Supertest: Tier IX French Premium Cruiser Carnot

Historical background

The Carnot is based on two preliminary designs for the Dunkerque-class battleships of the French Marine Nationale.

In 1926, in an effort to counter the Italian Trento-class heavy cruisers, the Chief of the Naval General Staff, Admiral Henri Salaun requested a new series of capital ships. The initial design was calling for a 17 500 tons battlecruiser armed with a main battery consisting of two quadruple turrets with 305 mm guns and with both turrets at the front.

With the potential future threat of the German Deutschland-class Panzerschiffe, the 17 500 tons design was abandoned in favor of a much larger one. The new “Croiseur de Bataille de 37 000 tonnes” was a massive battlecruiser armed with twelve 305 mm guns in three quadruple turrets for the A design and six 406 mm guns in three twin turrets for the B1 design. In essence, these designs were pretty much an enlarged version of the Suffren-class.

There was, however, a tiny issue. No shipyard in France was able to build such massive ships and so the idea was abandoned.

A follow-on design, much smaller, was then proposed called “Croiseur protégé de 23 690 tonnes”. This design was armed with ten 305 mm guns in two triple and one quadruple turret. However, the level of protection it would offer wasn’t enough against the 283 mm guns of the Deutschland-class which were considered as the main threat at the time.

With some pressure from the French Parliament, a new set of requirements was issued, calling for a ship with an armor protection able to resist to 283 mm guns as well as a main battery of eight 330 mm guns. This would lead to the construction of the Dunkerque-class as we know it today.

In World of Warships, Carnot is taking the armament of the later “Croiseur protégé de 23 690 tonnes” with a main battery of ten 305 mm and a secondary battery of eight 139 mm guns as well as sixteen 100 mm guns. When it comes to the hull, she is actually using the “Croiseur de Bataille de 37 000 tonnes” and most likely the A2 variant considering the position of the funnels.

Considering that Wargaming are using the 37 000 tons design for the hull, I bet you without much doubt that we will see the twelve guns design at tier X later with a simple turret swap being needed.

As a side note, it’s a battlecruiser so the fire duration on her is 60 seconds.

Ship’s commemorative flag

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
Carnot	Propulsion: 160 000 hp	‎PCA n° 9 Mle 1	305 mm/50 Mle 1930

General Characteristics

Main Battery

2 x 3 305 mm/50 Mle 1930 1 x 4 305 mm/50 Mle 1930
Maximum Firing Range	19.020 km
Reloading Time	24.0 s
180 Degree Turn Time	30.0 s
Optimal firing angles at the front	28°
Optimal firing angles at the rear	39°
Sigma	2.05 sigma
Maximum Dispersion	208 m
Shells
Type of Projectile	HE – 305 mm HE OEA Mle 1910
Alpha Damage	4 250 HP
Damage	2 700 HP
Penetration capacity	51 mm
Explosion size	1.6
Fire chance	25 %
Projectile Speed	905 m/s
Air Drag	0.27
Projectile Mass	426 kg
Type of Projectile	AP – 305 mm AP OPf Mle 1910
Alpha Damage	8 700 HP
Projectile Speed	870 m/s
Air Drag	0.265
Projectile Mass	442 kg
Projectile Krupp	2 225
Projectile Detonator	0.01 s
Detonator threshold	51 mm
Ricochet Angles	45° – 60°

Secondary battery

4 x 2 139 mm/50 Mle 1929
Maximum Firing Range	7.950 km
Reloading Time	10.0 s
Sigma	1.00 sigma
Shells
Type of Projectile	HE – 139 mm HE OEA Mle 1910
Alpha Damage	2 000 HP
Damage	530 HP
HE penetration	23 mm
Explosion Size	0.47
Chance to Cause Fire	8 %
Projectile Speed	840 m/s
Air Drag	0.376
Projectile Mass	31.5 kg
8 x 2 100 mm/55 CAD Mle 1945
Maximum Firing Range	7.950 km
Reloading Time	3.0 s
Sigma	1.00 sigma
Shells
Type of Projectile	HE – 100 mm HE OEA Mle 1945
Alpha Damage	1 400 HP
Damage	300 HP
HE penetration	17 mm
Explosion Size	0.29
Chance to Cause Fire	5 %
Projectile Speed	855 m/s
Air Drag	0.314
Projectile Mass	13.32 kg

Anti-air Armament

Consumables

Slot 1	Slot 2	Slot 3	Slot 4
Damage Control Party Work time: 5 s Cooldown: 60 s	Defensive AA Fire Number of charges: 3 Work time: 40 s Cooldown: 80 s Continuous Damage: +50% Damage from shell explosions: +300%	Engine Boost Number of charges: 3 Work time: 180 s Cooldown: 90 s Speed bonus: +20%	Repair Party Number of charges: 3 Work time: 28 s Cooldown: 80 s HP regeneration: 0.5%/s Casemate damage regeneration: 50% Citadel damage regeneration: 30%
	Hydroacoustic Search Number of charges: 3 Work time: 100 s Cooldown: 120 s Torpedo spotting range: 3.5 km Ship spotting range: 5.0 km	Fighter Number of charges: 3 Work time: 60 s Cooldown: 90 s Number of planes in a squadron: 4
		Spotting Aircraft Number of charges: 4 Work time: 100 s Cooldown: 240 s Maximum firing range: +20%

The Armor

Even though the ship is very high on the water, the citadel is actually starting just at the waterline.

External armor protection:

Front and rear armor protection of the middle section:

Hidden main armor deck:

Turtleback:

Citadel armor protection:

Turrets armor protection:

Hidden armor protection inside the stern:

Personal Opinion

Right now, the ship looks quite fine. Not crazy strong considering the 24 s reload and somewhat disappointing HE damage and fire chances but the AP is good with high penetration, good ballistic and short fuse, she has a truckload of HP, good armor and also the 20% Engine boost that would give her a maximum speed of 43.5 knots.

We will see how she performs in action but right now, I really don’t see anything concerning.

Oh.. one more thing for those not speaking French (can’t blame you) the T in Carnot is silent.

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Yuzorah

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