Supertest: Soviet Tier VI Aircraft Carrier Serov
6 min readHistorical background
The Serov is based on the Project 71 of light carrier for the Soviet Navy. This project from 1939, pushed by Nikolai Kuznetsov, was part of the Five-Year Plan to expand the Soviet Navy. However, as Stalin was more interested in having big battleships, carriers were off the table for him. This did not stop Kuznetsov who kept giving instructions to the naval engineers for the Project 71.
It was planned to use the unfinished hulls of Chapayev-class light cruisers (Project 68) and the project was eventually approved.
In total, 6 ships were planned and the first would have been laid down in 1942. However, as operation Barbarossa started, the project was canceled.
The Project 71 carriers were meant to carry a bit more than 30 planes that would have been able to take off normally from the deck or with the assistance of catapults if needed.
In World of Warships, we are getting a fairly accurate representation of this design. It is with Serov that we start seeing skip bombers while the Komsomolets still had standard dive bombers.
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 | Attack Aircraft | Skip Bombers | Torpedo Bombers | Propulsion |
![]() (A) |
|
| Polikarpov R-5T | ![]() |
![]() (B) |
|
| Grokhovsky G-37 |
Stock ship
General Characteristics
Tier | VI |
Health | 38 600 HP |
Torpedo damage reduction | 7 % |
Displacement | 10 800 tons |
Dimensions | |
Overall length | 213.26 m |
Beam | 28.0 m |
Overall height (keel to the highest point on the ship) | 29.0 m |
Freeboard | 10.0 m |
Aircraft on deck | |
Attack Aircrafts | 12 |
Skip Bombers | 12 |
Torpedo Bombers | 12 |
Secondary Armament | |
85 mm/52 Model 1939 on a 92-K mount | 8 x 2 85 mm |
Maximum Firing Range | 5.000 km |
Anti-Air Armament | |
85 mm/52 Model 1939 on a 92-K mount 37 mm V-11 mount | 8 x 2 85 mm 4 x 2 37 mm |
12.7 mm DShK on a turret mount | 3 x 1 12.7 mm |
Maximum speed | 35.5 knots |
Turning Circle Radius | 880 m |
Rudder Shift Time | 13.3 s |
Surface Detectability | 12.32 km |
Air Detectability | 8.21 km |
Consumables | |
Slot 1 | Slot 2 |
Damage Control Party ![]() Cooldown: 90 s | Fighter ![]() Work time: 600 s Cooldown: 40 s Patrol Radius: 3.0 km Planes in a squadron: 4 |
Attack Aircrafts
Attack Aircrafts – Polikarpov I-153![]() | |
Tier | V |
Hit points per plane | 830 |
Cruise speed | 136 knots |
Maximum speed | 176 knots |
Engine boost time | 5 s |
Engine boost reload time | 10 s |
Size of attacking flight | 6 |
Aircraft per squadron | 6 |
Rocket type | HE RS-132 |
Rocket per plane | 2 |
Machine gun sequence | 2.4 s |
Maximum rocket damage | 2 150 |
HE penetration capacity | 26 mm |
Explosion size | 0.35 |
Fire chance | 8 % |
Detectability range | 10.0 km |
Aircraft restoration time | 48 s |
Aircraft on deck | 12 |
Consumables | |
Slot 1 | Slot 2 |
Engine Cooling ![]() Number of Charges: 2 Work time: 5 s Cooldown: 80 s | Patrol fighter ![]() Number of Charges: 3 Work time: 60 s Cooldown: 10 s Aircraft per squadron: 3 Patrol radius: 2.5 km |
Skip Bombers
Skip bomber – Polikarpov R-5![]() | |
Tier | V |
Hitpoints per plane | 1 140 |
Cruise speed | 99 knots |
Maximum speed | 134 knots |
Engine boost time | 20 s |
Engine boost reload time | 40 s |
Size of attacking flight | 6 |
Aircraft per squadron | 6 |
Bomb type | FAB-100 |
Bomb per plane | 1 |
Maximum bomb damage | 6 100 |
HE penetration capacity | 32 mm |
Explosion size | 0.98 |
Fire chance | 35 % |
Number of skips | 2 |
Detectability range | 10.0 km |
Aircraft restoration time | 56 s |
Aircraft on deck | 12 |
Consumables | |
Slot 1 | Slot 2 |
Engine Cooling ![]() Number of Charges: 2 Work time: 5 s Cooldown: 80 s | Patrol fighter ![]() Number of Charges: 3 Work time: 60 s Cooldown: 10 s Aircraft per squadron: 3 Patrol radius: 2.5 km |
Torpedo Bombers
Torpedo bomber – Polikarpov R-5T![]() | ||
Tier | V | |
Hit points per plane | 1 280 | |
Cruise speed | 99 knots | |
Maximum speed | 134 knots | |
Engine boost time | 20 s | |
Engine boost reload time | 40 s | |
Size of attacking flight | 6 | |
Aircraft per squadron | 6 | |
Torpedo type | TAN-12 | |
Torpedoes per plane | 1 | |
Maximum torpedo damage | 3 833 | |
Maximum torpedo range | 6.0 km | |
Torpedo speed | 41 knots | |
Torpedo arming time | 6 s | |
Flooding chance | 33% | |
Detectability range | 10.0 km | |
Aircraft restoration time | 57 s | |
Aircraft on deck | 12 |
Consumables | |
Slot 1 | Slot 2 |
Engine Cooling ![]() Number of Charges: 2 Work time: 5 s Cooldown: 80 s | Patrol fighter ![]() Number of Charges: 3 Work time: 60 s Cooldown: 10 s Aircraft per squadron: 3 Patrol radius: 2.5 km |
Secondary Armament
8 x 2 85 mm/52 Model 1939 on a 92-K mount | |
Maximum Firing Range | 5.000 km |
Reloading Time | 4.0 s |
Sigma | 1.00 sigma |
Shells | |
Type of Projectile | HE – 85 mm HE O-365M![]() |
Alpha Damage | 1 200 HP |
Damage | 210 HP |
HE penetration | 14 mm |
Explosion Size | 0.22 |
Chance to Cause Fire | 4 % |
Projectile Speed | 792 m/s |
Air Drag | 0.314 |
Projectile Mass | 9.24 kg |
Anti-air Armament
8 x 2 85 mm/52 Model 1939 on a 92-K mount 4 x 2 37 mm V-11 mount | |
Sector range | 0.1 km – 3.5 km |
Hit chance | 100 % |
Sector’s damage | 42 |
Sector’s damage frequency | 0.29 s |
Sector’s damage per second | 147 |
20 x 1 12.7 mm DShK on a turret mount | |
Sector range | 0.1 km – 1.5 km |
Hit chance | 95 % |
Sector’s damage | 54 |
Sector’s damage frequency | 0.29 s |
Sector’s damage per second | 189 |
Fully upgraded ship
General Characteristics
Tier | VI |
Health | 39 500 HP |
Torpedo damage reduction | 7 % |
Displacement | 13 500 tons |
Dimensions | |
Overall length | 213.26 m |
Beam | 28.0 m |
Overall height (keel to the highest point on the ship) | 29.0 m |
Freeboard | 10.0 m |
Aircraft on deck | |
Attack Aircrafts | 12 |
Skip Bombers | 12 |
Torpedo Bombers | 12 |
Secondary Armament | |
100 mm/56 on a B-54 mount | 8 x 2 100 mm |
Maximum Firing Range | 5.000 km |
Anti-Air Armament | |
100 mm/56 on a B-54 mount | 8 x 2 100 mm |
37 mm 46-K mount | 4 x 4 37 mm |
12.7 mm DShK on a DShKM-2B mount | 20 x 2 12.7 mm |
Maximum speed | 35.5 knots |
Turning Circle Radius | 880 m |
Rudder Shift Time | 9.5 s |
Surface Detectability | 12.32 km |
Air Detectability | 8.21 km |
Consumables | |
Slot 1 | Slot 2 |
Damage Control Party ![]() Cooldown: 90 s | Fighter ![]() Work time: 600 s Cooldown: 40 s Patrol Radius: 3.0 km Planes in a squadron: 4 |
Attack Aircrafts
Attack Aircrafts – Polikarpov I-180![]() | |
Tier | VI |
Hit points per plane | 830 |
Cruise speed | 149 knots |
Maximum speed | 189 knots |
Engine boost time | 5 s |
Engine boost reload time | 10 s |
Size of attacking flight | 6 |
Aircraft per squadron | 6 |
Rocket type | HE RS-132M |
Rocket per plane | 4 |
Machine gun sequence | 2.44 s |
Maximum rocket damage | 2 150 |
HE penetration capacity | 26 mm |
Explosion size | 0.35 |
Fire chance | 8 % |
Detectability range | 10.0 km |
Aircraft restoration time | 58 s |
Aircraft on deck | 12 |
Consumables | |
Slot 1 | Slot 2 |
Engine Cooling ![]() Number of Charges: 2 Work time: 5 s Cooldown: 80 s | Patrol fighter ![]() Number of Charges: 3 Work time: 60 s Cooldown: 10 s Aircraft per squadron: 3 Patrol radius: 2.5 km |
Skip Bombers
Skip bomber – Kochyerigin BSh-1![]() | |
Tier | VI |
Hitpoints per plane | 1 190 |
Cruise speed | 112 knots |
Maximum speed | 147 knots |
Engine boost time | 20 s |
Engine boost reload time | 40 s |
Size of attacking flight | 6 |
Aircraft per squadron | 6 |
Bomb type | FAB-100 |
Bomb per plane | 1 |
Maximum bomb damage | 6 100 |
HE penetration capacity | 32 mm |
Explosion size | 0.98 |
Fire chance | 35 % |
Number of skips | 2 |
Detectability range | 10.0 km |
Aircraft restoration time | 67 s |
Aircraft on deck | 12 |
Consumables | |
Slot 1 | Slot 2 |
Engine Cooling ![]() Number of Charges: 2 Work time: 5 s Cooldown: 80 s | Patrol fighter ![]() Number of Charges: 3 Work time: 60 s Cooldown: 10 s Aircraft per squadron: 3 Patrol radius: 2.5 km |
Torpedo Bombers
Torpedo bomber – Grokhovsky G-37![]() | ||
Tier | VI | |
Hit points per plane | 1 340 | |
Cruise speed | 108 knots | |
Maximum speed | 143 knots | |
Engine boost time | 20 s | |
Engine boost reload time | 40 s | |
Size of attacking flight | 6 | |
Aircraft per squadron | 6 | |
Torpedo type | TAN-12 | |
Torpedoes per plane | 1 | |
Maximum torpedo damage | 3 833 | |
Maximum torpedo range | 6.0 km | |
Torpedo speed | 41 knots | |
Torpedo arming time | 6 s | |
Flooding chance | 33% | |
Detectability range | 10.0 km | |
Aircraft restoration time | 68 s | |
Aircraft on deck | 12 |
Consumables | |
Slot 1 | Slot 2 |
Engine Cooling ![]() Number of Charges: 2 Work time: 5 s Cooldown: 80 s | Patrol fighter ![]() Number of Charges: 3 Work time: 60 s Cooldown: 10 s Aircraft per squadron: 3 Patrol radius: 2.5 km |
Secondary Armament
8 x 2 100 mm/56 on a B-54 mount | |
Maximum Firing Range | 5.000 km |
Reloading Time | 3.75 s |
Sigma | 1.00 sigma |
Shells | |
Type of Projectile | HE – HE-56![]() |
Alpha Damage | 1 400 HP |
Damage | 310 HP |
HE penetration | 17 mm |
Explosion Size | 0.29 |
Chance to Cause Fire | 6 % |
Projectile Speed | 895 m/s |
Air Drag | 0.286 |
Projectile Mass | 15.8 kg |
Anti-air Armament
8 x 2 100 mm/56 on a B-54 mount | |
Sector range | 0.1 km – 5.8 km |
Hit chance | 100 % |
Sector’s damage | 30 |
Sector’s damage frequency | 0.29 s |
Sector’s damage per second | 105 |
Flak clouds number | 4 |
Flak cloud damage | 1 120 |
4 x 4 37 mm 46-K mount | |
Sector range | 0.1 km – 3.5 km |
Hit chance | 100 % |
Sector’s damage | 26 |
Sector’s damage frequency | 0.29 s |
Sector’s damage per second | 91 |
20 x 1 20 mm Oerlikon on a Mk.4 mount | |
Sector range | 0.1 km – 2.0 km |
Hit chance | 95 % |
Sector’s damage | 66 |
Sector’s damage frequency | 0.29 s |
Sector’s damage per second | 231 |
The Armor
External armor protection
Citadel armor protection
Personal Opinion
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeh…
One thing for sure, you really don’t want to go for tier VIII ships with these planes. With the combined low HP pool and low speed, they would just melt like butter. Also, the ship bombs being only able to penetrate 32 mm platings will have a fairly limited impact against battleships since, at this tier, a lot of them have thick casemate plating.
The torpedoes on the other hand will be fine against battleships but anything smaller will be a pain to drop due to the long arming distance.
Thank you for reading this article!
Don’t hesitate to subscribe to our notifications to make sure that you don’t miss any future articles.
Have a good one and see you soon!