Graf Zeppelin
Revision as of 08:27, 23 March 2018 | Revision as of 20:51, 29 March 2018 Reworked the Performance section after the rework. | |||
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With a total capacity of 25 planes, ''Graf Zeppelin'' has the second highest fighter reserve at her Tier. | With a total capacity of 25 planes, ''Graf Zeppelin'' has the second highest fighter reserve at her Tier. | |||
? | + | Similar to all the American Carriers at Tier VIII and higher, ''Graf Zeppelin'' can choose between AP and HE bombs for her [[Ship:Aerial_Combat#Dive_Bombers|dive bombers]]. | ||
Her HE bombers are solid, they have a round drop pattern meaning that the angle of approach does not matter. The accuracy when manually dropped is decent, and the bomb hits net good damage values. | Her HE bombers are solid, they have a round drop pattern meaning that the angle of approach does not matter. The accuracy when manually dropped is decent, and the bomb hits net good damage values. | |||
? | The AP bombs are a rather situational tool | + | The AP bombs are a rather situational tool. Those dive bombers excel against German Battleships in particular, with one well placed AP salvo being able to cause catastrophic damage. The drop pattern is the same circle as for the HE bombs, and the drop pattern doubles it's diameter once being disrupted by Defensive Fire or Fighter planes. | |
? | + | |||
? | + | The Torpedo Bombers have the option of equipping Deep Water Torpedoes, the first planes in this game to have this option. The difference between these Torpedoes is that the Deep Water ones are unable to hit Destroyers, but in exchange have a higher flooding chance once they do hit. | ||
+ | They feature a very unique drop pattern which looks like a cross, with one row of three Torps and one being in front of the row and one behind. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | Both Bomber types are fragile and the slowest speed in her Tier, so one should always keep an eye out for AA threats and plan in advance. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | ''Graf Zeppelin'' has the option of two loadouts, and both are vastly different from each other. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | The first loadout features 1 Fighter Squadron with eight planes stock per squadron, and another eight planes in her reserve. Her strike planes are divided into two Torpedo squadrons á 5 planes each (17 more in the reserve), and one Dive Bomber squadrons with 9 planes and 20 more in her hangar. The maintenance time required for the fighters and Dive Bombers is rather long, while the Torpedo Bombers rearm and launch in the blink of an eye. This loadout is very balanced, though gaining air superiority will be difficult due to the low reserves. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | The second loadout is a bit more specialized, and features two Fighter squadrons with five planes each (and 14 more in her hangar) and three Dive Bomber squadrons which also consist of five planes each, and 33 more ready in the reserves. This loadout allows you to hold up against enemy fighters better, due to larger fighter reserves and the advantage of having two squadrons which can be set up for strafes. The focus on the Dive Bombers means that your choice of Bombs will decide what targets you want to engage. The servicing times are reasonable, and not as unforgiving as the ones for the first loadout. | |||
+ | ||||
+ | A very unique feature is the [[Ship:Consumables#Hydroacoustic_Search|Hydroacoustic Search]] Consumable, which has identical stats to same-Tier Cruisers (non-German). While the practical use is debatable, it can allow for some interesting scenarios. | |||
One last word regarding her self-defense armament. While she does have the best Secondary firepower at her Tier, even surpassing the ''[[Ship:Bismarck|Bismarck]]'', one should not rely on her Secondaries alone to fend of an attacking ship. Her hull plating is only 21mm thick, so even Destroyer HE is easily capable of penetrating ''Graf Zeppelin's'' ship. Though there are good news regarding her citadel, it is submerged and behind a reasonably thick turtleback. So against heavy Cruisers you can take a few AP hits without losing your entire health. Against Battleships or plunging fire however you remain vulnerable. | One last word regarding her self-defense armament. While she does have the best Secondary firepower at her Tier, even surpassing the ''[[Ship:Bismarck|Bismarck]]'', one should not rely on her Secondaries alone to fend of an attacking ship. Her hull plating is only 21mm thick, so even Destroyer HE is easily capable of penetrating ''Graf Zeppelin's'' ship. Though there are good news regarding her citadel, it is submerged and behind a reasonably thick turtleback. So against heavy Cruisers you can take a few AP hits without losing your entire health. Against Battleships or plunging fire however you remain vulnerable. |
Revision as of 20:51, 29 March 2018
105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount6 х 2 pcs. |
Firing Range6.25 km. |
Rate of Fire17.91 shots/min. |
Reload Time3.35 sec. |
HE Shell105 mm Spr.Gr. Kz. |
Maximum HE Shell Damage1,200 |
Initial HE Shell Velocity900 m./s. |
Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell5 % |
150 mm/55 SK C/28 on a Dop. MPL C/36 mount8 х 2 pcs. |
Firing Range6.25 km. |
Rate of Fire8 shots/min. |
Reload Time7.5 sec. |
HE Shell150 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.5 |
Maximum HE Shell Damage1,700 |
Initial HE Shell Velocity875 m./s. |
Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 % |
105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount6 х 2 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second99.6 |
. . . Firing Range4.5 km. |
37 mm/69 Flak M42 on an LM/42 mount11 х 2 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second113.3 |
. . . Firing Range3.51 km. |
20 mm/65 C/38 on a Flak 35 Vierling L/38 mount7 х 4 pcs. |
. . . Average Damage per Second44.8 |
. . . Firing Range2.01 km. |
Maximum Speed32 knot |
Turning Circle Radius1 140 m. |
Rudder Shift Time13.7 sec. |
Surface Detectability Range15.71 km. |
Air Detectability Range11.06 km. |
Graf Zeppelin — German special premium Tier VIII aircraft сarrier.
A high-speed aircraft carrier armed with numerous secondary and dual-purpose guns. She had the most powerful propulsion among all German Navy ships. The carrier was never completed because Germany's shipbuilding program priorities changed during the course of World War II.
Graf Zeppelin was first released for sale worldwide on 21 August 2017. She was not well-received by the player base, and Wargaming removed her from sale after only five days. She is currently being re-worked and will be re-released for sale at a future date.
Modules
Speed (knot) | IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SQUADRON_MED_DAMAGE (HP/min) | IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SQUADRON_AMMO_AMOUNT | Hit Points (HP) |
Research price (exp) |
Purchase price () | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Me 155A | 136 | 1,320 | 0 | 0 |
Maximum Torpedo Damage (HP) | Speed (knot) | Hit Points (HP) |
Research price (exp) |
Purchase price () | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ta 152C-1/R14 | 5,333 | 181 | 1,710 | 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
Being the closest ship to a German carrier, Graf Zeppelin is a Tier VIII competitor against her Japanese counterpart Shokaku and the American Lexington and Enterprise. On top of that she is the first non-Japanese and non-American Carrier to enter World of Warships and the fourth Premium aircraft carrier to be in-game.
The fighters of Graf Zeppelin are the fastest fighters at her Tier, however she pays for that with slightly reduced fighter damage and survivability. Coming in squadrons of five (with the Air Supremacy skill), the ammunition reserve is between Shokaku and Lexington. Dogfights against same Tier Carriers should be avoided at all cost, as her planes will not be able to hold their ground against them. In those cases a well timed strafe to escape the fighter lock can save the squadron from complete devastation at the cost of one plane. Using the strafe mechanic and friendly AA can help greatly in defeating the enemy fighters, and thereby help getting more opportunities to strike enemy ships. With a total capacity of 25 planes, Graf Zeppelin has the second highest fighter reserve at her Tier.
Similar to all the American Carriers at Tier VIII and higher, Graf Zeppelin can choose between AP and HE bombs for her dive bombers. Her HE bombers are solid, they have a round drop pattern meaning that the angle of approach does not matter. The accuracy when manually dropped is decent, and the bomb hits net good damage values. The AP bombs are a rather situational tool. Those dive bombers excel against German Battleships in particular, with one well placed AP salvo being able to cause catastrophic damage. The drop pattern is the same circle as for the HE bombs, and the drop pattern doubles it's diameter once being disrupted by Defensive Fire or Fighter planes.
The Torpedo Bombers have the option of equipping Deep Water Torpedoes, the first planes in this game to have this option. The difference between these Torpedoes is that the Deep Water ones are unable to hit Destroyers, but in exchange have a higher flooding chance once they do hit. They feature a very unique drop pattern which looks like a cross, with one row of three Torps and one being in front of the row and one behind.
Both Bomber types are fragile and the slowest speed in her Tier, so one should always keep an eye out for AA threats and plan in advance.
Graf Zeppelin has the option of two loadouts, and both are vastly different from each other.
The first loadout features 1 Fighter Squadron with eight planes stock per squadron, and another eight planes in her reserve. Her strike planes are divided into two Torpedo squadrons á 5 planes each (17 more in the reserve), and one Dive Bomber squadrons with 9 planes and 20 more in her hangar. The maintenance time required for the fighters and Dive Bombers is rather long, while the Torpedo Bombers rearm and launch in the blink of an eye. This loadout is very balanced, though gaining air superiority will be difficult due to the low reserves.
The second loadout is a bit more specialized, and features two Fighter squadrons with five planes each (and 14 more in her hangar) and three Dive Bomber squadrons which also consist of five planes each, and 33 more ready in the reserves. This loadout allows you to hold up against enemy fighters better, due to larger fighter reserves and the advantage of having two squadrons which can be set up for strafes. The focus on the Dive Bombers means that your choice of Bombs will decide what targets you want to engage. The servicing times are reasonable, and not as unforgiving as the ones for the first loadout.
A very unique feature is the Hydroacoustic Search Consumable, which has identical stats to same-Tier Cruisers (non-German). While the practical use is debatable, it can allow for some interesting scenarios.
One last word regarding her self-defense armament. While she does have the best Secondary firepower at her Tier, even surpassing the Bismarck, one should not rely on her Secondaries alone to fend of an attacking ship. Her hull plating is only 21mm thick, so even Destroyer HE is easily capable of penetrating Graf Zeppelin's ship. Though there are good news regarding her citadel, it is submerged and behind a reasonably thick turtleback. So against heavy Cruisers you can take a few AP hits without losing your entire health. Against Battleships or plunging fire however you remain vulnerable.Pros:
- Ability to choose between AP and HE bombs.
- Balanced loadout with both fighters and attack planes.
- Secondary armament provides decent protection from close-in destroyers.
- AP bombs can devastate enemy battleships, cruisers, and carriers.
- Adequate anti-aircraft suite for self-defense.
Cons:
- Unable to switch bomb types mid battle, which can leave the player helpless against certain enemy team compositions.
- As a Tier VIII aircraft carrier, captains may face off against large amounts of high tier AA.
- Unable to train captains for any other carriers, and requires a specialized German captain to perform well.
- No torpedo bombers, making it very difficult to deal with enemy destroyers effectively.
- Poor base surface detectability range at 16.2km.
- Has weak fighters compared to other Tier VIII carriers.
- AP bombs are nearly impossible to land hits with, even when auto-dropped.
Research
Optimal Configuration
Upgrades
The recommended upgrades for Graf Zeppelin are as follows:
- Slot 1: Air Groups Modification 1 *
- Slot 2: Damage Control System Modification 1
- Slot 3: Air Groups Modification 2 *
- Slot 4: Damage Control System Modification 2
- Slot 5: Concealment System Modification 1
Upgrade Slot 1 provides two viable options. Air Groups Modification 1 is highly recommended to improve her weak fighters, but some players may choose to specialize in anti-aircraft duties or the secondary battery to defend against attacking aircraft and ships. For either specialization, Auxiliary Armaments Modification 1 should be equipped.
Upgrade Slot 3 provides options for different roles and specializations. Air Groups Modification 2 is highly recommended to increase the ammunition and hit points (HP) of fighter aircraft. Some players may choose to mount Flight Control Modification 1 in order to get planes airborne faster. For specialization in anti aircraft duties or the secondary battery, either AA Guns Modification 2 () or Secondary Battery Modification 1 () should be mounted, depending on the desired specialization.
Commander Skills
Graf Zeppelin is in a unique position as far as her Commander Skills go. While she is an aircraft carrier, she does not have any Torpedo Bombers. This means that commander skills strictly meant for the improvement of Torpedoes Bombers can be forgone, leaving space for other skills. In addition, the Graf Zeppelin features a fearsome secondary armament sure to surprise any ships that venture too close in the hopes of an easy kill. So, choosing Commander Skills that increase the performance of her secondaries is certainly a viable way to go.
Recommended Commander Skills | ||||||||
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Cost (points) |
Endurance | Attack | Support | Versatility | ||||
1 |
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★★★ |
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2 |
★ |
★ |
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|
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3 |
|
★ |
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★★ |
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4 |
★★ |
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★★ |
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★★ |
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful ★★ - Frequently Useful ★ - Occasionally Useful No stars - Meh Χ - Not recommended |
Consumables
Graf Zeppelin can equip the following consumables:
- Slot 1: Damage Control Party
- Slot 2: Defensive AA Fire
Shelling out credits (or doubloons) for Damage Control Party II () will prove useful for captains trying to take advantage of Graf Zeppelin’s secondary battery guns, while Defensive AA Fire II () may be useful if players find themselves subjected to repeated attacks by the enemy carrier.
Camouflage
As a premium ship, Graf Zeppelin comes included with Type 10 camouflage that lowers her detection radius, reduces the accuracy of incoming shells, and increases the amount of experience she earns.
Signals
As a premium aircraft carrier, Graf Zeppelin can mount only four signal flags simultaneously. Captains using high explosive bombs should mount India X-Ray () and Victor Lima () flags for a boost to their fire chance. November Echo Setteseven () flags are recommended to boost the ship’s anti-aircraft damage. Captains can also mount November Foxtrot () and India Yankee () flags for increased survivability. Lastly, economic and special flags can be used to increase the ship’s credit and experience gain per battle.
Recommended Signal Flags | |||||
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Combat | |||||
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★ |
★★ |
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★★★ |
★★★ |
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★ |
★★ |
★ |
★★ |
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Note: Use of the Juliet Charlie signal makes detonation impossible.
Gallery
An AP bomb from Graf Zeppelin's air wing finds the Mogami's citadel.
A German dive bomber returns to base after dropping its' ordinance on an enemy Yamato.
Historical Info
Historical Gallery
References
- Chesneau, R., Gardiner, R. (1980). Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships: 1922-1946. London UK: Conway Maritime Press.
- Breyer, S. (1989). Graf Zeppelin: The German Aircraft Carrier. West Chester. PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
Japan | IV Hōshō • VI Ryūjō • VIII Shōkaku • VIII Kaga • VIII Kaga B • X Hakuryū • ★ Sekiryu |
U.K. | IV Hermes • VI Furious • VI Ark Royal • VIII Implacable • VIII Indomitable • VIII Colossus • X Audacious • X Malta • ★ Eagle |
France | VI Béarn |
U.S.S.R. | IV Komsomolets • VI Serov • VIII Pobeda • VIII Chkalov • VIII Chkalov B • X Admiral Nakhimov |
U.S.A. | IV Langley • VI Independence • VI Ranger • VIII Yorktown • VIII Lexington • VIII Enterprise • VIII Saipan • VIII Hornet • VIII Saipan B • X Essex • X Midway • X Franklin D. Roosevelt • ★ United States |
Germany | IV Rhein • VI Weser • VI Erich Loewenhardt • VIII August von Parseval • VIII Graf Zeppelin • VIII Graf Zeppelin B • X Manfred von Richthofen • X Max Immelmann |
Pan-Asia | VIII Sanzang |
Spain | |
Europe | |
Netherlands | |
Italy | VIII Aquila |
Commonwealth | |
Pan-America |