance, this makes ''{{#var:ship_name}}'' a deadly flamethrower to battleships within reach.<br /> | |||
+ | ||||
+ | Overall, unlike most other Tier X cruisers, ''{{#var:ship_name}}'' cannot fight as effectively on open water due to her mediocre armor, slow shell velocity, and speed loss when turning. If the player has mounted the Legendary Upgrade {{UU Des Moines}}, then ''{{#var:ship_name}}'' can become a very agile ship that will prove extremely difficult to hit, provided the player can use their speed and rudder accordingly. But should they play without said upgrade, then a more safe approach for each game would be to play defensively during the initial stages of the game, while becoming more aggressive slowly towards the end. But in general, how aggressive the player should be depends upon the flow of the battle. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | |Pros=<!-- write list of positive points below. use * as in ordinary wiki-list. --> | |||
+ | * An insane rate of fire for such heavy guns. | |||
+ | * High shell arcs make firing over islands easier. | |||
+ | * AP SHS (super-heavy shells) can retain pen and with American Heavy Cruiser ricochet angles(60-67.5) and can tear up almost everything, especially in close. | |||
+ | * A mediocre AA suite that turns solid when the Defensive AA Fire consumable is activated. | |||
+ | * Contrary to the sidebar data on this page, ''{{#var:ship_name}}'s'' long-range AA artillery reaches out to 5.8km. | |||
+ | * 27mm armor protects against 15-inch guns, 30mm midsection protects against 16 inch guns; citadel is protected by a thick 152mm belt and a 127mm transverse bulkhead, allowing her to tank many battleships if sufficiently angled. | |||
+ | * Medium ranged (10km) and long-lasting {{Surveillance Radar}}. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | |Cons=<!-- write list of negative points below. use * as in ordinary wiki-list. --> | |||
+ | * Short ranged main battery with a stock reach of 15.8km. | |||
+ | * High shell arcs make hitting targets at range tricky. | |||
+ | * No torpedoes. | |||
+ | * Citadel is above water and easy to hit when showing broadside, and all 431mm or larger guns can overmatch her armor. | |||
+ | * Poor torpedo defense (7%). | |||
+ | * Anti-aircraft armament easily destroyed and rendered useless against aerial attacks. | |||
+ | * Mediocre agility. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | |Research=<!-- write text about priority sequence of research below --> | |||
+ | As a tier X ship, ''{{#var:ship_name}}'' has no modules to research. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | ''[[Annapolis]]'' is researched off ''{{#var:ship_name}}'' at a cost of 1 XP. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | |OptimalConfiguration=<!-- write some general text about selection of optimal configuration below (optional)--> | |||
+ | ''{{#var:ship_name}}'' can support several build variation. The maximum AA build is detailed separately. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | |Upgrades=<!-- write text about best upgrades below --> | |||
+ | <h4>Gunship build</h4> | |||
+ | * '''Slot 1''': {{Main Armaments Modification 1}} keeps the guns firing. | |||
+ | * '''Slot 2''': {{Damage Control System Modification 1}} '''or''' {{Surveillance Radar Modification 1}} if it is available. | |||
+ | * '''Slot 3''': See below | |||
+ | * '''Slot 4''': {{Propulsion Modification 1}} '''<nowiki>*</nowiki>''' | |||
+ | * '''Slot 5''': {{Concealment System Modification 1}} | |||
+ | * '''Slot 6''': See below. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | Gunship builds pose a dilemma. Increasing rate of fire with {{Main Battery Modification 3}} in '''Slot 6''' practically demands {{Main Battery Modification 2}} in '''Slot 3''', due to the already quite slow turret traverse. When working in close, a slow turret can more than offset the increase in firepower. For PvE play, this is the build to take. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | In contrast, {{Gun Fire Control System Modification 2}} in '''Slot 6''' changes the equation. Due to the increasing dispersion at range and lack of a turret traverse penalty, {{Aiming Systems Modification 1}} is called for in '''Slot 3'''. This option stretches her range out to 18.4km, on par with ''[[Moskva]]'' and ''Hindenburg''. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | ''{{#var:ship_name}}'' also has access to a Unique Upgrade: {{UU Des Moines}} for '''Slot 6''', which decreases her rudder shift and halves the time taken to accelerate to full speed. With this upgrade and {{Propulsion Modification 1}}, ''{{#var:ship_name}}'' can accelerate from 0-27kts in about 8 seconds — most useful when exploiting terrain or open water dodging, this is by far the best modification to take. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | <h4>Anti-aircraft build</h4> | |||
+ | Before including any AA elements in a ship build, captains should consider that facing an enemy aircraft carrier is not guaranteed in most game modes such as random battles. For this reason, AA builds should be considered less versatile than gunboat builds. | |||
+ | * '''Slot 1''': {{Auxiliary Armaments Modification 1}} to protect her AA armament. | |||
+ | * '''Slot 2''': {{Defensive AA Fire Modification 1}} – Special Upgrade | |||
+ | * '''Slot 3''': {{AA Guns Modification 1}} '''<nowiki>*</nowiki>''' | |||
+ | * '''Slot 5''': {{Concealment System Modification 1}} – 6.4km detection by air with all modifiers | |||
+ | * '''Slot 6''': {{Auxiliary Armaments Modification 2}} | |||
+ | ||||
+ | AA Guns Modification 1 for '''Slot 3''' lowers the priority sector prep time (cooldown) from 10 seconds to 8 seconds, so another choice in this slot is justifiable. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | |CommanderSkills=<!-- write text about best set of Commander Skills below --> | |||
+ | ||||
+ | {{Commander Skills 3 CR | |||
+ | <!-- Ratings 1,2,3 are legit. Others are ignored.--> | |||
+ | | rating11 = 3 <!-- Grease the Gears --> | |||
+ | | rating12 = 0 <!-- Swift Fish --> | |||
+ | | rating13 = <!-- Consumables Specialist --> | |||
+ | | rating14 = 3 <!-- Gun Feeder --> | |||
+ | | rating15 = <!-- Incoming Fire Alert --> | |||
+ | | rating16 = <!-- Last Stand --> | |||
+ | ||||
+ | | rating21 = 1 <!-- Pyrotechnician --> | |||
+ | | rating22 = 0 <!-- Fill the Tubes --> | |||
+ | | rating23 = 2 <!-- Consumables Enhancements --> | |||
+ | | rating24 = 1 <!-- Eye in the Sky --> | |||
+ | | rating25 = 2 <!-- Priority Target --> | |||
+ | | rating26 = 1 <!-- Expert AA Marksman --> | |||
+ | ||||
+ | | rating31 = 0 <!-- Heavy HE and SAP Shells --> | |||
+ | | rating32 = 0 <!-- Enhanced Torpedo Explosive Charge --> | |||
+ | | rating33 = 3 <!-- Adrenaline Rush --> | |||
+ | | rating34 = 2 <!-- Heavy AP Shells --> | |||
+ | | rating35 = 3 <!-- Superintendent --> | |||
+ | | rating36 = 2 <!-- Survivability Expert --> | |||
+ | ||||
+ | | rating41 = 3 <!-- Top Grade Gunner --> | |||
+ | | rating42 = <!-- Outnumbered --> | |||
+ | | rating43 = 1 <!-- Radio Location --> | |||
+ | | rating44 = <!-- Inertial Fuse for HE Shells --> | |||
+ | | rating45 = 3 <!-- Concealment Expert --> | |||
+ | | rating46 = <!-- AA Gunner --> | |||
+ | }} | |||
+ | ||||
+ | |Consumables=<!-- write text about selection of Consumables below --> | |||
+ | ''{{#var:ship_name}}'' can equip the following consumables: | |||
+ | * '''Slot 1:''' {{Damage Control Party}} | |||
+ | * '''Slot 2:''' {{Defensive AA Fire}} '''or''' {{Hydroacoustic Search}} | |||
+ | * '''Slot 3:''' {{Surveillance Radar}} '''or''' {{Catapult Fighter}} '''or''' {{Spotting Aircraft}} '''<nowiki>*</nowiki>''' | |||
+ | * '''Slot 4:''' {{Repair Party}} | |||
+ | ||||
+ | For a short range gunship build, {{Spotting Aircraft}} can be useful, especially combined with <u>Eye in the Sky</u>. However, playing forward, the better alternative is {{Surveillance Radar}}. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | For a long range gunship build, radar is less important and long-duration {{Hydroacoustic Search}} (with upgrade {{Hydroacoustic Search Modification 1}} may be preferable, as might Catapult Fighter. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | For an Anti-aircraft build, take Defensive AA Fire. And for maximum effect, {{Catapult Fighter}}. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | |Camouflage=<!-- write text about useful camouflage below --> | |||
+ | {{TT Ship Camo Insert|shiptier=10}} | |||
+ | ||||
+ | ||||
+ | |Signals=<!-- write text about best set of signals below --> | |||
+ | ||||
+ | {{Signal Flags | |||
+ | | November Echo Setteseven = 3 | |||
+ | | Mike Yankee Soxisix = | |||
+ | | India X-Ray = 3 | |||
+ | | Juliet Whiskey Unaone = | |||
+ | | Victor Lima = 3 | |||
+ | | Hotel Yankee = 1 | |||
+ | ||||
+ | | November Foxtrot = 3 | |||
+ | | Sierra Mike = 2 | |||
+ | | India Delta = 3 | |||
+ | | Juliet Yankee Bissotwo = | |||
+ | | India Yankee = 2 | |||
+ | | Juliet Charlie = 3 | |||
+ | ||||
+ | }} | |||
+ | ||||
+ | |Gallery=<!-- write below list of files without tags. description (if necessary) for each should be separated with | --><gallery> | |||
+ | File:DMStart.jpg | |||
+ | File:DMScenery.jpg | |||
+ | File:DMCamps.jpg | |||
+ | File:DMPounces.jpg | |||
+ | File:DMEvades.jpg | |||
+ | File:DMKills.jpg | |||
+ | File:DancingAroundMontana.jpg | A sinking Montana provides a meat shield for both his friendly Riga and the enemy Des Moines during a Succession League brawl. | |||
+ | </gallery> | |||
+ | ||||
+ | |History=<!-- write text below --> | |||
+ | ||||
+ | ''Des Moines'' was launched 27 September 1946 by Bethlehem Steel Company, Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts; sponsored by Mrs. E. T. Meredith, Jr.; and commissioned 16 November 1948, Captain A. D. Chandler in command. She became the first of her class to mount the semi-automatic Mark 16 8 inch turrets and carry the new Sikorsky HO3S-1 utility helicopters in place of seaplanes. It was named after the capital of the state of Iowa. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | In a varied operating schedule designed to maintain the readiness of the Navy to meet the constant demands of defense and foreign policy, ''Des Moines'' cruised from her home port at Newport, Rhode Island and after 1950, from Norfolk, Virginia on exercises of every type in the Caribbean, along the East Coast, in the Mediterranean Sea, and in North Atlantic waters. Annually between 1949 and 1957 she deployed to the Mediterranean, during the first seven years serving as flagship for the 6th Task Fleet (known as the 6th Fleet from 1950). In 1952, and each year from 1954 to 1957, she carried midshipmen for summer training cruises, crossing to Northern European ports on the first four cruises. She also sailed to Northern Europe on NATO exercises in 1952, 1953, and 1955. On 18 February 1958, she cleared Norfolk for the Mediterranean once more, this time to remain as flagship for the 6th Fleet until July 1961 when was placed out of commission in reserve. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | Through her Mediterranean services ''Des Moines'' contributed significantly to the success of the 6th Fleet in representing American power and interests in the countries of Southern Europe, Northern Africa, and the Near East. She made this contribution through such activities as her participation in NATO Mediterranean exercises; her call to seldom-visited Rijeka, Yugoslavia, in December 1950 and Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, in May 1960, and to many other ports as a regular feature of her schedule; her cruising in the eastern Atlantic during the wake of the Suez Crisis of 1956; and service on patrol and as control center for American forces in the Lebanon crisis of 1958. Film footage of her cruising with other ships of the United States 6th Fleet was used in the introduction and conclusion of the movie: "John Paul Jones" starring Robert Stack (Warner Brothers-1959). | |||
+ | ||||
+ | After decommissioning in 1961 she was mothballed in the South Boston Naval Annex and eventually laid up in the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility at Philadelphia in maintained reserve. In 1981 the United States Congress directed that the Navy conduct a survey to determine if she and sister ship USS ''Salem'' (CA-139) could be reactivated (in lieu of two ''[[Iowa]]''-classs battleships) to support the 600-ship Navy proposed by the Reagan Administration. The study concluded that while both ships would be useful in the active fleet, there was not enough deck space to add the modern weapons fit (Tomahawk cruise missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Phalanx CIWS mounts, radars and communication systems) that the ships would need to operate in a 1980's environment. In addition, the per-ship costs for the reactivations and updates (that were determined feasible) would be close to the costs for an Iowa, for a much less capable ship. Therefore, both ships remained in maintained reserve until they were struck off the reserve list in August 1993. After an attempt to turn her into a museum ship in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, failed — ''Salem'' did become a museum ship , however — she was sold in 2005, and then towed to Brownsville, Texas, for scrapping. By July 2007, she had been completely broken up. Her status officially changed to "disposed of by scrapping, dismantling" on 16 August 2007. Two of her dual 5"/38 gun mounts were donated to the USS ''[[Lexington]]'' (CV-16) museum in Corpus Christi, TX, where they can now be seen on display. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | Her sister ship USS ''Newport News'' (CA-148) was scrapped in New Orleans in 1993. The third ''Des Moines''-class ship, the USS ''Salem'' (CA-139), is a museum ship in Quincy, Massachusetts. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | ===Historical Inaccuracies=== | |||
+ | * ''Des Moines'' was never camouflaged as it was commissioned after World War II. After the war the navy adopted the peacetime color of Light Gray overall. | |||
+ | * Permanent camouflage resembles the Measure 31/16d scheme, which is actually the historical camouflage of the ''[[Baltimore]]''-class heavy cruiser. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | |HistoricalGallery=<!-- write below list of files without tags. description (if necessary) for each should be separated with | --><gallery> | |||
+ | File:Des_Moines_HG_1.jpg | |||
+ | ||||
+ | </gallery> | |||
+ | ||||
+ | |Video=<!-- put below video clips with using template VideoYT. You can use html-tags for formatting. --> | |||
+ | {{VideoYT|VaSyPXZ_X5g|320}} | |||
+ | ||||
+ | |Ref= <!-- write below --> | |||
+ | <references /> | |||
+ | ||||
+ | * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Des_Moines_(CA-134) USS ''Des Moines'' (CA-134) - Wikipedia] | |||
+ | * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Des_Moines-class_cruiser ''Des Moines''-class cruiser - Wikipedia] | |||
+ | * [https://worldofwarships.com/en/news/general-news/squall-line-des-moines/ Squall Line: Des Moines - News - World of Warships] | |||
+ | * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaSyPXZ_X5g Armada - USS Des Moines - World of Warships Official Channel - YouTube] | |||
+ | * Sep | |||
+ | ||||
+ | {{WoWS Ship Changelog Insert|1= | |||
+ | *Available for testing by supertesters in the game starting from Update 0.1.2 (alpha version). | |||
+ | *Update 0.3.1: | |||
+ | **Repair Party consumable added. | |||
+ | *Update 0.5.1: | |||
+ | **The number of charges of the "Catapult fighter I" / "Spotting aircraft I" consumable was increased to 4 ( "Catapult fighter II" / " Spotting aircraft II" - up to 5). | |||
+ | **Armor thickness increased by 2 mm (from 25 to 27 mm). | |||
+ | **203 mm AP shells' ricochet angles improved from 45 - 60 degrees to 60 - 67.5 degrees. | |||
+ | *Update 0.5.2: | |||
+ | **Experience earnings increased by 9%. | |||
+ | *Update 0.5.4.1: | |||
+ | **Radar consumable added. | |||
+ | *Update 0.5.8: | |||
+ | **The hull armor model was refined. | |||
+ | *Update 0.6.1: | |||
+ | **Main battery reload time decreased from 6 to 5.5 s. | |||
+ | *Update 0.6.3: | |||
+ | **Sigma increased from 2.0 to 2.05 σ. | |||
+ | **Fixed minor visual bugs at low and medium settings. | |||
+ | *Update 0.6.4: | |||
+ | **The armor thickness of the deck was increased from 27 to 30 mm. | |||
+ | **The appearance was improved. | |||
+ | *Update 0.6.8: | |||
+ | **The range of the secondary battery was increased from 5 to 6 km. | |||
+ | **Fixed a bug with the display of the third gun on Des Moines silhouette. | |||
+ | *Update 0.6.12: | |||
+ | **Detectability when firing main guns in smoke changed to 8.18 km. | |||
+ | **Detection range of the Curtiss SC-2 aircraft was increased from 4 km to 7 km in air, and to 8 km by sea. | |||
+ | *Update 0.6.13: | |||
+ | **Fire extinguishing time now 30 s instead of 60 s. | |||
+ | **The survivability of air defense weapons was tested and brought to a single standard. The change affects the 76.2 mm guns. | |||
+ | *Update 0.6.14: | |||
+ | **The appearance of air defense installations was updated. The changes do not affect the game balance in any way. | |||
+ | *Update 0.7.1: | |||
+ | **Fixed geometry and textures of the ship. These changes do not affect the in-game characteristics of the ship. | |||
+ | *Update 0.7.3: | |||
+ | **Added a special space camouflage. Camouflage can be purchased in the game client for 8,000 doubloons until the release of update 0.7.4. | |||
+ | *Update 0.7.10: | |||
+ | **The range of the Hydroacoustic Search consumable was unified - 5 km for detecting ships, 3.5 km for detecting torpedoes. | |||
+ | *Update 0.9.2: | |||
+ | **Changed armor thickness: side armor increased from 27 mm to 30 mm. | |||
+ | *Update 0.9.5: | |||
+ | **Small changes to geometry and textures. | |||
+ | *Update 0.9.6: | |||
+ | **The value of the in-game turning circle radius was changed to 770 m to correct prior discrepancy. | |||
+ | *Update 0.9.8: | |||
+ | **Minor fixes to textures and geometry of the ship. | |||
+ | *Update 0.9.9: | |||
+ | **Fixed the artillery camera. | |||
+ | *Update 0.10.0: | |||
+ | **The firing range of the secondary battery was increased to 7.3 km. | |||
+ | *Update 0.10.3: | |||
+ | **The rearward firing angles of the bow guns were corrected - now both are 149 degrees. | |||
+ | *Update 0.11.4: | |||
+ | **Surveillance Radar consumable action time decreased from 40 to 35 s. | |||
+ | **Surveillance Radar consumable is now the default consumable option for the slot. | |||
+ | **Minor fixes to geometry and textures of the ship. | |||
+ | *Update 13.4: | |||
+ | **Fixed an issue that prevented the horn on the ship from working while the Bionic permanent camouflage was equipped. | |||
+ | }} | |||
+ | }}<!-- DO NOT DELETE THIS LINE. DO NOT INSERT ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE --> |
Latest revision as of 17:00, 4 October 2024
203 mm/55 RF Mk.16 in a turret3 х 3 pcs. |
Rate of Fire10.91 shots/min. |
Reload Time5.5 sec. |
Rotation Speed6 deg./sec. |
180 Degree Turn Time30 sec. |
Firing Range15.83 km. |
Maximum Dispersion142 m. |
HE Shell203 mm HE/HC Mk25 |
Maximum HE Shell Damage2,800 |
Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell14 % |
Initial HE Shell Velocity823 m./s. |
HE Shell Weight118 kg. |
AP Shell203 mm AP Mk21 |
Maximum AP Shell Damage5,000 |
Initial AP Shell Velocity762 m./s. |
AP Shell Weight152 kg. |
127 mm/38 Mk.12 on a Mk.32 mount6 х 2 pcs. |
Firing Range7.3 km. |
Rate of Fire10 shots/min. |
Reload Time6 sec. |
HE Shell127 mm HE Mk32 |
Maximum HE Shell Damage1,800 |
Initial HE Shell Velocity792 m./s. |
Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell5 % |
127 mm/38 Mk.12 on a Mk.32 mount6 х 2 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second90.6 |
. . . Firing Range5.01 km. |
76.2 mm/50 Mk.22 on a Mk.33 mount10 х 2 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second208 |
. . . Firing Range3.99 km. |
20 mm Oerlikon on a Mk.4 mount12 х 1 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second43.2 |
. . . Firing Range2.01 km. |
76.2 mm/50 Mk.22 on a Mk.33 mount2 х 2 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second41.6 |
. . . Firing Range3.99 km. |
Maximum Speed33 knot |
Turning Circle Radius770 m. |
Rudder Shift Time8.6 sec. |
Surface Detectability Range13.44 km. |
Air Detectability Range7.9 km. |
Des Moines — American Tier X cruiser.
The heavy cruisers designed during World War II became the epitome of their class, making them the most formidable and powerful U.S. heavy cruisers in history. After the development of a 152 mm automatic gun, the U.S. Navy High Command placed an order for a similar gun but with a caliber of 203 mm. New cruisers were to be equipped with triple-gun turrets featuring the aforementioned 203 mm guns and fitted with a thick armored deck for protection against aerial bomb attacks. USS Des Moines conducted various diplomatic and representative missions. She was also used for training cadets and in naval exercises.
Modules
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 |
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Slot 6 |
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Player Opinion
Performance
Refer to the in-game Port screens for more useful data.
Only a handful of high tier cruisers are known to have absurd firing rates: Smolensk, Neptune, Minotaur, Plymouth, Seattle, Worcester, Austin, Salem, Colbert, and this heavy cruiser. It is no surprise that due to her being the last all-gun cruiser made, she has all the lessons learned from her cruiser predecessors in the Second World War incorporated in her design. A very noticeable trait on Des Moines is her absurd rate of fire for a heavy cruiser, with each turret reloading at 5.5 seconds, making her extremely deadly to destroyers within radar range and other cruisers. She also can whittle down battleships quickly and, with her impressive AA suite, wipe out carrier strike squadrons with ease. However, she is extremely fragile: her thin armor makes her susceptible to penetration from most Tier IX and Tier X battleships at all ranges.
While Des Moines has impressive firepower and AA, her maneuverability is mediocre and her armor is okay at best. With a standard cruiser speed of 33 kts and fast base rudder shift time of 8.6 seconds, Des Moines can evade incoming shells and torpedoes relatively well. However, while she can turn well, the speed loss on turning is massive enough to make her an easy target for any other ship with their guns loaded and ready. With her 30mm midsection(same as zao and hindenburg), it makes her vulnerable to bb shells of 431mm and above, also, the bow is 27mm, which is vulnerable to 406mm guns and above. Additionally, because of how flat her stern is designed in comparison to the other Tier X heavy cruisers, this makes her extremely susceptible to enemy battleship AP shells being able to penetrate her citadel through her stern.
In contrast to her weak points, the Des Moines high shell arc and gun layout gives her a unique advantage that her cruiser colleagues at her tier lack and as such she is capable of weighing anchor behind an island and lob shells over the island at distant targets with relative safety. Should the island be too tall, one can also park the ship around the corner of an island while bow on to act as a deterrent to advancing enemy ships, while presenting a relatively small profile. Exploiting this technique allows one to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Additionally, firing AP shells at bigger targets such as battleships can deal a surprising amount of damage in such a short time. However, it is recommended to do so only when she is close enough to have the rounds deal maximum penetration or if the target is broadside. Furthermore, given her rate of fire and decent fire chance, this makes Des Moines a deadly flamethrower to battleships within reach.

Pros:
- An insane rate of fire for such heavy guns.
- High shell arcs make firing over islands easier.
- AP SHS (super-heavy shells) can retain pen and with American Heavy Cruiser ricochet angles(60-67.5) and can tear up almost everything, especially in close.
- A mediocre AA suite that turns solid when the Defensive AA Fire consumable is activated.
- Contrary to the sidebar data on this page, Des Moines's long-range AA artillery reaches out to 5.8km.
- 27mm armor protects against 15-inch guns, 30mm midsection protects against 16 inch guns; citadel is protected by a thick 152mm belt and a 127mm transverse bulkhead, allowing her to tank many battleships if sufficiently angled.
- Medium ranged (10km) and long-lasting Surveillance Radar
.
Cons:
- Short ranged main battery with a stock reach of 15.8km.
- High shell arcs make hitting targets at range tricky.
- No torpedoes.
- Citadel is above water and easy to hit when showing broadside, and all 431mm or larger guns can overmatch her armor.
- Poor torpedo defense (7%).
- Anti-aircraft armament easily destroyed and rendered useless against aerial attacks.
- Mediocre agility.
Research
As a tier X ship, Des Moines has no modules to research.
Annapolis is researched off Des Moines at a cost of 1 XP.Optimal Configuration
Des Moines can support several build variation. The maximum AA build is detailed separately.
Upgrades
Gunship build
- Slot 1: Main Armaments Modification 1
keeps the guns firing.
- Slot 2: Damage Control System Modification 1
or Surveillance Radar Modification 1
if it is available.
- Slot 3: See below
- Slot 4: Propulsion Modification 1
*
- Slot 5: Concealment System Modification 1
- Slot 6: See below.
Gunship builds pose a dilemma. Increasing rate of fire with Main Battery Modification 3 in Slot 6 practically demands Main Battery Modification 2
in Slot 3, due to the already quite slow turret traverse. When working in close, a slow turret can more than offset the increase in firepower. For PvE play, this is the build to take.
In contrast, Gun Fire Control System Modification 2 in Slot 6 changes the equation. Due to the increasing dispersion at range and lack of a turret traverse penalty, Aiming Systems Modification 1
is called for in Slot 3. This option stretches her range out to 18.4km, on par with Moskva and Hindenburg.
Des Moines also has access to a Unique Upgrade: Enhanced Propulsion Plant () for Slot 6, which decreases her rudder shift and halves the time taken to accelerate to full speed. With this upgrade and Propulsion Modification 1
, Des Moines can accelerate from 0-27kts in about 8 seconds — most useful when exploiting terrain or open water dodging, this is by far the best modification to take.
Anti-aircraft build
Before including any AA elements in a ship build, captains should consider that facing an enemy aircraft carrier is not guaranteed in most game modes such as random battles. For this reason, AA builds should be considered less versatile than gunboat builds.
- Slot 1: Auxiliary Armaments Modification 1
to protect her AA armament.
- Slot 2: Defensive AA Fire Modification 1
– Special Upgrade
- Slot 3: AA Guns Modification 1
*
- Slot 5: Concealment System Modification 1
– 6.4km detection by air with all modifiers
- Slot 6: Auxiliary Armaments Modification 2
AA Guns Modification 1 for Slot 3 lowers the priority sector prep time (cooldown) from 10 seconds to 8 seconds, so another choice in this slot is justifiable.
Commander Skills
Consumables
Des Moines can equip the following consumables:
- Slot 1: Damage Control Party
- Slot 2: Defensive AA Fire
or Hydroacoustic Search
- Slot 3: Surveillance Radar
or Catapult Fighter
or Spotting Aircraft
*
- Slot 4: Repair Party
For a short range gunship build, Spotting Aircraft can be useful, especially combined with Eye in the Sky. However, playing forward, the better alternative is Surveillance Radar
.
For a long range gunship build, radar is less important and long-duration Hydroacoustic Search (with upgrade Hydroacoustic Search Modification 1
may be preferable, as might Catapult Fighter.
For an Anti-aircraft build, take Defensive AA Fire. And for maximum effect, Catapult Fighter .
Signals
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Gallery
Historical Info
Historical Gallery
Video
References
- USS Des Moines (CA-134) - Wikipedia
- Des Moines-class cruiser - Wikipedia
- Squall Line: Des Moines - News - World of Warships
- Armada - USS Des Moines - World of Warships Official Channel - YouTube
- Sep
Ship Change Log
See here for links to Update notes.
- Available for testing by supertesters in the game starting from Update 0.1.2 (alpha version).
- Update 0.3.1:
- Repair Party consumable added.
- Update 0.5.1:
- The number of charges of the "Catapult fighter I" / "Spotting aircraft I" consumable was increased to 4 ( "Catapult fighter II" / " Spotting aircraft II" - up to 5).
- Armor thickness increased by 2 mm (from 25 to 27 mm).
- 203 mm AP shells' ricochet angles improved from 45 - 60 degrees to 60 - 67.5 degrees.
- Update 0.5.2:
- Experience earnings increased by 9%.
- Update 0.5.4.1:
- Radar consumable added.
- Update 0.5.8:
- The hull armor model was refined.
- Update 0.6.1:
- Main battery reload time decreased from 6 to 5.5 s.
- Update 0.6.3:
- Sigma increased from 2.0 to 2.05 σ.
- Fixed minor visual bugs at low and medium settings.
- Update 0.6.4:
- The armor thickness of the deck was increased from 27 to 30 mm.
- The appearance was improved.
- Update 0.6.8:
- The range of the secondary battery was increased from 5 to 6 km.
- Fixed a bug with the display of the third gun on Des Moines silhouette.
- Update 0.6.12:
- Detectability when firing main guns in smoke changed to 8.18 km.
- Detection range of the Curtiss SC-2 aircraft was increased from 4 km to 7 km in air, and to 8 km by sea.
- Update 0.6.13:
- Fire extinguishing time now 30 s instead of 60 s.
- The survivability of air defense weapons was tested and brought to a single standard. The change affects the 76.2 mm guns.
- Update 0.6.14:
- The appearance of air defense installations was updated. The changes do not affect the game balance in any way.
- Update 0.7.1:
- Fixed geometry and textures of the ship. These changes do not affect the in-game characteristics of the ship.
- Update 0.7.3:
- Added a special space camouflage. Camouflage can be purchased in the game client for 8,000 doubloons until the release of update 0.7.4.
- Update 0.7.10:
- The range of the Hydroacoustic Search consumable was unified - 5 km for detecting ships, 3.5 km for detecting torpedoes.
- Update 0.9.2:
- Changed armor thickness: side armor increased from 27 mm to 30 mm.
- Update 0.9.5:
- Small changes to geometry and textures.
- Update 0.9.6:
- The value of the in-game turning circle radius was changed to 770 m to correct prior discrepancy.
- Update 0.9.8:
- Minor fixes to textures and geometry of the ship.
- Update 0.9.9:
- Fixed the artillery camera.
- Update 0.10.0:
- The firing range of the secondary battery was increased to 7.3 km.
- Update 0.10.3:
- The rearward firing angles of the bow guns were corrected - now both are 149 degrees.
- Update 0.11.4:
- Surveillance Radar consumable action time decreased from 40 to 35 s.
- Surveillance Radar consumable is now the default consumable option for the slot.
- Minor fixes to geometry and textures of the ship.
- Update 13.4:
- Fixed an issue that prevented the horn on the ship from working while the Bionic permanent camouflage was equipped.
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