World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Delaware

Also called: 特拉华 Beta
Airstrike battleshipAirstrikes hit without line of sight; bait broadsides, then cash in with the mains.
Playstyle
  • Park 14-17 km from a contested cap with island cover within one rotation of your bow
  • The airstrike line wants to cross the cap and the predictable retreat lane
  • Avoid: Launching airstrikes at maneuvering targets
Key characteristics
Lobs over islandsSpotter planeThickest plateLong spotter loiterLong DCP windowLow HE DPM
On this page
Community Data

Delaware Community Stats

Across 6,200+ Standard battles from 220+ players, Delaware averages a 63% win rate, 92,700 damage and 1.1 kills per battle, and survives 43% of them.

Community Data

Delaware Community Stats

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

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Playstyle

Overview

Delaware is the Tier VIII American airstrike battleship. Her alt-armament fires a torpedo-bomber airstrike in place of shipborne torpedoes: the planes drop a spread of aerial torpedoes on the marked lane, a damage source that does not need line of sight on top of her main battery. Standout traits: armor plate in T8 BBs (439 mm, 5th of 33) and best Observation Seaplane duration in T8 BBs (40 s, 2nd of 20). The trade is low HE DPM in T8 BBs (85,500, 29th of 31).

Positioning

Park 14-17 km from a contested cap with island cover within one rotation of your bow. The airstrike line wants to cross the cap and the predictable retreat lane, both of which favor positions a little further back than a brawler would take. Open-water lanes are pure downside; you do not need line of sight to score with the airstrike, so cover is free upside. A 920 m turning circle is wide for her cohort, so a committed turn gives up a lot of water; plan course changes a salvo ahead.

Potato Avoidance

Launching airstrikes at maneuvering targets

The squadron's travel time is long enough that a healthy DD or cruiser with engine boost simply turns out of the cone. Reserve strikes for capping destroyers, island-huggers, and anyone already tying up with a teammate.

Signature Traits

Airstrike alt-armament

The alt-armament fires a bomber line in place of torpedoes. Rewards behind-cover positioning with the cap in range.

Thickest plate ↗

439 mm on her single heaviest plate, top decile of T8 BBs. Its thickest plate is beyond any HE or AP overmatch in the game, though that is one belt rather than the ship as a whole.

Long spotter loiter ↗

40 s Observation Seaplane duration, best of T8 BBs. Spotting + tighter shell grouping stays up longer.

Long DCP window ↗

20 s Damage Control duration, best of T8 BBs. Stays fire / flood immune longer per activation.

Low HE DPM ↗

85500 HE DPM, bottom quartile of T8 BBs. Don't bank on burn pressure.

Slow acceleration ↗

~15 s from a stop to 12 kt, bottom decile of T8 BBs. Sluggish rebuild after a turn or a stop, so a full stop or a hard turn leaves it exposed for longer.

Acquisition

How to get Delaware

Delaware is available in the Aviation Battleships branch of the U.S. Tech Tree for 25,000,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 5,000,000 credits. Official source cards below may also show its temporary Early Access window before it became a normal Tech Tree unlock. 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.

History: Early Access Jun 2024 – Jul 2024 (temporary crate drops, now ended).

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

Show U.S.A. tech-tree branch diagram
U.S. Tech Tree

Delaware sits in the Aviation Battleships branch. The highlighted path shows the local branch context inside the full U.S. tree.

U.S. hybrid battleships offer unique torpedo airstrike capabilities compared to conventional battleships, but they make large targets and have more limited gunnery abilities as a trade-off.
Advantages
Torpedo Airstrike, Large HP pool
Disadvantages
Low-velocity shells, Limited main battery firing angles, Large target

Best listed chance for this ship

Official WG availability sources
  • Strike From the Skies: U.S. Hybrids in Early Access and Our July 4th Event Early Access Start: 2024-06-30 · End: 2024-07-31
    • During this update, U.S. Tier VI–VIII hybrids are available in Early Access and can be found in USN Hybrid Battleships Big Crates and standard crates.
    • By purchasing the crates in the Store for doubloons or Independium (the event currency).
  • July Update: Skyward Endeavors Early Access 2024-06-27
    • You can obtain Connecticut, Nebraska, and Delaware from USN Hybrid Battleships crates and USN Hybrid Battleships Big Crates, which will be available in the Store during this update for doubloons or Independium.
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.

Joseph Reeves

Airstrike specialist

Reeves carries the full airstrike skill suite (Bird's Eye View range, Sea Wings cruise speed, Naval Aviator torpedo speed + damage, Iron Feathers plane HP). Hawke's Big Game Hunter trait stacks more damage onto airstrikes against BB / CA / CV targets; Worf's Sky Attack trait adds damage to every projectile your aircraft drop (no target restriction). Main battery still does the heavy lifting at range; treat the airstrike as a bonus damage window against committed targets or anyone behind cover.

Joseph Reeves

Cooldown spam

Same Reeves skill spine. Riker's Number One trait shaves airstrike cooldown so the squadron is up more often; Hawke's Big Game Hunter trait stacks damage onto the more-frequent strikes against BB / CA / CV targets. Trade a bit of per-strike specialization for more strikes per match. Pairs well when you can park behind island cover with main guns up.

Open in Build Tool →

Commanders frequently paired with this ship Joseph ReevesJonathan HawkeCommander Riker

Have a build you swear by? Open it in the Build Tool and hit Save build to share it here, or browse the Ship Builds guide for proven loadouts across the fleet.

Cohort position

Hide ▾

Where Delaware sits among Tier VIII BBs (32 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 threat3,140 (1/33) Top 25%Air detection12.38 km (9/33) Top 25%Engine power212,000 hp (6/33) Top 25%Power / turn radius230.4 hp/m (5/33) Top 25%Power-to-weight3.59 hp/t (6/33) Top 25%AA DPS700 (8/33) Top 25%Flak damage per salvo (expected)1,800 (7/33) Top 25%Max armor439 mm (5/33) Bottom 25%Fires per minute5.4 (27/31) Bottom 25%AP DPM196,500 (29/33) Bottom 25%Secondary HE alpha1,800 (25/31) Bottom 25%AP velocity762 m/s (27/33) Bottom 25%Acceleration (0-12 kt)15 s (30/33) Bottom 25%Citadel belt297 mm (27/31) Bottom 10%HE DPM85,500 (29/31) Bottom 10%Secondary HE pen21 mm (29/31) Bottom 10%Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)129,765 (29/31) WorstSecondary fire chance5% (1 of 4 tied) WorstTime to 90% speed37.7 s (33/33) WorstSecondary range5 km (1 of 16 tied) WorstNo torpedoes (26 of 33 in cohort)
See 29 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Delaware -- 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.

Hit points75,100 HP(19/33) Max speed28.8 kt(22/33) Concealment15.47 km(10/33) Smoke fire bloom14.92 km(15/33) Rudder shift17.2 s(23/33) Turning circle920 m(25/33) Main battery caliber406 mm(19/33) Main battery range17.31 km(12/33) Main battery reload32 s(21/33) Sigma1.85(15/33) HE shell damage5,700(19/31) HE fire chance36%(15/31) AP shell damage13,100(10/33) Main dispersion233.1 m(22/33) Secondary DPM (per side)180,000(25/33) HE velocity820 m/s(17/31) AP arming threshold68 mm(17/33) Displacement59,033 t(23/33) AP pen at 10 km623 mm(15/33) AA range5 km(19/33) Repair charges3(14/33) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(24 of 33 tied at this value) NormAP fuse timer0.033 s(30 of 33 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(29 of 33 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(29 of 33 tied at this value) NormTurn speed retained81%(32 of 33 tied at this value) NormRepair heal rate0.5 %/s(24 of 33 tied at this value) NormBow armor32 mm(29 of 31 tied at this value) NormStern armor32 mm(29 of 31 tied at this value)
Survivability
Hit PointsInitial: 68,800 → 75,100
Displacement59,033 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.
270.4 x 46.92 m
Armor range6–439 mm
Plate armor thicknesses6, 16, 19, 25, 32, 38, 50, 51, 58, 76, 127, 142, 152, 157, 163, 181, 184, 216, 287, 297, 307, 343, 439 mm
Armor material/layer entries70
Fire resistance
ƒtop hull: 1 − 0.6004 fire coefficient = 40%. 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.
40%
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 × 75,100 HP = 13,518 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 × 75,100 HP = 15,020 HP on this ship.
0.5% of HP per second
Torp Reduction
ƒ1 − 0.21 hull torpedo-damage coefficient / 0.333 unprotected baseline = 37%. Reduces torpedo hit damage. It does not affect flooding: floods start as often and tick at the full rate.
37%
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.
40,400
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.
22,500
Effective HP
ƒBase 75,100 HP plus everything Repair Party can restore: 0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 28 s × 75,100 HP = 10,514 HP per charge, × 3 charges = 31,542 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.
83,444–106,642
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 × 2,800 = 5,600), 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.
2,800
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 × 9,600 = 19,200), 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 ×. 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.
9,600
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 × 4,500 = 9,000), 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.
4,500
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 × 56,300 = 112,600), 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.
56,300
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 × 800 = 1,600), 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 ×. 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.
800
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 × 4,800 = 9,600), 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.
4,800
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: 406 mm Mk7
Mounts / barrels3 mounts / 8 barrels
Reload time32 s
Firing range (base)15.7 km
Firing range (top fire control)17.3 km
Turret traverse4 °/s
Turret armor500 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 ±140°, ±135°
Guns to bear
ƒ180° − 135° (the most restricted aft-facing mount's arc) = 45° off bow; 180° − 140° (the most restricted forward-facing mount's arc) = 40° 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.
45° off bow / 40° off stern
Shell Grouping (σ)1.85
Dispersion type
ƒIn practice: the baseline curve for a standard battleship -- at max range (17.3 km) shells land in an ellipse about 233 m wide and 140 m tall. Also on this curve (68): AL New Jersey, Agincourt, Alabama, Alabama B, Arizona, Arkansas, Arkansas FE, Atlântico, BA Montana, Bellerophon, Bourgogne, California 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 =(1731430·12−21000+2)·30=233.1m
233.1 m at 17.3 km
Max Vert Disp
ƒVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: σV=σH·radiusOnMax =233.1·0.6=139.9m
139.9 m at 17.3 km
Med Horiz Disp
ƒ50%-hit horizontal radius: σH,50=σH·0.6σ =233.1·0.61.85=75.6m
75.6 m at 17.3 km
Med Vert Disp
ƒ50%-hit vertical radius: σV,50=σV·0.6σ =139.9·0.61.85=45.4m
45.4 m at 17.3 km
Turret turn time
ƒ180 degrees / 4 deg/s traverse speed = 45 s.
45 s
Shells/min
ƒZero upgrades: 8 broadside guns x 60 / 32 s base reload = 15. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 8 broadside guns x 60 / 28.857 s (28.8 s = 202 ticks) all-upgrades reload (32 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 28.8 s) = 16.6.
Initial: 15 → 16.6
HE shells
HE alpha5,700
HE Velocity820 m/s
Fire Chance36%
HE fire DPM vs T8 BB44265
Effective HE DPM vs T8 BB129765
HE penetration
ƒ68 mm ≈ 406 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).
68 mm
HE full-salvo alpha
ƒ5,700 HE damage x 8 broadside guns = 45,600.
45,600
HE DPM
ƒZero upgrades: 45,600 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 32 s base reload = 85,500. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 45,600 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 28.857 s (28.8 s = 202 ticks) all-upgrades reload (32 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 28.8 s) = 94,812.
Initial: 85,500 → 94,812
Fires/min
ƒZero upgrades: 15 shells/min × 0.36 (36% fire chance) = 5.4. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 16.6 shells/min × 0.36 (36% fire chance) = 5.99.
Initial: 5.4 → 5.99
AP shells
AP alpha13,100
AP Velocity762 m/s
Min Ricochet45 deg
Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg
Fuse Timer0.033 s
Fuse Threshold68 mm
AP pen max range515 mm
AP overmatch
ƒfloor(406 mm caliber / 14.3) = 28 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
28 mm
AP Pen Close
ƒAP formula evaluated at muzzle velocity: P=10−7·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v01.38 =10−7·2520·12250.69·0.406−1.07·7621.38=847.6mm.
847.6 mm point-blank
AP Pen Far
ƒSame formula at the ship's max firing range (17.3 km), where the shell has slowed to 530.4 m/s: P=10−7·2520·12250.69·0.406−1.07·530.41.38=514.1mm.
514.1 mm at 17.3 km
AP full-salvo alpha
ƒ13,100 AP damage x 8 broadside guns = 104,800.
104,800
AP DPM
ƒZero upgrades: 104,800 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 32 s base reload = 196,500. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 104,800 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 28.857 s (28.8 s = 202 ticks) all-upgrades reload (32 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 28.8 s) = 217,901.
Initial: 196,500 → 217,901
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.
250
✈
Squadrons
Airstrike 1
Plane HP3,250
Plane max speed180 kn
Planes per strike4
Ordnancetorpedo, 6,600 alpha
Flooding chance21%
Charges1
Range13.5 km
Reload90 s
Launch arc-60° to 60°
Airstrike 2
Plane HP3,000
Plane max speed180 kn
Planes per strike4
Ordnancetorpedo, 6,200 alpha
Flooding chance21%
Charges1
Range14 km
Reload90 s
Launch arc-60° to 60°
AA Defense
AA mount points29
Maximum AA range
ƒInitial: 3.5 km → 5 km (stock → upgraded). Longest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 3.5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.
Initial: 3.5 km → 5 km
76.2 mm Mk33 (upgraded hull only)14×2 76mm
20 mm Oerlikon Mk2015×2 20mm
40 mm Bofors Mk2 (stock hull only)2×4 40mm
40 mm Bofors Mk2 (stock hull only)12×4 40mm
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.
10×2 127mm
Far + Medium aura
Guns127 mm Mk32 (DP) + 76.2 mm Mk33
Far 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 123 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
123
Medium continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 174 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.75 hit probability = 457 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
457
Range5 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 123 + Medium 457 = 580
580
Near aura
Guns20 mm Oerlikon Mk20
Continuous DPS
ƒInitial: 52 × 3.5 × 0.7 = 127 → 49 × 3.5 × 0.7 = 120. Raw aura damage × 3.5 × hit probability, the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
Initial: 127 → 120
Range2 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 123 + Medium 457 + Near 120 = 700
700
Flak
AA explosions
ƒEach ~2 s salvo fires 2 AA explosions in quick succession, each leaving 4 clouds ahead of the attacking squadron, plus 2 stray clouds farther out that appear off-beat between salvos - up to 10 clouds per salvo × 240 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 + 2 outer clouds
Cloud damage
ƒDamage a plane takes for flying into one flak cloud, before any reductions.
240
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
Mounts10
Firing range5.0 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: 10×2 127 mm (10/side) × 60/6 s × 1800 = 180,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
180,000
Secondary fire DPM vs T8 BB (per side)
ƒFires/min (per side) 5 × (1 − 0.4 fire resistance) × 60 s × 0.003 of max HP per second × 75,900 HP = 40,986. 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.
40,986
Total secondary DPM vs T8 BB (per side)
ƒSecondary DPM (per side) 180,000 + secondary fire DPM 40,986 = 220,986: shell damage plus fire damage against one T8 battleship, every shell hitting.
220,986
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.
10×2 127mm
Caliber127 mm
Reload time6 s
HE alpha1,800
Muzzle Velocity792 m/s
Fire Chance5%
Secondary fires/min (per side)
ƒ10×2 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 6 s × 0.05 (5% fire chance) = 5. 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.
5
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 @ 5 km
ƒ5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.
315 m
Maneuverability
Engine power212,000 hp
Maximum speed28.8 kt
Turning circle radius920 m
Rudder shift timeInitial: 24.1 s → 17.2 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 = 28.8 / 4 + 4.9 = 12.1 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.
12.1 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.
53 s
Engine boost threshold (reverse)
ƒSpeed below which the engine's built-in power boost applies in reverse.
9.0 kt
Acceleration 0-90%
ƒTime to reach 90% of top speed (25.9 kt of 28.78 kt).
37.7 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (28.5 kt of 28.78 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.
60.9 s
Guns in a full turn
ƒWith the rudder hard over the hull turns 3.6°/s, so a target drifts across the bow at that rate. Turret traverse minus hull turn: 4 − 3.6 = +0.4°/s, so the guns hold the target through the turn. Main Battery Mod. 2 (+20% traverse) and Mod. 3 (−15%) move this line.
hold target (+0.4°/s spare)
Concealment
Detectability by sea
ƒBase value, no camouflage. With a Grade IV permanent camo (or any disposable camo): 15.47 km x 0.955 = 14.77 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.
15.47 km
With Grade IV camouflage (sea)
ƒDetectability by sea 15.47 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 14.77 km.
14.77 km
Detectability by air12.38 km
Smoke firing penalty14.92 km
Detect when firing (sea)
ƒmax(main battery range, sea detectability 15.47 km) = 17.31 km. Equal to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach.
17.31 km
Detect when firing (air)
ƒAir detectability 12.38 km + gun-firing bloom 8.12 km = 20.5 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber 406 mm × 0.020 = 8.12 km.
20.5 km
Detect when on fire (sea)
ƒSea detectability 15.47 km + 2.0 km while burning = 17.47 km.
17.47 km
Detect when on fire (air)
ƒAir detectability 12.38 km + 3.0 km while burning = 15.38 km.
15.38 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
✦
Consumables
Damage Control Party∞ charges · 80 s reload · 20 s active
Repair Party3 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 10,514 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 × 75,100 HP = 10,514 HP: up to 14% of max HP restored per charge.
· 31,542 HP (42% of max HP) total heal (all charges)
ƒ0.14 of max HP per charge × 3 charges = 0.42 × 75,100 HP = 31,542 HP: up to 42% of max HP if the whole Repair Party loadout is used.
· 376 HP/s (0.5% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ0.005 (0.5% of max HP) × 75,100 HP = 376 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 · 70 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
· 2 squadron size
Observation Seaplane3 charges · 200 s reload · 40 s active · 1 squadron size · Tightens main-battery shell grouping
Module options (2)

Stats above use the fully-upgraded modules. These are the research-tree alternatives; trade-offs are flagged.

HullUpgrade
  • Hit points68,800 → 75,100
  • Rudder shift24.1 → 17.2 s
  • Close-range AA DPS158 → 223
  • Maximum AA range3.5 → 5 km
Fire controlUpgrade
  • Main battery range15,740 → 17,314 m

Under the hood

Show ▾

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 km41.1 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=0.5·17314=8657 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 17314 m. Below the kink: k=0.2+(0.5−0.2)·50008657=0.3733, so σV=σH·k=110·0.3733=41.1m.
Shell scatter height @ 10 km82.5 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=0.5·17314=8657 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 17314 m. Above the kink: k=0.5+(0.6−0.5)·10000−865717314−8657=0.5155, so σV=σH·k=160·0.5155=82.5m.
Shell scatter height @ 15 km120.4 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=0.5·17314=8657 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 17314 m. Above the kink: k=0.5+(0.6−0.5)·15000−865717314−8657=0.5733, so σV=σH·k=210·0.5733=120.4m.
AP pen 5 km725 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 =10−7·2520·12250.69·0.406−1.07·680.11.38=725mm, where 680.1 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 5 km (from 762 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 km623 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 =10−7·2520·12250.69·0.406−1.07·609.81.38=623mm, where 609.8 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 10 km (from 762 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 km544 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 =10−7·2520·12250.69·0.406−1.07·552.51.38=544mm, where 552.5 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 15 km (from 762 m/s at the muzzle). Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.
AP flight time @ 10 km5.34 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·0.352·0.40628·1225=1.86×10−5. That runs from a 762 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.
HE flight time @ 10 km5.19 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·0.346·0.40628·862=2.6×10−5. That runs from a 820 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)8
3 mounts × 2.67 barrels = 8; all 8 bear on the broadside.

Model inputs

Krupp (AP)2,520
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 mass1,225 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 coefficient0.352
Air drag on the AP shell in flight; lower keeps velocity, and with it penetration, at long range.
AP muzzle velocity762 m/s
Starting speed of the AP shell; penetration scales with velocity^1.38.
HE muzzle velocity820 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 range580
Only families that reach 5 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 3in50 Twin Mark 33 14x2 -> 457 DPS @ 5 km; 20mm Oerlikon MK20 Twin12 15x2 -> 120 DPS @ 2 km; 5in38 Mk32 Mod12 10x2 -> 123 DPS @ 5 km.
AA DPS layered by range580 DPS @ 5 km, 700 DPS @ 2 km
@ 5 km: 457 + 123 = 580; @ 2 km: 457 + 120 + 123 = 700. 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-blank700
457 + 120 + 123 = 700 DPS: the sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (2 km).
AA threat index3140
457 × 5 + 120 × 2 + 123 × 5 = 3140. 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

In the 1940s and 50s, the option of transforming the Iowa-class battleships into hybrid battleship-carriers was considered. A flight deck at least 350 feet long would need to be installed, and it would also be necessary to preserve the ship's combat power. Both requirements could be met by relocating the third turret to the ship's stern and replacing it with a twin-gun turret to compensate for the weight.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 68,800 → 75,100 with hull upgrade, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds.

Bow & stern32 mm

Overmatched by 7 AP guns here: Incomparable SE 25IncomparableYamato and 4 more. Angling still helps against the rest.

Belt / citadel307 mm

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

Farming6 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 40%, fires burn 60s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow32 mm primary (range 32–50 mm)2,800 (4% of HP)
Overmatched by 460mm+ AP (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm32 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)19 mm primary (range 16–439 mm)56,300 (75% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Scharnhorst '43, Schill)Angle bounces 203mm19 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern32 mm primary (range 6–439 mm)4,800 (6% of HP)
Overmatched by 460mm+ AP (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm32 mm: HE pens from 203mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel307 mm primary (range 32–297 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.
Superstructure6 mm primary (range 6–439 mm)800 (1% 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 HP40,400 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 (76 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.
Engine (module, research)engine coefficient (unconfirmed)-0.128 research estimateLargest on BB/BC; zero on destroyersEngine durability isn't a per-ship value. This small negative coefficient is non-zero only on battleships, battlecruisers, and the heaviest cruisers, and is exactly zero on every destroyer, so it scales with hull displacement rather than any commander skill. Most likely an engine drag or power term in the same family as the deceleration stats; its exact meaning is not yet confirmed.
Rudder (module)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP22,500 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.

Balance History

Balance updates affecting Delaware. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.

Nerf ×18Buff ×3Rework ×1Airstrike ×1Main Battery ×2
2025-06-26

Ministry of Balance: Declaration of Changes

  • Main battery reload time increased from 30 to 32 seconds.
  • Main battery shell grouping reduced by 2.6% (from 1.9 to 1.85 sigma).
  • Upgraded Airstrike torpedo speed reduced from 50 to 45 knots.
Read the full official post
2024-10-10

Ministry of Balance: Trick and Treat

  • "Tough" ship trait replaced by "Ironclad".
  • Stock hull total health reduced from 69,990 to 68,800:
  • Stock hull engine HP reduced from 80,800 to 75,100.
  • Stock hull casemate HP reduced from 8,900 to 8,800.
  • Stock hull auxiliary room HP reduced from 4,200 to 4,100.
  • Stock hull HP reduced from 52,400 to 51,600.
  • Stock hull steering gear HP reduced from 21,000 to 20,600.
  • Upgraded hull total health reduced from 80,800 to 75,100:
  • Upgraded hull engine HP reduced from 80,800 to 75,100.
  • Upgraded hull bow HP reduced from 3,100 to 2,800.
  • Upgraded hull casemate HP reduced from 10,300 to 9,600.
  • Upgraded hull auxiliary room HP reduced from 4,800 to 4,500.
  • Upgraded hull stern HP reduced from 5,100 to 4,800.
  • Upgraded hull HP reduced from 60,600 to 56,300.
  • Upgraded hull steering gear HP reduced from 24,200 to 22,500.
  • Upgraded hull superstructure HP reduced from 900 to 800.
  • Stock and upgraded hull hangar HP increased from 30,300 to 37,600.
  • Stock and upgraded flight deck HP increased from 30,300 to 37,600.
Read the full official post
Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Delaware can equip.

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.