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 |Anno=<!-- you can write below short description for the ship. it will replace default once. --> |Anno=<!-- you can write below short description for the ship. it will replace default once. -->
?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.<br><br>''{{#var:ship_name}}'' was first released for sale worldwide on 21 August 2017. She was not well-received by the player base, and Wargaming [https://worldofwarships.com/en/news/common/Graf-Zeppelin-Situation-Update/ removed her from sale] after only five days. She was [https://www.facebook.com/wowsgraf/ re-worked] and will be re-released for sale at a future date; the only ones currently found on live servers were are owned by those who originally purchased her in August 2017.<br><br>{{Model3DViewer|7ad1ee167b9b432e95395a28e55c133d}}+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.<br><br>''{{#var:ship_name}}'' was first released for sale worldwide on 21 August 2017. She was not well-received by the player base, and Wargaming [https://worldofwarships.com/en/news/common/Graf-Zeppelin-Situation-Update/ removed her from sale] after only five days. After [[Ship:Update_0.8.0|Update 0.8.0]] reworked the aircraft carrier class, ''Graf Zeppelin'' was re-balanced and placed back on sale for the first time in nearly 20 months on 15 April 2019. <br>
  
 |Performance=<!-- write text about performance in battles below --> |Performance=<!-- write text about performance in battles below -->
?Though never fully finished in real life, ''Graf Zeppelin'' comes alive in World of Warships as the first carrier to enter the game from a nation other than [[Ship:Ships of Japan|Japan]] or [[Ship:Ships of U.S.A.|America]]. Historically, she was the first carrier in the world to utilize catapult launching technology; this trait carries over in-game as she gets planes off her deck faster than any other carrier.+''Graf Zeppelin'' is the only German aircraft carrier available in World of Warships until the release of Update 0.9.6. As such she differs greatly from all the other carriers present and gives her own unique flavor in-game. She currently sits at Tier VIII.
  
?As a Tier VIII carrier, ''{{#var:ship_name}}'' will inevitably face powerful AA ships such as Tier X cruisers ''[[Des Moines]]'' and ''[[Minotaur]]'' and will be forced to evade or work around these ships to attack with her bombers. Her planes can be quickly and easily shot down by ships that are built for anti-air; however, they are very fast and can strike swiftly before the enemy has a chance to knock many of them down. In short, the plane durability is very much akin to Tier VIII Japanese counterpart ''[[Shokaku]]''. Where ''Zeppelin'' differs significantly from ''Shokaku'' is in the variety of ways she can be loaded out prior to queuing for a battle: ''Graf Zeppelin'' has two flight control module options, each vastly different from the other.+''Graf Zeppelin's'' hull is worth a special mention. For one she boasts a threatening amount of secondary armament, which makes her a risky target for destroyers that can not avoid getting spotted. This also opens up the opportunity to use her late-game as a platform which engages through her secondaries and planes, but such maneuvers need to be carefully calculated or else the destruction of the ship will be imminent. Secondly, she features a reinforced hull plating which makes her immune to non-IFHE guns with a caliber of up to 128mm. Destroyer captains engaging her with artillery should be aware of that and switch to AP-shells in these cases.
  
?The first squadron configuration features one over-sized fighter squadron with eight (8) planes, and another eight (8) fighters in reserve. Her strike planes are divided into two (2) torpedo squadrons of 5 planes each (with 17 more in the reserve), and one dive bomber squadron of nine (9) planes (and 20 more in her hangar). The cycle 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 exterminating enough enemy fighters to achieve air superiority is difficult due to the low fighter reserves.+The most potent planes of ''Graf Zeppelin'' are her torpedo bombers. Being able to fly at speeds of up to 227 knots they are capable of traveling far distances with ease, and can do quick “boom and zoom” attacks even against vessels with stronger AA defenses. Their torpedoes however are not hitting particularly hard, and the planes are rather fragile, so it should be kept in mind that several runs will be required to deal notable damage and that ships with high continuous dps are a big threat. Every attack run can drop up to three torpedoes, which will be dropped in a wedge shape. As every squadron consists of nine planes, ''Graf Zeppelin'' can make three attack runs with three planes each. However, the flooding chance for these torpedoes is quite low, making DoT stacks difficult with this German carrier.
  
?The torpedo bombers in this configuration have the option of equipping deep water torpedoes, the first planes in the game to have this option. The difference between these regular torpedoes and deep water ones is that the latter are unable to hit destroyers in exchange for having a higher flooding chance once they do hit cruisers, battleships, or aircraft carriers. In practice, deep water torpedoes on aerial drops are fairly pointless, and equipping them deprives ''Zeppelin'' captains of the flexibility of targeting enemy destroyers with her potent torpedo loadout.+Being the only viable plane type on ''Graf Zeppelin'' against destroyers, her attack aircraft will satisfy the player with good hitting power and rocket penetration (40mm), but unlike the torpedo bombers they do not possess a superior speed and are in fact on the slower side of T8 aircraft. Every attack run will release up to eight rockets, so timing the drop for a narrow reticle is highly recommended. With eight planes in total per squadron that results in four attack runs.
  
?The second squadron configuration is a bit more specialized, and features two fighter squadrons of five (5) planes each (and 14 more in her hangar) paired with three dive bomber squadrons, also made up of five (5) planes each (plus 33 more ready in reserve). The servicing times are reasonable, and not as unforgiving as the ones for the first loadout. This loadout allows captains to fend off enemy aircraft better, due to both the larger fighter reserves and the advantage of having two squadrons which can be set up for strafes. The focus on dive bombers means that the choice of bombs will dictate what targets can be engaged effectively.+The remaining plane type are the dive bombers, which while they offer a faster diving approach, are lacking in terms of striking power and penetration. However, using the same plane as the torpedo bombers they are fast enough to travel across the map quickly. Each attack run will consist of two dive bombers with one bomb each, and the entire squadron will consist of eight planes in total. Unfortunately, some ships are completely immune to these weapons, and while the circular reticle means you can approach from any angle, it also means that even the best aimed drops can result in no hits.
  
?''Zeppelin''’s HE bombs, like high-tier American HE bombs, pack quite a punch against cruisers and destroyers, while the AP bombs are devastating towards most battleships and cruisers she will face. The AP bombs in particular will frequently surprise opponents who are used to American AP bombs over-penetrating them, as the fuse threshold — the amount of armor they must penetrate in order to trigger the fuse — is significantly less than those found on American bombs. Furthermore, as there is a somewhat large reserve of the bombers, captains '''can''' afford to sacrifice some planes to attack certain strategically positioned targets. However, captains must be careful of losing entire squadrons as the respawn time for a lost squadron is quite long. The bomb drop reticle for ''{{#var:ship_name}}'' is very friendly and easy to use: a simple circle, meaning that it the angle they approach a ship from is more-or-less irrelevant. Auto-drops can be as devastating as manual drops; when the manual drop reticle is properly timed against battleships, it's common to land all five or six bombs from the squadron.+In terms of playstyle, ''Graf Zeppelin'''s greatest assets are her torpedo bombers. Their exceptional speed allows them to repeatedly strike enemy ships with a short downtime between strikes, somewhat compensating for their low alpha strike. Attack aircraft should be saved for isolated targets or more agile ships such as destroyers and cruisers. Dive bombers lack reliability, but they can serve well as spotters thanks to their speed. Lastly, the carrier herself can be surprisingly effective at dealing with enemy surface ships thanks to her accurate secondary guns, but doing so offensively can be extremely risky.
? +
?''{{#var:ship_name}}''’s fighters have sufficient firepower to reliably strafe down enemy planes and are the fastest fighters of Tier VIII carriers. They are somewhat fragile, however, and captains should avoid dogfights with other enemy squadrons if possible; the fighters will routinely lose in straight up dogfights against other enemy fighters at Tier VIII due to their low average DPS. In such cases, a well-timed strafe to escape the fighter lock can save the squadron from complete devastation at the cost of one plane.+
? +
?Another unique feature is that ''{{#var:ship_name}}'' has access to the {{Hydroacoustic Search}} consumable, with identical stats to same-tier non-German cruisers. While its practical use is debatable, it does allow for some interesting possibilities and shouldn't be discounted. Additionally, her secondary firepower is astonishing for an aircraft carrier, even surpassing that of ''[[Bismarck]]''. While captains should not rely on her secondaries alone to fend off an attacking ship, they are more than capable of doing excellent damage against lighter units that wander too close. +
? +
?''{{#var:ship_name}}'' is a very comfortable carrier to play, and offers captains more variety in offensive strike power than any other aircraft carrier currently in the game. +
  
 |Pros=<!-- write list of positive points below. use * as in ordinary wiki-list. --> |Pros=<!-- write list of positive points below. use * as in ordinary wiki-list. -->
?* Ability to choose between AP and HE bombs.+* Fastest torpedo bombers and dive bombers in the game
?* Secondary armament provides decent protection from close-in attacks, a very big pain for most ships if fully built for secondaries. +* Second best rocket damage, penetration and fire chance among attack aircraft
?* AP bombs can devastate enemy battleships, cruisers, and carriers.+* Torpedo bombers drop three (3) torpedoes per attack run
?* HE bombs can devastate enemy destroyers.+* Outstanding secondary armament, a serious threat for all ship classes
?* Fighters are Tier VII, which allows them near-guaranteed benefits from the Dogfighting Expert commander skill. +* Citadel is fairly difficult to hit as it sits below the waterline
?* Adequate anti-aircraft suite for self-defense.+
?* User-friendly targeting reticle for dive bombers.+
  
 |Cons=<!-- write list of negative points below. use * as in ordinary wiki-list. --> |Cons=<!-- write list of negative points below. use * as in ordinary wiki-list. -->
?* As a Tier VIII aircraft carrier, captains may face off against large amounts of high tier AA.+* Attack aircraft are fragile and very slow
?* Unable to train captains for any other carriers, and requires a specialized German captain to perform well.+* Torpedo bombers and dive bombers have poor agility
?* No torpedo bombers FID Typ 8 Mod. 2, making it very difficult to deal with enemy destroyers effectively without using HE bombs.+* Aerial torpedoes are slow
?* Poor base surface detectability range at 16.2km.+* Awful AP bombs with bad alpha strike, penetration and accuracy
?* AP bombs are somewhat unpredictable to land hits due to circular drop pattern. +* Fairly weak AA suit for a heavy carrier
 +* Worst concealment among all aircraft carriers
  
 |Research=<!-- write text about priority sequence of research below --> |Research=<!-- write text about priority sequence of research below -->
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 |Upgrades=<!-- write text about best upgrades below --> |Upgrades=<!-- write text about best upgrades below -->
 The recommended upgrades for ''Graf Zeppelin'' are as follows: The recommended upgrades for ''Graf Zeppelin'' are as follows:
?*'''Slot 1''': {{Air Groups Modification 1}}<nowiki>*</nowiki>+*'''Slot 1''': {{Air Groups Modification 1}}
?*'''Slot 2''': {{Damage Control System Modification 1}}+*'''Slot 2''': {{Aircraft Engines Modification 1}}
?*'''Slot 3''': {{Air Groups Modification 2}}<nowiki>*</nowiki>+*'''Slot 3''': {{Secondary Battery Modification 1}}
?*'''Slot 4''': {{Damage Control System Modification 2}}+*'''Slot 4''': {{Torpedo Bombers Modification 2}}
?*'''Slot 5''': {{Concealment System Modification 1}}+*'''Slot 5''': {{Flight Control 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 2}} should be mounted, depending on the desired specialization.+'''Upgrade Slot 3''' also offers the usage of {{Attack Aircraft Modification 1}}, which could be viable if the player deems the aiming time for the attack aircraft to be too short.
  
 |CommanderSkills=<!-- write text about best set of Commander Skills below --> |CommanderSkills=<!-- write text about best set of Commander Skills below -->
?''Graf Zeppelin'' is in a unique position as far as her Commander Skills go. She features a fearsome secondary armament sure to surprise any ships that venture too close in the hopes of an easy kill; as such, choosing skills that increase the performance of her secondaries is certainly a viable way to go. Captains must make hard choices between investing in skills to boost torpedo bomber attacks, increased fire damage effects, and skills to support aggressive carrier positioning, all while being mindful of their preferred flight module.+The prime focus of skills should lie on improving the performance of ''Graf Zeppelin's'' torpedo bombers and aircraft in general. Additional skills distributed to her secondary performance are however an option, but should not shift the priority away from ''Graf Zeppelin's'' strengths.
  
?{{Commander Skills+{{Commander Skills 2
?| Priority Target = +| rating11 = 1 <!-- Priority Target -->
?| Preventative Maintenance = +| rating12 = 0 <!-- Preventive Maint -->
?| Expert Loader = +| rating13 = 0 <!-- Expert Loader -->
?| Aircraft Servicing Expert = 3+| rating14 = 3 <!-- Air Supremacy -->
?| Direction Center for Catapult Aircraft = +| rating15 = <!-- Direction Center for Fighters -->
?| Dogfighting Expert = 3+| rating16 = 2 <!-- Improved Engine Boost -->
?| Incoming Fire Alert = +| rating17 = 0 <!-- Incoming Fire Alert -->
?| Evasive Maneuver = +| rating18 = 2 <!-- Last Gasp -->
  
?| High Alert = +| rating21 = <!-- High Alert -->
?| Jack of All Trades = 2+| rating22 = 1 <!-- Jack of All Trades -->
?| Expert Marksman = +| rating23 = 0 <!-- Expert Marksman -->
?| Torpedo Acceleration = 2+| rating24 = 2 <!-- Torpedo Acceleration -->
?| Smoke Screen Expert = +| rating25 = 0 <!-- Smoke Screen Expert -->
?| Expert Rear Gunner = 1+| rating26 = 2 <!-- Improved Engines -->
?| Adrenaline Rush = 1+| rating27 = <!-- Adrenaline Rush -->
?| Last Stand = +| rating28 = 0 <!-- Last Stand -->
  
?| Basics of Survivability = +| rating31 = <!-- Basics of Survivability -->
?| Survivability Expert = +| rating32 = 2 <!-- Survivability Expert-->
?| Torpedo Armament Expertise = 2+| rating33 = 0 <!-- Torpedo Armament Expertise-->
?| Emergency Takeoff = 1+| rating34 = 3 <!-- Aircraft Armor -->
?| Basic Firing Training = 2+| rating35 = 1 <!-- Basic Firing Training -->
?| Superintendent = +| rating36 = <!-- Superintendent -->
?| Demolition Expert = 1+| rating37 = 1 <!-- Demolition Expert -->
?| Vigilance = +| rating38 = 0 <!-- Vigilance -->
  
?| Manual Fire Control for Secondary Armament = 1+| rating41 = 0 <!-- Manual Fire Control for Secondary Armament -->
?| Fire Prevention = +| rating42 = <!-- Fire Prevention -->
?| Inertia Fuse for HE Shells = +| rating43 = 0 <!-- Inertia Fuse for HE Shells -->
?| Air Supremacy = 3 +| rating44 = 3 <!-- Sight Stabilization -->
?| Advanced Firing Training = 2+| rating45 = 1 <!-- Advanced Firing Training -->
?| Manual Fire Control for AA Armament = 2+| rating46 = 0 <!-- Massive AA Fire -->
?| Radio Position Finding = +| rating47 = 0 <!-- Radio Position Finding -->
?| Concealment Expert = 3+| rating48 = 3 <!-- Concealment Expert -->
 }} }}
  
 |Consumables=<!-- write text about selection of Consumables below --> |Consumables=<!-- write text about selection of Consumables below -->
 +
 +Like other aircraft carriers, ''Graf Zeppelin'' can not control the consumables of the ship.
 +
 ''{{#var:ship_name}}'' can equip the following consumables: ''{{#var:ship_name}}'' can equip the following consumables:
?* '''Slot 1:''' {{Damage Control Party}}+* '''Slot 1:''' {{Damage Control Party}} unlimited
?* '''Slot 2:''' {{Hydroacoustic Search}}+* '''Slot 2:''' {{CAP Fighter}}
?* '''Slot 3:''' {{Defensive AA Fire}}+ 
 +''Graf Zeppelin's'' aircraft can equip the following consumables:
 +Attack Aircraft:
 +* '''Slot 1:''' {{Engine Cooling}} (3 charges by default)
 +* '''Slot 2:''' {{Patrol Fighter}} (3 charges by default)
 + 
 +Torpedo Bombers:
 +* '''Slot 1:''' {{Engine Cooling}} (2 charges by default)
 +* '''Slot 2:''' {{Patrol Fighter}} (3 charges by default)
 +* '''Slot 3:''' {{In-flight Repair}} (3 charges by default)
 + 
 +Dive Bombers:
 +* '''Slot 1:''' {{Engine Cooling}} (2 charges by default)
 +* '''Slot 2:''' {{Patrol Fighter}} (3 charges by default)
  
?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=<!-- write text about useful camouflage below --> |Camouflage=<!-- write text about useful camouflage below -->
?As a Premium ship, ''Graf Zeppelin'' comes included with [[Ship:Camouflage#Premium_Camouflage|Type 10 camouflage]] that lowers her detection radius, reduces the accuracy of incoming shells, and increases the amount of experience she earns. +As a Premium ship, ''Graf Zeppelin'' comes included with [[Ship:Camouflage#Premium_Camouflage|Type 10 camouflage]] that lowers her detection radius, reduces the accuracy of incoming shells, decreases service cost, and increases the amount of experience she earns.
  
 |Signals=<!-- write text about best set of signals below --> |Signals=<!-- write text about best set of signals below -->
?As a premium aircraft carrier, ''Graf Zeppelin'' can mount only four signal flags simultaneously. Captains using high explosive bombs should mount India X-Ray ({{India X-Ray|Size=18px}}) and Victor Lima ({{Victor Lima|Size=18px}}) flags for a boost to their fire chance. November Echo Setteseven ({{November Echo Setteseven|Size=18px}}) flags are recommended to boost the ship’s anti-aircraft damage. Captains can also mount November Foxtrot ({{November Foxtrot|Size=18px}}) and India Yankee ({{India Yankee|Size=18px}}) flags for increased survivability. Lastly, economic and special flags can be used to increase the ship’s credit and experience gain per battle. +As a premium aircraft carrier, ''Graf Zeppelin'' can mount eight signal flags simultaneously.
  
 {{Signal Flags {{Signal Flags
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 | Mike Yankee Soxisix = 1 | Mike Yankee Soxisix = 1
 | India X-Ray = 3 | India X-Ray = 3
?| Juliet Yankee Bissotwo = 1+| Juliet Yankee Bissotwo =
 | Victor Lima = 3 | Victor Lima = 3
 | Hotel Yankee =  | Hotel Yankee =
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 | Sierra Mike = 1 | Sierra Mike = 1
 | India Delta =  | India Delta =
?| Juliet Whiskey Unaone = +| Juliet Whiskey Unaone = 3
?| India Yankee = 2+| India Yankee =
 | Juliet Charlie =  | Juliet Charlie =
  
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 * Actual planned aircraft capacity was 42; twelve Bf 109Ts & thirty Ju 87Cs. This was later revised to thirty Bf 109Ts and twelve Ju 87 D-4s. * Actual planned aircraft capacity was 42; twelve Bf 109Ts & thirty Ju 87Cs. This was later revised to thirty Bf 109Ts and twelve Ju 87 D-4s.
 * The Ju 87C was also a torpedo bomber. * The Ju 87C was also a torpedo bomber.
 +* Stuka sirens are present on Graf Zeppelin's Ta-152C-1/R14 bombers.
  
 |HistoricalGallery=<!-- write below list of files with description (if necessary) separated with | --><gallery> |HistoricalGallery=<!-- write below list of files with description (if necessary) separated with | --><gallery>
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 |Video=<!-- put below video clips with using template VideoYT. You can use html-tags for formatting. --> |Video=<!-- put below video clips with using template VideoYT. You can use html-tags for formatting. -->
? +{{VideoYT|KfILm1RliIg}}
 |Ref= <!-- write below --> |Ref= <!-- write below -->
?*Chesneau, R., Gardiner, R. (1980). Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships: 1922-1946. London UK: Conway Maritime Press.+# [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graf_Zeppelin-class_aircraft_carrier ''Graf Zeppelin''-class aircraft carrier - Wikipedia]
?*Breyer, S. (1989). Graf Zeppelin: The German Aircraft Carrier. West Chester. PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd.+# Chesneau, R., Gardiner, R. (1980). Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships: 1922-1946. London UK: Conway Maritime Press.
?*[https://is-expl.com/explorations/2 SANTI Expedition to ''Graf Zeppelin'']+# Breyer, S. (1989). Graf Zeppelin: The German Aircraft Carrier. West Chester. PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
 +# [https://is-expl.com/explorations/2 SANTI Expedition to ''Graf Zeppelin'']
  
 }}<!-- DO NOT DELETE THIS LINE. DO NOT INSERT ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE --> }}<!-- DO NOT DELETE THIS LINE. DO NOT INSERT ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE -->

Revision as of 02:53, 22 September 2020

Graf Zeppelin
Graf_Zeppelin_wows_main.jpg
Tech Tree Position
Graf_Zeppelin_icon_small.png
General
Purchase priceSpecial Doubloons
Hit Points52,600 
Secondary Armament #1
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 Shell%
Secondary Armament #2
150 mm/55 SK C/28 on a Dop. MPL C/36 mount8 х 2 pcs.
Firing Range6.25 km.
Rate of Fireshots/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 Shell%
AA Defense
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.
Maneuverability
Maximum Speed32 knot
Turning Circle Radius1 140 m.
Rudder Shift Time13.7 sec.
Concealment
Surface Detectability Range15.71 km.
Air Detectability Range11.06 km.
Battle Levels
12345678910
Wows_anno_flag_germany.png
VIII
Ship_PGSA518_Graf_Zeppelin.png
Special

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. After Update 0.8.0 reworked the aircraft carrier class, Graf Zeppelin was re-balanced and placed back on sale for the first time in nearly 20 months on 15 April 2019.

Modules

Hull 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
(Credits)
Graf Zeppelin52,60091006/87/11/6 00
Attack Aircraft Speed
(knot)
IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SQUADRON_MED_DAMAGE
(HP/min)
IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SQUADRON_AMMO_AMOUNTHit Points
(HP)
Research price
(exp)
Purchase price
(Credits)
Me 155A1361,320 00
Torpedo Bombers Maximum Torpedo Damage
(HP)
Speed
(knot)
Hit Points
(HP)
Research price
(exp)
Purchase price
(Credits)
Ta 152C-1/R145,3331811,710 00
Bombers Maximum Bomb Damage
(HP)
Speed
(knot)
Hit Points
(HP)
Research price
(exp)
Purchase price
(Credits)
Ta 152C-1/R141811,650 00
Engine Maximum Speed
(knot)
Research price
(exp)
Purchase price
(Credits)
Propulsion: 200,000 hp32 00

Compatible Upgrades

 Slot 1 
Air Groups Modification 1
Auxiliary Armaments Modification 1
Damage Control Party Modification 1
 Slot 2 
Damage Control System Modification 1
Aircraft Engines Modification 1
 Slot 3 
Secondary Battery Modification 1
Torpedo Bombers Modification 1
Attack Aircraft Modification 1
Aerial Torpedoes Modification 1
 Slot 4 
Damage Control System Modification 2
Attack Aircraft Modification 2
Torpedo Bombers Modification 2
Bombers Modification 1
Airstrike Modification 1
 Slot 5 
Flight Control Modification 1
Concealment System Modification 1
Squadron Consumables Modification 1

Player Opinion

Performance

Graf Zeppelin is the only German aircraft carrier available in World of Warships until the release of Update 0.9.6. As such she differs greatly from all the other carriers present and gives her own unique flavor in-game. She currently sits at Tier VIII.

Graf Zeppelin's hull is worth a special mention. For one she boasts a threatening amount of secondary armament, which makes her a risky target for destroyers that can not avoid getting spotted. This also opens up the opportunity to use her late-game as a platform which engages through her secondaries and planes, but such maneuvers need to be carefully calculated or else the destruction of the ship will be imminent. Secondly, she features a reinforced hull plating which makes her immune to non-IFHE guns with a caliber of up to 128mm. Destroyer captains engaging her with artillery should be aware of that and switch to AP-shells in these cases.

The most potent planes of Graf Zeppelin are her torpedo bombers. Being able to fly at speeds of up to 227 knots they are capable of traveling far distances with ease, and can do quick “boom and zoom” attacks even against vessels with stronger AA defenses. Their torpedoes however are not hitting particularly hard, and the planes are rather fragile, so it should be kept in mind that several runs will be required to deal notable damage and that ships with high continuous dps are a big threat. Every attack run can drop up to three torpedoes, which will be dropped in a wedge shape. As every squadron consists of nine planes, Graf Zeppelin can make three attack runs with three planes each. However, the flooding chance for these torpedoes is quite low, making DoT stacks difficult with this German carrier.

Being the only viable plane type on Graf Zeppelin against destroyers, her attack aircraft will satisfy the player with good hitting power and rocket penetration (40mm), but unlike the torpedo bombers they do not possess a superior speed and are in fact on the slower side of T8 aircraft. Every attack run will release up to eight rockets, so timing the drop for a narrow reticle is highly recommended. With eight planes in total per squadron that results in four attack runs.

The remaining plane type are the dive bombers, which while they offer a faster diving approach, are lacking in terms of striking power and penetration. However, using the same plane as the torpedo bombers they are fast enough to travel across the map quickly. Each attack run will consist of two dive bombers with one bomb each, and the entire squadron will consist of eight planes in total. Unfortunately, some ships are completely immune to these weapons, and while the circular reticle means you can approach from any angle, it also means that even the best aimed drops can result in no hits.

In terms of playstyle, Graf Zeppelin's greatest assets are her torpedo bombers. Their exceptional speed allows them to repeatedly strike enemy ships with a short downtime between strikes, somewhat compensating for their low alpha strike. Attack aircraft should be saved for isolated targets or more agile ships such as destroyers and cruisers. Dive bombers lack reliability, but they can serve well as spotters thanks to their speed. Lastly, the carrier herself can be surprisingly effective at dealing with enemy surface ships thanks to her accurate secondary guns, but doing so offensively can be extremely risky.

Pros:

  • Fastest torpedo bombers and dive bombers in the game
  • Second best rocket damage, penetration and fire chance among attack aircraft
  • Torpedo bombers drop three (3) torpedoes per attack run
  • Outstanding secondary armament, a serious threat for all ship classes
  • Citadel is fairly difficult to hit as it sits below the waterline

Cons:

  • Attack aircraft are fragile and very slow
  • Torpedo bombers and dive bombers have poor agility
  • Aerial torpedoes are slow
  • Awful AP bombs with bad alpha strike, penetration and accuracy
  • Fairly weak AA suit for a heavy carrier
  • Worst concealment among all aircraft carriers

Research

As a Premium ship, Graf Zeppelin doesn't have any upgrades to research.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

The recommended upgrades for Graf Zeppelin are as follows:

Upgrade Slot 3 also offers the usage of Attack Aircraft Modification 1 : +2 seconds attack time., which could be viable if the player deems the aiming time for the attack aircraft to be too short.

Commander Skills

The prime focus of skills should lie on improving the performance of Graf Zeppelin's torpedo bombers and aircraft in general. Additional skills distributed to her secondary performance are however an option, but should not shift the priority away from Graf Zeppelin's strengths.

Consumables

Like other aircraft carriers, Graf Zeppelin can not control the consumables of the ship.

Graf Zeppelin can equip the following consumables:

Graf Zeppelin's aircraft can equip the following consumables: Attack Aircraft:

Torpedo Bombers:

Dive Bombers:

Camouflage

As a Premium ship, Graf Zeppelin comes included with Type 10 camouflage that lowers her detection radius, reduces the accuracy of incoming shells, decreases service cost, and increases the amount of experience she earns.

Signals

As a premium aircraft carrier, Graf Zeppelin can mount eight signal flags simultaneously.


Note: Use of the Juliet Charlie signal makes detonation impossible.

Gallery

Historical Info

Historical Gallery

Video

References

  1. Graf Zeppelin-class aircraft carrier - Wikipedia
  2. Chesneau, R., Gardiner, R. (1980). Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships: 1922-1946. London UK: Conway Maritime Press.
  3. Breyer, S. (1989). Graf Zeppelin: The German Aircraft Carrier. West Chester. PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
  4. SANTI Expedition to Graf Zeppelin
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