GamingDiver / WoWs Legends Ships / Preussen

World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Preussen

Also called: 普鲁士 · Preußen Beta

Germany · Tier ★ · Battleship · Premium

Turtleback brawlerBuilt to brawl: the sloped belt bounces point-blank shells while secondaries work.

Playstyle

Push to within secondary range (~6 km) so the auto-fire battery starts contributing
Avoid: Sniping from the back line

Key characteristics

457 mm AP overmatch17.7 km gun rangeImproved HE penSonarSpotter planeEasily spotted

On this page

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

Community Data

Preussen Community Stats

Across 25,000+ Standard battles from 310+ players, Preussen averages a 65% win rate, 124,000 damage and 1.3 kills per battle, and survives 50% of them.

Community Data

Preussen Community Stats

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

Playstyle

Overview

Preussen is a Legendary German turtleback brawler: her angled deck armor roofs the citadel and deflects low-angle fire up and away, so the citadel is safer inside secondary range than at long-line trades. The kit is brawl-positive with secondaries out to 6 km that punish anyone who closes. HE pen sits at the 1/4 caliber ratio instead of the standard 1/6, so HE damages angled targets her AP can't, but her HE volume is low: a tool for bow-on targets, not a damage plan. Standout traits: main battery range in Legendary BBs (17.7 km, 2nd of 23) and heavy AP shells in Legendary BBs (15,250, 4th of 23). The trade is worst surface detection in Legendary BBs (16.2 km, 23rd of 23).

Positioning

Push to within secondary range (~6 km) so the auto-fire battery starts contributing. The turtleback bounces plunging shells, so close range protects the citadel better than long-line trades do; let peers think you are overextending while the kit's brawl angle eats their AP. Bow on between salvos still matters; the bow plate handles overmatch where the turtleback handles plunge. Both phases of a turn are slow (19.5 s on the rudder, a 1,050 m circle), so course changes are a plan rather than a reaction: set the angle before you are shot at.

Potato Avoidance

Sniping from the back line

The turtleback advantage exists only at close range; sitting 17 km out means the kit's defining trait is doing nothing for you, and peer BBs that should be losing the trade are not. If the team will not support the push, pick the cap that does. Your own secondaries reach 6 km, which is the distance the whole kit is built around; outside it you are a worse version of a standard battleship.

Signature Traits

Turtleback armor

Deck armor angled downward over the citadel, forming a roof outside it. Deflects shells arriving at a low angle up and away, so flat-trajectory fire from close range struggles to reach the citadel.

Improved HE penetration

HE pen at the 1/4 caliber ratio instead of the standard 1/6. HE-spam is a real damage option here, not just a fire-starter, shared by 8/23 Legendary BBs.

ELITE MAIN BATTERY ↗

Long gun range · 17.7 km
Heavy AP shells · 15250 damage

ELITE SONAR ↗

Long-range sonar · 6 km
Wide torpedo · 4 km

Easily spotted ↗

16.2 km surface detect, worst of Legendary BBs. Visible before you can react; position early.

Weak AA ↗

521 AA DPS, bottom quartile of Legendary BBs. Aircraft chew through with impunity; lean on positioning over AA.

Acquisition

How to get Preussen

Preussen is a Premium ship and not available to unlock in the Tech Tree. Acquisition path: Campaign.

CampaignEarned in the campaign “Eagle of the North Sea” (May 2025); campaign ships can later return through other limited methods.

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

Official WG availability sources

Eagle of the North Sea Campaign Breakdown Campaign Start: 2025-05-19 · End: 2025-06-29
- Over the next 6 weeks, complete 120 milestones with the Admiralty Backing to earn German Legendary Tier battleship Preußen and a variety of other rewards.
May Update: The Cat and the Eagle Campaign Start: 2025-05-15
- To receive Preußen, complete all 120 milestones over 6 weeks, starting from May 19, with an active Admiralty Backing.

Builds

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

Franz von Hipper

WG official

InspirationsAngelo Iachino · Andrew Cunningham

WG official build from Through the Spy Glass: Preußen.

Source: Through the Spy Glass: Preußen

Open in Build Tool →

Commanders frequently paired with this ship AL Bismarck AL Prinz Heinrich AL Scharnhorst

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 Preussen sits among Legendary BBs (22 ships). Notable standouts are shown first; the rest of the cohort-ranked stats are in the expand below. Acquisition variants (Black Friday, Founders Edition) are counted once with their base ship, not as separate peers.

BestSecondary HE pen38 mm (1 of 3 tied) Top 10%Main battery range17.72 km (2/23) Top 25%Main battery reload27 s (6/23) Top 25%AP shell damage15,250 (4/23) Top 25%Secondary dispersion bracket43.5 (5/23) Top 25%AP pen at 10 km659 mm (6/23) Top 25%Flak damage per salvo (expected)2,625 (5/23) Bottom 25%Rudder shift19.5 s (21/23) Bottom 25%Turning circle1,050 m (19/23) Bottom 25%Time to 90% speed37.8 s (21/23) Bottom 25%Acceleration (0-12 kt)14.5 s (19/23) Bottom 25%Displacement80,058 t (21/23) Bottom 25%Power-to-weight2.09 hp/t (19/23) Bottom 25%AA DPS521 (21/23) Bottom 25%Citadel belt220 mm (21/23) WorstStealth profile16.2 km / 13.04 km (23/23 / 23/23) WorstSmoke fire bloom16 km (23/23) WorstNo torpedoes (17 of 23 in cohort) WorstRepair charges2 (1 of 8 tied)

See 29 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Preussen -- 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 points95,200 HP(10/23) Max speed30 kt(13/23) Main battery caliber457 mm(9/23) Sigma2(7/23) HE shell damage5,450(14/22) HE fire chance45%(7/22) Fires per minute8(12/22) HE DPM96,889(17/22) AP DPM271,111(13/23) Main dispersion196.8 m(12/23) Secondary DPM (per side)278,887(11/23) Secondary HE alpha1,700(16/21) Secondary fire chance8%(13/21) AP velocity810 m/s(7/23) HE velocity810 m/s(10/22) AP arming threshold76 mm(15/23) Engine power167,600 hp(13/23) Power / turn radius159.6 hp/m(17/23) Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)162,467(16/22) Secondary range6 km(8/23) AA range5.2 km(7/23) AA threat2,219(16/23) Max armor400 mm(16/23) NormAP fuse timer0.033 s(20 of 23 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(20 of 23 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(20 of 23 tied at this value) NormRepair heal rate0.5 %/s(15 of 23 tied at this value) NormBow armor32 mm(18 of 23 tied at this value) NormStern armor32 mm(18 of 23 tied at this value)

Peers in this cohort

Compare Legendary Battleships

Show all 22 peers

Stats & specs

Customize in the Build Tool →

Survivability

Hit Points95,200

Displacement80,058 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.

313.4 x 41 m

Armor range19–400 mm

Plate armor thicknesses19, 25, 32, 38, 45, 50, 60, 75, 80, 100, 120, 150, 175, 200, 220, 280, 380, 400 mm

Armor material/layer entries72

Fire resistance

top hull: 1 − 0.6004 fire coefficient = 40%. Lowers how often hits set you on fire. It does not reduce the damage a burning fire does per second; fires burn at the full rate on every ship.

40%

Fire duration60 s

Fire damage

One unattended fire: 0.003 of max HP per second (0.3%) × 60 s = 0.18 of the pool; 0.18 × 95,200 HP = 17,136 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 × 95,200 HP = 19,040 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.

52,900

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.

28,600

Effective HP

Base 95,200 HP plus everything Repair Party can restore: 0.005 of max HP per second (0.5%) × 28 s × 95,200 HP = 13,328 HP per charge, × 2 charges = 26,656 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.

105,778–121,856

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 × 4,300 = 8,600), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.

4,300

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 × 15,600 = 31,200), 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.

15,600

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 × 71,400 = 142,800), 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.

71,400

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 × 6,000 = 12,000), 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 ×. 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.

6,000

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 × 2,600 = 5,200), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.

2,600

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: 457 mm/52 SK C/34

Mounts / barrels4 mounts / 8 barrels

Reload time27 s

Firing range17.7 km

Turret traverse6 °/s

Turret armor480 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.

2x ±142°, 2x ±150°

Guns to bear

180° − 142° (the most restricted aft-facing mount's arc) = 38° 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.

38° off bow / 30° off stern

See the firing-arcs diagram ↓

Shell Grouping (σ)2

Dispersion type

In practice: 17% tighter (better) horizontal dispersion and 17% less vertical spread at max range (17.7 km) than a standard battleship: about 197 m wide × 118 m tall, against 237 m × 142 m. Also on this curve (56): Al Ägir, Alaska, Alaska B, Anhalt, BA Utnapishtim's Ship, Borodino, Brest, Carnot, Champagne, Cherbourg, Congress, Ägir and 44 more.

Improved battleship & large cruiser

Max Horiz Disp

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{17720}{30} \cdot \frac{10 - 1.6}{1000} + 1.6) \cdot 30 = 196.8 m

196.8 m at 17.7 km

Max Vert Disp

Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range:

σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot radiusOnMax

= 196.8 \cdot 0.6 = 118.1 m

118.1 m at 17.7 km

Med Horiz Disp

50%-hit horizontal radius:

σ_{H, 50} = σ_{H} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 196.8 \cdot \frac{0.6}{2} = 59.1 m

59.1 m at 17.7 km

Med Vert Disp

50%-hit vertical radius:

σ_{V, 50} = σ_{V} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 118.1 \cdot \frac{0.6}{2} = 35.4 m

35.4 m at 17.7 km

Turret turn time

180 degrees / 6 deg/s traverse speed = 30 s.

30 s

Shells/min

Zero upgrades: 8 broadside guns x 60 / 27 s base reload = 17.8. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 8 broadside guns x 60 / 24.429 s (24.3 s = 171 ticks) all-upgrades reload (27 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 24.3 s) = 19.6.

Initial: 17.8 → 19.6

HE shells

HE alpha5,450

HE Velocity810 m/s

Fire Chance45%

HE fire DPM vs T8 BB65578

Effective HE DPM vs T8 BB162466

HE penetration

114 mm ≈ 457 mm caliber / 4 (improved HE penetration: German BBs, Yamato-class, and a handful of others).

114 mm

HE full-salvo alpha

5,450 HE damage x 8 broadside guns = 43,600.

43,600

HE DPM

Zero upgrades: 43,600 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 27 s base reload = 96,889. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 43,600 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 24.429 s (24.3 s = 171 ticks) all-upgrades reload (27 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 24.3 s) = 107,088.

Initial: 96,889 → 107,088

Fires/min

Zero upgrades: 17.8 shells/min × 0.45 (45% fire chance) = 8. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 19.6 shells/min × 0.45 (45% fire chance) = 8.84.

Initial: 8 → 8.84

AP shells

AP alpha15,250

AP Velocity810 m/s

Min Ricochet45 deg

Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg

Fuse Timer0.033 s

Fuse Threshold76 mm

AP pen max range552 mm

AP overmatch

floor(457 mm caliber / 14.3) = 31 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).

31 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 2350 \cdot 1464^{0.69} \cdot {0.457}^{- 1.07} \cdot 810^{1.38} = 856.8 mm

856.8 mm point-blank

AP Pen Far

Same formula at the ship's max firing range (17.7 km), where the shell has slowed to 588.6 m/s:

P = 10^{- 7} \cdot 2350 \cdot 1464^{0.69} \cdot {0.457}^{- 1.07} \cdot {588.6}^{1.38} = 551.5 mm

551.5 mm at 17.7 km

AP full-salvo alpha

15,250 AP damage x 8 broadside guns = 122,000.

122,000

AP DPM

Zero upgrades: 122,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 27 s base reload = 271,111. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 122,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 24.429 s (24.3 s = 171 ticks) all-upgrades reload (27 s × 0.9 Main Battery Mod. 3 = 24.3 s) = 299,649.

Initial: 271,111 → 299,649

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.

400

AA Defense

AA mount points20

Maximum AA range

Longest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.

5.2 km

55 mm L/77 Gerät 586×1 55mm

55 mm L/77 Gerät 58 Zwilling4×2 55mm

30 mm Flak 386×4 30mm

30 mm Flak 103/384×2 30mm

128 mm/61 KM40 (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 128mm

Guns128 mm/61 KM40 (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 105 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.

105

Range5.2 km

Guns55 mm L/77 Gerät 58 Zwilling

Continuous DPS

Effective DPS: 45 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.75 hit probability = 118 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

118

Range5 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 105 + Outer Medium 118 = 223

223

Guns55 mm L/77 Gerät 58

Continuous DPS

Effective DPS: 48 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.75 hit probability = 126 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

126

Range4.5 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 105 + Outer Medium 118 + Inner Medium 126 = 349

349

Guns30 mm Flak 103/38 + 30 mm Flak 38

Continuous DPS

Effective DPS: 70 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.7 hit probability = 172 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.

172

Range3 km

Total DPS in Aura

Far 105 + Outer Medium 118 + Inner Medium 126 + Near 172 = 521

521

AA explosions

Each ~2 s salvo fires 3 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 14 clouds per salvo × 250 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.

3 per salvo, 4 clouds each + 2 outer clouds

Cloud damage

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

250

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 5.2 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.

2.5-5.2 km

See the AA layers diagram ↓

Secondary Battery

Mounts14

Firing range6.0 km

Shell Grouping (σ)1

Total secondary fires/min (per side)

Sum of each gun family's fires/min (per side): 7.5 + 2.5 = 10. 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.

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: 10×2 128 mm (10/side) × 60/4 s × 1500 = 225,000 + 4×2 150 mm (4/side) × 60/7.571 s (7.5 s = 53 ticks) × 1700 = 53,887. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).

278,887

Secondary fire DPM vs T8 BB (per side)

Fires/min (per side) 10 × (1 − 0.4 fire resistance) × 60 s × 0.003 of max HP per second × 75,900 HP = 82,266. 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.

82,266

Total secondary DPM vs T8 BB (per side)

Secondary DPM (per side) 278,887 + secondary fire DPM 82,266 = 361,153: shell damage plus fire damage against one T8 battleship, every shell hitting.

361,153

Secondary dispersion type

Max dispersion = range (km) × 43.5 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.

Improved (22.5%)

Max secondary dispersion @ 6 km

6 km × 43.5 + 30 = 291 m.

291 m

Caliber128 mm

Reload time4 s

HE alpha1,500

Muzzle Velocity900 m/s

Fire Chance5%

Secondary fires/min (per side)

10×2 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 4 s × 0.05 (5% fire chance) = 7.5. 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.

7.5

HE Pen32 mm

Show 1 more gun family

Caliber150 mm

Reload time7.5 s

HE alpha1,700

Muzzle Velocity875 m/s

Fire Chance8%

Secondary fires/min (per side)

4×2 barrels / 2 sides × 60 / 7.571 s (7.5 s = 53 ticks) × 0.08 (8% fire chance) = 2.5. 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.

2.5

HE Pen38 mm

Maneuverability

Engine power167,600 hp

Maximum speed30.0 kt

Turning circle radius1050 m

Rudder shift time19.5 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 = 30 / 4 + 4.9 = 12.4 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.

12.4 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.

52.7 s

Engine boost threshold (reverse)

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

10.0 kt

Acceleration 0-90%

Time to reach 90% of top speed (27.0 kt of 30.0 kt).

37.8 s

Acceleration 0-99%

Time to reach 99% of top speed (29.7 kt of 30.0 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.

60.8 s

Guns in a full turn

With the rudder hard over the hull turns 3.2°/s, so a target drifts across the bow at that rate. Turret traverse minus hull turn: 6 − 3.2 = +2.8°/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 (+2.8°/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): 16.2 km x 0.955 = 15.47 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.

16.2 km

With Grade IV camouflage (sea)

Detectability by sea 16.2 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 15.47 km.

15.47 km

Detectability by air13.04 km

Smoke firing penalty16 km

Detect when firing (sea)

max(main battery range, sea detectability 16.2 km) = 17.72 km. Equal to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach.

17.72 km

Detect when firing (air)

Air detectability 13.04 km + gun-firing bloom 9.14 km = 22.18 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber 457 mm × 0.020 = 9.14 km.

22.18 km

Detect when on fire (sea)

Sea detectability 16.2 km + 2.0 km while burning = 18.2 km.

18.2 km

Detect when on fire (air)

Air detectability 13.04 km + 3.0 km while burning = 16.04 km.

16.04 km

Guaranteed Detect2 km

✦

Consumables

Damage Control Party∞ charges · 80 s reload · 15 s active

Repair Party2 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 13,328 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 × 95,200 HP = 13,328 HP: up to 14% of max HP restored per charge.
· 26,656 HP (28% of max HP) total heal (all charges)
ƒ
0.14 of max HP per charge × 2 charges = 0.28 × 95,200 HP = 26,656 HP: up to 28% of max HP if the whole Repair Party loadout is used.
· 476 HP/s (0.5% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ
0.005 (0.5% of max HP) × 95,200 HP = 476 HP/s. WoWS heals a flat percent of MAX HP each second, so this rate holds at any health level.

Choose one

Catapult Fighter7 charges · 80 s reload · 60 s active · 5 km patrol radius
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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 Seaplane7 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

Sonar2 charges · 180 s reload · 60 s active · 6 km ship detect
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Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{200 \times 30}{1000} = 6 km$
· 4.05 km torpedo detect
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Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{135 \times 30}{1000} = 4.05 km$

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 BB17% tighter H · 17% shorter V

H = horizontal, V = vertical spread. This ship's curve against the standard battleship curve, both evaluated at this ship's max range (17.7 km) with the same model as Max Horiz/Vert Disp: horizontal 197 / 237 m − 1 = -17%, vertical 118 / 142 m − 1 = -17%. Shell grouping (σ) is separate: it sets how shells bunch toward the centre of this ellipse.

Shell scatter width @ 5 km90 m

(166.7 × (10 − 1.6) / 1000 + 1.6) × 30 = 90 m. Horizontal scatter at a fixed 5 km, from the same dispersion model as the rows below - a knife-fight-range anchor comparable across ships.

Shell scatter width @ 10 km132 m

(333.3 × (10 − 1.6) / 1000 + 1.6) × 30 = 132 m. How wide your shells scatter at 10 km, from the same dispersion model as the max-range figure above. Picking a fixed range makes this number directly comparable from ship to ship: max-range dispersion makes a longer-range gun look worse even when it's tighter at any common range. The interactive Dispersion tab on the Charts card plots the full curve from 0 to max range.

Shell scatter width @ 15 km174 m

(500 × (10 − 1.6) / 1000 + 1.6) × 30 = 174 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 km33.2 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 17720 = 8860$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 17720 m. Below the kink:  $k = 0.2 + (0.5 - 0.2) \cdot \frac{5000}{8860} = 0.3693$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 90 \cdot 0.3693 = 33.2 m$ .

Shell scatter height @ 10 km67.7 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 17720 = 8860$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 17720 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{10000 - 8860}{17720 - 8860} = 0.5129$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 132 \cdot 0.5129 = 67.7 m$ .

Shell scatter height @ 15 km99.1 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 17720 = 8860$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 17720 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{15000 - 8860}{17720 - 8860} = 0.5693$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 174 \cdot 0.5693 = 99.1 m$ .

AP pen 5 km750 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2350 \cdot 1464^{0.69} \cdot {0.457}^{- 1.07} \cdot {735.6}^{1.38} = 750 mm$ , where 735.6 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 5 km (from 810 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 km659 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2350 \cdot 1464^{0.69} \cdot {0.457}^{- 1.07} \cdot {669.8}^{1.38} = 659 mm$ , where 669.8 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 10 km (from 810 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 km585 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 2350 \cdot 1464^{0.69} \cdot {0.457}^{- 1.07} \cdot {614.4}^{1.38} = 585 mm$ , where 614.4 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 15 km (from 810 m/s at the muzzle). Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.

HE flight time @ 10 km4.93 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:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.282 \cdot {0.457}^{2}}{8 \cdot 1464} = 1.58 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 810 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.

AP flight time @ 10 km4.93 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:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.282 \cdot {0.457}^{2}}{8 \cdot 1464} = 1.58 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 810 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77 because the game clock runs faster than real time. Lower is better, since a faster shell is harder to dodge and needs less lead.

Improved HE PenYes

This ship's HE shells use a 1/4 (~0.25) caliber-to-pen ratio instead of the standard 1/6 (~0.167) - 0.249 in this case. Lets HE pen ~114mm armor instead of ~76mm. Hits every German cruiser (150mm CL, 203mm CA) and BB (350mm+), British heavy cruisers / Lion / Nelson, a handful of other premiums.

Guns per full salvo (alpha, DPM)8

4 mounts × 2 barrels = 8; all 8 bear on the broadside.

Model inputs

Krupp (AP)2,350

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 mass1,464 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 coefficient0.282

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

AP muzzle velocity810 m/s

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

HE muzzle velocity810 m/s

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

idealRadius10

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

minRadius1.6

Horizontal dispersion at zero range, in 30 m units; the intercept of the scatter-width line.

idealDistance1,000 m

Range step over which horizontal dispersion grows by idealRadius.

taperDist4,000 m

Inside this range the scatter width tapers toward minRadius instead of following the line.

radiusOnZero0.2

Vertical scatter as a share of horizontal at zero range.

radiusOnDelim0.5

Vertical scatter as a share of horizontal at the delim point.

radiusOnMax0.6

Vertical scatter as a share of horizontal at maximum range.

delim0.5

Where the vertical-scatter curve bends, as a share of maximum range.

AA defense

AA DPS at max range105

Only families that reach 5.2 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 55mm 77 Gerat 6x1 -> 126 DPS @ 4.5 km; 55mm Gerat twin 4x2 -> 118 DPS @ 5 km; 30mm Flak 38 6x4 -> 103 DPS @ 3 km; 30mm Flak 38 twin 4x2 -> 69 DPS @ 3 km; 127mm 61 twin 10x2 -> 105 DPS @ 5.2 km.

AA DPS layered by range105 DPS @ 5.2 km, 223 DPS @ 5 km, 349 DPS @ 4.5 km, 521 DPS @ 3 km

@ 5.2 km: 105 from one family; @ 5 km: 118 + 105 = 223; @ 4.5 km: 126 + 118 + 105 = 349; @ 3 km: 126 + 118 + 103 + 69 + 105 = 521. 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-blank521

126 + 118 + 103 + 69 + 105 = 521 DPS: the sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (3 km).

AA threat index2219

126 × 4.5 + 118 × 5 + 103 × 3 + 69 × 3 + 105 × 5.2 = 2219. 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 range3 km

Secondary battery dispersion

Secondary dispersion @ 5 km247.5 m

Same per-type line evaluated at a fixed 5 km: 5 km × 43.5 + 30 = 247.5 m.

Secondary battery firepower

Max HE alpha1700

max(1500 (128 mm), 1700 (150 mm)) = 1700. Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1700 from the 150 mm family.

Max HE fire chance8%

max(5% (128 mm), 8% (150 mm)) = 8%. Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 8% from the 150 mm family.

Max HE pen38 mm

max(32 mm (128 mm), 38 mm (150 mm)) = 38 mm. Maximum HE armor penetration across secondary HE families (caliber × 1/6 for most nations; 1/4 for German/UK BBs). Shells whose pen falls under a plate's armor thickness shatter for 0 hull damage though fire chance still applies. Best on this ship: 38 mm from the 150 mm family.

Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Background

Early World War II lessons led to revising ships under construction to enhance the horizontal armor while keeping the draft at 11.5 m for operations in the shallow waters of the North Sea. A triple bottom and more watertight compartments were added to withstand underwater explosions. The main guns were upgraded to 18 inches (457 mm), significantly boosting the firepower. Later, naval focus shifted to submarines, resulting in the halt of the construction of new battleships.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 95,200, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds.

Bow & stern32 mm

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

Belt / citadel380 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 40%, fires burn 60s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section	Plates	HP cap	Threats	Tactic
Bow	32 mm primary (range 32–120 mm)	4,300 (5% 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)	25 mm primary (range 25–380 mm)	71,400 (75% of HP)	Overmatched by 380mm+ AP (Alsace, Bourgogne)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	32 mm primary (range 32–200 mm)	2,600 (3% of HP)	Overmatched by 460mm+ AP (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm32 mm: HE pens from 203mm+	Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel	380 mm primary (range 38–220 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 primary (range 19–220 mm)	6,000 (6% 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	52,900 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 (150 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 (55 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	28,600 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 Preussen. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.

Nerf ×2Main Battery ×2

2026-07-30

Ministry of Balance: Anniversary Tune-Up

Main battery shell grouping reduced by 4.76% (from 2.1 to 2.0 sigma).
Main battery reload time increased from 24 to 27 seconds.

Read the full official post

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Preussen can equip.

DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior
Science TitanDecorative

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.

2025-05-20 · Through the Spy Glass Through the Spy Glass: Preußen Ship feature 2025-05-15 · Patch notes May Update: The Cat and the Eagle Patch notes 2026-07-30 · Patch notes Anniversary Update: Tides of Adventure Patch notes

Preussen

Preussen Community Stats

Preussen Community Stats

Preussen Community Stats

Playstyle

Overview

Positioning

Potato Avoidance

Signature Traits →

How to get Preussen

Builds

Franz von Hipper

Cohort position

Peers in this cohort

Stats & specs

Under the hood

Main battery formulas

Model inputs

AA defense

Secondary battery dispersion

Secondary battery firepower

Ship Charts

Background

Armor Beta

Balance History

Ministry of Balance: Anniversary Tune-Up

Skins & permanent camouflages

Primary official WG sources

Signature Traits