Supertest: British Tier VI Cruiser Devonshire

HMS Devonshire, pennant number 39, was County-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy. More precisely, she was part of the London sub-class. The ship was launched in October 1927 and commissioned in March 1929.

The ship saw active service during World War II with the Home Fleet, supporting operations in Norway. During the Norwegian campaign, she evacuated  King Haakon VII, Crown Prince Olav, and Norwegian government officials, including the Prime Minister, Johan Nygaardsvold. During this operation, she almost managed to run into the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau that were at this point busy sinking the Aircraft carrier HMS Glorious and as well as the Destroyers Acasta and Ardent. The Devonshire took part in Operation Menace in August 1940 which was a failed attempt to turn back Vichy French cruisers that were stationed at Dakar. She supported operations of the Free French forces in Africa in 1941 and was also part of the escort for the first convoy to the Soviet Union with Operation Dervish and supported the Allied Invasion of Madagascar in 1942.

She spent the rest of the war escorting convoys, aircraft carriers and, after Germany surrendered, 2 German cruisers. After 1947, the ship was converted into a training ship and was scrapped in 1954.

Characteristics

Stock ship

GeneralMain BatterySecondariesTorpedo TubesAir DefenseConsumables

Tier	VI
Health	28 600 HP
Main Armament
Maximum Firing Range	12.730 km
203 mm/50 BL Mk VIII	4 x 2 203 mm
Secondary Armament
Maximum Firing Range	5.000 km
102 mm/45 QF Mk XIX	4 x 2 102 mm
Torpedo Armament
Maximum Firing Range	8.000 km
533 mm QR Mk IV	2 x 4 533 mm
Maximum speed	31.3 kt
Turning Circle Radius	710 m
Rudder Shift Time	11.0 s
Surface Detectability	11.52 km
Air Detectability	6.6 km
Detectability After Firing Main Gus in Smoke	6.41 km

4 x 2 203 mm/50 BL Mk VIII
Reloading Time	12 s
180 Degree Turn Time	22.5 s
Optimal firing angles at the front	34°
Optimal firing angles at the rear	33°
Sigma	2.00 sigma
Maximum Dispersion	118 m
Shells
Type of Projectile	HE – 203 mm HE 256 lb
Alpha Damage	2 850 HP
Damage	1 230 HP
Penetration capacity	33 mm
Explosion size	0.86
Fire chance	15 %
Projectile Speed	814 m/s
Air Drag	0.304
Projectile Mass	116.1
Type of Projectile	AP – 203 mm AP 256 lb
Alpha Damage	4 500 HP
Chance to Cause Fire	-0.5 %
Projectile Speed	814 m/s
Air Drag	0.304
Projectile Mass	116.1
Projectile Krupp	2 400
Projectile Detonator	0.033 s
Detonator threshold	34 mm

4 x 2 102 mm/45 QF Mk XIX
Reloading Time	3.0 s
Sigma	1.00 sigma
Shells
Type of Projectile	HE – 102 mm HE 35 lb
Alpha Damage	1 500 HP
Damage	310 HP
HE penetration	16 mm
Explosion Size	0.3
Chance to Cause Fire	6 %
Projectile Speed	811 m/s
Air Drag	0.33
Projectile Mass	15.88

2 x 4 533 mm QR Mk IV 533 mm Mk IX
Reloading Time	96 s
Maximum Distance	8.0 km
Optimal firing angles at the front	42°
Optimal firing angles at the rear	30°
Damage	15 433
Speed	61 kt
Surface Detectability	1.3 km

4 x 2 102 mm/45 QF Mk XIX
Sector range	0.1 km – 5.8 km
Hit chance	90 %
Sector’s damage	27
Sector’s damage frequency	0.29 s
Sector’s damage per second	95
Flak clouds number	3
Flak cloud damage	1400
4 x 4 40 mm/39 QF Mk VII
Sector range	0.1 km – 2.5 km
Hit chance	90 %
Sector’s damage	29
Sector’s damage frequency	0.29 s
Sector’s damage per second	102
12 x 1 20 mm Oerlikon Mk IV
Sector range	0.1 km – 2.0 km
Hit chance	85 %
Sector’s damage	29
Sector’s damage frequency	0.29 s
Sector’s damage per second	102

Slot 1	Slot 2	Slot 3
Damage Control Party I Work time: 5 s Cooldown: 90 s	Repair Party I Number of charges: 2 Work time: 28 s Cooldown: 120 s HP regeneration speed: 0.5% HP/s	Hydroacoustic Search I Number of charges: 2 Work time: 180 s Cooldown: 180 s Torpedo detection range: 3.0 km Ship detection range: 3.0 km
Damage Control Party II Work time: 5 s Cooldown: 60 s	Repair Party II Number of charges: 3 Work time: 28 s Cooldown: 80 s HP regeneration speed: 0.5% HP/s	Hydroacoustic Search II Number of charges: 3 Work time: 180 s Cooldown: 120 s Torpedo detection range: 3.0 km Ship detection range: 3.0 km

Fully upgraded

GeneralMain BatterySecondariesTorpedo TubesAir DefenseConsumables

Tier	VI
Health	34 400 HP
Main Armament
Maximum Firing Range	14.003 km
203 mm/50 BL Mk VIII	4 x 2 203 mm
Secondary Armament
Maximum Firing Range	5.000 km
102 mm/45 QF Mk XIX	4 x 2 102 mm
Torpedo Armament
Maximum Firing Range	8.000 km
533 mm QR Mk IV	2 x 4 533 mm
Maximum speed	31.3 kt
Turning Circle Radius	710 m
Rudder Shift Time	7.8 s
Surface Detectability	11.52 km
Air Detectability	6.6 km
Detectability After Firing Main Gus in Smoke	6.41 km

4 x 2 203 mm/50 BL Mk VIII
Reloading Time	12 s
180 Degree Turn Time	22.5 s
Optimal firing angles at the front	34°
Optimal firing angles at the rear	33°
Sigma	2.00 sigma
Maximum Dispersion	118 m
Shells
Type of Projectile	HE – 203 mm HE 256 lb
Alpha Damage	2 850 HP
Damage	1 230 HP
Penetration capacity	33 mm
Explosion size	0.86
Fire chance	15 %
Projectile Speed	814 m/s
Air Drag	0.304
Projectile Mass	116.1
Type of Projectile	AP – 203 mm AP 256 lb
Alpha Damage	4 500 HP
Chance to Cause Fire	-0.5 %
Projectile Speed	814 m/s
Air Drag	0.304
Projectile Mass	116.1
Projectile Krupp	2 400
Projectile Detonator	0.033 s
Detonator threshold	34 mm

4 x 2 102 mm/45 QF Mk XIX
Reloading Time	3.0 s
Sigma	1.00 sigma
Shells
Type of Projectile	HE – 102 mm HE 35 lb
Alpha Damage	1 500 HP
Damage	310 HP
HE penetration	16 mm
Explosion Size	0.3
Chance to Cause Fire	6 %
Projectile Speed	811 m/s
Air Drag	0.33
Projectile Mass	15.88

2 x 4 533 mm QR Mk IV 533 mm Mk IX
Reloading Time	96 s
Maximum Distance	8.0 km
Optimal firing angles at the front	42°
Optimal firing angles at the rear	30°
Damage	15 433
Speed	61 kt
Surface Detectability	1.3 km

4 x 2 102 mm/45 QF Mk XIX
Sector range	0.1 km – 5.8 km
Hit chance	90 %
Sector’s damage	27
Sector’s damage frequency	0.29 s
Sector’s damage per second	95
Flak clouds number	3
Flak cloud damage	1400
4 x 8 40 mm Vickers 2-pdr. Mk VIII
Sector range	0.1 km – 2.5 km
Hit chance	90 %
Sector’s damage	43
Sector’s damage frequency	0.29 s
Sector’s damage per second	151
10 x 2 20 mm Oerlikon Mk V 2 x 1 20 mm Oerlikon Mk IV
Sector range	0.1 km – 2.0 km
Hit chance	85 %
Sector’s damage	45
Sector’s damage frequency	0.29 s
Sector’s damage per second	158

Slot 1	Slot 2	Slot 3
Damage Control Party I Work time: 5 s Cooldown: 90 s	Repair Party I Number of charges: 2 Work time: 28 s Cooldown: 120 s HP regeneration speed: 0.5% HP/s	Hydroacoustic Search I Number of charges: 2 Work time: 180 s Cooldown: 180 s Torpedo detection range: 3.0 km Ship detection range: 3.0 km
Damage Control Party II Work time: 5 s Cooldown: 60 s	Repair Party II Number of charges: 3 Work time: 28 s Cooldown: 80 s HP regeneration speed: 0.5% HP/s	Hydroacoustic Search II Number of charges: 3 Work time: 180 s Cooldown: 120 s Torpedo detection range: 3.0 km Ship detection range: 3.0 km

The armor

The Devonshire presents slightly tougher armor protection than the London, most likely due to the fact that she doesn’t have a smokescreen. However, the protection of the vital parts of the ship remains fairly thin so battleships can punish the ship really hard.

The bow section

The bow of the Devonshire is 16 mm thick. Nothing special, this is just the classic bow plating that you can find on tier VI cruiser.

The casemate that protects the upper part of the middle section is 19 mm thick.

For the citadel’s athwartship, the upper part is 89 mm thick so, when it comes to shells from battleships, it will help very little but if cruisers are able to somehow penetrate the bow, this plate should be enough to protect the citadel. For the lower part of the citadel athwartship, it is 16 mm but since it’s deep underwater, let’s not bother with it.

The middle section

The deck of the Devonshire is 25 mm thick. This is actually very good because 356 mm will bounce on it if they don’t hit the deck with the right angle. The side armor is only 19 mm so while it will protect against cruisers’ AP shells, battleships will have no issue to go through it.

The main belt is 114 mm thick which is pretty good for this tier. It is also for the most part underwater so scoring a hit will not be that easy.

The horizontal protection is quite poor with the citadel deck only being 35 mm thick. AP bombs will have no issue going through it and the same goes for battleships shells with a correct angle of impact.

The stern section

Just like for the bow, the stern is covered by 16 mm of armor. Once again, classic at tier VI.

For the upper casemate protecting the middle section, it’s 19 mm thick. The upper part of the citadel’s athwartship is 89 mm thick and for the lower part, it’s 16 mm thick.

The superstructure

The superstructure is 13 mm thick and is, as you can see, very big. It is spreading all across the middle section, the bow and the stern.

The turrets

For the turrets, these are the same as on the London so they have very little protection with 25 mm of armor. The lower part of the barbette that is inside the ship is 19 mm.

Basically, get ready when these ships will arrive to have your turrets knocked down because a fly landed on them.

Personal opinion

For a tier VI ship, that one looks promising. The guns don’t have as much range issue as on the London and the armor is also stronger. Considering the fact that on top of that, the ship can have up to 4 Repair Parties, it will definitely be able to fight efficiently even in tier VIII (Hipper get ready).

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Yuzorah

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