Supertest: Russian Tier IX battleship Sovetsky Soyuz

Alright, after a big delay (and I am truly sorry for it, personal life was keeping me busy) we can finally have a look at the 3 last Russian battleships! Let’s go with Sovetsky Soyuz!

The Sovetsky Soyuz might be with the Gangut and MAYBE the Kreml/Kremlin the most well-known ships in that tech tree as it was one of the closest to be completed. The Project 23 of battleships was started by the USSR in the late 1930s. Designed to counter German battleships, they would have reached a size similar to the Yamato once completed.
A total of 4 ships were laid down by 1940: the Sovetsky Soyuz, the Sovetskaya Ukraina, the Sovetskaya Rossiya and the Sovetskaya Belorussiya. Sadly, as it was the first time that Russian shipyards and industries had to deal with ships of such scale, multiple difficulties appeared. The Sovetskaya Belorussiya was even canceled after discovering multiple construction flaws.
Soon after, a group of angry Germans talking about a certain operation Barbarossa came knocking at the door of Mother Russia and all work on the ships were suspended. The remaining 3 ships will later be scrapped in the late 1940s.

Here is a picture taken by the Luftwaffe in June 1941 of the Sovetsky Soyuz as she was when the construction was suspended.

Characteristics

GeneralMain BatterySecondariesAir DefenseConsumables

Tier	IX
Health	80 900 HP
Main Armament
Maximum Firing Range	17 620 km
406 mm/50 MK-1	3 x 3 406 mm
Secondary Armament
Maximum Firing Range	5.00 km
152 mm/57 MK-17	6 x 2 152 mm
100 mm/56 MZ-14	4 x 2 100 mm
Maximum speed	28 kt
Turning Circle Radius	950 m
Rudder Shift Time	20.9 s
Surface Detectability	16.70 km
Air Detectability	13.36 km
Detectability After Firing Main Gus in Smoke	16.10 km

3×3 406 mm/50 MK-1
180 Degree Turn Time	30.0 s
Reloading Time	33.0 s
Optimal front firing angle	30°
Optimal rear firing angle	30°
Sigma	1.70 sigma
Maximum Dispersion	257 m
Shells
Type of Projectile	HE
Alpha Damage	5 800 HP
Damage	5 020 HP
Alpha Piercing HE	68 mm
Explosion Size	2.53
Chance to Cause Fire	40 %
Projectile Speed	830 m/s
Air Drag	0.304
Projectile Mass	1 108
Projectile Krupp	250
Type of Projectile	AP
Alpha Damage	13 250 HP
Chance to Cause Fire	-0.5 %
Projectile Speed	830 m/s
Air Drag	0.247
Projectile Mass	1 108
Projectile Krupp	2 430
Projectile Detonator	0.033 s

6 x 2 100 mm/56 MZ-14
Reloading Time	3.75 s
Sigma	1.00 sigma
Horizontal Dispersion	50 m
Vertical Dispersion	110 m
Shells
Type of Projectile	HE
Alpha Damage	1 400 HP
Damage	310 HP
Alpha Piercing HE	17 mm
Explosion Size	0.29
Chance to Cause Fire	6 %
Projectile Speed	895 m/s
Air Drag	0.286
Projectile Mass	15.8
Projectile Krupp	1
6 x 2 152 mm/57 MK-17
Reloading Time	8.0 s
Sigma	1.00 sigma
Horizontal Dispersion	50 m
Vertical Dispersion	110 m
Shells
Type of Projectile	HE
Alpha Damage	2 200 HP
Damage	810 HP
Alpha Piercing HE	25 mm
Explosion Size	0.58
Chance to Cause Fire	12 %
Projectile Speed	950 m/s
Air Drag	0.321
Projectile Mass	55
Projectile Krupp	6

4 x 2 100 mm/56 MZ-14
Sector range	3.2 km – 5.8 km
Hit chance	73 %
Sector’s damage	310
Sector’s damage frequency	3.38 s
Sector’s damage per second	92
Flak clouds number	4
Flak cloud damage	1400
8 x 1 37 mm 70-K and 8 x 4 37 mm 46-KR
Sector range	1.0 km – 3.2 km
Hit chance	73 %
Sector’s damage	190
Sector’s damage frequency	0.69 s
Sector’s damage per second	275
Flak clouds number	7
Flak cloud damage	840
Sector reinforcement
Sector reinforcement bonus	+25%
Sector reinforcement time	12 s
Sector reinforcement shift time	12 s

Slot 1	Slot 2	Slot 3
Consumable charges: 3 Work time: 10 s Cooldown: 60 s	Consumable charges: 2 Work time: 28 s Cooldown: 120 s HP regeneration speed: 0.005 % HP/s	Consumable charges: 2 Work time: 60 s Cooldown: 135 s Radius: 3 km
Consumable charges: 4 Work time: 10 s Cooldown: 40 s	Consumable charges: 3 Work time: 28 s Cooldown: 80 s HP regeneration speed: 0.005 % HP/s	Consumable charges: 3 Work time: 60 s Cooldown: 90 s Radius: 3 km
		Charges: 2 Work time: 50 s Cooldown: 270 s Spotting range: 15 km Will only spot battleships and aircraft carriers
		Charges: 3 Work time: 50 s Cooldown: 180 s Range: 15 km Will only spot battleships and aircraft carriers

GeneralMain BatterySecondariesAir DefenseConsumables

Tier	IX
Health	88 100 HP
Main Armament
Maximum Firing Range	19 382 km
406 mm/50 MK-1	3 x 3 406 mm
Secondary Armament
Maximum Firing Range	5.00 km
130 mm/55 B-2-U	6 x 2 130 mm
Maximum speed	28 kt
Turning Circle Radius	950 m
Rudder Shift Time	14.9 s
Surface Detectability	16.70 km
Air Detectability	13.36 km
Detectability After Firing Main Gus in Smoke	16.10 km

3×3 406 mm/50 MK-1
180 Degree Turn Time	30.0 s
Reloading Time	33.0 s
Optimal front firing angle	30°
Optimal rear firing angle	30°
Sigma	1.70 sigma
Maximum Dispersion	257 m
Shells
Type of Projectile	HE
Alpha Damage	5 800 HP
Damage	5 020 HP
Alpha Piercing HE	68 mm
Explosion Size	2.53
Chance to Cause Fire	40 %
Projectile Speed	830 m/s
Air Drag	0.304
Projectile Mass	1 108
Projectile Krupp	250
Type of Projectile	AP
Alpha Damage	13 250 HP
Chance to Cause Fire	-0.5 %
Projectile Speed	830 m/s
Air Drag	0.247
Projectile Mass	1 108
Projectile Krupp	2 430
Projectile Detonator	0.033 s

6 x 2 130 mm/55 B-2-U
Reloading Time	5.0 s
Sigma	1.00 sigma
Horizontal Dispersion	50 m
Vertical Dispersion	110 m
Shells
Type of Projectile	HE
Alpha Damage	1 900 HP
Damage	570 HP
Alpha Piercing HE	22 mm
Explosion Size	0.45
Chance to Cause Fire	8 %
Projectile Speed	900 m/s
Air Drag	0.255
Projectile Mass	33.4
Projectile Krupp	52

6 x 2 130 mm/55 B-2-U
Sector range	3.5 km – 6.0 km
Hit chance	73 %
Sector’s damage	450
Sector’s damage frequency	3.43 s
Sector’s damage per second	131
Flak clouds number	5
Flak cloud damage	1540
12 x 4 37 mm 46-KR and 8 x 2 37 mm V-11
Sector range	2.3 km – 3.5 km
Hit chance	73 %
Sector’s damage	200
Sector’s damage frequency	0.46 s
Sector’s damage per second	435
Flak clouds number	10
Flak cloud damage	910
4 x 4 25 mm 4M-120
Sector range	0.1 km – 2.3 km
Hit chance	68 %
Sector’s damage	150
Sector’s damage frequency	0.71s
Sector’s damage per second	211
Sector reinforcement
Sector reinforcement bonus	+25%
Sector reinforcement time	12 s
Sector reinforcement shift time	12 s

Slot 1	Slot 2	Slot 3
Consumable charges: 3 Work time: 10 s Cooldown: 60 s	Consumable charges: 2 Work time: 28 s Cooldown: 120 s HP regeneration speed: 0.005 % HP/s	Consumable charges: 2 Work time: 60 s Cooldown: 135 s Radius: 3 km
Consumable charges: 4 Work time: 10 s Cooldown: 40 s	Consumable charges: 3 Work time: 28 s Cooldown: 80 s HP regeneration speed: 0.005 % HP/s	Consumable charges: 3 Work time: 60 s Cooldown: 90 s Radius: 3 km
		Charges: 2 Work time: 50 s Cooldown: 270 s Spotting range: 15 km Will only spot battleships and aircraft carriers
		Charges: 3 Work time: 50 s Cooldown: 180 s Range: 15 km Will only spot battleships and aircraft carriers

The armor analysis

The Sovetsky Soyuz is quite an interesting ship in terms of armor. Unlike the Vladivostok and the Kremlin that both have an exposed upper citadel, Sovetsky Soyuz actually has a full spaced armor scheme protecting her citadel.

The bow section

This time, we won’t have a bow the size of Russia. It is much more… let’s say standard.

The plating is the classic tier IX protection with 32 mm except for the extended belt of 220 mm.

Inside the bow, there are 2 armored decks but with a quite weird layout as you can see here. The first armored deck is 100 mm thick and reaches the main armor deck.

Between the 2 armored decks, there is a bulkhead with the upper part being 285 mm thick and the lower part 250 mm thick.

The second armored deck is exactly at the waterline and is followed by a second bulkhead. Both are 65 mm thick.

As for the frontal protection of the middle section, the lower part (on the left) including the citadel is 230 mm thick. The upper part (on the right) is only 25 mm thick.

As for the citadel, there is how the athwartship looks like. We once again have that T shaped citadel so if you want to hit it, aim above the water line and not below as it will be much easier to reach even with the spaced armor.

The middle section

For the middle section, we have an extra thick main belt. Or at least, a part of it. Starting from the front (in red) the main belt is 420 mm thick but then it gets thinner to 406 mm, then 390 mm and finally 375 mm for the rest of the main belt (between the 2nd and 3rd turret). I think that you understood it well, if you want to penetrate the main belt of that ship, avoid shooting the part below the 1st turret.
As for the upper belt and the deck, they are 40 mm thick which is pretty nice against cruisers HE and Yamato guns.

Once we cracked the shell, we can look at the citadel inside of it. The upper part (on the left) is only 20 mm thick and is fairly close from the main belt. This means that if a shell punches through your main belt, the shells will most likely hit the citadel as well. The lower part that gets deeper inside the ship and below the waterline is 58 mm thick. Basically, forget that part of the citadel, you won’t reach it.

For the armor decks, there is first a 150 mm main armor deck and then the citadel’s 50 mm deck. It MIGHT save you from AP bombs but I can’t be 100 % sure at all with the new AP bombs mechanics.

The stern section

For the stern, we have the classic 32 mm of armor plus an extended belt of 375 mm for the lower part and the upper part is 180 mm thick.

For the first part of the internal protection, there is a 100 mm thick armored deck and just above it, at the end of the extended belt of 180 mm, a casemate also 180 mm thick.

For the second part, there is an armored deck right at the waterline with sloped sides. It is 65 mm thick. Right after, there is one massive bulkhead of 365 mm below the 180 mm casemate I talked about just before. As you can see, the upper part of the middle section’s rear protection is also 365 mm thick.

Finally, for the citadel’s athwartship and the casemate around it, they are both 75 mm thick and as you can see, it is actually shaped around what would normally be the barbette of the third turret.

The superstructure

The superstructure is the classic 19 mm thick. Compared to previous ships, it is relatively larger so destroyers will have a bit more stuff to damage.

The turrets

Well, these turrets are really not bad in terms of armor protection. The face is 495 mm thick, the sides are 230 mm thick, the back is 410 mm thick and finally, the roof is 270 mm thick. As for the barbette, the upper part is 425 mm thick and the much smaller lower part is 50 mm thick.
Unlike the previous ship where the turrets seemed relatively “”fragile””, these turrets will be a tough nut to crack.

As of right now, this ship looks quite strong. The gun handling seems amazing, the shells hit like a truck and the armor is really good. Promising, promising.

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Yuzorah

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