World of Warships: Legends ship guide

California

Also called: 加利福尼亚 Beta
U.S.A. · Tier V · Battleship · Premium
Tank battleshipTop-decile HP holds trades that drain peer battleships first.
Playstyle
  • Anchor a flank at 12-15 km where the team can rotate behind you
  • Avoid: Taking the long way round the map edge to flank
Key characteristics
High HE / fire outputStrong AAHeavy AP penSpotter planeHigh HP poolSlow
On this page
Community Data

California Community Stats

Across 32,000+ Standard battles from 360+ players, California averages a 66% win rate, 74,800 damage and 1.5 kills per battle, and survives 52% of them.

Community Data

California Community Stats

Log in to GamingDiver and upload your data to see Community Data for California: community win rate, damage, survival, spotting, and your own comparison.

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Playstyle

Overview

California is a Tier V American tank battleship (58,300 HP): top-decile hit points mean she is the most expensive thing on the map to remove, and every salvo spent on her is one your cruisers and destroyers do not eat. The kit is line-holder, not striker. AA (721 AA DPS at 5 km) is heavy enough to make her the team's air-defense anchor on top of the lead role; CV strikes route around her, not through. Standout traits: deep effective HP in T5 BBs (82,786, 5th of 26) and best armor plate in T5 BBs (406 mm, 3rd of 26). The trade is top speed in T5 BBs (20.5 kt, 26th of 26).

Positioning

Anchor a flank at 12-15 km where the team can rotate behind you. The HP pool lets you absorb focus that drains peer BBs out, but absorbing focus without trading is just wasted HP; pick salvo targets that exploit the angle others avoid. Her handling reads as a contradiction and is not one: 14.8 s on the rudder means she starts turning late, while a 640 m circle means she comes around inside most of her cohort once she does. Decide a beat early and the turn itself will not let you down.

Potato Avoidance

Taking the long way round the map edge to flank

At 20.5 kn five minutes of sailing buys about 3.2 km, so a border run costs most of the mid-game and arrives after the fight it was meant to decide. She wins by holding a lane and trading from it: pick the flank before the first salvo, then let the guns do the travelling.

Signature Traits

ELITE HP ↗
  • High HP pool · 58300 HP
  • Deep effective · 82786 effective
ELITE ARMOR ↗
  • Thickest plate · 406 mm
  • Strong torpedo belt · 40%
  • Thick end plates · 26 mm
  • Thick bow plate · 26 mm
Top-tier AA ↗

721 AA DPS, best of T5 BBs (median 182.5).

WEAK MOBILITY ↗
  • Slow for the class · 20.5 kt
  • Slow acceleration
Acquisition

How to get California

California is a Premium ship and not available to unlock in the Tech Tree. Acquisition paths: Research Bureau and Containers. Container chances are shown as the listed odds of receiving this exact ship, dividing grouped ship-pool odds across the resolved ships and including nested container paths when a crate can drop another crate.

While you save up, check active promo codes for free doubloons, camouflages, and other rewards.

Best listed chance for this ship

Show all 21 containers (18 more)
  • Santa Level 4 0.272727% Tier V Premium ship Archived · Santa Level 4 · 1 of 22 ships
  • Santa Level 3 0.261364% Tier V Premium ship Archived · Santa Level 3 · 2 paths combined · 1 of 22 ships
    Show 2 paths
    • Santa Level 30.220455%
    • Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 40.040909%
  • Spectral Vault 4.0 0.26087% Tier V Premium ship Archived · Spectral Vault 4.0 · 1 of 23 ships
  • Super Santa '22 0.25% Tier IV or V Premium ship Archived · Super Santa '22 · 1 of 28 ships
  • Winter Big Crate '23 0.25% Tier V Premium ship Common · Winter Big Crate '23 · 1 of 2 ships
  • Super Santa '23 0.242273% Tier V Premium ship Archived · Super Santa '23 · 1 of 22 ships
  • Spectral Vault 3.0 0.239565% Tier V Premium ship Archived · Spectral Vault 3.0 · 2 paths combined · 1 of 23 ships
    Show 2 paths
    • Spectral Vault 3.00.21087%
    • Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.028696%
  • Mystic Lantern 0.2% Tier V Premium ship Event · Mystic Lantern · 1 of 25 ships
  • Mega Santa '23 0.143955% Tier V Premium ship Archived · Mega Santa '23 · 1 of 22 ships
  • Santa Level 2 0.116477% Tier V Premium ship Archived · Santa Level 2 · 4 paths combined · 1 of 22 ships
    Show 4 paths
    • Santa Level 20.063636%
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 30.033068%
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 40.013636%
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 40.006136%
  • Spectral Vault 2.0 0.090043% Tier V Premium ship Archived · Spectral Vault 2.0 · 4 paths combined · 1 of 23 ships
    Show 4 paths
    • Spectral Vault 2.00.06087%
    • Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.00.021087%
    • Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.005217%
    • Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.00287%
  • Champion's Box 0.052273% Tier V Premium ship Archived · Champion's Box · 2 paths combined · 1 of 22 ships
    Show 2 paths
    • Champion's Box → Santa Level 30.044091%
    • Champion's Box → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 40.008182%
  • Piñata Chest 0.05% Tier V or VI Premium ship Event · Piñata Chest → Chest of Rarities · 1 of 8 ships
  • Santa Level 1 0.037494% Tier V Premium ship Archived · Santa Level 1 · 6 paths combined · 1 of 22 ships
    Show 6 paths
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 30.011023%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 20.009545%
    • Santa Level 10.009%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 30.00496%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 40.002045%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 40.00092%
  • Ultimate Crate 0.024227% Tier V Premium ship Archived · Ultimate Crate → Super Santa '23 · 1 of 22 ships
  • Spectral Vault 1.0 0.019108% Tier V Premium ship Archived · Spectral Vault 1.0 · 7 paths combined · 1 of 23 ships
    Show 7 paths
    • Spectral Vault 1.00.008609%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.00.005478%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 3.00.002109%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.00.001898%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.00047%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.000287%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.000258%
  • Mystic Box 0.012% Tier V Premium ship Event · Mystic Box · 1 of 25 ships
  • Secret Santa '23 0.0009% Tier V Premium ship Archived · Secret Santa '23 · 1 of 22 ships
Official WG availability sources
  • December Update: The Most Wonderful Tide of the Year Crates Start: 2022-12-08
    • Big season—big crates! A revamped version of our seasonal crate, called Winter Big Crate '23, has chances of dropping a wider selection of ships than any of the big crates before!
    • you can get one of the following Premium ships (ships you own are excluded from possible drops):
    • American Tier V battleship California
  • Update: June 2020 Bureau project Start: 2020-06-18
    • Once you're done with the whole project, you’ll also receive Tier V battleship California!
Show direct source rows

Want the full picture? Each container page charts the odds as you open more crates - including pity guaranteed-reward timers and, for GD Supporters, pack math personalized to your port.

Builds

Pair with a commander whose unique skill complements her main armament; check the build tool for current recommendations.

Open in Build Tool →

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Cohort position

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Where California sits among Tier V BBs (25 ships). Notable standouts are shown first; the rest of the cohort-ranked stats are in the expand below. Acquisition variants (Black Friday, Founders Edition) are counted once with their base ship, not as separate peers.

BestAA DPS721 (1/26) BestAA threat2,166 (1/26) BestFlak damage per salvo (expected)1,350 (1/26) BestMax armor406 mm (1 of 6 tied) BestEnd plates26 mm (1 of 6 tied / 1 of 6 tied) Top 25%Hit points58,300 HP (4/26) Top 25%Stealth profile14.13 km / 11.3 km (7/26 / 7/26) Top 25%Turning circle640 m (5/26) Top 25%Fires per minute7.2 (4/26) Top 25%HE DPM120,000 (6/26) Top 25%AP DPM252,000 (6/26) Top 25%AP velocity823 m/s (6/26) Top 25%HE velocity861 m/s (5/26) Top 25%AP pen at 10 km489 mm (5/26) Top 25%Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)174,224 (6/26) Top 25%Citadel belt343 mm (5/26) Bottom 25%Rudder shift14.8 s (21/26) Bottom 25%Secondary DPM (per side)144,000 (22/26) Bottom 25%Time to 90% speed37.4 s (24/26) Bottom 25%Power / turn radius46.1 hp/m (24/26) Bottom 25%Displacement40,345 t (23/26) Bottom 10%Engine power29,500 hp (25/26) WorstMax speed20.5 kt (26/26) WorstSecondary fire chance5% (25/25) WorstAcceleration (0-12 kt)19.9 s (26/26) WorstPower-to-weight0.73 hp/t (26/26)
See 20 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for California -- here's where she sits on every other ranked stat in the cohort. Stats tagged NORM are tied across more than half the cohort, so the value is the cohort default rather than a standout.

Smoke fire bloom12.24 km(9/26) Main battery caliber356 mm(14/26) Main battery range15.55 km(18/26) Main battery reload30 s(17/26) Sigma1.8(11/26) HE shell damage5,000(15/26) HE fire chance30%(15/26) AP shell damage10,500(11/26) Main dispersion215.5 m(17/26) Secondary HE alpha1,800(15/25) Secondary HE pen21 mm(17/25) AP arming threshold59 mm(12/26) AA range5 km(8/26) Repair charges3(13/26) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(21 of 26 tied at this value) NormAP fuse timer0.033 s(21 of 26 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(25 of 26 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(25 of 26 tied at this value) NormSecondary range4 km(17 of 26 tied at this value) NormRepair heal rate0.5 %/s(23 of 26 tied at this value)
Survivability
Hit Points58,300
Displacement40,345 t
Hull dimensions
ƒLength x beam at the waterline, plus draft. Length matters when dodging torpedoes; beam and draft shape how hard the ship is to hit.
190.6 x 25.67 m
Armor range16–406 mm
Plate armor thicknesses16, 19, 25, 26, 31, 35, 38, 40, 44, 76, 140, 152, 159, 165, 203, 273, 343, 406 mm
Armor material/layer entries51
Fire resistance
ƒtop hull: 1 − 0.7669 fire coefficient = 23.3%. Lowers how often hits set you on fire. It does not reduce the damage a burning fire does per second; fires burn at the full rate on every ship.
23.3%
Fire duration60 s
Fire damage
ƒOne unattended fire: 0.003 of max HP per second (0.3%) × 60 s = 0.18 of the pool; 0.18 × 58,300 HP = 10,494 HP on this ship. 4 fire points can burn at once.
0.3% of HP per second
Flood duration40 s
Flood damage
ƒOne unattended flood: 0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 40 s = 0.2 of the pool; 0.2 × 58,300 HP = 11,660 HP on this ship.
0.5% of HP per second
Torp Reduction
ƒ1 − 0.2 hull torpedo-damage coefficient / 0.333 unprotected baseline = 40%. Reduces torpedo hit damage. It does not affect flooding: floods start as often and tick at the full rate.
40%
Magazine HP
ƒPer-turret powder-magazine HP, a separate pool from the ship's. Penetrating hits wear it down and the turret is likelier to be knocked out as it falls, so a larger pool keeps the guns firing through punishment that silences a peer's.
29,200
Steering gear HP
ƒDurability of the steering gears. As this pool drops, hits are likelier to jam the rudder; unlike most modules the steering can be knocked out and repaired but is never permanently destroyed.
17,500
Effective HP
ƒBase 58,300 HP plus everything Repair Party can restore: 0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 28 s × 58,300 HP = 8,162 HP per charge, × 3 charges = 24,486 HP. Ceiling, not a prediction: a charge only restores damage actually taken, and only the regeneratable share of it. In practice ships realize about half of this, mostly because half the charges go unspent; a charge that is used returns about 97% of the per-charge figure above.
64,778–82,786
Repairable: penetration50%
Repairable: citadel10%
Repairable: steering gear50%
Section HP
Bow section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the bow: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 2,000 = 4,000), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.
2,000
Casemate section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the casemate: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 3,800 = 7,600), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.
3,800
Auxiliary section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the auxiliary room: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 6,800 = 13,600), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.
6,800
Hull section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the hull: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 43,700 = 87,400), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.
43,700
Superstructure section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the superstructure: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 3,600 = 7,200), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. The superstructure is not exempt: it saturates exactly like the bow and stern, so shells aimed at it stop dealing full damage once this pool is used up. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.
3,600
Stern section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the stern: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 1,300 = 2,600), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.
1,300
Citadel section HP
ƒThis section has no practical saturation cap: every hit here keeps dealing its normal share of damage (on most ships the citadel; on many destroyers the casemate).
No saturation cap
Main Battery
ModuleArtillery: 356 mm/50 Mk7
Mounts / barrels4 mounts / 12 barrels
Reload time30 s
Firing range15.6 km
Turret traverse3 °/s
Turret armor457 mm
Turret traverse arcs
ƒHow far each mount can train, in degrees to either side of the mount's own facing. A rear turret with ±150° leaves a 60° blind wedge over the bow; one-sided arcs are wing mounts that cover a single side. The data does not say which way each mount faces, so the arcs are listed per mount without bow/stern angles.
2x ±143°, 2x ±140°
Guns to bear
ƒ180° − 140° (the most restricted aft-facing mount's arc) = 40° off bow; 180° − 143° (the most restricted forward-facing mount's arc) = 37° off stern. How far off the bow (or stern) the ship must angle before every main turret can fire: the widest blind wedge among the rear-facing (or forward-facing) mounts, from each mount's trainable arc.
40° off bow / 37° off stern
Shell Grouping (σ)1.8
Dispersion type
ƒIn practice: the baseline curve for a standard battleship -- at max range (15.6 km) shells land in an ellipse about 216 m wide and 129 m tall. Also on this curve (68): AL New Jersey, Agincourt, Alabama, Alabama B, Arizona, Arkansas, Arkansas FE, Atlântico, BA Montana, Bellerophon, Bourgogne, Collingwood and 56 more.
Standard battleship
Max Horiz Disp
ƒHorizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the dispersion model: σH=(R30·idealRadius−minRadiusidealDistance+minRadius)·30 =(1555230·12−21000+2)·30=215.5m
215.5 m at 15.6 km
Max Vert Disp
ƒVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: σV=σH·radiusOnMax =215.5·0.6=129.3m
129.3 m at 15.6 km
Med Horiz Disp
ƒ50%-hit horizontal radius: σH,50=σH·0.6σ =215.5·0.61.8=71.8m
71.8 m at 15.6 km
Med Vert Disp
ƒ50%-hit vertical radius: σV,50=σV·0.6σ =129.3·0.61.8=43.1m
43.1 m at 15.6 km
Turret turn time
ƒ180 degrees / 3 deg/s traverse speed = 60 s.
60 s
Shells/min
ƒ12 broadside guns x 60 / 30 s base reload = 24.
24
HE shells
HE alpha5,000
HE Velocity861 m/s
Fire Chance30%
HE fire DPM vs T5 BB54224
Effective HE DPM vs T5 BB174224
HE penetration
ƒ59 mm ≈ 356 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).
59 mm
HE full-salvo alpha
ƒ5,000 HE damage x 12 broadside guns = 60,000.
60,000
HE DPM
ƒ60,000 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 120,000.
120,000
Fires/min
ƒ24 shells/min × 0.3 (30% fire chance) = 7.2.
7.2
AP shells
AP alpha10,500
AP Velocity823 m/s
Min Ricochet45 deg
Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg
Fuse Timer0.033 s
Fuse Threshold59 mm
AP pen max range402 mm
AP overmatch
ƒfloor(356 mm caliber / 14.3) = 24 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
24 mm
AP Pen Close
ƒAP formula evaluated at muzzle velocity: P=10−7·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v01.38 =10−7·2545·680.40.69·0.356−1.07·8231.38=730.3mm.
730.3 mm point-blank
AP Pen Far
ƒSame formula at the ship's max firing range (15.6 km), where the shell has slowed to 533.4 m/s: P=10−7·2545·680.40.69·0.356−1.07·533.41.38=401.4mm.
401.4 mm at 15.6 km
AP full-salvo alpha
ƒ10,500 AP damage x 12 broadside guns = 126,000.
126,000
AP DPM
ƒ126,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 252,000.
252,000
AP AOE Radius
ƒAP shell over-penetration splash radius; scales with shell mass. Wickes 102mm = 3, standard 152mm CL ~ 20, Iowa 406mm ~ 270, Yamato 460mm = 400, Incomparable 650mm = 550 (max). Larger value = bigger splash damage area when AP over-pens.
90
AA Defense
AA mount points55
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 3.5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.
5 km
40 mm Bofors Mk214×4 40mm
20 mm Oerlikon Mk2041×2 20mm
127 mm Mk32 (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.
8×2 127mm
Far aura
Guns127 mm Mk32 (DP)
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS in in-game units (raw aura damage × 3.5 × hit probability, summed per contributing aura) - matches the Close-range AA DPS headline's currency. Includes 105 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
105
Range5 km
Medium aura
Guns40 mm Bofors Mk2
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 104 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.75 hit probability = 273 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
273
Range3.5 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 105 + Medium 273 = 378
378
Near aura
Guns20 mm Oerlikon Mk20
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 140 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.7 hit probability = 343 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
343
Range2 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 105 + Medium 273 + Near 343 = 721
721
Flak
AA explosions
ƒEach ~2 s salvo fires 2 AA explosions in quick succession, each leaving 4 clouds ahead of the attacking squadron, plus 1 stray cloud farther out that appear off-beat between salvos - up to 9 clouds per salvo × 200 damage each. Planes that fly into a cloud take its damage; clouds dissipate before the next salvo lands. Defensive AA Fire, where fitted, multiplies the AA explosions within each salvo, and commander skills that raise the Number of AA explosions add to it.
2 per salvo, 4 clouds each + 1 outer cloud
Cloud damage
ƒDamage a plane takes for flying into one flak cloud, before any reductions.
200
Cloud spawn chance
ƒEach cloud in the pattern rolls this chance to spawn, so salvos average fewer clouds than the maximum. Often called flak 'hit chance', but spawned clouds always damage planes that fly into them - the roll is on spawning.
75%
Salvo interval
ƒA new flak salvo (the AA explosions above) fires roughly every 2 s.
every ~2 s
Fired by
ƒFlak keeps firing while at least one secondary battery mount is operational - even losing every dedicated AA mount does not stop it.
Secondary battery
Flak zone
ƒThe activation band: flak fires while attacking planes are inside it. Clouds are placed ahead of the planes' path, so clouds can land short of 2.5 km or past 5 km - once planes get inside the band, new salvos stop. AA range bonuses push the outer edge out; the 2.5 km inner edge does not move.
2.5-5 km
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts8
Firing range4.0 km
Shell Grouping (σ)1
Secondary DPM (per side)
ƒSum across all secondary families of (per-side barrels × 60 / reload_s × alpha), with each reload counted in whole 1/7 s ticks (guns fire on the first tick after the reload), where per-side barrels = mounts × barrels-per-mount / 2 (the guns that bear on one broadside target). Per-family: 8×2 127 mm (8/side) × 60/6 s × 1800 = 144,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
144,000
Secondary fire DPM vs T5 BB (per side)
ƒFires/min (per side) 4 × (1 − 0.233 fire resistance) × 60 s × 0.003 of max HP per second × 54,550 HP = 30,125. Per side: the barrels that bear on one broadside target (mounts × barrels / 2). A ceiling: assumes every shell hits and ignores the four-fire cap and Fire Prevention.
30,125
Total secondary DPM vs T5 BB (per side)
ƒSecondary DPM (per side) 144,000 + secondary fire DPM 30,125 = 174,125: shell damage plus fire damage against one T5 battleship, every shell hitting.
174,125
127 mm Mk32 (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.
8×2 127mm
Caliber127 mm
Reload time6 s
HE alpha1,800
Muzzle Velocity792 m/s
Fire Chance5%
Secondary fires/min (per side)
ƒ8×2 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 6 s × 0.05 (5% fire chance) = 4. Per side: the barrels that bear on one broadside target (mounts × barrels / 2). A ceiling: assumes every shell hits and ignores the four-fire cap and Fire Prevention.
4
HE Pen21 mm
Secondary dispersion type
ƒMax dispersion = range (km) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.
Standard
Max secondary dispersion @ 4 km
ƒ4 km × 57 + 30 = 258 m.
258 m
Maneuverability
Engine power29,500 hp
Maximum speed20.5 kt
Turning circle radius640 m
Rudder shift time14.8 s
Engine power-boost threshold7.0 kt
Engine spool-up time23 s
Reverse spool-up time11.5 s
Reverse speed
ƒtop speed / 4 + 4.9 = 20.5 / 4 + 4.9 = 10.0 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.
10.0 kt
Crash stop
ƒSeconds from top speed to a dead stop after ordering full reverse: reverse power winds in over the reverse spool-up while water drag does most of the braking, using the ship's own reverse-power ratio. The full curve is on the acceleration chart. Full reverse stops about a quarter faster than a plain Stop order from top speed.
55.9 s
Engine boost threshold (reverse)
ƒSpeed below which the engine's built-in power boost applies in reverse.
6.2 kt
Acceleration 0-90%
ƒTime to reach 90% of top speed (18.4 kt of 20.5 kt).
37.4 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (20.3 kt of 20.5 kt). 99% rather than 100% because true top speed is asymptotic (thrust meets drag), so the last fraction of a knot is never quite gained.
61.9 s
Guns in a full turn
ƒWith the rudder hard over the hull turns 3.5°/s, so a target drifts across the bow at that rate. Turret traverse minus hull turn: 3 − 3.5 = -0.5°/s, so the guns fall behind and catch up once the turn eases. Main Battery Mod. 2 (+20% traverse) and Mod. 3 (−15%) move this line.
fall behind by 0.5°/s
Concealment
Detectability by sea
ƒBase value, no camouflage. With a Grade IV permanent camo (or any disposable camo): 14.13 km x 0.955 = 13.49 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.
14.13 km
With Grade IV camouflage (sea)
ƒDetectability by sea 14.13 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 13.49 km.
13.49 km
Detectability by air11.3 km
Smoke firing penalty12.24 km
Detect when firing (sea)
ƒmax(main battery range, sea detectability 14.13 km) = 15.55 km. Equal to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach.
15.55 km
Detect when firing (air)
ƒAir detectability 11.3 km + gun-firing bloom 7.12 km = 18.42 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber 356 mm × 0.020 = 7.12 km.
18.42 km
Detect when on fire (sea)
ƒSea detectability 14.13 km + 2.0 km while burning = 16.13 km.
16.13 km
Detect when on fire (air)
ƒAir detectability 11.3 km + 3.0 km while burning = 14.3 km.
14.3 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
✦
Consumables
Damage Control Party∞ charges · 80 s reload · 20 s active
Repair Party3 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 8,162 HP (14% of max HP) total heal (per charge)
ƒ0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 28 s effective active time = 0.14 of max HP × 58,300 HP = 8,162 HP: up to 14% of max HP restored per charge.
· 24,486 HP (42% of max HP) total heal (all charges)
ƒ0.14 of max HP per charge × 3 charges = 0.42 × 58,300 HP = 24,486 HP: up to 42% of max HP if the whole Repair Party loadout is used.
· 292 HP/s (0.5% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ0.005 (0.5% of max HP) × 58,300 HP = 292 HP/s. WoWS heals a flat percent of MAX HP each second, so this rate holds at any health level.
Choose one
Catapult Fighter3 charges · 80 s reload · 60 s active · 5 km patrol radius
ƒDerived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): 167×301000=5 km
· 1 squadron size
Observation Seaplane3 charges · 200 s reload · 30 s active · 1 squadron size · Tightens main-battery shell grouping
Enhanced Secondary Targeting3 charges · 160 s reload · 30 s active · +100% grouping · -50% dispersion

Under the hood

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All values are ship base stats with modifications and upgrade changes denoted inline.

The constants behind the formulas and the long tail: shell and dispersion inputs, fixed-range anchors, salvo math, layered AA. Click the formula chip on any row to see how it is calculated.

Main battery formulas

vs standard BBStandard
The standard battleship dispersion curve.
Shell scatter width @ 5 km110 m
(166.7 × (12 − 2) / 1000 + 2) × 30 = 110 m. Horizontal scatter at a fixed 5 km, from the same dispersion model as the rows below - a knife-fight-range anchor comparable across ships.
Shell scatter width @ 10 km160 m
(333.3 × (12 − 2) / 1000 + 2) × 30 = 160 m. How wide your shells scatter at 10 km, from the same dispersion model as the max-range figure above. Picking a fixed range makes this number directly comparable from ship to ship: max-range dispersion makes a longer-range gun look worse even when it's tighter at any common range. The interactive Dispersion tab on the Charts card plots the full curve from 0 to max range.
Shell scatter width @ 15 km210 m
(500 × (12 − 2) / 1000 + 2) × 30 = 210 m. Horizontal scatter at a fixed 15 km, from the same dispersion model - the long-range anchor. Only shown when the ship's guns reach 15 km.
Shell scatter height @ 5 km43.2 m
How tall the scatter ellipse is at a fixed 5 km, from the same model, comparable from ship to ship. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data: radiusOnZero=0.2 at 0 m, radiusOnDelim=0.5 at delim·Rmax=0.5·15552=7776 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 15552 m. Below the kink: k=0.2+(0.5−0.2)·50007776=0.3929, so σV=σH·k=110·0.3929=43.2m.
Shell scatter height @ 10 km84.6 m
How tall the same scatter ellipse is at 10 km. Comparable from ship to ship for the same reason as the width value above. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data: radiusOnZero=0.2 at 0 m, radiusOnDelim=0.5 at delim·Rmax=0.5·15552=7776 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 15552 m. Above the kink: k=0.5+(0.6−0.5)·10000−777615552−7776=0.5286, so σV=σH·k=160·0.5286=84.6m.
Shell scatter height @ 15 km124.5 m
How tall the scatter ellipse is at a fixed 15 km, from the same model. Only shown when the ship's guns reach 15 km. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data: radiusOnZero=0.2 at 0 m, radiusOnDelim=0.5 at delim·Rmax=0.5·15552=7776 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 15552 m. Above the kink: k=0.5+(0.6−0.5)·15000−777615552−7776=0.5929, so σV=σH·k=210·0.5929=124.5m.
AP pen 5 km595 mm
AP penetration at a fixed 5 km, from the same ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the AP formula P=10−7·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v1.38 =10−7·2545·680.40.69·0.356−1.07·709.81.38=595mm, where 709.8 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 5 km (from 823 m/s at the muzzle). Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.
AP pen 10 km489 mm
AP penetration at a fixed 10 km, from the same ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the AP formula P=10−7·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v1.38 =10−7·2545·680.40.69·0.356−1.07·615.51.38=489mm, where 615.5 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 10 km (from 823 m/s at the muzzle). Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.
AP pen 15 km409 mm
AP penetration at a fixed 15 km, from the same ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the AP formula P=10−7·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v1.38 =10−7·2545·680.40.69·0.356−1.07·540.51.38=409mm, where 540.5 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 15 km (from 823 m/s at the muzzle). Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.
HE flight time @ 10 km5.01 s
How long an HE shell takes to reach a target at a fixed 10 km, from the same numerically integrated trajectory the Charts card plots. The shell slows under quadratic air drag, adrag=kρv2, where ρ is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and k bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass: k=πCdd28m=π·0.325·0.35628·578.34=2.8×10−5. That runs from a 861 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77 because the game clock runs faster than real time. Lower is better, since a faster shell is harder to dodge and needs less lead.
AP flight time @ 10 km5.11 s
How long an AP shell takes to reach a target at a fixed 10 km, from the same numerically integrated trajectory the Charts card plots. The shell slows under quadratic air drag, adrag=kρv2, where ρ is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and k bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass: k=πCdd28m=π·0.331·0.35628·680.4=2.42×10−5. That runs from a 823 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77 because the game clock runs faster than real time. Lower is better, since a faster shell is harder to dodge and needs less lead.
Guns per full salvo (alpha, DPM)12
4 mounts × 3 barrels = 12; all 12 bear on the broadside.

Model inputs

Krupp (AP)2,545
Armor-penetration constant of the AP shell; penetration scales straight with it, so a 10% higher Krupp is 10% more penetration at every range.
AP shell mass680.4 kg
Enters penetration as mass^0.69 and slows the shell's drag deceleration, so a heavier shell keeps more velocity at range.
AP drag coefficient0.331
Air drag on the AP shell in flight; lower keeps velocity, and with it penetration, at long range.
AP muzzle velocity823 m/s
Starting speed of the AP shell; penetration scales with velocity^1.38.
HE muzzle velocity861 m/s
Starting speed of the HE shell; sets its flight time and lead.
idealRadius12
Horizontal dispersion growth per idealDistance of range, in 30 m units; the slope of the scatter-width line.
minRadius2
Horizontal dispersion at zero range, in 30 m units; the intercept of the scatter-width line.
idealDistance1,000 m
Range step over which horizontal dispersion grows by idealRadius.
taperDist4,000 m
Inside this range the scatter width tapers toward minRadius instead of following the line.
radiusOnZero0.2
Vertical scatter as a share of horizontal at zero range.
radiusOnDelim0.5
Vertical scatter as a share of horizontal at the delim point.
radiusOnMax0.6
Vertical scatter as a share of horizontal at maximum range.
delim0.5
Where the vertical-scatter curve bends, as a share of maximum range.

AA defense

AA DPS at max range105
Only families that reach 5 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 40mm Bofors Mk2 14x4 -> 273 DPS @ 3.5 km; 20mm Oerlikon Twin 41x2 -> 343 DPS @ 2 km; 5in38 Mk32 Mod12 8x2 -> 105 DPS @ 5 km.
AA DPS layered by range105 DPS @ 5 km, 378 DPS @ 3.5 km, 721 DPS @ 2 km
@ 5 km: 105 from one family; @ 3.5 km: 273 + 105 = 378; @ 2 km: 273 + 343 + 105 = 721. Cumulative AA DPS at each family range threshold. Inner ranges stack the outer families, so a target closing the distance hits stronger AA bubbles as it crosses each band.
AA DPS at point-blank721
273 + 343 + 105 = 721 DPS: the sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (2 km).
AA threat index2166
273 × 3.5 + 343 × 2 + 105 × 5 = 2166. SUM over AA auras of (aura DPS x aura range km). A plane crossing the AA bubble is exposed to each aura for a time proportional to that aura's range, so long-reach DPS is worth more than the same DPS in a short bubble. Units: DPS*km; used to rank overall AA threat across the cohort.
Near aura range2 km

Secondary battery firepower

Max HE alpha1800
The only family (127 mm): 1800. Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1800 from the 127 mm family.
Max HE fire chance5%
The only family (127 mm): 5%. Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 5% from the 127 mm family.
Max HE pen21 mm
The only family (127 mm): 21 mm. Maximum HE armor penetration across secondary HE families (caliber × 1/6 for most nations; 1/4 for German/UK BBs). Shells whose pen falls under a plate's armor thickness shatter for 0 hull damage though fire chance still applies. Best on this ship: 21 mm from the 127 mm family.
Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Background

A Tennessee-class battleship armed with twelve 356 mm guns and possessing quite modest speed characteristics. After Pearl Harbor, she underwent thorough refurbishment, which significantly changed the ship's design and greatly enhanced her AA defenses.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 58,300, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds.

Bow & stern26 mm

Overmatched by 33+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Belt / citadel343 mm

Citadels come from a flat broadside at close range; held past ~30° of angle, AP shatters or bounces.

Farming16 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 23%, fires burn 60s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow26 mm primary (range 26–40 mm)2,000 (3% of HP)
Overmatched by 380mm+ AP (Bayern, Gneisenau)Angle bounces 356mm26 mm: HE pens from 203mm+
Bow-tank fits behind this exterior plate. Saturation is FAST here; the cap is often only a few thousand HP.
Hull (midship)343 mm primary (range 25–343 mm)43,700 (75% of HP)
No common AP caliber overmatches343 mm: no common HE pens
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern26 mm primary (range 26–203 mm)1,300 (2% of HP)
Overmatched by 380mm+ AP (Bayern, Gneisenau)Angle bounces 356mm26 mm: HE pens from 203mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel343 mm primary (range 19–343 mm)≈ 165,500 (effectively no cap)
Citadel pen: full damageOver-pen: ×0.10 damage
Effectively no cap; citadel pool sits at ~165k HP on every ship. An AP citadel penetration deals the shell's full damage, the biggest single hit available; only over-penetrations are damped, to ×0.10.
Superstructure16 mm primary (range 16–406 mm)3,600 (6% of HP)
Any HE ≥16 mm pens at full damage
Any HE ≥16 mm pens at full damage. HE-spam target, and the section saturates fast (often only a few thousand HP).
Turret (module, per magazine)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP29,200 magazine HPTurret knocked outPer-turret powder-magazine HP, a separate pool that does not drain ship HP. As it is worn down the turret is likelier to be knocked out, and a smaller pool gets there faster.
Secondary mount (127 mm mount)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP800 per-mount HPDestroyed at 0 HPPer-mount HP for the heaviest secondary on this ship. A mount destroyed at 0 HP is out for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. Smaller (lighter-caliber) secondaries typically share the same HP value.
AA mount (40 mm mount)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP200 per-mount HPDestroyed at 0 HPPer-mount HP for the heaviest AA on this ship. An AA mount destroyed at 0 HP stops shooting down planes for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. HE shells specifically target AA mounts since the small-caliber HP pool falls fast.
Rudder (module)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP17,500 module HPIncapacitated at 0 HPWhen module HP reaches 0 the rudder locks at its current angle until DCP repairs it. Repair via Damage Control Party.

Saturation cap = HP a section can absorb before further damage to it is reduced (the "bow-tank" effect). Citadel pool is ~165k on every ship (effectively no cap); damage is gated by pen/over-pen multipliers instead. Superstructure saturates fast but HE always pens regardless of the plate thickness. Rudder (and other module HPs) are a separate pool from ship HP: damaging a module doesn't drain ship HP. Incapacitated modules like the rudder and engine are restored by DCP, but secondary and AA mounts destroyed at 0 HP stay out for the rest of the battle.

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior California can equip.

  • California default exterior
    DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior

Primary official WG sources

Filtered to official World of Warships: Legends pages where this ship is a focus, reward, line member, or high-context variant mention.