World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Derfflinger

Also called: 德弗林格尔 Beta
Secondary battleshipClose inside secondary range and let the auto-fire battery work with the mains.
Playstyle
  • Push to within secondary range (~5 km) so the secondary battery starts contributing damage
  • Avoid: Torpedo Boat Brawling; with no torpedoes you cannot trade back a fight fought inside enemy torpedo range
Key characteristics
Strong secondaries (5 km)Improved HE penTight pattern at max rangeFast AP shellsFlat AP shellsLow HE DPM
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Community Data

Derfflinger Community Stats

Across 3,700+ Standard battles from 300+ players, Derfflinger averages a 58% win rate, 44,800 damage and 1.0 kills per battle, and survives 31% of them.

Community Data

Derfflinger Community Stats

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Playstyle

Overview

Derfflinger is a Tier IV German secondary battleship with top-decile secondary reach out to 5 km: the kit rewards closing inside secondary range and letting the auto-fire battery work alongside the mains, not holding mid-range AP lines. HE pen sits at the 1/4 caliber ratio instead of the standard 1/6, so HE damages angled targets her AP can't, but her HE volume is low: a tool for bow-on targets, not a damage plan. Standout traits: best punch-through secondaries in T4 BBs (38 mm, 3rd of 23) and tight pattern at max range in T4 BBs (170.8 m, 2nd of 24). The trade is low HE DPM in T4 BBs (64,615, 24th of 24).

Positioning

Push to within secondary range (~5 km) so the secondary battery starts contributing damage. A secondary BB at mid range is wasting half her kit; the geometry that pays out is close enough that the secondaries DPM peer BBs instead of the main battery alone.

Potato Avoidance

Torpedo Boat Brawling

With no torpedoes you cannot trade back a fight fought inside enemy torpedo range. Hold the band where your guns and secondaries punish them while their fish still fall short, and lean on armor and volume of fire instead of closing the last few kilometers into a spread you have no answer for.

Signature Traits

ELITE SECONDARIES ↗
  • Extended secondary range · 5 km
  • Punch-through secondaries · 38 mm
  • Secondary brawler BB
Improved HE penetration

HE pen at the 1/4 caliber ratio instead of the standard 1/6. HE-spam is a real damage option here, not just a fire-starter, shared by 6/24 T4 BBs.

ELITE MAIN BATTERY ↗
  • Tight pattern at max range · 170.8 m
  • Fast AP shells · 5.05 s
  • Flat AP shells · 850 m/s
Low HE DPM ↗

64615 HE DPM, bottom decile of T4 BBs. Don't bank on burn pressure.

No torpedo backup

A brawler with no torpedoes: every trade is guns and secondaries. The sweet spot is inside secondary range but outside easy torpedo range -- close enough that the auto-fire battery works, not so close that a destroyer or torpedo cruiser lands a salvo you can't answer.

Acquisition

How to get Derfflinger

Derfflinger is available in the Breakthrough Battlecruisers branch of the Germany Tech Tree for 500,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 125,000 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 Aug 2022 – Sep 2022 (temporary crate drops, now ended).

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

Show Germany tech-tree branch diagram

Best listed chance for this ship

Official WG availability sources
  • Eagles Take-off: German Battleships in Early Access Early Access Start: 2022-08-31 · End: 2022-09-28
    • Tier IV Derfflinger
    • The battleships each come with a personal mission, and they can be acquired from German Battleship regular and Big crates, with the guarantee system active for the latter.
  • Autumn Update: In the Shadow of Leaves Early Access Start: 2022-08-25
    • The Early Access framework stays the same: You can get the new ships from German Battleship regular and Big crates, with one important addition being the inclusion of a Tier VII ship.
    • Tier IV Derfflinger
  • Honoring the Battle of Jutland Sale Start: 2025-05-19
    • Until June 2, enjoy discounts on select Tech Tree ships:
    • 35% off the Battle of Jutland flagships: British battleship Iron Duke and German battleship Derfflinger
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.

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Cohort position

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Where Derfflinger sits among Tier IV BBs (23 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.

BestSecondary HE pen38 mm (1 of 4 tied) BestSecondary range5 km (1 of 3 tied) Top 10%Main dispersion170.8 m (2/24) Top 10%AP velocity850 m/s (3/24) Top 25%Stealth profile12.89 km / 10.31 km (4/24 / 4/24) Top 25%Smoke fire bloom9.84 km (4/24) Top 25%Main battery reload26 s (4/24) Top 25%HE velocity850 m/s (5/24) Top 25%AP arming threshold51 mm (6/24) Top 25%Engine power76,634 hp (7/24) Top 25%Power / turn radius103.6 hp/m (7/24) Top 25%Power-to-weight2.46 hp/t (7/24) Top 25%Citadel belt260 mm (7/24) Bottom 25%Turning circle740 m (19/24) Bottom 25%Main battery caliber305 mm (19/24) Bottom 25%Fires per minute4.25 (19/24) Bottom 25%AA threat178 (19/23) Bottom 25%Flak damage per salvo (expected)180 (15/18) Bottom 10%Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)95,367 (23/24) WorstSigma1.6 (1 of 4 tied) WorstHE DPM64,615 (24/24) WorstAP DPM149,538 (24/24) ShortestAP fuse timer0.01 s (1 of 6 tied) WorstAA range3 km (1 of 8 tied) WorstNo torpedoes (21 of 24 in cohort)
See 19 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Derfflinger -- 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 points47,600 HP(14/24) Max speed26.5 kt(11/24) Rudder shift13.4 s(16/24) Main battery range14.62 km(18/24) Secondary DPM (per side)135,600(16/24) Secondary HE alpha1,800(15/23) Secondary fire chance10%(7/23) Time to 90% speed33.1 s(10/24) Acceleration (0-12 kt)14.6 s(10/24) Displacement31,200 t(11/24) AP pen at 10 km309 mm(17/24) AA DPS120(17/23) Repair charges3(11/24) Max armor300 mm(11/24) Stern armor19 mm(12/24) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(20 of 24 tied at this value) NormTurn speed retained81%(23 of 24 tied at this value) NormRepair heal rate0.5 %/s(20 of 24 tied at this value) NormBow armor19 mm(21 of 24 tied at this value)
Survivability
Hit PointsInitial: 41,400 → 47,600
Displacement31,200 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.
210 x 29 m
Armor range13–300 mm
Plate armor thicknesses13, 19, 25, 30, 35, 45, 50, 60, 80, 100, 120, 150, 200, 225, 235, 250, 260, 265, 270, 300 mm
Armor material/layer entries85
Fire resistance
ƒstock hull: 1 − 0.8668 fire coefficient = 13.3%; top hull: 1 − 0.8335 fire coefficient = 16.6%. 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.
Initial: 13.3% → 16.6%
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 × 47,600 HP = 8,568 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 × 47,600 HP = 9,520 HP on this ship.
0.5% of HP per second
Torp Reduction
ƒ1 − 0.26 hull torpedo-damage coefficient / 0.333 unprotected baseline = 22%. Reduces torpedo hit damage. It does not affect flooding: floods start as often and tick at the full rate.
22%
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.
23,800
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.
14,300
Effective HP
ƒBase 47,600 HP plus everything Repair Party can restore: 0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 28 s × 47,600 HP = 6,664 HP per charge, × 3 charges = 19,992 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.
52,889–67,592
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 × 2,600 = 5,200), 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.
2,600
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 × 8,000 = 16,000), 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.
8,000
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 × 400 = 800), 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.
400
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 × 35,700 = 71,400), 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.
35,700
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 × 1,700 = 3,400), 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 ×. 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.
1,700
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 × 1,500 = 3,000), 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.
1,500
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: 305 mm/50 SK C/08 Drh LC/1912
Mounts / barrels4 mounts / 8 barrels
Reload time26 s
Firing range (base)13.3 km
Firing range (top fire control)14.6 km
Turret traverseInitial: 3.5 °/s → 4 °/s
Turret armor270 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 ±152°, 2x ±150°
Guns to bear
ƒ180° − 152° (the most restricted aft-facing mount's arc) = 28° off bow; 180° − 150° (the most restricted forward-facing mount's arc) = 30° 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.
28° off bow / 30° off stern
Shell Grouping (σ)1.6
Dispersion type
ƒIn practice: 17% tighter (better) horizontal dispersion and 17% less vertical spread at max range (14.6 km) than a standard battleship: about 171 m wide × 103 m tall, against 206 m × 124 m. Also on this curve (56): Al Ägir, Alaska, Alaska B, Anhalt, BA Utnapishtim's Ship, Borodino, Brest, Carnot, Champagne, Cherbourg, Congress, Ägir and 44 more.
Improved battleship & large cruiser
Max Horiz Disp
ƒHorizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the dispersion model: σH=(R30·idealRadius−minRadiusidealDistance+minRadius)·30 =(14624.530·10−1.61000+1.6)·30=170.8m
170.8 m at 14.6 km
Max Vert Disp
ƒVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: σV=σH·radiusOnMax =170.8·0.6=102.5m
102.5 m at 14.6 km
Med Horiz Disp
ƒ50%-hit horizontal radius: σH,50=σH·0.6σ =170.8·0.61.6=64.1m
64.1 m at 14.6 km
Med Vert Disp
ƒ50%-hit vertical radius: σV,50=σV·0.6σ =102.5·0.61.6=38.4m
38.4 m at 14.6 km
Turret turn time
ƒ180 degrees / 3.5 deg/s traverse speed = 51.4 s.
51.4 s
Shells/min
ƒ8 broadside guns x 60 / 26 s base reload = 18.5.
18.5
HE shells
HE alpha3,400 → 3,500
HE Velocity850 m/s
Fire Chance22% → 23%
HE fire DPM vs T4 BB29388
Effective HE DPM vs T4 BB92158
HE penetration
ƒ76 mm ≈ 305 mm caliber / 4 (improved HE penetration: German BBs, Yamato-class, and a handful of others).
76 mm
HE full-salvo alpha
ƒZero upgrades: 3,400 HE damage x 8 broadside guns = 27,200. All upgrades (top hull shells): 3,500 HE damage x 8 broadside guns = 28,000.
Initial: 27,200 → 28,000
HE DPM
ƒZero upgrades: 27,200 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 26 s base reload = 62,769. All upgrades (top hull shells): 28,000 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 26 s all-upgrades reload = 64,615.
Initial: 62,769 → 64,615
Fires/min
ƒ18.5 shells/min × 0.23 (23% fire chance) = 4.25.
4.25
AP shells
AP alpha8,000 → 8,100
AP Velocity855 m/s → 850 m/s
Min Ricochet45 deg
Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg
Fuse Timer0.01 s
Fuse Threshold51 mm
AP overmatch
ƒfloor(305 mm caliber / 14.3) = 21 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
21 mm
AP Pen Close
ƒAP formula evaluated at muzzle velocity: P=10−7·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v01.38 =10−7·2289·4150.69·0.305−1.07·8501.38=576.1mm.
576.1 mm point-blank
AP Pen Far
ƒSame formula at the ship's max firing range (14.6 km), where the shell has slowed to 453.4 m/s: P=10−7·2289·4150.69·0.305−1.07·453.41.38=242mm.
242 mm at 14.6 km
AP full-salvo alpha
ƒZero upgrades: 8,000 AP damage x 8 broadside guns = 64,000. All upgrades (top hull shells): 8,100 AP damage x 8 broadside guns = 64,800.
Initial: 64,000 → 64,800
AP DPM
ƒZero upgrades: 64,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 26 s base reload = 147,692. All upgrades (top hull shells): 64,800 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 26 s all-upgrades reload = 149,538.
Initial: 147,692 → 149,538
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.
50
AA Defense
AA mount points15
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 1 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.
3 km
7.92 mm MG 0815×1 8mm
88 mm L/45 MPL C/13 (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.
8×1 88mm
Far aura
Guns88 mm L/45 MPL C/13 (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 29 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
29
Range3 km
Near aura
Guns7.92 mm MG 08
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 37 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.7 hit probability = 91 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
91
Range1 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 29 + Near 91 = 120
120
Flak
AA explosions
ƒEach ~2 s salvo fires 2 AA explosions in quick succession, each leaving 1 cloud ahead of the attacking squadron - up to 2 clouds per salvo × 120 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, 1 cloud each
Cloud damage
ƒDamage a plane takes for flying into one flak cloud, before any reductions.
120
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 3 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.
2.5-3 km
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts20
Firing range5.0 km
Shell Grouping (σ)1
Total secondary fires/min (per side)
ƒSum of each gun family's fires/min (per side): 4.2 + 2.4 = 6.6. 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.
6.6
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: 12×1 150 mm (6/side) × 60/8.571 s (8.57 s = 60 ticks) × 1800 = 75,600 + 8×1 88 mm (4/side) × 60/4 s × 1000 = 60,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
135,600
Secondary fire DPM vs T4 BB (per side)
ƒFires/min (per side) 6.6 × (1 − 0.166 fire resistance) × 60 s × 0.003 of max HP per second × 48,200 HP = 47,756. 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.
47,756
Total secondary DPM vs T4 BB (per side)
ƒSecondary DPM (per side) 135,600 + secondary fire DPM 47,756 = 183,356: shell damage plus fire damage against one T4 battleship, every shell hitting.
183,356
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
150 mm L/45 MPL C/06 (12×1)
Caliber150 mm
Reload time8.57 s
HE alpha1,800
Muzzle Velocity835 m/s
Fire Chance10%
Secondary fires/min (per side)
ƒ12×1 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 8.571 s (8.57 s = 60 ticks) × 0.1 (10% fire chance) = 4.2. 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.
4.2
HE Pen38 mm
Show 1 more gun family
88 mm L/45 MPL C/13 (8×1) (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.
Caliber88 mm
Reload time4 s
HE alpha1,000
Muzzle Velocity890 m/s
Fire Chance4%
Secondary fires/min (per side)
ƒ8×1 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 4 s × 0.04 (4% fire chance) = 2.4. 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.
2.4
HE Pen15 mm
Maneuverability
Engine power76,634 hp
Maximum speed26.5 kt
Turning circle radius740 m
Rudder shift timeInitial: 17.4 s → 13.4 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 = 26.5 / 4 + 4.9 = 11.5 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.
11.5 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.
43.9 s
Engine boost threshold (reverse)
ƒSpeed below which the engine's built-in power boost applies in reverse.
7.9 kt
Acceleration 0-90%
ƒTime to reach 90% of top speed (23.9 kt of 26.5 kt).
33.1 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (26.2 kt of 26.5 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.
52.1 s
Guns in a full turn
ƒWith the rudder hard over the hull turns 4.0°/s, so a target drifts across the bow at that rate. Turret traverse minus hull turn: 3.5 − 4.0 = -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): 12.89 km x 0.955 = 12.31 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.
12.89 km
With Grade IV camouflage (sea)
ƒDetectability by sea 12.89 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 12.31 km.
12.31 km
Detectability by air10.31 km
Smoke firing penalty9.84 km
Detect when firing (sea)
ƒmax(main battery range, sea detectability 12.89 km) = 14.62 km. Equal to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach.
14.62 km
Detect when firing (air)
ƒAir detectability 10.31 km + gun-firing bloom 6.1 km = 16.41 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber 305 mm × 0.020 = 6.1 km.
16.41 km
Detect when on fire (sea)
ƒSea detectability 12.89 km + 2.0 km while burning = 14.89 km.
14.89 km
Detect when on fire (air)
ƒAir detectability 10.31 km + 3.0 km while burning = 13.31 km.
13.31 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
✦
Consumables
Damage Control Party3 charges · 40 s reload · 10 s active
Repair Party3 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 6,664 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 × 47,600 HP = 6,664 HP: up to 14% of max HP restored per charge.
· 19,992 HP (42% of max HP) total heal (all charges)
ƒ0.14 of max HP per charge × 3 charges = 0.42 × 47,600 HP = 19,992 HP: up to 42% of max HP if the whole Repair Party loadout is used.
· 238 HP/s (0.5% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ0.005 (0.5% of max HP) × 47,600 HP = 238 HP/s. WoWS heals a flat percent of MAX HP each second, so this rate holds at any health level.
Enhanced Secondary Targeting3 charges · 160 s reload · 30 s active · +100% grouping · -50% dispersion
Module options (2)

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

HullUpgrade
  • Hit points41,400 → 47,600
  • Rudder shift17.4 → 13.4 s
  • Turret traverse3.5 → 4 °/s
Fire controlUpgrade
  • Main battery range13,295 → 14624.5 m

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 BB17% tighter H · 17% shorter V
H = horizontal, V = vertical spread. This ship's curve against the standard battleship curve, both evaluated at this ship's max range (14.6 km) with the same model as Max Horiz/Vert Disp: horizontal 171 / 206 m − 1 = -17%, vertical 103 / 124 m − 1 = -17%. Shell grouping (σ) is separate: it sets how shells bunch toward the centre of this ellipse.
Shell scatter width @ 5 km90 m
(166.7 × (10 − 1.6) / 1000 + 1.6) × 30 = 90 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 km132 m
(333.3 × (10 − 1.6) / 1000 + 1.6) × 30 = 132 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 height @ 5 km36.5 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=0.5·14624.5=7312 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 14624.5 m. Below the kink: k=0.2+(0.5−0.2)·50007312=0.4051, so σV=σH·k=90·0.4051=36.5m.
Shell scatter height @ 10 km70.9 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=0.5·14624.5=7312 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 14624.5 m. Above the kink: k=0.5+(0.6−0.5)·10000−731214624.5−7312=0.5368, so σV=σH·k=132·0.5368=70.9m.
AP pen 5 km419 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 =10−7·2311·4050.69·0.305−1.07·678.41.38=419mm, where 678.4 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 5 km (from 855 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 km309 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 =10−7·2311·4050.69·0.305−1.07·543.71.38=309mm, where 543.7 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 10 km (from 855 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 km5.37 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·0.4195·0.30528·405=3.78×10−5. That runs from a 855 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 km5.38 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·0.414·0.30528·406=3.73×10−5. That runs from a 850 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.
Improved HE PenYes
This ship's HE shells use a 1/4 (~0.25) caliber-to-pen ratio instead of the standard 1/6 (~0.167) - 0.249 in this case. Lets HE pen ~76mm armor instead of ~50mm. Hits every German cruiser (150mm CL, 203mm CA) and BB (350mm+), British heavy cruisers / Lion / Nelson, a handful of other premiums.
Guns per full salvo (alpha, DPM)8
4 mounts × 2 barrels = 8; all 8 bear on the broadside.

Model inputs

Krupp (AP)2,311
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 mass405 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 coefficient0.4195
Air drag on the AP shell in flight; lower keeps velocity, and with it penetration, at long range.
AP muzzle velocity855 m/s
Starting speed of the AP shell; penetration scales with velocity^1.38.
HE muzzle velocity850 m/s
Starting speed of the HE shell; sets its flight time and lead.
idealRadius10
Horizontal dispersion growth per idealDistance of range, in 30 m units; the slope of the scatter-width line.
minRadius1.6
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 range29
Only families that reach 3 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: MachineGunMaxim 7 62 15x1 -> 91 DPS @ 1 km; 88mm45 SK L45 8x1 -> 29 DPS @ 3 km.
AA DPS layered by range29 DPS @ 3 km, 120 DPS @ 1 km
@ 3 km: 29 from one family; @ 1 km: 91 + 29 = 120. 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-blank120
91 + 29 = 120 DPS: the sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (1 km).
AA threat index178
91 × 1 + 29 × 3 = 178. 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 range1 km

Secondary battery firepower

Max HE alpha1800
max(1800 (150 mm), 1000 (88 mm)) = 1800. Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1800 from the 150 mm family.
Max HE fire chance10%
max(10% (150 mm), 4% (88 mm)) = 10%. Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 10% from the 150 mm family.
Max HE pen38 mm
max(38 mm (150 mm), 15 mm (88 mm)) = 38 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: 38 mm from the 150 mm family.
Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Background

The most advanced German battlecruisers to take part in World War I, armed with 305 mm main battery guns installed in superfiring turrets.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 41,400 → 47,600 with hull upgrade, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds.

Bow & stern19 mm

Overmatched by 77+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Belt / citadel300 mm

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

Farming13 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 17%, fires burn 60s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow19 mm primary (range 19–120 mm)2,600 (5% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Nassau, Von Der Tann)Angle bounces 203mm19 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Bow-tank fits behind this exterior plate. Saturation is FAST here; the cap is often only a few thousand HP.
Hull (midship)150 mm primary (range 19–300 mm)35,700 (75% of HP)
No common AP caliber overmatches150 mm: no common HE pens
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern19 mm primary (range 19–100 mm)1,500 (3% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Nassau, Von Der Tann)Angle bounces 203mm19 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel300 mm primary (range 19–260 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.
Superstructure13 mm primary (range 13–300 mm)1,700 (4% 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 HP23,800 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 (150 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 (8 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 HP14,300 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 Derfflinger can equip.

  • Derfflinger 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.