World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Z-39

Beta
Germany · Tier VI · Destroyer · Premium
Gunboat destroyerWins cap trades with gun output; the torpedoes are a bonus, not the core threat.
Playstyle
  • Hold mid-cap distance and lean into gunboat trades from cover where the peer destroyer cannot match your fires-per-minute
  • Avoid: Trading guns in open water against peer DDs
Key characteristics
Heavy AP penHeavy HE shellsSmoke + SonarEngine BoostHeavy AP shellsLow HE DPM
On this page
Community Data

Z-39 Community Stats

Across 2,100+ Standard battles from 100+ players, Z-39 averages a 62% win rate, 36,000 damage and 1.0 kills per battle, and survives 46% of them.

Community Data

Z-39 Community Stats

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Playstyle

Overview

Z-39 is a Tier VI German gunboat destroyer: her damage comes from sustained main battery pressure on caps and open-water trades. Torpedoes are a secondary threat for closing lanes, not her main damage. Her 150mm guns hit harder per shell than the 120-130mm most of the cohort brings, and a 7.5 s reload means straight trades favour her. Standout traits: best heavy AP shells in T6 DDs (3,700, 1st of 37) and best AP overmatch threshold in T6 DDs (10.4 mm, 1st of 41). The trade is low HE DPM in T6 DDs (69,736, 40th of 41).

Positioning

Hold mid-cap distance and lean into gunboat trades from cover where the peer destroyer cannot match your fires-per-minute. Avoid open-water duels with ships running smoke or radar; the torpedoes are a closer, not the plan, so gunfire from cover wins more than from blue water. Concretely: 10.4 km of reach against 6.8 km of detection leaves about 3.6 km in which you can shoot before the answer arrives. Your guns lose penetration at range, so aim AP at broadsides you can still citadel and put HE into superstructures and upper-hull sections, rather than the bow-in or belt armor your shells bounce and shatter on. Shooting from the cloud gives you away at 2.9 km, and a destroyer here is spotted at about 6.9 km, so you see it coming with roughly 4 km to spare. Vision is mutual: past the 2 km guaranteed ring you cannot see out either, and only your Sonar bubble (5 km) sees out; past that you are shooting at what a teammate holds lit. Enemy sonar (about 4.2 km) and radar (about 9 km) read straight in regardless. Both phases of a turn are slow (4.5 s on the rudder, a 670 m circle), so course changes are a plan rather than a reaction: set the angle before you are shot at.

Potato Avoidance

Trading guns in open water against peer DDs

Your damage is sustained main-battery pressure from cover (the torpedoes are a secondary threat), so open-water duels just stack incoming HE on you while you fire back. You are visible from 6.8 km with 19,600 HP to spend, so the second ship to join the trade decides it.

Signature Traits

Engine Boost

+8% speed (about +2.9 kt), 120 s duration. Engine Boost consumable gives a small speed nudge - useful for closing a gap or steadying a torpedo run, not for running anything down.

ELITE MAIN BATTERY ↗
  • Heavy AP shells · 3700 damage
  • Big-caliber AP overmatch · 10.4 mm
  • Heavy HE shells · 2200 damage
  • Long-range AP brick · 80.0 mm
High HP pool ↗

19600 HP, top decile of T6 DDs.

Top-tier AA ↗

194 AA DPS, top quartile of T6 DDs (median 139).

MAIN BATTERY DOWNSIDES ↗
  • Low HE DPM · 69736 HE
  • Stiff AP fuse · over-pens plate under 25 mm
Acquisition

How to get Z-39

Z-39 is a Premium ship and not available to unlock in the Tech Tree. Acquisition path: Containers. Container chances are shown as the listed odds of receiving this exact ship, dividing grouped ship-pool odds across the resolved ships and including nested container paths when a crate can drop another crate.

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

Best listed chance for this ship

  • Santa Level 5 0.5% Tier VI Premium ship Archived · Santa Level 5 · 1 of 35 ships
  • Spectral Vault 5.0 0.448718% Tier VI Premium ship Archived · Spectral Vault 5.0 · 1 of 39 ships
  • Spectral Vault 4.0 0.195513% Tier VI Premium ship Archived · Spectral Vault 4.0 · 2 paths combined · 1 of 39 ships
    Show 2 paths
    • Spectral Vault 4.00.128205%
    • Spectral Vault 4.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.067308%
Show all 18 containers (15 more)
  • Santa Level 4 0.192857% Tier VI Premium ship Archived · Santa Level 4 · 2 paths combined · 1 of 35 ships
    Show 2 paths
    • Santa Level 40.142857%
    • Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.05%
  • Santa Level 3 0.139643% Tier VI Premium ship Archived · Santa Level 3 · 4 paths combined · 1 of 35 ships
    Show 4 paths
    • Santa Level 30.085714%
    • Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 50.025%
    • Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 40.021429%
    • Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.0075%
  • Mega Santa '23 0.125% Tier VI Premium ship Archived · Mega Santa '23 · 1 of 32 ships
  • Spectral Vault 3.0 0.111891% Tier VI Premium ship Archived · Spectral Vault 3.0 · 4 paths combined · 1 of 39 ships
    Show 4 paths
    • Spectral Vault 3.00.076923%
    • Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.014103%
    • Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.013462%
    • Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.007404%
  • Super Santa '22 0.111111% Tier VI Premium ship Archived · Super Santa '22 · 1 of 27 ships
  • Super Santa '23 0.109375% Tier VI Premium ship Archived · Super Santa '23 · 1 of 32 ships
  • Mystic Lantern 0.104651% Tier VI Premium ship Event · Mystic Lantern · 1 of 43 ships
  • Santa Level 2 0.059161% Tier VI Premium ship Archived · Santa Level 2 · 7 paths combined · 1 of 35 ships
    Show 7 paths
    • Santa Level 20.028571%
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 30.012857%
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 40.007143%
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 50.00375%
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 40.003214%
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.0025%
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.001125%
  • Spectral Vault 2.0 0.04074% Tier VI Premium ship Archived · Spectral Vault 2.0 · 7 paths combined · 1 of 39 ships
    Show 7 paths
    • Spectral Vault 2.00.025641%
    • Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.00.007692%
    • Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.002564%
    • Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.00141%
    • Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.001346%
    • Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 4.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.001346%
    • Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.00074%
  • Champion's Box 0.027929% Tier VI Premium ship Archived · Champion's Box · 4 paths combined · 1 of 35 ships
    Show 4 paths
    • Champion's Box → Santa Level 30.017143%
    • Champion's Box → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 50.005%
    • Champion's Box → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 40.004286%
    • Champion's Box → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.0015%
  • Ultimate Crate 0.010938% Tier VI Premium ship Archived · Ultimate Crate → Super Santa '23 · 1 of 32 ships
  • Santa Level 1 0.010181% Tier VI Premium ship Archived · Santa Level 1 · 9 paths combined · 1 of 35 ships
    Show 9 paths
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 20.004286%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 30.001929%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 50.00125%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 40.001071%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 50.000562%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 40.000482%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.000375%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.000169%
    • Santa Level 10.000057%
  • Spectral Vault 1.0 0.004837% Tier VI Premium ship Archived · Spectral Vault 1.0 · 12 paths combined · 1 of 39 ships
    Show 12 paths
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.00.002308%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 3.00.000769%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.00.000692%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.000231%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.000141%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.000135%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.000127%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 4.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.000121%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.000121%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.000074%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.0 → Spectral Vault 5.00.000067%
    • Spectral Vault 1.00.000051%
  • Mystic Box 0.002326% Tier VI Premium ship Event · Mystic Box · 1 of 43 ships
  • Secret Santa '23 0.000063% Tier VI Premium ship Archived · Secret Santa '23 · 1 of 32 ships
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Builds

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

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Commanders frequently paired with this ship AL Z24Blue FurioraErich Bey

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Cohort position

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Where Z-39 sits among Tier VI DDs (40 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.

BestMain battery caliber150 mm (1 of 2 tied) LongestAP fuse timer0.025 s (1 of 4 tied) Top 10%Hit points19,600 HP (3/41) Top 10%AP pen at 10 km83 mm (4/35) Top 25%Main dispersion93.3 m (9/41) Top 25%Engine power70,000 hp (7/41) Top 25%Power / turn radius104.5 hp/m (8/41) Top 25%AA DPS194 (6/41) Top 25%AA threat598 (7/41) Bottom 25%Rudder shift4.5 s (35/41) Bottom 25%Turning circle670 m (32/41) Bottom 25%Main battery range10.44 km (36/41) Bottom 25%Fires per minute3.8 (35/41) Bottom 25%AP DPM117,283 (33/37) Bottom 25%Acceleration (0-12 kt)5.1 s (32/41) Bottom 10%Smoke fire bloom2.94 km (39/41) Bottom 10%Main battery reload7.5 s (38/41) Bottom 10%HE DPM69,736 (40/41) Bottom 10%Displacement3,691 t (39/41) Bottom 10%Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)98,153 (40/41) WorstNo secondaries (37 of 41 in cohort) WorstAP arming threshold25 mm (1 of 2 tied)
See 20 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Z-39 -- 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 speed36 kt(28/41) Concealment6.8 km(13/41) Air detection3.4 km(13/41) AP velocity835 m/s(17/37) HE velocity835 m/s(21/41) Time to 90% speed16.5 s(21/41) Power-to-weight18.97 hp/t(27/41) AA range3.5 km(23/41) Torpedo range8.49 km(23/41) Torpedo damage≈13,400(25/41) Torpedo speed65 kt(19/41) Torpedo reaction time7.4 s(16/41) Torpedo reload90 s(22/41) NormAP ricochet start45°(34 of 37 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(34 of 37 tied at this value) NormTurn speed retained81%(37 of 41 tied at this value) NormMax armor16 mm(26 of 41 tied at this value) NormCitadel belt16 mm(30 of 41 tied at this value) NormBow armor16 mm(34 of 41 tied at this value) NormStern armor16 mm(34 of 41 tied at this value)
Survivability
Hit Points19,600
Displacement3,691 t
Hull dimensions
ƒLength x beam at the waterline, plus draft. Length matters when dodging torpedoes; beam and draft shape how hard the ship is to hit.
127 x 12 m (published figure)
Armor range10–16 mm
Plate armor thicknesses10, 15, 16 mm
Armor material/layer entries24
Fire resistance
ƒtop hull: 1 − 0.7003 fire coefficient = 30%. 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.
30%
Fire duration30 s
Fire damage
ƒOne unattended fire: 0.003 of max HP per second (0.3%) × 30 s = 0.09 of the pool; 0.09 × 19,600 HP = 1,764 HP on this ship. 4 fire points can burn at once.
0.3% of HP per second
Flood duration40 s
Flood damage
ƒOne unattended flood: 0.0025 of max HP per second (0.25%) × 40 s = 0.1 of the pool; 0.1 × 19,600 HP = 1,960 HP on this ship.
0.25% of HP per second
Torp Reduction
ƒ1 − 0.333 hull torpedo-damage coefficient / 0.333 unprotected baseline = 0%. Reduces torpedo hit damage. It does not affect flooding: floods start as often and tick at the full rate.
0%
Magazine HP
ƒPer-turret powder-magazine HP, a separate pool from the ship's. Penetrating hits wear it down and the turret is likelier to be knocked out as it falls, so a larger pool keeps the guns firing through punishment that silences a peer's.
9,800
Steering gear HP
ƒDurability of the steering gears. As this pool drops, hits are likelier to jam the rudder; unlike most modules the steering can be knocked out and repaired but is never permanently destroyed.
5,900
Repairable: penetration50%
Repairable: steering gear50%
Section HP
Bow section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the bow: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 2,700 = 5,400), 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.
2,700
Casemate section HP
ƒThis section has no practical saturation cap: every hit here keeps dealing its normal share of damage (on most ships the citadel; on many destroyers the casemate).
No saturation cap
Hull section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the hull: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 14,700 = 29,400), 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.
14,700
Superstructure section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the superstructure: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 1,400 = 2,800), then further hits on it deal half damage. A penetration deals 0.33 × the shell's max damage; once the section is saturated it deals exactly half of that (0.5 × 0.33 = 0.165 × max damage), so a 3,000-damage shell's pen goes from 990 to 495. Overpens (0.1 × max damage) and citadels (1.0 ×) ignore saturation. Pens on the ship's other, unsaturated sections still deal the normal 0.33 ×. The superstructure is not exempt: it saturates exactly like the bow and stern, so shells aimed at it stop dealing full damage once this pool is used up. A larger pool keeps that part of the ship taking full damage for longer; a small one saturates fast and protects the ship's HP.
1,400
Stern section HP
ƒDamage saturation pool for the stern: penetrations here deal their normal share until twice this much penetration damage has landed on the section (2 × 1,800 = 3,600), 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.
1,800
Main Battery
ModuleArtillery: 150 mm L/48 Tbts LC/36
Mounts / barrels3 mounts / 4 barrels
Reload time7.5 s
Firing range10.4 km
Turret traverse8 °/s
Turret armor30 mm
Turret traverse arcs
ƒHow far each mount can train, in degrees to either side of the mount's own facing. A rear turret with ±150° leaves a 60° blind wedge over the bow; one-sided arcs are wing mounts that cover a single side. The data does not say which way each mount faces, so the arcs are listed per mount without bow/stern angles.
±140°, ±150°, ±145°
Guns to bear
ƒ180° − 140° (the most restricted aft-facing mount's arc) = 40° off bow; 180° − 145° (the most restricted forward-facing mount's arc) = 35° 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.
40° off bow / 35° off stern
Shell Grouping (σ)2
Dispersion type
ƒIn practice: the baseline curve for a standard destroyer -- at max range (10.4 km) shells land in an ellipse about 93 m wide and 56 m tall. Also on this curve (225): AL Avrora, AL Yukikaze, AL Z24, Acasta, Achilles, Adriatico, Aigle, Akatsuki, Akizuki, Albany, Allen M. Sumner, Attilio Regolo and 213 more.
Standard destroyer
Max Horiz Disp
ƒHorizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the dispersion model: σH=(R30·idealRadius−minRadiusidealDistance+minRadius)·30 =(1044330·8−0.51000+0.5)·30=93.3m
93.3 m at 10.4 km
Max Vert Disp
ƒVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: σV=σH·radiusOnMax =93.3·0.6=56m
56 m at 10.4 km
Med Horiz Disp
ƒ50%-hit horizontal radius: σH,50=σH·0.6σ =93.3·0.62=28m
28 m at 10.4 km
Med Vert Disp
ƒ50%-hit vertical radius: σV,50=σV·0.6σ =56·0.62=16.8m
16.8 m at 10.4 km
Turret turn time
ƒ180 degrees / 8 deg/s traverse speed = 22.5 s.
22.5 s
Shells/min
ƒ4 broadside guns x 60 / 7.571 s (7.5 s = 53 ticks) base reload = 31.7.
31.7
HE shells
HE alpha2,200
HE Velocity835 m/s
Fire Chance12%
HE fire DPM vs T6 BB28445
Effective HE DPM vs T6 BB98181
HE penetration
ƒ25 mm ≈ 150 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).
25 mm
HE full-salvo alpha
ƒ2,200 HE damage x 4 broadside guns = 8,800.
8,800
HE DPM
ƒ8,800 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 7.571 s (7.5 s = 53 ticks) base reload = 69,736.
69,736
Fires/min
ƒ31.7 shells/min × 0.12 (12% fire chance) = 3.8.
3.8
AP shells
AP alpha3,700
AP Velocity835 m/s
Min Ricochet45 deg
Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg
Fuse Timer0.025 s
Fuse Threshold25 mm
AP overmatch
ƒfloor(150 mm caliber / 14.3) = 10 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
10 mm
AP Pen Close
ƒAP formula evaluated at muzzle velocity: P=10−7·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v01.38 =10−7·1933·45.30.69·0.15−1.07·8351.38=220mm.
220 mm point-blank
AP Pen Far
ƒSame formula at the ship's max firing range (10.4 km), where the shell has slowed to 401.3 m/s: P=10−7·1933·45.30.69·0.15−1.07·401.31.38=80mm.
80 mm at 10.4 km
AP full-salvo alpha
ƒ3,700 AP damage x 4 broadside guns = 14,800.
14,800
AP DPM
ƒ14,800 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 7.571 s (7.5 s = 53 ticks) base reload = 117,283.
117,283
AP AOE Radius
ƒAP shell over-penetration splash radius; scales with shell mass. Wickes 102mm = 3, standard 152mm CL ~ 20, Iowa 406mm ~ 270, Yamato 460mm = 400, Incomparable 650mm = 550 (max). Larger value = bigger splash damage area when AP over-pens.
15
Torpedoes
ModuleTorpedoes: 533 mm Vierling
Launchers / tubes2 launchers × 4 tubes = 8 tubes
Reload time90 s
Projectile speed65.0 kt
Range8.49 km
Maximum simulated damage
ƒMost targets only intersect one hull section, so a hit transfers about 1/3 of the warhead alpha (2/3 when the warhead blast >= 5000 and the burst reaches a second section). For this ship: Dsim=α·c=40,200·0.333=13,400. In battle, a hit on the torpedo belt deals the per-hit figure × (1 − the target's torpedo protection %), a bow or stern hit deals it in full, and a torpedo never counts as a citadel hit.
≈ 13,400
Maximum damage (ammunition)
ƒ40,200 warhead alpha / 3 + 1,000 blast = 14,400. Warhead alpha / 3 plus the blast addend: the per-torpedo damage figure. The 'Maximum simulated damage' row above applies target geometry to the same warhead.
14,400
Torpedo module damage
ƒPer-torpedo module/blast damage parameter. Most torpedoes carry 500 to 2,000; ships announced by WG as dealing increased module damage carry 9,000 to 12,000, so their hits knock out engines, rudders, and turrets far more often. Comparative figure.
1,000
Torpedo detectability1.3 km
Reaction time
ƒHow long a target has to dodge after your torpedo is spotted at its detectability range (lower means less warning): treact=1.3 km65 kt×2.6855=7.4 s. 2.6855 converts knots to m/s on the game clock. Base value; commander torpedo-concealment skills lower it further.
7.4 s
Flooding chance
ƒThis torpedo carries a flooding-chance value of 2.4 per hit, shown as 2.4×100=240%. Values above 100% are normal: in battle the base chance is scaled down by the target's torpedo protection (the Torp Reduction stat on its Survivability card) and any flood-resistance modifiers, so a value above 100% keeps flooding likely even through partial protection.
240%
Torpedo launcher traverse25 °/s
Launch arcscentreline 258°, 260°
Torp Turn
ƒTime to rotate the launchers 180 deg: tturn=180°25°/s=7.2s.
7.2 s
Torp Arming205 m
Per-side salvo damage
ƒOne side firing, all torpedoes hitting: per-side tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 8 x 13,400 = 107,200. Each hit on the target's torpedo belt is reduced by its torpedo protection %.
107,200
AA Defense
AA mount points12
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 3.5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.
3.5 km
37 mm Flakzwilling 302×2 37mm
37 mm Flak LM/422×1 37mm
37 mm Flak LM/424×2 37mm
20 mm Flakvierling 382×4 20mm
20 mm Flakzwilling 382×2 20mm
Medium aura
Guns37 mm Flak LM/42 + 37 mm Flakzwilling 30
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 40 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 1 hit probability = 140 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
140
Range3.5 km
Near aura
Guns20 mm Flakvierling 38 + 20 mm Flakzwilling 38
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 16 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.95 hit probability = 53 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
53
Range2 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒMedium 140 + Near 53 = 193
193
Maneuverability
Engine power70,000 hp
Maximum speed36.0 kt
Turning circle radius670 m
Rudder shift time4.5 s
Engine power-boost threshold7.0 kt
Engine spool-up time7.7 s
Reverse spool-up time3.8 s
Reverse speed
ƒtop speed / 4 + 4.9 = 36 / 4 + 4.9 = 13.9 kt. Base value; speed modifiers scale it.
13.9 kt
Crash stop
ƒSeconds from top speed to a dead stop after ordering full reverse: reverse power winds in over the reverse spool-up while water drag does most of the braking, using the ship's own reverse-power ratio. The full curve is on the acceleration chart. Full reverse stops about a quarter faster than a plain Stop order from top speed.
15.3 s
Engine boost threshold (reverse)
ƒSpeed below which the engine's built-in power boost applies in reverse.
9.7 kt
Acceleration 0-90%
ƒTime to reach 90% of top speed (32.4 kt of 36.0 kt).
16.5 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (35.6 kt of 36.0 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.
27.5 s
Guns in a full turn
ƒWith the rudder hard over the hull turns 7.0°/s, so a target drifts across the bow at that rate. Turret traverse minus hull turn: 8 − 7.0 = +1.0°/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 (+1.0°/s spare)
Concealment
Detectability by sea
ƒBase value, no camouflage. With a Grade IV permanent camo (or any disposable camo): 6.8 km x 0.955 = 6.49 km. Camouflage does not change detectability by air.
6.8 km
With Grade IV camouflage (sea)
ƒDetectability by sea 6.8 km x 0.955 (Grade IV permanent camo or any disposable camo) = 6.49 km.
6.49 km
Detectability by air3.4 km
Smoke firing penalty2.94 km
Detect when firing (sea)
ƒmax(main battery range, sea detectability 6.8 km) = 10.44 km. Equal to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach.
10.44 km
Detect when firing (air)
ƒAir detectability 3.4 km + gun-firing bloom 3 km = 6.4 km. The bloom tracks main-battery caliber 150 mm × 0.020 = 3 km.
6.4 km
Detect when on fire (sea)
ƒSea detectability 6.8 km + 2.0 km while burning = 8.8 km.
8.8 km
Detect when on fire (air)
ƒAir detectability 3.4 km + 3.0 km while burning = 6.4 km.
6.4 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
✦
Consumables
Damage Control Party∞ charges · 40 s reload · 5 s active
Smoke Generator2 charges · 240 s reload · 20 s emit / 69 s cloud active · 450 m radius
Engine Boost2 charges · 180 s reload · 120 s active · +8% speed bonus
Sonar2 charges · 180 s reload · 100 s active · 5 km ship detect
ƒDerived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): 167×301000=5 km
· 3.5 km torpedo detect
ƒDerived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): 117×301000=3.5 km

Under the hood

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All values are ship base stats with modifications and upgrade changes denoted inline.

The constants behind the formulas and the long tail: shell and dispersion inputs, fixed-range anchors, salvo math, layered AA. Click the formula chip on any row to see how it is calculated.

Main battery formulas

vs standard DDStandard
The standard destroyer dispersion curve.
Shell scatter width @ 5 km52.5 m
(166.7 × (8 − 0.5) / 1000 + 0.5) × 30 = 52.5 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 km90 m
(333.3 × (8 − 0.5) / 1000 + 0.5) × 30 = 90 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 km25.6 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·Rmax=0.5·10443=5222 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 10443 m. Below the kink: k=0.2+(0.5−0.2)·50005222=0.4873, so σV=σH·k=52.5·0.4873=25.6m.
Shell scatter height @ 10 km53.2 m
How tall the same scatter ellipse is at 10 km. Comparable from ship to ship for the same reason as the width value above. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data: radiusOnZero=0.2 at 0 m, radiusOnDelim=0.5 at delim·Rmax=0.5·10443=5222 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 10443 m. Above the kink: k=0.5+(0.6−0.5)·10000−522210443−5222=0.5915, so σV=σH·k=90·0.5915=53.2m.
AP pen 5 km133 mm
AP penetration at a fixed 5 km, from the same ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the AP formula P=10−7·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v1.38 =10−7·1933·45.30.69·0.15−1.07·5801.38=133mm, where 580 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 5 km (from 835 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 km83 mm
AP penetration at a fixed 10 km, from the same ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the AP formula P=10−7·K·m0.69·d−1.07·v1.38 =10−7·1933·45.30.69·0.15−1.07·412.51.38=83mm, where 412.5 m/s is the shell's speed when it arrives at 10 km (from 835 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 km6.36 s
How long an AP shell takes to reach a target at a fixed 10 km, from the same numerically integrated trajectory the Charts card plots. The shell slows under quadratic air drag, adrag=kρv2, where ρ is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and k bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass: k=πCdd28m=π·0.3059·0.1528·45.3=5.97×10−5. That runs from a 835 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 km6.36 s
How long an HE shell takes to reach a target at a fixed 10 km, from the same numerically integrated trajectory the Charts card plots. The shell slows under quadratic air drag, adrag=kρv2, where ρ is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and k bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass: k=πCdd28m=π·0.3059·0.1528·45.3=5.97×10−5. That runs from a 835 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)4
3 mounts × 1.33 barrels = 4; all 4 bear on the broadside.

Model inputs

Krupp (AP)1,933
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 mass45.3 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 coefficient0.3059
Air drag on the AP shell in flight; lower keeps velocity, and with it penetration, at long range.
AP muzzle velocity835 m/s
Starting speed of the AP shell; penetration scales with velocity^1.38.
HE muzzle velocity835 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.
minRadius0.5
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.

Torpedoes

Estimated torpedo reaction time7.4 s
1300 m / (65.0 kt × 2.6855) = 7.4 s. detectability / (speed kt x 2.6855 m/s per knot on the game clock).
Torpedo speed65.0 kt
Travel time to max range48.6 s
8490 m / (65.0 kt × 2.6855) = 48.6 s. range / (speed kt x 2.6855 m/s per knot on the game clock).
Tube count8
2 launchers × 4 tubes.
Per-side salvo8 torpedoes
2 launchers × 4 tubes = 8, all to either side (centreline launchers train across - full salvo to either side).
Full-salvo damage107,200
All tubes hitting one target: tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 8 x 13,400 = 107,200. Each hit on the target's torpedo belt is reduced by its torpedo protection %.

AA defense

AA DPS at max range140
Only families that reach 3.5 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 37mm SKC 30 twin 2x2 -> 35 DPS @ 3.5 km; 37mm Flak M42 2x1 -> 35 DPS @ 3.5 km; 37mm Flak M42 Zwilling 4x2 -> 70 DPS @ 3.5 km; 20mm Flack 38 quad 2x4 -> 27 DPS @ 2 km; 20mm Flak 38 2x2 -> 27 DPS @ 2 km.
AA DPS layered by range140 DPS @ 3.5 km, 194 DPS @ 2 km
@ 3.5 km: 35 + 35 + 70 = 140; @ 2 km: 35 + 35 + 70 + 27 + 27 = 194. 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-blank194
35 + 35 + 70 + 27 + 27 = 194 DPS: the sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (2 km).
AA threat index598
35 × 3.5 + 35 × 3.5 + 70 × 3.5 + 27 × 2 + 27 × 2 = 598. 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
Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Background

The last sister ship of destroyer Z-23 belonged to a series of ships laid down after the start of World War II (Type 1936A Mob). She carried 150 mm guns. Between 1944–1945, the ship underwent an overhaul which saw the considerable reinforcement of her AA defenses. This, however, required that one of the ship's main guns be demounted.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 19,600, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds.

Bow & stern16 mm

Overmatched by 126+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Farming16 mm

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

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow16 mm primary (range 15–16 mm)2,700 (14% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Graf Spee, Scharnhorst)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)16 mm14,700 (75% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Graf Spee, Scharnhorst)Angle bounces 203mm16 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern16 mm primary (range 15–16 mm)1,800 (9% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Graf Spee, Scharnhorst)Angle bounces 203mm16 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel16 mm primary (range 10–16 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.
Turret (module, per magazine)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP9,800 magazine HPTurret knocked outPer-turret powder-magazine HP, a separate pool that does not drain ship HP. As it is worn down the turret is likelier to be knocked out, and a smaller pool gets there faster.
AA mount (37 mm mount)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP200 per-mount HPDestroyed at 0 HPPer-mount HP for the heaviest AA on this ship. An AA mount destroyed at 0 HP stops shooting down planes for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. HE shells specifically target AA mounts since the small-caliber HP pool falls fast.
Rudder (module)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP5,900 module HPIncapacitated at 0 HPWhen module HP reaches 0 the rudder locks at its current angle until DCP repairs it. Repair via Damage Control Party.

Saturation cap = HP a section can absorb before further damage to it is reduced (the "bow-tank" effect). Citadel pool is ~165k on every ship (effectively no cap); damage is gated by pen/over-pen multipliers instead. Superstructure saturates fast but HE always pens regardless of the plate thickness. Rudder (and other module HPs) are a separate pool from ship HP: damaging a module doesn't drain ship HP. Incapacitated modules like the rudder and engine are restored by DCP, but secondary and AA mounts destroyed at 0 HP stay out for the rest of the battle.

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Z-39 can equip.

  • Z-39 default exterior
    DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior

Primary official WG sources

GamingDiver has indexed official WG mentions for this ship, but none are focused enough to show as a primary source card here. Low-context list, crate, comparison, or passing mentions are intentionally filtered out.

Source status No high-context source card yet Filtered for precision