Aoba
203 mm/50 3rd Year Type No.2 in a Model C turret3 х 2 pcs. |
Rate of Fire5.45 shots/min. |
Reload Time11 sec. |
Rotation Speed5 deg./sec. |
180 Degree Turn Time36 sec. |
Firing Range13.55 km. |
Maximum Dispersion116 m. |
HE Shell203 mm HE Type0 |
Maximum HE Shell Damage3,300 |
Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell17 % |
Initial HE Shell Velocity840 m./s. |
HE Shell Weight125.85 kg. |
AP Shell203 mm AP Type91 |
Maximum AP Shell Damage4,700 |
Initial AP Shell Velocity840 m./s. |
AP Shell Weight125.85 kg. |
120 mm/45 10th Year Type on a Model B2 mount4 х 1 pcs. |
Firing Range4.96 km. |
Rate of Fire10 shots/min. |
Reload Time6 sec. |
HE Shell120 mm HE Type0 |
Maximum HE Shell Damage2,000 |
Initial HE Shell Velocity825 m./s. |
Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 % |
610 mm Quad2 х 4 pcs. |
Rate of Fire0.59 shots/min. |
Reload Time102 sec. |
Rotation Speed25 deg./sec. |
180 Degree Turn Time7.2 sec. |
TorpedoType8 mod. 2 |
Maximum Damage16,267 |
Torpedo Speed59 knot |
Torpedo Range9.99 km. |
120 mm/45 10th Year Type on a Model B2 mount4 х 1 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second20.4 |
. . . Firing Range4.5 km. |
13 mm/76 Type 93 on a twin mount15 х 2 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second30 |
. . . Firing Range1.2 km. |
25 mm/60 Type 96 on a twin mount2 х 2 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second5.4 |
. . . Firing Range2.49 km. |
Maximum Speed35 knot |
Turning Circle Radius710 m. |
Rudder Shift Time8.4 sec. |
Surface Detectability Range11.7 km. |
Air Detectability Range5.78 km. |
Aoba — Japanese Tier VI cruiser.
The Aoba-class cruisers were originally intended to be identical to the Furutaka class, but a number of changes were made to the design by the order of the Navy's General Staff. New 120 mm anti-aircraft guns were mounted instead of 76 mm ones, and a catapult for seaplanes was added between the stern superstructure and the turret. Aoba actively participated in World War II: She landed troops on Guam and Wake, escorted convoys, and fought in the Battles of the Coral Sea, Savo Island, and Cape Esperance. On July 24, 1945, she was sunk in Kure Harbor by an Allied bomber force.
Modules
Compatible Upgrades
Slot 1 |
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Slot 2 |
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Slot 3 |
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Slot 4 |
Player Opinion
Performance
The Aoba isn't really much of a departure from her predecessor the Furutaka. In fact, ever since the addition of the Hull C upgrade to the Furutaka, which gives the Furutaka the exact same loadout as the Aoba, the Aoba's role as a 'seat adjuster' to get you accustomed to the aspects of the Japanese heavy cruiser became redundant. That being said, if the Furutaka is the seat, then Aoba is still pretty much you sinking into the seat as it solidifies aspects of the Japanese cruisers introduced in the Furutaka. It's still an anti-ship combatant, it's still a skirmisher that specializes in medium to long ranges, it's still a ship that requires other ships to draw fire or to support in order to do well in. It's still a very good vessel to be a captain in, so long as you know her well.
One of the things you will notice is the slightly less responsive(but common to the next two tiers, culminating in the Mogami's superslow 155 mm gun turrets) turrets and improved loading time of 4 seconds at best over her predecessor. Her responsiveness to fluid situations is also vastly improved for a Japanese cruiser. This allows you to be where you are needed and support when it is asked. It is with this that the Aoba can smash tier V light cruisers with ease and be a wary force for other heavy cruisers and battleships but not so much with carriers as her AA suite is sufficient to only defend herself alone.
Her torpedoes are nothing special with the addition of the C hull for Furutaka and the much older 10 km torpedo addition, but, perplexingly, their reload is longer. Unfortunately, the positioning of them at the rear of the ship is a sort of downgrade from the Furutaka. Granted, this makes the Aoba a dangerous ship to chase, but it also makes it more obvious for enemy players to figure out when you launch torpedoes, as the rear mounts require you to turn the ship quite hard. Annoyingly enough, these rear mounted torpedoes also creates a blind spot where you cannot spot friendly ships trying to pass close to you.
It's best that you let the Aoba behave as an anti-ship combatant rather than a solid AA screen. Yet, considering how useless Hydroacoustic search is in detecting destroyers, it's simply better to stick with the Defensive Fire cooldown and use it to at least disrupt enemy torpedo and dive bombers.
Pros:
- Additional armor compared to Furutaka.
- Rate of fire beats any Japanese heavy cruiser.
- Few researchable modules
- Good torpedo range for a heavy cruiser
- Reasonable AA suite
- Good anti-destroyer and anti-cruiser screen
- Guns beat the equivalent ships of other nations, much better for dealing with cruisers of the equivalent tier.
- Fast. It can make 35 knots and has fairly quick acceleration, allowing it to keep up, outrun and support destroyers.
- Better turning circle than the Furutaka(Furutaka: 750 m, Aoba: 710)makes it slightly easier to reposition and dodge shells.
- Gains Upgrade Slot 5. This is very helpful as Aoba frequently is-uptiered in Tier VIII battles, where BBs get seriously more threatening with better accuracy and of course shell damage.
Cons:
- Retains the same ergonomics as her predecessor such as citadel size
- The armor is thicker, but it's still a Japanese cruiser making it dangerous to go toe to toe in prolonged engagements.
- Torpedo tubes have a very limited launching arc. In fact, the rear mounted torpedoes make it obvious to experienced players when you're shooting them and necessitate the ship to show it's broadside to enemies.
- Slow speed of the torpedoes
- Deck armor can be smashed even with destroyer guns
- Slower firing rate of guns compared to equivalent tier cruisers means it can set fires on battleships, but not as frequently as the Cleveland.
Research
Gallery
Historical Info
Historical Gallery