Supertest: Japanese Tier X cruiser Azuma
3 min readIn 1936, the Japanese navy started to discuss a possible replacement for the Kongo-class of fast Battleships. This replacement had to be able to effectively engage enemy cruisers with the night battle force that the Navy wanted to use. This replacement ended up as the B-65 class of “Super Cruiser”.
At the start, 6 units were planned and a main battery of 3 triple turrets of 310 mm guns was supposed to equip the ships. However, in 1940, the Japanese intelligence discovered the project of the Alaska-class of “Large Cruisers” of the United-States Navy. Thus, the B-65 were then not only planned to counter enemy cruisers but also the potential threat of the Alaska-class. The main armament was then changed to 3 twin turrets of 356 mm guns.
In the end, not a single ship was ever built due to the greater need of aircraft carriers and also later the lack of resources.
In World of Warship, Azuma or Azumaya as she is called in the game files is the B-65 design as it was initially planned with 3 triple turrets. Let’s face it, 3 twin turrets would have been a bit lackluster.
3D Preview
Hull | Engine | Gun Fire Control System | Main battery |
 Azumaya |  ?Propulsion: 170,000 hp |  Type10 mod. 1 |  ??310 mm/50 Type0 |
| Tier | X |
| Health | 71 800 HP |
| Plating | |
| Superstructure | 16 mm |
| Bow and stern | 25 mm |
| Side armor and deck | 30 mm |
| Main belt | 178 mm |
| Main Armament | |
| Maximum Firing Range | 19.09 km |
| 310 mm/50 Type0 | ?3×3 310?mm |
| Secondary Armament | |
| Maximum Firing Range | 6.00 km |
| 100 mm/50 Type98 | 8 x 2 100 mm |
| Anti Air Defense | |
| 100 mm/50 Type98 | ?8?x?2 100?mm |
| 25 mm/60 Type96 Triple mod. 1 | 12?x?3 25?mm |
| 25 mm/60 Type96 Triple mod. 2 | ?6?x?3 25?mm |
| 40 mm Bofors “Chi” Type98 | ?12?x?2 40?mm |
| Maximum speed | 34 kt |
| Turning Circle Radius | 920 m |
| Rudder Shift Time | 13.9 s |
| Surface Detectability | 15.12 km |
| Air Detectability | 13.41 km |
| Detectability After Firing Main Gus in Smoke | 11.7 km |
| 3×3 310 mm/50 Type0 | |
| 180 Degree Turn Time | 36.0 s |
| Reloading Rime | 18.0 s |
| Sigma | 2.05 ? |
| Horizontal Dispersion | 50 m |
| Vertical Dispersion | 110 m |
| Maximum Dispersion | 196 m |
| Shells | |
| Type of Projectile | HE |
| Alpha Damage | 5 100 HP |
| Damage | 2 770 HP |
| Alpha Piercing HE | 52 mm |
| Explosion Size | 1.64 |
| Chance to Cause Fire | 27 % |
| Projectile Speed | 836 m/s |
| Air Drag | 0.281 |
| Projectile Mass | 448.8 |
| Projectile Krupp | 1 |
| Type of Projectile | AP |
| Alpha Damage | 8 650 HP |
| Chance to Cause Fire | -0.5 % |
| Projectile Speed | 836 m/s |
| Air Drag | 0.244 |
| Projectile Mass | 448.8 |
| Projectile Krupp | 2 365 |
| 8 x 2 100 mm/50 Type98 | |
| Reloading Time | 3.00 s |
| Sigma | 1.00 ? |
| Horizontal Dispersion | 50 m |
| Vertical Dispersion | 110 m |
| Shells | |
| Type of Projectile | HE |
| Alpha Damage | 1 200 HP |
| Damage | 280 HP |
| Alpha Piercing HE | 25 mm |
| Explosion Size | 0.28 |
| Chance to Cause Fire | 5 % |
| Projectile Speed | 1000 m/s |
| Air Drag | 0.314 |
| Projectile Mass | 13 |
| Projectile Krupp | 1 |
| 8 x 2 100 mm/50 Type98 | |
| Anti-air Aura | 1.66 |
| Maximum Range | 5.00?km |
| Reloading Time | 5.0 s |
| 12 x 3 25 mm/60 Type96 Triple mod. 1 | |
| Anti-air Aura | 0.73 |
| Maximum Range | 3.10?km |
| Reloading Time | 0.5 s |
| 6 x 3 25 mm/60 Type96 Triple mod. 2 | |
| Anti-air Aura | 0.37 |
| Maximum Range | 3.10?km |
| Reloading Time | 0.5 s |
| 12 x 2 40 mm Bofors “Chi” Type98 | |
| Anti-air Aura | 1.32 |
| Maximum Range | 3.50?km |
| Reloading Time | 0.5 s |
Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | Slot 4 |
 Work time: 5 s Cooldown: 90 s |  Charges: 2Work time: 40 s Cooldown: 180 s Boost coefficient: x3 |  Charges: 3 Work time: 100 s Cooldown: 360 s Range buff: +20% |  Charges: 2 Work time: 28 s Cooldown: 120 s Regeneration: 0.5% HP/s |
 Work time: 5 s Cooldown: 60 s |  Charges: 3 Work time: 40 s Cooldown: 120 s Boost coefficient: x3 |  Charges: 4 Work time: 100 s Cooldown: 240 s Range buff: +20% |  Charges: 3 Work time: 28 s Cooldown: 80 s Regeneration: 0.5% HP/s |
 Work time: 5 s Cooldown: 60 s |  Charges: 3 Work time: 40 s Cooldown: 120 s Boost coefficient: x3 |  Charges: 4 Work time: 100 s Cooldown: 240 s Range buff: +20% |  Charges: 3 Work time: 28 s Cooldown: 80 s Regeneration: 0.5% HP/s |
 Charges: 2 Work time: 100 s Cooldown: 180 s Torpedo detection: 3.5 km Ship detection: 5 km | |||
 Charges: 3 Work time: 100 s Cooldown: 120 s Torpedo detection: 3.5 km Ship detection: 5 km | |||
 Charges: 3 Work time: 100 s Cooldown: 120 s Torpedo detection: 3.5 km Ship detection: 5 km |
Is this and the tier 5 Yahagi going to be an alternate line of IJN cruisers? Or premium ships?
its clearly a coal/steel priced candidate, as:
1, they withdraw Musashi and Kronshtadt, and they have to give something new
2. they plan to introduce every high-tier battlecruisers/large cruisers (like Alaska, Stalingrad, Kronshtadt) that way
World of Torpedoes . Blah.
These will be premiums. There is nothing that would link these 2 in a line anyway.
Basically these days, except for rare exceptions, any new ship that comes with a camo is a premium ship.
In the event that a new line is coming, don’t worry, you will know it way before seeing any ship appearing in the supertest.