Supertest: German Tier IX Battleship Prinz Rupprecht
6 min readJust as a side note before starting, on the last article about Zieten, I didn’t include personal opinions on the ship’s stats. I considered that in the end, it wasn’t really worth it. However, it turned out that a few people pointed it out and said that they actually liked having some sort of TL;DR at the end of the article. As such, don’t worry, now I will write one every time.
Historical background
Just like the Zieten, the Prinz Rupprecht is based on a German battlecruiser design from the end of World War I. Considering the size of the Prinz Rupprecht as well as its armor, it’s most likely the Schnelle Großekampfschiffe GK 4541 design.
This design was armed with eight 420 mm guns in four twin turrets in an AB XY configuration.
In World of Warships Prinz Rupprecht represents a hypothetical refit of this design with a more modern superstructure and anti-air as well as the addition of a torpedo armament on the deck of the ship. The guns were, however, downgraded to 406 mm.
For the rest, it’s the same as the rest of the line. She gets battlecruiser dispersion on her main battery and the same dispersion as Massachusetts and co. for the secondary battery. She also is equipped with a Hydroacoustic Search consumable and again, the rear-most turret can turn at 360°.
If you want, you can learn a bit more about those late World War I battlecruiser designs here.
Ship’s preview
Camouflage
For the classic reminder, this is a ship in testing, anything can change so don’t look at her like she would already be released.
Modules
Hull | Engine | Gun Fire Control System | Main battery | Torpedoes |
Prinz Rupprecht (A) | Propulsion: 152 000 HP | FKS Typ 9 Mod. 1 | ![]() 406 mm/52 SK L/52 in a turret | G7a T1 Ausf. B |
Prinz Rupprecht (B) | FKS Typ 9 Mod. 2 |
Stock Ship
General Characteristics
Tier | IX |
Health | 59 200 HP |
Torpedo Damage Reduction | 23 % |
Displacement | 41 000 tons |
Dimensions | |
Overall length | 246.0 m |
Beam | 33.42 m |
Overall height (keel to the highest point on the ship) | 30.0 m |
Freeboard | 5.0 m |
Main Armament | |
Maximum Firing Range | 17.740 km |
406 mm/52 SK L/52 in a turret | 4 x 2 406 mm |
Secondary Armament | |
Maximum Firing Range | 7.950 km |
150 mm/55 SK C/28 in a casemate 105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount | 6 x 2 150 mm 10 x 2 105 mm |
Torpedo Armament | |
Maximum Firing Range | 12.000 km |
533 mm Drilling | 4 x 3 533 mm |
Maximum speed | 32.0 knots |
Turning Circle Radius | 840 m |
Rudder Shift Time | 21.6 s |
Surface Detectability | 15.58 km |
Air Detectability | 11.77 km |
Detectability After Firing Main Guns in Smoke | 15.02 km |
Main Armament
4 x 2 406 mm/52 SK L/52 in a turret | |
Maximum Firing Range | 17.740 km |
Reloading Time | 28.0 s |
180 Degree Turn Time | 30.0 s |
Optimal firing angles at the front | 30° |
Optimal firing angles at the rear | 31° |
Sigma | 1.70 sigma |
Maximum Dispersion | 198 m |
Shells | |
Type of Projectile | HE – 406 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.4 Kz.![]() |
Alpha Damage | 4 800 |
Damage | 4 900 |
Penetration capacity | 102 mm |
Explosion size | 2.51 |
Fire chance | 38 % |
Projectile Speed | 810 m/s |
Air Drag | 0.299 |
Projectile Mass | 1 030 kg |
Type of Projectile | AP – 406 mm P.Spr.Gr. L/4.4![]() |
Alpha Damage | 12 700 |
Projectile Speed | 810 m/s |
Air Drag | 0.299 |
Projectile Mass | 1 030 kg |
Projectile Krupp | 2 527 |
Projectile Detonator | 0.033 s |
Detonator threshold | 68 mm |
Ricochet Angles | 45° – 60° |
Secondary Armament
6 x 2 150 mm/55 SK C/28 in a casemate | |
Maximum Firing Range | 7.950 km |
Reloading Time | 6.7 s |
Sigma | 1.0 sigma |
Shells | |
Type of Projectile | HE – 150 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.5![]() |
Alpha Damage | 1 700 |
Damage | 670 |
HE penetration | 38 mm |
Explosion Size | 0.54 |
Chance to Cause Fire | 8 % |
Projectile Speed | 875 m/s |
Air Drag | 0.33 |
Projectile Mass | 45.3 kg |
10 x 2 105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount | |
Maximum Firing Range | 7.950 km |
Reloading Time | 3.0 s |
Sigma | 1.0 sigma |
Shells | |
Type of Projectile | HE – 105 mm Spr.Gr. Kz.![]() |
Alpha Damage | 1 200 |
Damage | 330 |
HE penetration | 26 mm |
Explosion Size | 0.31 |
Chance to Cause Fire | 5 % |
Projectile Speed | 900 m/s |
Air Drag | 0.33 |
Projectile Mass | 15.1 kg |
Torpedo Armament
4 x 3 533 mm Drilling G7 T1 Ausf.B | |
Reloading Time | 140 s |
Maximum Distance | 12.000 km |
Optimal firing angles at the front | 24° |
Optimal firing angles at the rear | 30° |
Damage | 16 533 |
Flooding Chance | 279% |
Speed | 50 knots |
Surface Detectability | 1.2 km |
Anti-air Armament
10 x 2 105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount | |
Sector range | 0.1 km – 5.2 km |
Hit chance | 75 % |
Sector’s damage | 57 |
Sector’s damage frequency | 0.29 s |
Sector’s damage per second | 200 |
Flak clouds number | 8 |
Flak cloud damage | 1 470 |
12 x 2 30 mm/45 Flakzwilling 103/38 | |
Sector range | 0.1 km – 3.0 km |
Hit chance | 70 % |
Sector’s damage | 72 |
Sector’s damage frequency | 0.29 s |
Sector’s damage per second | 252 |
Consumables
Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 |
Fast Damage Control Team ![]() Number of charges: 4 Work time: 10 s Cooldown: 40 s | Repair Party ![]() Work time: 28 s Cooldown: 80 s HP regeneration: 0.5%/s Casemate damage regeneration: 50% Citadel damage regeneration: 10% | Hydroacoustic Search ![]() Work time: 120 s Cooldown: 120 s Torpedo spotting range: 4.0 km Ship spotting range: 6.0 km |
Fully Upgraded Ship
General Characteristics
Tier | IX |
Health | 63 900 HP |
Torpedo Damage Reduction | 23 % |
Displacement | 45 000 tons |
Dimensions | |
Overall length | 246.0 m |
Beam | 33.42 m |
Overall height (keel to the highest point on the ship) | 30.0 m |
Freeboard | 5.0 m |
Main Armament | |
Maximum Firing Range | 19.514 km |
406 mm/52 SK L/52 in a turret | 4 x 2 406 mm |
Secondary Armament | |
Maximum Firing Range | 7.950 km |
150 mm/55 SK C/28 in a casemate 105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount | 6 x 2 150 mm 10 x 2 105 mm |
Torpedo Armament | |
Maximum Firing Range | 12.000 km |
533 mm Vierling | 4 x 4 533 mm |
Maximum speed | 32.0 knots |
Turning Circle Radius | 840 m |
Rudder Shift Time | 15.4 s |
Surface Detectability | 15.58 km |
Air Detectability | 11.77 km |
Detectability After Firing Main Guns in Smoke | 15.02 km |
Main Armament
4 x 2 406 mm/52 SK L/52 in a turret | |
Maximum Firing Range | 19.514 km |
Reloading Time | 28.0 s |
180 Degree Turn Time | 30.0 s |
Optimal firing angles at the front | 30° |
Optimal firing angles at the rear | 31° |
Sigma | 1.70 sigma |
Maximum Dispersion | 212 m |
Shells | |
Type of Projectile | HE – 406 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.4 Kz.![]() |
Alpha Damage | 4 800 |
Damage | 4 900 |
Penetration capacity | 102 mm |
Explosion size | 2.51 |
Fire chance | 38 % |
Projectile Speed | 810 m/s |
Air Drag | 0.299 |
Projectile Mass | 1 030 kg |
Type of Projectile | AP – 406 mm P.Spr.Gr. L/4.4![]() |
Alpha Damage | 12 700 |
Projectile Speed | 810 m/s |
Air Drag | 0.299 |
Projectile Mass | 1 030 kg |
Projectile Krupp | 2 527 |
Projectile Detonator | 0.033 s |
Detonator threshold | 68 mm |
Ricochet Angles | 45° – 60° |
Secondary Armament
6 x 2 150 mm/55 SK C/28 in a casemate | |
Maximum Firing Range | 7.950 km |
Reloading Time | 6.7 s |
Sigma | 1.0 sigma |
Shells | |
Type of Projectile | HE – 150 mm Spr.Gr. L/4.5![]() |
Alpha Damage | 1 700 |
Damage | 670 |
HE penetration | 38 mm |
Explosion Size | 0.54 |
Chance to Cause Fire | 8 % |
Projectile Speed | 875 m/s |
Air Drag | 0.33 |
Projectile Mass | 45.3 kg |
10 x 2 105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount | |
Maximum Firing Range | 7.950 km |
Reloading Time | 3.0 s |
Sigma | 1.0 sigma |
Shells | |
Type of Projectile | HE – 105 mm Spr.Gr. Kz.![]() |
Alpha Damage | 1 200 |
Damage | 330 |
HE penetration | 26 mm |
Explosion Size | 0.31 |
Chance to Cause Fire | 5 % |
Projectile Speed | 900 m/s |
Air Drag | 0.33 |
Projectile Mass | 15.1 kg |
Torpedo Armament
4 x 4 533 mm Vierling G7 T1 Ausf.B | |
Reloading Time | 140 s |
Maximum Distance | 12.000 km |
Optimal firing angles at the front | 24° |
Optimal firing angles at the rear | 30° |
Damage | 16 533 |
Flooding Chance | 279% |
Speed | 50 knots |
Surface Detectability | 1.2 km |
Anti-air Armament
10 x 2 105 mm/65 SK C/33 on a Dop. L. C/31 mount | |
Sector range | 0.1 km – 5.2 km |
Hit chance | 75 % |
Sector’s damage | 57 |
Sector’s damage frequency | 0.29 s |
Sector’s damage per second | 200 |
Flak clouds number | 8 |
Flak cloud damage | 1 470 |
12 x 4 30 mm/45 Flakzwilling 103/38 | |
Sector range | 0.1 km – 3.0 km |
Hit chance | 70 % |
Sector’s damage | 100 |
Sector’s damage frequency | 0.29 s |
Sector’s damage per second | 350 |
The Armor
Well, the armor… really isn’t looking good. The extended belt on the bow is only 30 mm thick, the deck is only 32 mm thick and the main belt is also really thin for a tier IX battleship.
We won’t even talk about horizontal protection, any CV with planes carrying AP bombs is gonna feast on this ship.
External armor protection:
Front and rear armor protection of the middle section:
Citadel armor protection:
Turrets armor protection:
Hidden armor protection inside the bow and stern:
Personal Opinion
Just like for the Zieten, on paper, I’m really not impressed by the Prinz Rupprecht.
While the firepower is, effectively better than the one of the Friedrich Der Große (which… isn’t really an achievement) the capacity of the ship to tank damage is really low due to her armor (32 mm deck and 27/30 mm bow and stern) as well as low HP pool.
I honestly can’t see this ship being effectively able to put her secondaries to work with such limited capacity to take hits. Even if we talk about the classic mid-range battleship role, it doesn’t look great either, to be honest.
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IMHO the Personal Opinion is the best part of the writing. Plz keep doing this. It is the 1st part I read and sometimes that is all I read (plus the initial part with the “historical” background).