GamingDiver / WoWs Legends Ships / Iowa

World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Iowa

Also called: 依阿华 Beta

U.S.A. · Tier VII · Battleship · Tech Tree: Fast Battleships

Sniper battleshipLong main-battery reach lands AP citadels from positions peers must push to reach.

Playstyle

Anchor a flank at 14-17 km with bow toward the closest threat, then use the speed advantage at 33 kn to rotate to the cap that needs a second battleship rather than the one your team already has
Avoid: Using the 33-kn speed to push rather than to rotate

Key characteristics

17.7 km gun rangeStrong AALobs over islandsSpotter planeThickest plateSluggish rudder

On this page

Community stats
Playstyle
How to get Iowa
Builds
Cohort position
Stats and specs
Charts
Historical context
Armor
Balance history
Exteriors

Community Data

Iowa Community Stats

Across 37,000+ Standard battles from 350+ players, Iowa averages a 55% win rate, 71,700 damage and 0.9 kills per battle, and survives 35% of them.

Community Data

Iowa Community Stats

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

Playstyle

Overview

Iowa is a Tier VII American sniper battleship (17.7 km): the long main battery reach lets her land AP citadels from positions where peer BBs have to push to engage. AA (761 AA DPS at 5 km) is heavy enough to make her the team's air-defense anchor on top of the lead role; CV strikes route around her, not through. Standout traits: top speed in T7 BBs (33 kt, 7th of 49) and heavy AP shells in T7 BBs (13,100, 11th of 49). The trade is rudder shift in T7 BBs (19.6 s, 47th of 49).

Positioning

Anchor a flank at 14-17 km with bow toward the closest threat, then use the speed advantage at 33 kn to rotate to the cap that needs a second battleship rather than the one your team already has. Mobility means you can pick which fight you are in; do not waste it by holding center the whole match. Both phases of a turn are slow (19.6 s on the rudder, a 920 m circle), so course changes are a plan rather than a reaction: set the angle before you are shot at.

Potato Avoidance

Using the 33-kn speed to push rather than to rotate

The mobility advantage is about picking which cap fight you arrive at, not about leading the brawl line; a fast BB that overextends loses HP that the kit cannot trade back.

Signature Traits

Top-tier AA ↗

761 AA DPS, best of T7 BBs (median 536).

ELITE MAIN BATTERY ↗

Long gun range · 17.7 km
Heavy AP shells · 13100 damage

Thickest plate ↗

439 mm on her single heaviest plate, top decile of T7 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.

Fast for the class ↗

33 kt, top quartile of T7 BBs. Lets you rotate flanks or escape disengagements.

Sluggish rudder ↗

19.6 s rudder shift, bottom decile of T7 BBs. Hard to dodge incoming AP; lean on island cover.

Low fire chance secondaries ↗

5% best HE fire chance per secondary shell, bottom quartile of T7 BBs. Lights fewer fires in a brawl than peers.

Acquisition

How to get Iowa

Iowa is available in the Fast Battleships branch of the U.S. Tech Tree for 18,000,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 3,600,000 credits. Official source cards below may also show its temporary Early Access window before it became a normal Tech Tree unlock.

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

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

U.S. fast battleships trade some of their deep citadel protection for speed, but they remain fully-fledged battleships. Their long-range main battery and adaptability make them suitable for almost any situation.

Advantages: Adaptable, Long-range main battery guns
Disadvantages: Low-velocity shells, Poor maneuverability

3 ships in highlighted branch · scroll to inspect all U.S. lines.

U.S.A.IIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIII

Destroyer

Cruiser

Light cruiser split

Battleship

Alternative battleship

Hybrid battleship

Carrier

Tier IIWickesPASD027 Tier IIIClemsonPASD019 Tier IVFarragutPASD005 Tier VMahanPASD006 Tier VIBensonPASD008 Tier VIIFletcherPASD021 Tier VIIIAllen M. SumnerPASD114 Tier IAlbanyPASC003 Tier IISt. LouisPASC004 Tier IIIPhoenixPASC024 Tier IVOmahaPASC005 Tier VPensacolaPASC012 Tier VINew OrleansPASC014 Tier VIIBaltimorePASC017 Tier VIIIBuffaloPASC109 Tier VDallasPASC206 Tier VIHelenaPASC207 Tier VIIClevelandPASC208 Tier VIIISeattlePASC209 Tier IIIWyomingPASB004 Tier IVNew YorkPASB006 Tier IVNevadaPASB105 Tier VNew MexicoPASB034 Tier VIColoradoPASB008 Tier VIIIowaPASB018 Tier VIIIMainePASB118 Tier VTennesseePASB106 Tier VINorth CarolinaPASB012 Tier VIIKansasPASB108 Tier VIIIMinnesotaPASB109 Tier VIConnecticutPASB207 Tier VIINebraskaPASB208 Tier VIIIDelawarePASB209 Tier IIILangleyPASA004 Tier VRangerPASA006 Tier VIILexingtonPASA012

Builds

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

William Halsey

Long-range precision

InspirationsErnest King · Willis Lee

Iowa's speed lets you reposition between salvos. Halsey keeps you fast and accurate, while King and Lee stack shell-grouping bonuses that reward patience at long range.

Willis Lee

Flanking brawler

InspirationsWilliam Halsey · Ernest King

Use Iowa's speed advantage to flank and angle. Lee keeps main guns accurate under pressure while Halsey inspiration ensures you can disengage as fast as you closed.

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 Iowa sits among Tier VII BBs (48 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 DPS761 (1 of 2 tied) Top 10%Main battery range17.7 km (5/49) Top 10%Engine power212,000 hp (5/49) Top 10%AA threat2,462 (5/49) Top 10%Max armor439 mm (5/49) Top 25%Hit points70,000 HP (8/49) Top 25%Max speed33 kt (7/49) Top 25%AP shell damage13,100 (11/49) Top 25%Acceleration (0-12 kt)12.4 s (7/49) Top 25%Power / turn radius230.4 hp/m (7/49) Top 25%Power-to-weight4.24 hp/t (8/49) Top 25%AP pen at 10 km623 mm (7/49) Top 25%Flak damage per salvo (expected)1,725 (7/49) Bottom 25%Turning circle920 m (45/49) Bottom 25%Main dispersion237 m (45/49) Bottom 25%AP velocity762 m/s (41/49) Bottom 25%Displacement50,000 t (38/49) Bottom 10%Rudder shift19.6 s (47/49) WorstSecondary fire chance5% (1 of 11 tied) WorstSecondary HE pen21 mm (1 of 11 tied) WorstNo torpedoes (33 of 49 in cohort)

See 29 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Iowa -- 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.

Concealment15.36 km(27/49) Smoke fire bloom14.81 km(33/49) Air detection12.29 km(27/49) Main battery caliber406 mm(17/49) Main battery reload30 s(33/49) Sigma1.8(29/49) HE shell damage5,700(24/48) HE fire chance36%(23/48) Fires per minute6.48(23/48) HE DPM102,600(17/48) AP DPM235,800(18/49) Secondary DPM (per side)180,000(35/49) Secondary HE alpha1,800(31/46) HE velocity820 m/s(25/48) Time to 90% speed33.6 s(18/49) AP arming threshold68 mm(35/49) Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)150,667(19/48) Secondary range5 km(35/49) AA range5 km(19/49) Repair charges3(23/49) Citadel belt297 mm(32/48) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(34 of 49 tied at this value) NormSecondary sigma1(48 of 49 tied at this value) NormAP fuse timer0.033 s(40 of 49 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(47 of 49 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(46 of 49 tied at this value) NormRepair heal rate0.5 %/s(35 of 49 tied at this value) NormBow armor32 mm(36 of 48 tied at this value) NormStern armor32 mm(35 of 48 tied at this value)

Peers in this cohort

Compare Tier VII Battleships

Show all 48 peers

Stats & specs

Customize in the Build Tool →

Survivability

Hit PointsInitial: 63,900 → 70,000

Displacement50,000 t

Hull dimensions

Length 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 33 m (published figure)

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 entries61

Fire resistance

stock hull: 1 − 0.667 fire coefficient = 33.3%; top hull: 1 − 0.6337 fire coefficient = 36.6%. 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: 33.3% → 36.6%

Fire duration60 s

Fire damage

One unattended fire: 0.003 of max HP per second (0.3%) × 60 s = 0.18 of the pool; 0.18 × 70,000 HP = 12,600 HP on this ship. 4 fire points can burn at once.

0.3% of HP per second

Flood duration40 s

Flood damage

One unattended flood: 0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 40 s = 0.2 of the pool; 0.2 × 70,000 HP = 14,000 HP on this ship.

0.5% of HP per second

Torp Reduction

1 − 0.25 hull torpedo-damage coefficient / 0.333 unprotected baseline = 25%. Reduces torpedo hit damage. It does not affect flooding: floods start as often and tick at the full rate.

25%

Magazine HP

Per-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.

35,000

Steering gear HP

Durability 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.

21,000

Effective HP

Base 70,000 HP plus everything Repair Party can restore: 0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 28 s × 70,000 HP = 9,800 HP per charge, × 3 charges = 29,400 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.

77,778–99,400

Repairable: penetration50%

Repairable: citadel10%

Repairable: steering gear50%

Bow section HP

Damage saturation pool for the bow: 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

Casemate section HP

Damage saturation pool for the casemate: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 10,500 = 21,000), 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.

10,500

Hull section HP

Damage saturation pool for the hull: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 52,500 = 105,000), 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.

52,500

Superstructure section HP

Damage saturation pool for the superstructure: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 5,600 = 11,200), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. The superstructure is not exempt: it saturates exactly like the bow and stern, so shells aimed at it stop dealing full damage once this pool is used up. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.

5,600

Stern section HP

Damage saturation pool for the stern: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 5,300 = 10,600), 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.

5,300

Citadel section HP

This 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/50 Mk7

Mounts / barrels3 mounts / 9 barrels

Reload time30 s

Firing range (base)16.1 km

Firing range (top fire control)17.7 km

Turret traverse4 °/s

Turret armor432 mm

Turret traverse arcs

How 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.

±150°, ±148°, ±142.5°

Guns to bear

180° − 148° (the most restricted aft-facing mount's arc) = 32° off bow; 180° − 142.5° (the most restricted forward-facing mount's arc) = 37.5° 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.

32° off bow / 37.5° off stern

See the firing-arcs diagram ↓

Shell Grouping (σ)1.8

Dispersion type

In practice: the baseline curve for a standard battleship -- at max range (17.7 km) shells land in an ellipse about 237 m wide and 142 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

Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the dispersion model:

σ_{H} = (\frac{R}{30} \cdot \frac{idealRadius - minRadius}{idealDistance} + minRadius) \cdot 30

= (\frac{17697.9}{30} \cdot \frac{12 - 2}{1000} + 2) \cdot 30 = 237 m

237 m at 17.7 km

Max Vert Disp

Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range:

σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot radiusOnMax

= 237 \cdot 0.6 = 142.2 m

142.2 m at 17.7 km

Med Horiz Disp

50%-hit horizontal radius:

σ_{H, 50} = σ_{H} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 237 \cdot \frac{0.6}{1.8} = 79 m

79 m at 17.7 km

Med Vert Disp

50%-hit vertical radius:

σ_{V, 50} = σ_{V} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 142.2 \cdot \frac{0.6}{1.8} = 47.4 m

47.4 m at 17.7 km

Turret turn time

180 degrees / 4 deg/s traverse speed = 45 s.

45 s

Shells/min

Zero upgrades: 9 broadside guns x 60 / 30 s base reload = 18. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 9 broadside guns x 60 / 27 s all-upgrades reload (30 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 27 s) = 20.

Initial: 18 → 20

HE shells

HE alpha5,700

HE Velocity820 m/s

Fire Chance36%

HE fire DPM vs T7 BB48067

Effective HE DPM vs T7 BB150667

HE penetration

68 mm ≈ 406 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).

68 mm

HE full-salvo alpha

5,700 HE damage x 9 broadside guns = 51,300.

51,300

HE DPM

Zero upgrades: 51,300 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 102,600. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 51,300 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 27 s all-upgrades reload (30 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 27 s) = 114,000.

Initial: 102,600 → 114,000

Fires/min

Zero upgrades: 18 shells/min × 0.36 (36% fire chance) = 6.48. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 20 shells/min × 0.36 (36% fire chance) = 7.2.

Initial: 6.48 → 7.2

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 range510 mm

AP overmatch

floor(406 mm caliber / 14.3) = 28 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).

28 mm

AP Pen Close

AP formula evaluated at muzzle velocity:

P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v_{0}^{1.38}

= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2520 \cdot 1225^{0.69} \cdot {0.406}^{- 1.07} \cdot 762^{1.38} = 847.6 mm

847.6 mm point-blank

AP Pen Far

Same formula at the ship's max firing range (17.7 km), where the shell has slowed to 527.1 m/s:

P = 10^{- 7} \cdot 2520 \cdot 1225^{0.69} \cdot {0.406}^{- 1.07} \cdot {527.1}^{1.38} = 509.7 mm

509.7 mm at 17.7 km

AP full-salvo alpha

13,100 AP damage x 9 broadside guns = 117,900.

117,900

AP DPM

Zero upgrades: 117,900 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 30 s base reload = 235,800. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 117,900 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 27 s all-upgrades reload (30 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 27 s) = 262,000.

Initial: 235,800 → 262,000

AP AOE Radius

AP 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

AA Defense

AA mount pointsInitial: 35 → 51

Maximum AA range

Longest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 3.5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.

5 km

20 mm Oerlikon Mk20Initial: 20 mm Oerlikon Mk4 (21×1) → 20 mm Oerlikon Mk20 (32×2)

40 mm Bofors Mk2Initial: 14×4 → 19×4 40mm

127 mm Mk32 (DP)

Dual-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

Guns127 mm Mk32 (DP)

Continuous DPS

Effective 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 131 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.

131

Range5 km

Guns40 mm Bofors Mk2

Continuous DPS

Initial: 106 × 3.5 × 0.75 = 278 → 139 × 3.5 × 0.75 = 365. Raw aura damage × 3.5 × hit probability, the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

Initial: 278 → 365

Range3.5 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 131 + Medium 365 = 496

496

Guns20 mm Oerlikon Mk20

Continuous DPS

Initial: 43 × 3.5 × 0.7 = 105 → 108 × 3.5 × 0.7 = 265. Raw aura damage × 3.5 × hit probability, the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

Initial: 105 → 265

Range2 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 131 + Medium 365 + Near 265 = 761

761

AA explosions

Each ~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 × 230 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

Damage a plane takes for flying into one flak cloud, before any reductions.

230

Cloud spawn chance

Each 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

A new flak salvo (the AA explosions above) fires roughly every 2 s.

every ~2 s

Fired by

Flak 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

The 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

See the AA layers diagram ↓

Secondary Battery

Mounts10

Firing range5.0 km

Shell Grouping (σ)1

Secondary DPM (per side)

Sum 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 T7 BB (per side)

Fires/min (per side) 5 × (1 − 0.366 fire resistance) × 60 s × 0.003 of max HP per second × 65,000 HP = 37,089. 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.

37,089

Total secondary DPM vs T7 BB (per side)

Secondary DPM (per side) 180,000 + secondary fire DPM 37,089 = 217,089: shell damage plus fire damage against one T7 battleship, every shell hitting.

217,089

127 mm Mk32 (DP)

Dual-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)

10×2 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.

HE Pen21 mm

Secondary dispersion type

Max 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

5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.

315 m

Maneuverability

Engine power212,000 hp

Maximum speed33.0 kt

Turning circle radius920 m

Rudder shift timeInitial: 25.7 s → 19.6 s

Engine power-boost threshold7.0 kt

Engine spool-up time23 s

Reverse spool-up time11.5 s

Reverse speed

top speed / 4 + 4.9 = 33 / 4 + 4.9 = 13.2 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.

13.2 kt

Crash stop

Seconds 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.

43.4 s

Engine boost threshold (reverse)

Speed below which the engine's built-in power boost applies in reverse.

8.8 kt

Acceleration 0-90%

Time to reach 90% of top speed (29.7 kt of 33.0 kt).

33.6 s

Acceleration 0-99%

Time to reach 99% of top speed (32.7 kt of 33.0 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.

52.4 s

Guns in a full turn

With the rudder hard over the hull turns 3.4°/s, so a target drifts across the bow at that rate. Turret traverse minus hull turn: 4 − 3.4 = +0.6°/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 (+0.6°/s spare)

See the full acceleration curve ↓

Concealment

Detectability by sea

Base value, no camouflage. With a Grade IV permanent camo (or any disposable camo): 15.36 km x 0.955 = 14.67 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.

15.36 km

With Grade IV camouflage (sea)

Detectability by sea 15.36 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 14.67 km.

14.67 km

Detectability by air12.29 km

Smoke firing penalty14.81 km

Detect when firing (sea)

max(main battery range, sea detectability 15.36 km) = 17.7 km. Equal to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach.

17.7 km

Detect when firing (air)

Air detectability 12.29 km + gun-firing bloom 8.12 km = 20.41 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber 406 mm × 0.020 = 8.12 km.

20.41 km

Detect when on fire (sea)

Sea detectability 15.36 km + 2.0 km while burning = 17.36 km.

17.36 km

Detect when on fire (air)

Air detectability 12.29 km + 3.0 km while burning = 15.29 km.

15.29 km

Guaranteed Detect2 km

✦

Consumables

Damage Control Party∞ charges · 80 s reload · 20 s active

Repair Party3 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 9,800 HP (14% of max HP) total heal (per charge)
ƒ
0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 28 s effective active time = 0.14 of max HP × 70,000 HP = 9,800 HP: up to 14% of max HP restored per charge.
· 29,400 HP (42% of max HP) total heal (all charges)
ƒ
0.14 of max HP per charge × 3 charges = 0.42 × 70,000 HP = 29,400 HP: up to 42% of max HP if the whole Repair Party loadout is used.
· 350 HP/s (0.5% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ
0.005 (0.5% of max HP) × 70,000 HP = 350 HP/s. WoWS heals a flat percent of MAX HP each second, so this rate holds at any health level.

Choose one

Catapult Fighter3 charges · 80 s reload · 60 s active · 5 km patrol radius
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{167 \times 30}{1000} = 5 km$
· 1 squadron size

Observation Seaplane3 charges · 200 s reload · 30 s active · 1 squadron size · Tightens main-battery shell grouping

Enhanced Secondary Targeting3 charges · 160 s reload · 30 s active · +100% grouping · -50% dispersion

Module options (3)

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

HullUpgrade

Hit points63,900 → 70,000
Rudder shift25.7 → 19.6 s
AA mounts35 → 51
Close-range AA DPS149 → 247

Fire controlUpgrade

Main battery range16,089 → 17697.9 m

EngineUpgrade

Time to 12 kt15.2 → 12.4 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.

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 km40.6 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 17697.9 = 8849$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 17697.9 m. Below the kink:  $k = 0.2 + (0.5 - 0.2) \cdot \frac{5000}{8849} = 0.3695$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 110 \cdot 0.3695 = 40.6 m$ .

Shell scatter height @ 10 km82.1 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 17697.9 = 8849$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 17697.9 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{10000 - 8849}{17697.9 - 8849} = 0.513$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 160 \cdot 0.513 = 82.1 m$ .

Shell scatter height @ 15 km119.6 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 17697.9 = 8849$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 17697.9 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{15000 - 8849}{17697.9 - 8849} = 0.5695$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 210 \cdot 0.5695 = 119.6 m$ .

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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2520 \cdot 1225^{0.69} \cdot {0.406}^{- 1.07} \cdot {680.1}^{1.38} = 725 mm$ , 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2520 \cdot 1225^{0.69} \cdot {0.406}^{- 1.07} \cdot {609.8}^{1.38} = 623 mm$ , 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2520 \cdot 1225^{0.69} \cdot {0.406}^{- 1.07} \cdot {552.5}^{1.38} = 544 mm$ , 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,  $a_{drag} = k ρ v^{2}$ , where  $ρ$  is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and  $k$  bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.352 \cdot {0.406}^{2}}{8 \cdot 1225} = 1.86 \times 10^{- 5}$ . 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,  $a_{drag} = k ρ v^{2}$ , where  $ρ$  is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and  $k$  bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.346 \cdot {0.406}^{2}}{8 \cdot 862} = 2.6 \times 10^{- 5}$ . 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)9

3 mounts × 3 barrels = 9; all 9 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 range131

Only families that reach 5 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 40mm Bofors 19x4 -> 365 DPS @ 3.5 km; 20mm Oerlikon MK20 Twin12 32x2 -> 265 DPS @ 2 km; 5in38 Mk32 Mod12 10x2 -> 131 DPS @ 5 km.

AA DPS layered by range131 DPS @ 5 km, 496 DPS @ 3.5 km, 761 DPS @ 2 km

@ 5 km: 131 from one family; @ 3.5 km: 365 + 131 = 496; @ 2 km: 365 + 265 + 131 = 761. 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-blank761

365 + 265 + 131 = 761 DPS: the sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (2 km).

AA threat index2462

365 × 3.5 + 265 × 2 + 131 × 5 = 2462. 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

Historical context

The real USS Iowa (BB-61) that gave this ship her name. Facts cross-checked against the linked Wikipedia article.

Background

One of the most powerful battleships of World War II. The ship was designed for escorting attack carrier forces. She surpassed the speed of all battleships in the world. The battleship's survivability was significantly improved owing to a novel and powerful torpedo protection system and a fundamentally different armor protection system featuring an internal armor belt.

ClassIowa-class battleship (lead ship)

OperatorUnited States Navy

Era1943–1990

WarsWorld War II, Korean War, Cold War

BuilderNew York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn

Launched27 August 1942

Commissioned22 February 1943

DeploymentsThree active eras: WWII commissioning (1943–1949), Korean War recommissioning (1951–1958), and Reagan-era 600-ship-Navy recommissioning (1984–1990) with Tomahawk and Harpoon missiles added.

Notable engagements

Tehran Conference transit (November 1943) - Carried President Franklin D. Roosevelt across the Atlantic en route to the Tehran Conference.
Pacific shore bombardment (1944–1945) - Saipan, Philippines, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and mainland Japan.
Korean War deployments (1952–1953) - Shore bombardment of North Korean targets.

Fate

Decommissioned 1990 following the 1989 Turret 2 explosion that killed 47 sailors. Now a museum ship at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, California.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 63,900 → 70,000 with hull upgrade, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds.

Bow & stern32 mm

Overmatched by AP from only MusashiARP Musashi. Angled, everything else bounces.

Belt / citadel307 mm

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

Farming19 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 37%, fires burn 60s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section	Plates	HP cap	Threats	Tactic
Bow	32 mm primary (range 32–50 mm)	4,500 (6% 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)	439 mm primary (range 16–439 mm)	52,500 (75% of HP)	No common AP caliber overmatches439 mm: no common HE pens	Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern	32 mm primary (range 6–343 mm)	5,300 (8% of HP)	Overmatched by 460mm+ AP (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm32 mm: HE pens from 203mm+	Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel	307 mm primary (range 25–297 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.
Superstructure	19 mm	5,600 (8% 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 HP	35,000 magazine HP	Turret knocked out	Per-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 HP	800 per-mount HP	Destroyed at 0 HP	Per-mount HP for the heaviest secondary on this ship. A mount destroyed at 0 HP is out for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. Smaller (lighter-caliber) secondaries typically share the same HP value.
AA mount (40 mm mount)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	200 per-mount HP	Destroyed at 0 HP	Per-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 estimate	Largest on BB/BC; zero on destroyers	Engine 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 HP	21,000 module HP	Incapacitated at 0 HP	When 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 Iowa. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.

Buff ×3Torpedo ×1

2026-07-30

Ministry of Balance: Anniversary Tune-Up

Iowa: credit earnings increased by 5.56%.

Read the full official post

2025-06-26

Ministry of Balance: Declaration of Changes

Stock and upgraded hull maximum speed increased from 30 to 33 knots.
Stock and upgraded hull side plating of the torpedo protection increased from 25 to 38 mm.

Read the full official post

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Iowa can equip.

DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior
White and Gold (Iowa)Decorative
The CharmerHalloween
The Charmer WHalloween
Freedom Fighter (Iowa)Transformers
Stars and Stripes permanent camouflage for IowaStars and Stripes

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.

2022-07-14 · Official ship feature / stats Strive for Greatness: Tier VIII development blog Official source 2020-06-18 · Patch notes Update: June 2020 Patch notes 2021-05-13 · Patch notes May Update: Things Are Heating Up! Patch notes 2025-06-26 · Patch notes July Update: Of Stars and Freedom Patch notes 2026-07-30 · Patch notes Anniversary Update: Tides of Adventure Patch notes

Iowa

Iowa Community Stats

Iowa Community Stats

Iowa Community Stats

Playstyle

Overview

Positioning

Potato Avoidance

Signature Traits →

How to get Iowa

Builds

William Halsey

Willis Lee

Cohort position

Peers in this cohort

Stats & specs

Under the hood

Main battery formulas

Model inputs

AA defense

Secondary battery firepower

Ship Charts

Historical context

Background

Notable engagements

Fate

Armor Beta

Balance History

Ministry of Balance: Anniversary Tune-Up

Ministry of Balance: Declaration of Changes

Skins & permanent camouflages

Primary official WG sources

Signature Traits