GamingDiver / WoWs Legends Ships / Pensacola

World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Pensacola

Also called: 彭萨科拉 Beta

U.S.A. · Tier V · CA Cruiser · Tech Tree: Bombarding Heavy Cruisers

AP citadel cruiserAn AP citadel threat with Sonar for safe vision around cover and torpedoes.

Playstyle

Work the islands rather than a firing line
Avoid: Pushing in blind because the kit says brawler

Key characteristics

Heavy AP penWide always-pen zoneStrong AASonarDefensive AACitadel broadsides

On this page

Community stats
Playstyle
How to get Pensacola
Builds
Cohort position
Stats and specs
Charts
Background
Armor
Balance history
Exteriors

Community Data

Pensacola Community Stats

Across 21,000+ Standard battles from 430+ players, Pensacola averages a 55% win rate, 37,400 damage and 0.9 kills per battle, and survives 31% of them.

Community Data

Pensacola Community Stats

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

Playstyle

Overview

Pensacola is a Tier V American heavy cruiser whose 203mm guns earn citadels on broadsides at 212,308 AP DPM (6th of 28), with Sonar as her vision tool: it lets her contest islands and smoke without exposing the hull. Standout traits: AP overmatch threshold in T5 CAs (14.1 mm, 5th of 28) and close-range AP pen in T5 CAs (417.9 mm, 2nd of 28). The trade is AP arming threshold in T5 CAs (34 mm, 23rd of 28). Her value is back-loaded. She is not short of health for her cohort at 31,200 HP, but health is not what saves her: one citadel salvo ends the game whatever the bar reads, so the first half is about staying unspotted and the payoff arrives once the enemy battleships have been traded away.

Positioning

Work the islands rather than a firing line. Sonar (4 km on ships, 2.8 km on torpedoes) is the whole kit, and it only pays inside that radius, so hold the cover beside a contested cap and use it to catch destroyers and torpedoes coming around the corner: HE into the destroyer, AP into any cruiser that shows you a broadside while it sits in smoke. Firing from a friendly smoke reveals you at 6.5 km, so pick the salvo rather than holding the trigger. Her citadel sits high enough that even glancing broadside shots can land citadel pens; treat island cover as a hard requirement, not a preference. Trade only when the angle keeps the citadel sides hidden. She is genuinely evasive in both phases of a turn, answering the helm in 6.3 s and carving a 620 m circle, so you can break a salvo and still be where you meant to go.

Potato Avoidance

Pushing in blind because the kit says brawler

4-km Sonar is what makes the close fight winnable, and it only helps once you are already committed; it does not tell you what is waiting two islands over. Push when a destroyer is lit or a teammate holds vision, not to find out who is there. The other half is opening fire while the nearest battleship still has a loaded salvo. At 11.71 km detection her guns give her away well inside battleship range, and her 15 s reload means each salvo buys a long spotted window. Fire after that battleship has committed its guns elsewhere, then break line of sight.

Signature Traits

Exposed citadel

Citadel sits unusually high relative to the waterline. Broadside trades get citadelled where peers would shrug off the salvo. Stay angled and avoid full broadside even briefly.

ELITE MAIN BATTERY ↗

Big-caliber AP overmatch · 14.1 mm
Close-range AP brick · 417.9 mm

Top-tier AA ↗

352 AA DPS, top quartile of T5 CAs (median 208).

ELITE SECONDARIES ↗

Burny secondaries · 9%
Punchy HE · 1800 max
Punch-through secondaries · 21 mm

Stiff AP fuse ↗

34 mm AP arming threshold, bottom decile of T5 CAs. Over-pens thin plates; the trade-off pays off when most targets are battleship belt armor.

Soft superstructure ↗

6 mm superstructure, bottom quartile of T5 CAs. HE farms harder.

Acquisition

How to get Pensacola

Pensacola is available in the Bombarding Heavy Cruisers branch of the U.S. Tech Tree for 2,400,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 480,000 credits.

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

Pensacola sits in the Bombarding Heavy Cruisers branch. The highlighted path shows the local branch context inside the full U.S. tree.

U.S. heavy cruisers are well suited to bombarding enemy ships with powerful, super-heavy armor-piercing shells and high-explosive shells, but they lack torpedoes entirely. Starting from Tier VII, they bring Radar and Sonar together to the battle to detect hidden enemy warships.

Advantages: Improved AP shells, Long-duration Radar starting at Tier VII
Disadvantages: Low-velocity shells, Poor protection

5 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.

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 Pensacola sits among Tier V CAs (27 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 fire chance9% (1/25) LongestAP fuse timer0.033 s (1 of 10 tied) BestAP ricochet start60° (1 of 3 tied) Top 10%Rudder shift6.3 s (2/28) Top 10%Secondary HE alpha1,800 (3/25) Top 10%Secondary HE pen21 mm (3/25) Top 10%AP auto-bounce angle67.5° (3/28) Top 10%AA threat1,102 (3/28) Top 10%Flak damage per salvo (expected)855 (3/26) Top 25%Hit points32,700 HP (7/28) Top 25%Turning circle620 m (5/28) Top 25%Main battery caliber203 mm (5/28) Top 25%AP DPM212,308 (6/28) Top 25%Power / turn radius172.6 hp/m (4/28) Top 25%AP pen at 10 km205 mm (5/28) Top 25%AA DPS352 (4/28) Bottom 25%Smoke fire bloom6.54 km (23/28) Bottom 25%Main battery reload13 s (22/28) Bottom 25%HE velocity823 m/s (19/24) Bottom 25%AP arming threshold34 mm (23/28) Bottom 25%Displacement12,321 t (22/28) WorstNo torpedoes (4 of 28 in cohort)

See 24 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Pensacola -- 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.

Max speed32.5 kt(17/28) Concealment11.71 km(15/28) Air detection7.03 km(15/28) Main battery range14.62 km(11/28) Sigma2(15/28) HE shell damage2,800(8/24) HE fire chance14%(9/24) Fires per minute6.46(8/24) HE DPM129,231(12/24) Main dispersion133.9 m(18/28) Secondary DPM (per side)94,500(10/25) AP velocity853 m/s(17/28) Time to 90% speed23.6 s(11/28) Acceleration (0-12 kt)8.7 s(17/28) Engine power107,000 hp(9/28) Power-to-weight8.68 hp/t(14/28) Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)177,882(11/24) Secondary range4.5 km(11/25) AA range4.2 km(17/28) Max armor102 mm(13/28) Citadel belt102 mm(9/28) Bow armor16 mm(13/28) Stern armor16 mm(14/28) NormTurn speed retained81%(25 of 28 tied at this value)

Peers in this cohort

Compare Tier V Cruisers

Show all 27 peers

Stats & specs

Customize in the Build Tool →

Survivability

Hit PointsInitial: 31,200 → 32,700

Displacement12,321 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.

178.5 x 19.9 m, draft 6.3 m

Armor range6–102 mm

Plate armor thicknesses6, 13, 16, 19, 25, 30, 32, 38, 65, 76, 102 mm

Armor material/layer entries49

Fire resistance

stock hull: 1 − 0.8002 fire coefficient = 20%; top hull: 1 − 0.7669 fire coefficient = 23.3%. Lowers how often hits set you on fire. It does not reduce the damage a burning fire does per second; fires burn at the full rate on every ship.

Initial: 20% → 23.3%

Fire duration30 s

Fire damage

One unattended fire: 0.003 of max HP per second (0.3%) × 30 s = 0.09 of the pool; 0.09 × 32,700 HP = 2,943 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: 0.0025 of max HP per second (0.25%) × 40 s = 0.1 of the pool; 0.1 × 32,700 HP = 3,270 HP on this ship.

0.25% of HP per second

Torp Reduction

1 − 0.32 hull torpedo-damage coefficient / 0.333 unprotected baseline = 4%. Reduces torpedo hit damage. It does not affect flooding: floods start as often and tick at the full rate.

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.

16,400

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.

9,800

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 × 900 = 1,800), 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.

900

Auxiliary section HP

Damage saturation pool for the auxiliary room: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 4,100 = 8,200), 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.

4,100

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 × 25,700 = 51,400), 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.

25,700

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 × 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 ×. 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.

2,600

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 × 2,200 = 4,400), 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.

2,200

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: 203 mm/55 Mk14

Mounts / barrels4 mounts / 10 barrels

Reload timeInitial: 15 s → 13 s

Firing range (base)13.3 km

Firing range (top fire control)14.6 km

Turret traverse4 °/s

Turret armor65 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.

4x ±150°

Guns to bear

180° − 150° (the most restricted aft-facing mount's arc) = 30° 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.

30° off bow / 30° off stern

See the firing-arcs diagram ↓

Shell Grouping (σ)2

Dispersion type

In practice: the baseline curve for a standard cruiser -- at max range (14.6 km) shells land in an ellipse about 134 m wide and 80 m tall. Also on this curve (215): AL Baltimore, AL Chapayev, AL Cheshire, AL Harbin, AL Montpelier, AL Tallinn, AL Zara, Aberdeen, Accord, Agano, Albemarle, Algérie and 203 more.

Standard cruiser

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{14624.5}{30} \cdot \frac{8 - 1.1}{1000} + 1.1) \cdot 30 = 133.9 m

133.9 m at 14.6 km

Max Vert Disp

Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range:

σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot radiusOnMax

= 133.9 \cdot 0.6 = 80.3 m

80.3 m at 14.6 km

Med Horiz Disp

50%-hit horizontal radius:

σ_{H, 50} = σ_{H} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 133.9 \cdot \frac{0.6}{2} = 40.2 m

40.2 m at 14.6 km

Med Vert Disp

50%-hit vertical radius:

σ_{V, 50} = σ_{V} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 80.3 \cdot \frac{0.6}{2} = 24.1 m

24.1 m at 14.6 km

Turret turn time

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

45 s

Shells/min

Zero upgrades: 10 broadside guns x 60 / 15 s base reload = 40. All upgrades (top gun): 10 broadside guns x 60 / 13 s all-upgrades reload = 46.2.

Initial: 40 → 46.2

HE shells

HE alpha2,800

HE Velocity792 m/s → 823 m/s

Fire Chance14%

HE fire DPM vs T5 BB48663

Effective HE DPM vs T5 BB177894

HE penetration

34 mm ≈ 203 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).

34 mm

HE full-salvo alpha

2,800 HE damage x 10 broadside guns = 28,000.

28,000

HE DPM

Zero upgrades: 28,000 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 15 s base reload = 112,000. All upgrades (top gun): 28,000 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 13 s all-upgrades reload = 129,231.

Initial: 112,000 → 129,231

Fires/min

Zero upgrades: 40 shells/min × 0.14 (14% fire chance) = 5.6. All upgrades (top gun): 46.2 shells/min × 0.14 (14% fire chance) = 6.46.

Initial: 5.6 → 6.46

AP shells

AP alpha4,500 → 4,600

AP Velocity792 m/s → 853 m/s

Min Ricochet60 deg

Guaranteed Ricochet67.5 deg

Fuse Timer0.033 s

Fuse Threshold34 mm

AP overmatch

floor(203 mm caliber / 14.3) = 14 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).

14 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 2846 \cdot 118^{0.69} \cdot {0.203}^{- 1.07} \cdot 853^{1.38} = 467.2 mm

467.2 mm point-blank

AP Pen Far

Same formula at the ship's max firing range (14.6 km), where the shell has slowed to 386.8 m/s:

P = 10^{- 7} \cdot 2846 \cdot 118^{0.69} \cdot {0.203}^{- 1.07} \cdot {386.8}^{1.38} = 156.9 mm

156.9 mm at 14.6 km

AP full-salvo alpha

Zero upgrades: 4,500 AP damage x 10 broadside guns = 45,000. All upgrades (top gun): 4,600 AP damage x 10 broadside guns = 46,000.

Initial: 45,000 → 46,000

AP DPM

Zero upgrades: 45,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 15 s base reload = 180,000. All upgrades (top gun): 46,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 13 s all-upgrades reload = 212,308.

Initial: 180,000 → 212,308

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.

AA Defense

AA mount pointsInitial: 12 → 23

Maximum AA range

Longest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 3.1 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.

4.2 km

40 mm Bofors Mk2 (upgraded hull only)6×4 40mm

20 mm Oerlikon Mk4Initial: 8×1 → 17×1 20mm

28 mm Mk2 mod. 2 (stock hull only)4×4 28mm

127 mm Mk19 mod. 6 (DP)

Dual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.

8×1 127mm

Guns127 mm Mk19 mod. 6 (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 69 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.

Range4.2 km

Guns40 mm Bofors Mk2

Continuous DPS

Effective DPS: 52 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.9 hit probability = 164 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

164

Range3.5 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 69 + Medium 164 = 233

233

Guns20 mm Oerlikon Mk4

Continuous DPS

Initial: 22 × 3.5 × 0.85 = 65 → 40 × 3.5 × 0.85 = 119. Raw aura damage × 3.5 × hit probability, the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

Initial: 65 → 119

Range2 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 69 + Medium 164 + Near 119 = 352

352

AA explosions

Each ~2 s salvo fires 2 AA explosions in quick succession, each leaving 2 clouds ahead of the attacking squadron, plus 1 stray cloud farther out that appear off-beat between salvos - up to 5 clouds per salvo × 190 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, 2 clouds each + 1 outer cloud

Cloud damage

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

190

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.

90%

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 4.2 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.

2.5-4.2 km

See the AA layers diagram ↓

Secondary Battery

Mounts8

Firing range4.0 km → 4.5 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: 8×1 127 mm (4/side) × 60/4.571 s (4.5 s = 32 ticks) × 1800 = 94,500. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).

94,500

Secondary fire DPM vs T5 BB (per side)

Fires/min (per side) 4.7 × (1 − 0.233 fire resistance) × 60 s × 0.003 of max HP per second × 54,550 HP = 35,585. 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.

35,585

Total secondary DPM vs T5 BB (per side)

Secondary DPM (per side) 94,500 + secondary fire DPM 35,585 = 130,085: shell damage plus fire damage against one T5 battleship, every shell hitting.

130,085

127 mm Mk19 mod. 6 (DP)

Dual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.

8×1 127mm

Caliber127 mm

Reload time4.5 s

HE alpha1,800

Muzzle Velocity657 m/s

Fire Chance9%

Secondary fires/min (per side)

8×1 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 4.571 s (4.5 s = 32 ticks) × 0.09 (9% fire chance) = 4.7. 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.

4.7

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 @ 4 → 4.5 km

Stock hull: 4 km × 57 + 30 = 258 m. Top hull: 4.5 km × 57 + 30 = 286.5 m. The hull upgrade extends secondary range, and dispersion grows with range - the guns reach further but group looser.

258 m → 286.5 m

Maneuverability

Engine power107,000 hp

Maximum speed32.5 kt

Turning circle radius620 m

Rudder shift timeInitial: 8.2 s → 6.3 s

Engine power-boost threshold7.0 kt

Engine spool-up time15.3 s

Reverse spool-up time7.7 s

Reverse speed

top speed / 4 + 4.9 = 32.5 / 4 + 4.9 = 13.0 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.

13.0 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.

26.1 s

Engine boost threshold (reverse)

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

9.2 kt

Acceleration 0-90%

Time to reach 90% of top speed (29.2 kt of 32.5 kt).

23.6 s

Acceleration 0-99%

Time to reach 99% of top speed (32.2 kt of 32.5 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.

37.4 s

Guns in a full turn

With the rudder hard over the hull turns 6.2°/s, so a target drifts across the bow at that rate. Turret traverse minus hull turn: 4 − 6.2 = -2.2°/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 2.2°/s

See the full acceleration curve ↓

Concealment

Detectability by sea

Base value, no camouflage. With a Grade IV permanent camo (or any disposable camo): 11.71 km x 0.955 = 11.18 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.

11.71 km

With Grade IV camouflage (sea)

Detectability by sea 11.71 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 11.18 km.

11.18 km

Detectability by air7.03 km

Smoke firing penalty6.54 km

Detect when firing (sea)

max(main battery range, sea detectability 11.71 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)

Air detectability 7.03 km + gun-firing bloom 4.06 km = 11.09 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber 203 mm × 0.020 = 4.06 km.

11.09 km

Detect when on fire (sea)

Sea detectability 11.71 km + 2.0 km while burning = 13.71 km.

13.71 km

Detect when on fire (air)

Air detectability 7.03 km + 3.0 km while burning = 10.03 km.

10.03 km

Guaranteed Detect2 km

✦

Consumables

Damage Control Party∞ charges · 60 s reload · 5 s active

Choose one

Sonar2 charges · 180 s reload · 92 s active · 3.96 km ship detect
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{132 \times 30}{1000} = 3.96 km$
· 2.82 km torpedo detect
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{94 \times 30}{1000} = 2.82 km$

Defensive AA Fire3 charges · 140 s reload · 25 s active · ×2 flak burst boost
ƒ
Repeats the flak burst pattern ×2 within each salvo - more clouds in the air over the salvo, at the same spots.

Catapult Fighter4 charges · 80 s reload · 70 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

Module options (3)

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

HullUpgrade

Hit points31,200 → 32,700
Rudder shift8.2 → 6.3 s
AA mounts12 → 23
Close-range AA DPS39 → 92
Maximum AA range3.1 → 3.5 km
Secondary battery range4,000 → 4,500 m

Fire controlUpgrade

Main battery range13,295 → 14624.5 m

ArtilleryUpgrade

Base reload15 → 13 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 cruiserStandard

The standard cruiser dispersion curve.

Shell scatter width @ 5 km67.5 m

(166.7 × (8 − 1.1) / 1000 + 1.1) × 30 = 67.5 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 km102 m

(333.3 × (8 − 1.1) / 1000 + 1.1) × 30 = 102 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 km27.3 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 14624.5 = 7312$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 14624.5 m. Below the kink:  $k = 0.2 + (0.5 - 0.2) \cdot \frac{5000}{7312} = 0.4051$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 67.5 \cdot 0.4051 = 27.3 m$ .

Shell scatter height @ 10 km54.7 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 14624.5 = 7312$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 14624.5 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{10000 - 7312}{14624.5 - 7312} = 0.5368$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 102 \cdot 0.5368 = 54.7 m$ .

AP pen 5 km291 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2846 \cdot 118^{0.69} \cdot {0.203}^{- 1.07} \cdot {605.4}^{1.38} = 291 mm$ , where 605.4 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 5 km (from 792 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 km205 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2846 \cdot 118^{0.69} \cdot {0.203}^{- 1.07} \cdot {469.8}^{1.38} = 205 mm$ , where 469.8 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 10 km (from 792 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 km6.05 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:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.321 \cdot {0.203}^{2}}{8 \cdot 118} = 4.4 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 792 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 km6.11 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:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.333 \cdot {0.203}^{2}}{8 \cdot 118} = 4.57 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 792 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)10

4 mounts × 2.5 barrels = 10; all 10 bear on the broadside.

Model inputs

Krupp (AP)2,846

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 mass118 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 coefficient0.321

Air drag on the AP shell in flight; lower keeps velocity, and with it penetration, at long range.

AP muzzle velocity792 m/s

Starting speed of the AP shell; penetration scales with velocity^1.38.

HE muzzle velocity792 m/s

Starting speed of the HE shell; sets its flight time and lead.

idealRadius8

Horizontal dispersion growth per idealDistance of range, in 30 m units; the slope of the scatter-width line.

minRadius1.1

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 range69

Only families that reach 4.2 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 40mm Bofors Mk2 6x4 -> 164 DPS @ 3.5 km; 20mm Oerlikon MK4 17x1 -> 119 DPS @ 2 km; 5in25 Mk19 Mod6 8x1 -> 69 DPS @ 4.2 km.

AA DPS layered by range69 DPS @ 4.2 km, 233 DPS @ 3.5 km, 352 DPS @ 2 km

@ 4.2 km: 69 from one family; @ 3.5 km: 164 + 69 = 233; @ 2 km: 164 + 119 + 69 = 352. 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-blank352

164 + 119 + 69 = 352 DPS: the sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (2 km).

AA threat index1102

164 × 3.5 + 119 × 2 + 69 × 4.2 = 1102. 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 chance9%

The only family (127 mm): 9%. Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 9% from the 127 mm family.

Max HE pen21 mm

The only family (127 mm): 21 mm. Maximum HE armor penetration across secondary HE families (caliber × 1/6 for most nations; 1/4 for German/UK BBs). Shells whose pen falls under a plate's armor thickness shatter for 0 hull damage though fire chance still applies. Best on this ship: 21 mm from the 127 mm family.

Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Background

The first U.S. Navy cruiser built under the limitations of the Washington Naval Treaty with powerful artillery but weak armor, which was characteristic of such ships. The cruiser was armed with 203 mm main guns, on the basis of which she was redesignated as a heavy cruiser soon after commissioning. However, the ship's armor actually corresponded to that of a light cruiser.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 31,200 → 32,700 with hull upgrade, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds.

Bow & stern16 mm

Overmatched by 93+ 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.

Farming6 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 23%, fires burn 30s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section	Plates	HP cap	Threats	Tactic
Bow	16 mm primary (range 16–30 mm)	900 (3% of HP)	Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Moltke, Graf Spee)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)	25 mm primary (range 6–65 mm)	25,700 (79% of HP)	Overmatched by 380mm+ AP (Bayern, Gneisenau)Angle bounces 356mm25 mm: HE pens from 150mm+	Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern	16 mm primary (range 6–102 mm)	2,200 (7% of HP)	Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Moltke, Graf Spee)Angle bounces 203mm16 mm: HE pens from 127mm+	Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel	76 mm primary (range 19–102 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	6 mm primary (range 6–38 mm)	2,600 (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	16,400 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.
Rudder (module)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	9,800 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 Pensacola. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.

Buff ×3Main Battery ×1

2023-06-15

Ministry of Balance: Italian Concerto

Upgraded Main Battery reload speed reduced from 15 to 13 s.
Stock Hull rudder-shift time reduced from 9.12 to 8.2 s.
Upgraded Hull rudder-shift time reduced from 7.0 to 6.3 s.

Read the full official post

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Pensacola can equip.

DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior
Space (Pensacola)Decorative
Thief's FutureDecorative
Stars and Stripes
Stars and Stripes permanent camouflage for PensacolaStars 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.

2020-06-18 · Patch notes Update: June 2020 Patch notes 2021-01-28 · Patch notes Update: February 2021 Patch notes 2021-12-16 · Patch notes Holiday Update: Chilling With the Beasts Patch notes 2026-04-30 · Patch notes May Update: From Rome to Edo Patch notes

Pensacola

Pensacola Community Stats

Pensacola Community Stats

Pensacola Community Stats

Playstyle

Overview

Positioning

Potato Avoidance

Signature Traits →

How to get Pensacola

Builds

Cohort position

Peers in this cohort

Stats & specs

Under the hood

Main battery formulas

Model inputs

AA defense

Secondary battery firepower

Ship Charts

Background

Armor Beta

Balance History

Ministry of Balance: Italian Concerto

Skins & permanent camouflages

Primary official WG sources

Signature Traits