World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Hermes

Also called: 竞技神 Beta
Carpet bomber carrierBig squadrons saturate with HE; attrition over single-target alpha.
Playstyle
  • Stay a full map cell behind the brawl line, far enough back that a rotated DD or radar cruiser cannot threaten the hull
  • Launch from positions where the recall path stays inside your team's AA umbrella
  • Avoid: Trading a full squadron for one high-value kill
Key characteristics
Big squadronsFire bombsTough planesThickest plateHeavy secondary DPMEasily spotted
On this page
Community Data

Hermes Community Stats

Across 2,900+ Standard battles from 290+ players, Hermes averages a 59% win rate, 32,200 damage and 0.8 kills per battle, and survives 58% of them.

Community Data

Hermes Community Stats

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

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Playstyle

Overview

Hermes is the Tier III British carrier whose HE dive bombers hit hard for up to 3,500 per drop, so impact comes from picking targets and landing bomb runs rather than volume saturation. Her planes are tough enough to push strikes through contested AA. Each squadron flies 4 planes and they come back 67.5 s apiece, so losing a full wave costs 270 seconds of reserves.

Positioning

Stay a full map cell behind the brawl line, far enough back that a rotated DD or radar cruiser cannot threaten the hull. Launch from positions where the recall path stays inside your team's AA umbrella, not over open water where intercepting fighters can finish off limping squadrons. Longer trip back, fewer waves per match. You are spotted at 11 km and run at 25 kn, so that distance plus your speed is the whole margin for noticing a DD has slipped past and getting out. With 9.6 s on the rudder she starts turning late, so the angle has to be set before you are shot at.

Potato Avoidance

Trading a full squadron for one high-value kill

Match impact comes from cycling waves across multiple targets, not committing a dive into layered AA for one battleship. When a target's AA is heavy, route around and find a softer pick rather than burning planes through the wall. Replacing a lost aircraft takes 270 s at best, and your most fragile squadron flies at 1,900 HP, so a wave sent into a wall of AA thins the reserve for the rest of the match.

Signature Traits

ELITE ARMOR ↗
  • Thickest plate · 76 mm
  • Heavy citadel belt · 76 mm
  • Heavy belt
Tough planes ↗

1900 HP per plane (weakest squadron), best of T3 CVs. Strikes survive AA pushes that thin peers' squadrons.

ELITE SECONDARIES ↗
  • Heavy secondary DPM · 105750 secondary
  • Punch-through secondaries · 23 mm
  • Secondary fire pressure · 4.23 secondary
Easily spotted ↗

11 km surface detect, worst of T3 CVs. Visible before you can react; position early.

Sluggish rudder ↗

9.6 s rudder shift, worst of T3 CVs. Hard to dodge incoming AP; lean on island cover.

Acquisition

How to get Hermes

Hermes is available in the Armored Carriers branch of the U.K. Tech Tree for 270,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 54,000 credits.

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

Show U.K. tech-tree branch diagram
Official WG availability sources
  • November update: Fury on the wings of wisdom Tech tree line Start: 2021-11-04
    • They are available right from the start of the Update, so don't hesitate to learn to fly, and go research them.
    • Tier III Hermes
  • The Wings of the Royal Navy Tech tree line Start: 2021-11-15
    • A whole new tech tree branch is available for you to research, and a dedicated Commander—Sir Denis Boyd—is ready to helm these magnificent ships.
    • Tier III Hermes

Builds

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

Open in Build Tool →

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 Hermes sits among Tier III CVs (5 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 DPM (per side)105,750 (1 of 2 tied) BestSecondary HE pen23 mm (1 of 3 tied) BestEngine power40,000 hp (1 of 2 tied) BestPower / turn radius53.3 hp/m (1 of 2 tied) BestMax armor76 mm (1 of 2 tied) BestCitadel belt76 mm (1 of 2 tied) BestPlane HP1,900 HP (1 of 2 tied) WorstStealth profile11.02 km / 7.71 km (1 of 2 tied / 1 of 2 tied) WorstRudder shift9.6 s (1 of 2 tied) WorstAA DPS11 (1 of 2 tied) WorstAA threat38 (1 of 2 tied) WorstBomb penetration27.1 mm (1 of 2 tied) WorstAir torpedo speed42 kn (1 of 2 tied) WorstSquadron size4 (1 of 3 tied) WorstSquadron restore time270 s (1 of 2 tied)
See 22 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Hermes -- 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 points33,200 HP(3/6) Max speed25 kt(3/6) Turning circle750 m(5/6) Secondary HE alpha2,000(3/6) Secondary fire chance8%(3/6) Time to 90% speed30.6 s(3/6) Acceleration (0-12 kt)14.4 s(3/6) Displacement13,700 t(5/6) Power-to-weight2.92 hp/t(3/6) AA range3.5 km(3/6) Flak damage per salvo (expected)260(3/5) Bomb alpha3,500(5/6) Bomb fire chance25%(3/5) Air torpedo alpha4,367(3/6) Air torpedo range3 km(5/6) Squadron HP8,000 HP(5/6) Deck HP16,600 HP(3/6) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(5 of 6 tied at this value) NormBow armor16 mm(4 of 6 tied at this value) NormStern armor16 mm(4 of 6 tied at this value) NormAir torpedo stealth1.3 km(5 of 6 tied at this value) NormHangar capacity12(5 of 6 tied at this value)
Survivability
Hit PointsInitial: 32,200 → 33,200
Displacement13,700 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.
183.1 x 29.24 m, draft 6.7 m
Armor range10–76 mm
Plate armor thicknesses10, 13, 16, 20, 25, 76 mm
Armor material/layer entries48
Fire resistance
ƒstock hull: 1 − 0.9334 fire coefficient = 6.7%; top hull: 1 − 0.9001 fire coefficient = 10%. 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: 6.7% → 10%
Fire duration60 s
Fire damage
ƒOne unattended fire: 0.004 of max HP per second (0.4%) × 60 s = 0.24 of the pool; 0.24 × 33,200 HP = 7,968 HP on this ship. 4 fire points can burn at once.
0.4% of HP per second
Flood duration30 s
Flood damage
ƒOne unattended flood: 0.0025 of max HP per second (0.25%) × 30 s = 0.075 of the pool; 0.075 × 33,200 HP = 2,490 HP on this ship.
0.25% of HP per second
Torp Reduction
ƒ1 − 0.333 hull torpedo-damage coefficient / 0.333 unprotected baseline = 0%. Reduces torpedo hit damage. It does not affect flooding: floods start as often and tick at the full rate.
0%
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.
10,000
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 × 700 = 1,400), 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.
700
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 × 2,300 = 4,600), 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.
2,300
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 × 5,800 = 11,600), 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.
5,800
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 × 24,900 = 49,800), 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.
24,900
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 × 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 ×. 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.
400
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 × 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 ×. 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
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
✈
Squadrons
Total plane capacity36
Flight deck HP16,600
Hangar HP16,600
Dive bomber
Plane HP1,900
Cruising speed108.0 kt
OrdnanceHE bomb, 3,500 alpha
Squadron size4 planes
Planes per drop2
Bombs per plane4
Bombs per drop
ƒ2 planes per drop x 4 bombs each = 8.
8
Alpha per drop
ƒ8 bombs x 3,500 alpha = 28,000, if every bomb hits. Before armor, saturation and the target's damage reduction; a real drop lands a share of it.
28,000
Fire chance25%
Bomb penetration27.1 mm
Hangar max12
Hangar restore+4 every 270 s, start 8
Recovery time270 s
Torpedo bomber
Plane HP2,000
Cruising speed107.0 kt
Ordnancetorpedo, 4,367 alpha
Squadron size4 planes
Planes per drop2
Torpedoes per plane1
Torpedoes per drop
ƒ2 planes per drop x 1 torpedo each = 2.
2
Alpha per drop
ƒ2 torpedoes x 4,367 alpha = 8,734, if every torpedo hits. Before armor, saturation and the target's damage reduction; a real drop lands a share of it.
8,734
Flooding chance45%
Torpedo arming time3 s
Torpedo arming distance65 m
Hangar max12
Hangar restore+4 every 270 s, start 8
Recovery time270 s
Squadron consumables
Patrol Fighters
Charges3
Duration60 s
Reload10 s
Evasive Maneuver
Charges2
Duration10 s
Reload150 s
Damage reduction-50%
Return to Carrier
EffectAll aircraft return to carrier.
AA Defense
AA mount points0
102 mm/45 Mk V (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.
3×1 102mm
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 0 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.
3.5 km
Far aura
Guns102 mm/45 Mk V (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 10 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
10
Range3.5 km
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 × 130 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.
130
Cloud spawn chance
ƒEvery potential cloud spawns - the full pattern, every salvo. Often called flak 'hit chance', but spawned clouds always damage planes that fly into them - the roll is on spawning.
100%
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 3.5 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.
2.5-3.5 km
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts9
Firing range3.5 km
Shell Grouping (σ)1
Total secondary fires/min (per side)
ƒSum of each gun family's fires/min (per side): 1.4 + 2.9 = 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
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: 3×1 102 mm (1.5/side) × 60/4 s × 1500 = 33,750 + 6×1 140 mm (3/side) × 60/5 s × 2000 = 72,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
105,750
Secondary fire DPM vs T3 BB (per side)
ƒFires/min (per side) 4.2 × (1 − 0.1 fire resistance) × 60 s × 0.003 of max HP per second × 40,500 HP = 27,753. 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.
27,753
Total secondary DPM vs T3 BB (per side)
ƒSecondary DPM (per side) 105,750 + secondary fire DPM 27,753 = 133,503: shell damage plus fire damage against one T3 battleship, every shell hitting.
133,503
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 @ 3.5 km
ƒ3.5 km × 57 + 30 = 229.5 m.
229.5 m
102 mm/45 Mk V (3×1) (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.
Caliber102 mm
Reload time4 s
HE alpha1,500
Muzzle Velocity811 m/s
Fire Chance6%
Secondary fires/min (per side)
ƒ3×1 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 4 s × 0.06 (6% fire chance) = 1.4. 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.
1.4
HE Pen17 mm
Show 1 more gun family
140 mm/50 BL Mk I (6×1)
Caliber140 mm
Reload time5 s
HE alpha2,000
Muzzle Velocity850 m/s
Fire Chance8%
Secondary fires/min (per side)
ƒ6×1 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 5 s × 0.08 (8% fire chance) = 2.9. 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.
2.9
HE Pen23 mm
Maneuverability
Engine power40,000 hp
Maximum speed25.0 kt
Turning circle radius750 m
Rudder shift timeInitial: 13.4 s → 9.6 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 = 25 / 4 + 4.9 = 11.2 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.
11.2 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.
38.8 s
Engine boost threshold (reverse)
ƒSpeed below which the engine's built-in power boost applies in reverse.
7.5 kt
Acceleration 0-90%
ƒTime to reach 90% of top speed (22.5 kt of 25.0 kt).
30.6 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (24.8 kt of 25.0 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.
47.3 s
Concealment
Detectability by sea
ƒBase value, no camouflage. With a Grade IV permanent camo (or any disposable camo): 11.02 km x 0.955 = 10.52 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.
11.02 km
With Grade IV camouflage (sea)
ƒDetectability by sea 11.02 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 10.52 km.
10.52 km
Detectability by air7.71 km
Detect when firing (air)
ƒAir detectability 7.71 km + gun-firing bloom 0 km = 7.71 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber x 0.020.
7.71 km
Detect when on fire (sea)
ƒSea detectability 11.02 km + 2.0 km while burning = 13.02 km.
13.02 km
Detect when on fire (air)
ƒAir detectability 7.71 km + 3.0 km while burning = 10.71 km.
10.71 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
✦
Consumables
Automatic Damage Control Party∞ charges · 90 s reload · 60 s active
Automatic Fighter4 charges · 40 s reload · 150 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
· 4 squadron size
Module options (1)

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

HullUpgrade
  • Hit points32,200 → 33,200
  • Rudder shift13.4 → 9.6 s

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.

AA defense

AA DPS at max range11
Only families that reach 3.5 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 4in 45 MK V 3x1 -> 11 DPS @ 3.5 km.
AA DPS layered by range11 DPS @ 3.5 km
@ 3.5 km: 11 from one family. 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-blank11
11 = 11 DPS: the sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (3.5 km).
AA threat index38
11 × 3.5 = 38. 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.

Secondary battery firepower

Max HE alpha2000
max(1500 (102 mm), 2000 (140 mm)) = 2000. Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 2000 from the 140 mm family.
Max HE fire chance8%
max(6% (102 mm), 8% (140 mm)) = 8%. Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 8% from the 140 mm family.
Max HE pen23 mm
max(17 mm (102 mm), 23 mm (140 mm)) = 23 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: 23 mm from the 140 mm family.
Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Background

One of the first aircraft carriers of special construction in the world. The ship featured very good speed for her time, had armor protection similar to that of a cruiser, and carried quite a powerful secondary battery. One of her drawbacks was the small size of her aircraft hangar.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 32,200 → 33,200 with hull upgrade, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds.

Bow & stern16 mm

Overmatched by 47+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Belt / citadel76 mm

Thin belt: battleship AP citadels straight through it broadside. Rely on angle, speed and concealment, never sit flat.

Farming10 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 10%, fires burn 60s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow16 mm primary (range 16–76 mm)700 (2% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Nassau, Von Der Tann)Angle bounces 203mm16 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)13 mm primary (range 10–16 mm)24,900 (75% of HP)
Overmatched by 203mm+ AP (Desert Falcon, Genova)Angle bounces 152mm13 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern16 mm primary (range 16–76 mm)800 (2% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Nassau, Von Der Tann)Angle bounces 203mm16 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel76 mm primary (range 13–76 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.
Superstructure10 mm primary (range 10–76 mm)400 (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).
Secondary mount (140 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.
Rudder (module)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP10,000 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 Hermes. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.

Nerf ×5Buff ×19Rework ×2Airstrike ×2Torpedo ×13
2024-12-12

Ministry of Balance: Breaking the Ice

  • Hermes is the hidden king of Tier III carriers in terms of performance, as a result we are slightly nerfing her main source of damage, torpedoes.
  • Torpedo maximum damage reduced from 5,833 to 5,367.
Read the full official post
2024-06-27

Ministry of Balance: Aerial Adjustments

  • Torpedo bombers:
  • Torpedo bomber restoration time increased from 170 to 270 s.
  • Dive bombers:
  • Dive bomber restoration time increased from 170 to 270 s.
Read the full official post
2024-05-24

Ministry of Balance: Carriers 2.0 – First Wave

  • Dive Bombers:
  • Number of attacking aircraft per strike increased from 1 to 2.
  • Maximum HP per aircraft reduced from 2,100 to 1,900 (squadron HP reduced from 8,400 to 7,600).
  • Base speed increased from 98 to 108 knots.
  • Maximum flight range set to 26 kilometers.
  • Maximum hangar aircraft increased from 9 to 12.
  • Starting hangar aircraft reduced from 9 to 8.
  • Aircraft restoration time increased from 80 to 170 seconds.
  • Aircraft restored increased from 1 to 4.
  • Torpedo Bombers:
  • Number of attacking aircraft per strike increased from 1 to 2.
  • Maximum HP per aircraft reduced from 2,200 to 2,000 (squadron HP reduced from 8,800 to 8,000).
  • Base speed increased from 97 to 107 knots.
  • Maximum flight range set to 26 kilometers.
  • Maximum hangar aircraft increased from 8 to 12.
  • Aircraft restoration time increased from 90 to 170 seconds.
  • Aircraft restored increased from 1 to 4.
Read the full official post
2022-12-09

Ministry of Balance Reports: Carrier Changes

  • Since her introduction, Hermes has been lagging behind her peers in total damage dealt, which also affects the ship’s win rate and battle impact. Hermes dishes out damage equally with both weapons normally, so they have been buffed:
  • HE bomb damage increased from 3,200 to 3,400.
  • Torpedo damage increased from 5,633 to 5,833.
  • Torpedo speed increased from 40 to 42 knots.
  • Torpedo range increased from 2.4 to 3.0 km.
  • Torpedoes are more likely to disable modules.
Read the full official post
2022-09-29

Halloween Update: New Friends, Old Foes

  • Surface detectability range changed from 10.9 to 11 km; air detectability range changed from 7.6 to 7.7 km.
  • Dive bomber HP changed from 2,000 to 2,100; torpedo bomber HP changed from 2,100 to 2,200.
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2022-03-03

March update: All That is Gold Does Not Glitter

  • Maximum bomb damage increased from 2,400 to 3,200.
  • Maximum torpedo damage increased from 5,200 to 5,633.
  • Speed for torpedo bombers increased by 5 kts.
  • Torpedo arming time reduced from 3.5 to 3 s.
  • Torpedo speed increased from 35 to 40 kts.
  • Torpedo spotting range increased by about 15%.
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Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Hermes can equip.

  • Hermes 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.