World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Belfast

Also called: 贝尔法斯特 Beta
U.K. · Tier VI · CL Cruiser · Premium
HE fire-spam cruiserGuns farm HE fires and sustained DPM; Surveillance Radar sets cap fights on top.
Playstyle
  • Hold 12-15 km from a contested cap with an island close enough to break sightline when focus shifts
  • Avoid: Using radar like a destroyer hunter rather than a position tool
Key characteristics
Strong secondaries (5 km)Radar (8.49 km)Lobs over islandsSmoke + SonarDefensive AASluggish for the tonnage
On this page
Community Data

Belfast Community Stats

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

Log in & upload to see Community Data

Playstyle

Overview

Belfast is a Tier VI British light cruiser whose 152mm guns farm HE fires and sustained DPM. Surveillance Radar (8.5 km) is the cap-control consumable on top, so she sets fights as well as winning them. Standout traits: top-decile quick acceleration in T6 CAs (9.7 s) and top-decile lingering smoke in T6 CAs (103 s).

Positioning

Hold 12-15 km from a contested cap with an island close enough to break sightline when focus shifts. Push the radar forward only once the destroyer fight is yours; burning the drop to fish for a lone DD kill leaves the next push with no answer to smoke or vision. 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 5.4 km, and a destroyer here is spotted at about 6.9 km, so you see it coming with roughly 1.5 km to spare. Vision is mutual: past the 2 km guaranteed ring you cannot see out either, but your own Radar (8.5 km) reads through it, so you can find targets instead of borrowing them. Enemy sonar (about 4.2 km) and radar (about 9 km) read straight in regardless. At 600 m the screen is wider than standard, so it can cover a teammate holding the same line as well as your own hull. With 9.6 s on the rudder she starts turning late, so the angle has to be set before you are shot at.

Potato Avoidance

Using radar like a destroyer hunter rather than a position tool

The consumable's value is locking down a cap your team can take, not stealing a single salvo on a lone DD. Burn it early to fish for a kill and the next push has no answer to smoke or vision. Yours reaches 8.5 km for 25 s, which is the whole window your team gets to act on what it shows.

Signature Traits

Surveillance Radar

8.49 km range, 25 s duration. Detects all enemy ships within a fixed radius regardless of line-of-sight. Breaks smoke camps and wins the opening of a cap fight.

Long-duration radar

25 s Surveillance Radar duration, best of the 8 T6 CAs with radar. Keeps caps lit longer.

Quick acceleration

~9.7 s to 90% of top speed, top decile of T6 CAs. Rebuilds speed quickly after a turn or stop, and sustains acceleration through the mid-range.

Lingering smoke

103 s smoke cloud linger, top decile of T6 CAs. Each puff stays up longer after you stop laying it, holding the shield.

Fire-starter cruiser

Fires per minute in the top bracket. Keeps enemy DCP burning on cooldown.

MIXED MOBILITY
  • Sluggish for the tonnage · 5.83 hp
  • Bleeds speed in turns · 117.6 hp
Acquisition

How to get Belfast

Belfast is a Premium ship and not available to unlock in the Tech Tree. Acquisition paths: Containers, Doubloons, and Campaign. 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.

Best listed chance for this ship

  • Super VI crate 4% One of the Tier VI Premium ships Event · Super VI crate · 1 of 25 ships
  • Santa Level 5 0.909091% Superprize: Premium Ship Archived · Santa Level 5 · 1 of 11 ships
  • Spectral Vault 5.0 0.448718% Tier VI Premium ship Archived · Spectral Vault 5.0 · 1 of 39 ships
Show all 17 containers (14 more)
  • Santa Level 4 0.272727% Superprize: Premium Ship Archived · Santa Level 4 · 2 paths combined · 1 of 11 ships
    Show 2 paths
    • Santa Level 40.181818%
    • Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.090909%
  • 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%
  • 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%
  • Mystic Lantern 0.104651% Tier VI Premium ship Event · Mystic Lantern · 1 of 43 ships
  • Santa Level 3 0.090909% Superprize: Premium Ship Archived · Santa Level 3 · 4 paths combined · 1 of 11 ships
    Show 4 paths
    • Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 50.045455%
    • Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 40.027273%
    • Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.013636%
    • Santa Level 30.004545%
  • 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%
  • Santa Level 2 0.027273% Superprize: Premium Ship Archived · Santa Level 2 · 6 paths combined · 1 of 11 ships
    Show 6 paths
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 40.009091%
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 50.006818%
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.004545%
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 40.004091%
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.002045%
    • Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 30.000682%
  • Champion's Box 0.018182% Superprize: Premium Ship Archived · Champion's Box · 4 paths combined · 1 of 11 ships
    Show 4 paths
    • Champion's Box → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 50.009091%
    • Champion's Box → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 40.005455%
    • Champion's Box → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.002727%
    • Champion's Box → Santa Level 30.000909%
  • Mega Santa '23 0.01% Superprize: Premium Ship Archived · Mega Santa '23 · 1 of 10 ships
  • Santa Level 1 0.006591% Superprize: Premium Ship Archived · Santa Level 1 · 8 paths combined · 1 of 11 ships
    Show 8 paths
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 50.002273%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 40.001364%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 50.001023%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.000682%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 40.000614%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 3 → Santa Level 4 → Santa Level 50.000307%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 30.000227%
    • Santa Level 1 → Santa Level 2 → Santa Level 30.000102%
  • 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
  • Super Santa '23 0.0013% Superprize: Premium Ship Archived · Super Santa '23 · 1 of 10 ships
  • Ultimate Crate 0.00013% Superprize: Premium Ship Archived · Ultimate Crate → Super Santa '23 · 1 of 10 ships
Official WG availability sources
  • Back to Belfast Campaign Breakdown Campaign Start: 2022-05-16 · End: 2022-06-19 Official campaign breakdown naming this ship as a campaign/reward-context ship; explicit source windows are used when present, otherwise the end date is inferred from the next indexed campaign breakdown when available.
  • Autumn Update: In the Shadow of Leaves Patch/update availability Start: 2022-08-25 · End: open/unknown end Official update notes with ship availability, release, store, event, or tech-tree context.
  • Official WoWS Legends container odds Containers Official container drop rows linked below include direct and nested effective ship odds.
  • Through the Spy Glass: Belfast '43 Ship feature / release Start: 2022-05-17 · End: open/unknown end Official Through the Spy Glass feature for this ship; useful as a release/availability source, but not a guaranteed current-store listing.
  • Through the Spy Glass: HMS Plymouth Ship feature / release Start: 2022-09-20 · End: open/unknown end Official Through the Spy Glass feature for this ship; useful as a release/availability source, but not a guaranteed current-store listing.
  • Through the Spy Glass: HMS Cossack '38 Ship feature / release Start: 2022-10-31 · End: open/unknown end Official Through the Spy Glass feature for this ship; useful as a release/availability source, but not a guaranteed current-store listing.
  • Through the Spy Glass: Hector Ship feature / release Start: 2025-09-09 · End: open/unknown end Official Through the Spy Glass feature for this ship; useful as a release/availability source, but not a guaranteed current-store listing.
  • February 2020 Update Patchnotes 2,500 Doubloons 2020-01-30
Show direct source rows

Want the full picture? Each container page charts the odds as you open more crates - including pity guaranteed-reward timers and, for GD Supporters, pack math personalized to your port.

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.

Cohort position

Hide

Where Belfast sits among Tier VI CAs (42 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.

Top 10%Acceleration9.7 s (4/43) Top 10%Turn speed retained92.9% (3/43) Top 25%Smoke fire bloom5.37 km (7/43) Top 25%Air detection6.89 km (10/43) Top 25%Main battery reload7.5 s (9/43) Top 25%Fires per minute8.64 (7/36) Top 25%HE DPM201,600 (7/36) Top 25%AP DPM297,600 (7/42) Top 25%Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)266,211 (8/36) Top 25%Secondary range5 km (7/38) Top 25%AA threat1,226 (11/43) Bottom 25%Engine power80,000 hp (35/43) Bottom 25%AP pen at 10 km122 mm (34/42) Bottom 10%Turn-speed retention117.6 hp/m (41/43) Bottom 10%Power-to-weight5.83 hp/t (42/43) WorstNo torpedoes (10 of 43 in cohort) WorstEnd plates13 mm (1 of 5 tied / 1 of 5 tied)
See 28 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Belfast -- 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 points35,700 HP(16/43) Max speed32.5 kt(28/43) Concealment11.48 km(12/43) Rudder shift9.6 s(33/43) Turning circle680 m(21/43) Traverse-to-turn ratio4.97 ×(20/43) Main battery caliber152 mm(31/43) Main battery range14.72 km(30/43) Sigma2(23/43) Main dispersion134.5 m(16/43) Secondary DPM (per side)120,000(13/38) Secondary HE alpha1,500(21/38) Secondary fire chance6%(23/38) Secondary HE pen17 mm(27/38) AP velocity841 m/s(23/42) HE velocity841 m/s(19/36) AP fuse timer0.03 s(26/42) AP arming threshold25 mm(13/42) Displacement13,720 t(26/43) AA DPS315(14/43) AA range5 km(15/43) Flak per wave (expected)900(15/42) Max armor114 mm(23/43) Citadel belt114 mm(19/43) Deck armor63 mm(17/42) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(37 of 38 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(32 of 42 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(31 of 42 tied at this value)
Survivability
Hit Points35,700
Displacement13,720 t
Hull dimensions
ƒLength x beam at the waterline, with the hull's draft where the client carries one. Ships whose client entry holds only the 260 x 20 m placeholder use a curated real-world figure instead, and any ship we have no trustworthy size for omits this row rather than print the placeholder. Length matters when dodging torpedoes; beam and draft shape how hard the ship is to hit.
187 x 19.3 m (published figure)
Armor range6–114 mm
Plate armor thicknesses6, 10, 13, 16, 19, 20, 25, 37, 51, 63, 76, 114 mm
Armor material/layer entries34
Fire resistance
ƒDoes not reduce the damage a burning fire does per second: replay-measured burn ticks run at the full rate on every ship. By elimination it lowers how often hits set you on fire; ignition-rate replay data is consistent with that but too confounded by attacker mix to measure the reduction directly.
30%
Fire duration30 s
Fire damage
ƒEach fire ticks 0.3% of max HP per second for the full 30 s, so one unattended fire burns 9% of the pool (3,213 HP on this ship). 4 fire points can burn at once. Verified against measured burn ticks in replay data.
0.3% of HP per second
Flood duration40 s
Flood damage
ƒA flood ticks 0.25% of max HP per second for the 40 s duration, so one unattended flood costs 10% of the pool (3,570 HP on this ship). Verified against measured flood ticks in replay data.
0.25% of HP per second
Torp Reduction
ƒReduces torpedo hit damage. Replay data shows no effect on floods: flood ticks run at the full rate and flood frequency does not decline with protection.
4%
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.
17,900
Steering gear HP
ƒDurability of the steering gears. As this pool drops, hits are likelier to jam the rudder; unlike most modules the steering can be knocked out and repaired but is never permanently destroyed.
10,700
Repairable: penetration50%
Repairable: citadel10%
Repairable: steering gear50%
Main Battery
ModuleArtillery: 152 mm/50 Mk XXIII
Mounts / barrels4 mounts / 12 barrels
Reload time
patched
  1. baseline7.5
    In-game data
  2. 2022-08-258.5
    Autumn Update: In the Shadow of Leaves Main battery reload time decreased from 9.5 s to 8.5 s.
  3. 2024-08-018
    Anniversary Update: Champion's Journey Main battery reload time reduced from 8.5 to 8 seconds.
8 s
Firing range14.7 km
Turret traverse7 °/s
Turret armor102 mm
Turret traverse arcs
ƒHow far each mount can train, in degrees to either side of the mount's own facing, read from in-game data. 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.
±141°, ±144°, ±137°, ±142°
Guns to bear
ƒHow 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. Mount facing is inferred from turret stations and verified against known layouts, including Izumo's aft-facing forward turret.
38° off bow / 43° off stern
HE fire DPM vs T6 BB60573
Effective HE DPM vs T6 BB249573
Shell Grouping (σ)2
Max Horiz Disp
ƒHorizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model: σH=(R30·idealRadiusminRadiusidealDistance+minRadius)·30 =(1471730·81.11000+1.1)·30=134.5m
134.5 m at 14.7 km
Max Vert Disp
ƒVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: σV=σH·radiusOnMax =134.5·0.6=80.7m
80.7 m at 14.7 km
Med Horiz Disp
ƒ50%-hit horizontal radius: σH,50=σH·0.6σ =134.5·0.62=40.4m
40.4 m at 14.7 km
Med Vert Disp
ƒ50%-hit vertical radius: σV,50=σV·0.6σ =80.7·0.62=24.2m
24.2 m at 14.7 km
Turret turn time
ƒ180 degrees / 7 deg/s traverse speed = 25.7 s.
25.7 s
Shells/min
ƒ12 broadside guns x 60 / 8 s base reload = 90.
90
HE shells
HE Damage2,100
HE Velocity841 m/s
Fire Chance9%
HE penetration
ƒ25 mm ≈ 152 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).
25 mm
HE full-salvo alpha
ƒ2,100 HE damage x 12 broadside guns = 25,200.
25,200
HE DPM
ƒ25,200 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 8 s base reload = 189,000.
189,000
Fires/min
ƒ90 shells/min x 9% fire chance = 8.1.
8.1
AP shells
AP Damage3,100
AP Velocity841 m/s
Min Ricochet45 deg
Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg
Fuse Timer0.025 s
Fuse Threshold25 mm
AP overmatch
ƒfloor(152 mm caliber / 14.3) = 10 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
10 mm
AP Pen Close
ƒCanonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: P=107·K·m0.69·d1.07·v01.38 =107·2609·50.80.69·0.1521.07·8411.38=320mm. Matches the in-game spec card.
320 mm point-blank
AP Pen Far
ƒSame formula at the ship's max firing range (14.7 km), where the shell has slowed to 329.1 m/s: P=107·2609·50.80.69·0.1521.07·329.11.38=87.7mm.
87.7 mm at 14.7 km
AP full-salvo alpha
ƒ3,100 AP damage x 12 broadside guns = 37,200.
37,200
AP DPM
ƒ37,200 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 8 s base reload = 279,000.
279,000
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
AA Defense
AA mount points6
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.
5 km
40 mm Bofors Mk V RP506×2 40mm
102 mm/45 QF RP51 Mk XVIV* (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.
4×2 102mm
Far aura
Guns102 mm/45 QF RP51 Mk XVIV* (DP)
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS in in-game units (raw aura damage × 3.5 × hit probability, summed per contributing aura) - matches the Close-range AA DPS headline's currency. Includes 82 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
82
Range5 km
Medium aura
Guns40 mm Bofors Mk V RP50
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 74 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.9 hit probability = 233 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
233
Range3.5 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 82 + Medium 233 = 315
315
Flak bursts
Bursts
ƒEach ~2 s wave fires 2 quick salvos of 2 clouds ahead of the attacking squadron, plus 1 stray cloud farther out that appear off-beat between waves - up to 5 clouds per wave × 200 damage each. Planes that fly into a cloud take its damage; clouds dissipate before the next wave lands. Defensive AA Fire, where fitted, multiplies the salvo repeats within each wave.
2 salvos × 2 clouds + 1 outer
Cloud damage
ƒDamage a plane takes for flying into one flak cloud, before any reductions.
200
Cloud spawn chance
ƒEach cloud in the pattern rolls this chance to spawn, so waves 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%
Wave rate
ƒA flak wave spawns roughly every 2 s - timed frame-by-frame from gameplay footage and consistent across ships.
every ~2 s
Fired by
ƒFlak keeps firing while at least one secondary battery mount is operational - even losing every other AA mount does not stop it.
Secondary battery
Flak zone
ƒThe activation band: flak fires while attacking planes are inside it. Clouds are placed ahead of the planes' path, so bursts can land short of 2.5 km or past 5 km - once planes get inside the band, new waves stop. AA range bonuses push the outer edge out; the 2.5 km inner edge does not move.
2.5-5 km
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts4
Firing range5.0 km
Shell Grouping (σ)1
102 mm/45 QF RP51 Mk XVIV* (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.
4×2 102mm
Caliber102 mm
Reload time3 s
HE Damage1,500
Muzzle Velocity811 m/s
Fire Chance6%
Armor Pen17 mm
Secondary dispersion type
ƒMax dispersion = range (km) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.
Standard
Max secondary dispersion @ 5 km
ƒ5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.
315 m
Maneuverability
Engine power80,000 hp
Maximum speed32.5 kt
Turning circle radius680 m
Rudder shift time9.6 s
Engine power-boost threshold30.2 kt
Engine spool-up time15.3 s
Reverse spool-up time7.7 s
Reverse speed
ƒtop speed / 4 + 4.9 = 32.5 / 4 + 4.9 = 13 kt. The community reverse-speed model from the WoWs ShipBuilder project, the same source as the acceleration model on this card. Base value; speed modifiers scale it. Not shown on the in-game card.
13 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. Same community-model simulation as the acceleration times, using the ship's own reverse-power ratio from in-game data. The full curve is on the acceleration chart.
29.3 s
Engine boost threshold (reverse)
ƒSpeed below which the engine's built-in power boost applies in reverse. Matches the in-game maneuverability card's reverse threshold (Vampire II reads 10.5 here and the card shows 11; the card rounds half up).
9.2 kt
Acceleration 0-90%
ƒTime to reach 90% of top speed (29.2 kt of 32.5 kt), from our in-house acceleration model.
9.7 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime 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.
29.6 s
Traverse-to-turn ratio
ƒHow many degrees the turret can swing for each degree the hull turns. Turn rate ωhull=180π·Vmax(m/s)Rturn=180π·32.5·0.5144680=1.41°/s, so ratio=ωturretωhull=71.41=5.0×. Below 5 the turrets drag in a turning fight; 25+ keeps up with any rudder.
5.0× drags
Concealment
Detectability by sea11.48 km
Detectability by air6.89 km
Smoke firing penalty5.37 km
Detect when firing (sea)
ƒEqual to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach. Matches the in-game 'Detect Firing Sea' value on all 8 unmodified captures, and range-modified captures track the modified range.
14.72 km
Detect when firing (air)
ƒAir detectability plus the gun-firing bloom (3.04 km, which tracks main-battery caliber x 0.020). Matches the in-game 'Detect Firing Air' value on every captured ship.
9.93 km
Detect when on fire (sea)
ƒBase sea detectability + 2.0 km while burning; matches the in-game 'Detect Fire Sea' value on every captured ship.
13.48 km
Detect when on fire (air)
ƒBase air detectability + 3.0 km while burning; matches the in-game 'Detect Fire Air' value on every captured ship.
9.89 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
Consumables
Damage Control Party∞ charges · 60 s reload · 5 s active
Choose one
Sonar2 charges · 180 s reload · 94 s active · 4.2 km ship detect
ƒDerived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): 140×301000=4.2 km
· 2.97 km torpedo detect
ƒDerived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): 99×301000=2.97 km
Defensive AA Fire3 charges · 140 s reload · 25 s active · ×2 flak burst boost
ƒRepeats the flak burst pattern ×2 within each wave - more clouds in the air over the wave, at the same spots.
Smoke Generator2 charges · 240 s reload · 15 s emit / 103 s cloud active · 600 m radius
Surveillance Radar2 charges · 180 s reload · 25 s active · 8.49 km radar range
ƒDerived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): 283×301000=8.49 km

See all derived stats

Show

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

Numbers the spec table cannot show directly: alpha-strike math, DPM, dispersion, AP penetration. Click the formula chip on any row to reveal how it is calculated.

Main battery formulas

Shell Grouping (σ)2
Max Horiz Disp134.5 m at 14.7 km
Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model: σH=(R30·idealRadiusminRadiusidealDistance+minRadius)·30 =(1471730·81.11000+1.1)·30=134.5m
Shell scatter width @ 5 km67.5 m
Horizontal scatter at a fixed 5 km, from the same verified dispersion model as the rows below - a knife-fight-range anchor comparable across ships.
Shell scatter width @ 10 km102 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.
Max Vert Disp80.7 m at 14.7 km
Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: σV=σH·radiusOnMax =134.5·0.6=80.7m
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·Rmax=0.5·14717=7358 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 14717 m. Above the kink: k=0.5+(0.60.5)·100007358147177358=0.5359, so σV=σH·k=102·0.5359=54.7m.
Med Horiz Disp40.4 m at 14.7 km
50%-hit horizontal radius: σH,50=σH·0.6σ =134.5·0.62=40.4m
Med Vert Disp24.2 m at 14.7 km
50%-hit vertical radius: σV,50=σV·0.6σ =80.7·0.62=24.2m
AP Pen Close320 mm point-blank
Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: P=107·K·m0.69·d1.07·v01.38 =107·2609·50.80.69·0.1521.07·8411.38=320mm. Matches the in-game spec card.
AP Pen Far87.7 mm at 14.7 km
Same formula at the ship's max firing range (14.7 km), where the shell has slowed to 329.1 m/s: P=107·2609·50.80.69·0.1521.07·329.11.38=87.7mm.
AP pen 5 km195 mm
AP penetration at a fixed 5 km, read off the same PC-validated ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the canonical community AP formula P=107·K·m0.69·d1.07·v1.38. Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.
AP pen 10 km122 mm
AP penetration at a fixed 10 km, read off the same PC-validated ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the canonical community AP formula P=107·K·m0.69·d1.07·v1.38. Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.
HE flight time @ 10 km6.28 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·0.3297·0.15228·50.8=5.89×105. That runs from a 841 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77: the game clock runs faster than real time, and that factor was measured against stopwatch runs in the Training Room. Lower is better, since a faster shell is harder to dodge and needs less lead.
AP flight time @ 10 km6.28 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·0.3297·0.15228·50.8=5.89×105. That runs from a 841 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77: the game clock runs faster than real time, and that factor was measured against stopwatch runs in the Training Room. Lower is better, since a faster shell is harder to dodge and needs less lead.
HE penetration25 mm
25 mm ≈ 152 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).
AP overmatch10 mm
floor(152 mm caliber / 14.3) = 10 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
AP AOE Radius15
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.
Broadside guns used for alpha12
All 12 barrels bear on the broadside.
Turret turn time25.7 s
180 degrees / 7 deg/s traverse speed = 25.7 s.
HE full-salvo alpha25,200
2,100 HE damage x 12 broadside guns = 25,200.
AP full-salvo alpha37,200
3,100 AP damage x 12 broadside guns = 37,200.
HE DPM189,000
25,200 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 8 s base reload = 189,000.
AP DPM279,000
37,200 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 8 s base reload = 279,000.
Shells/min90
12 broadside guns x 60 / 8 s base reload = 90.
Fires/min8.1
90 shells/min x 9% fire chance = 8.1.

AA defense

AA DPS at max range82
Only families that reach 5 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 40MM BOFORS 5 RP50 6x2 -> 233 DPS @ 3.5 km; 4IN45 XIX M 4x2 -> 82 DPS @ 5 km.
Maximum AA range5 km
Longest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 3.5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.
AA DPS layered by range82 DPS @ 5 km, 315 DPS @ 3.5 km
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-blank315
Sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (3.5 km).
AA threat index1226
SUM over AA auras of (aura DPS x aura range km). A plane crossing the AA bubble is exposed to each aura for a time proportional to that aura's range, so long-reach DPS is worth more than the same DPS in a short bubble. Units: DPS*km; used to rank overall AA threat across the cohort.

Secondary battery dispersion

Secondary dispersion typeStandard
Max dispersion = range (km) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.
Max secondary dispersion @ 5 km315 m
5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.

Secondary battery firepower

Secondary DPM (per side)120,000
Sum across all secondary families of (per-side barrels × 60 / reload_s × alpha), where per-side barrels = mounts × barrels-per-mount / 2 (the guns that bear on one broadside target). Per-family: 4×2 102 mm (4/side) × 60/3 × 1500 = 120,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
Max HE alpha1500
Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1500 from the 102 mm family.
Max HE fire chance6%
Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 6% from the 102 mm family.
Max HE pen17 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: 17 mm from the 102 mm family.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 35,700, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds. HP caps are the exact in-game values, not estimated.

Bow & stern13 mm

Overmatched by 179+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Belt / citadel114 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 30%, fires burn 30s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow13 mm primary (range 13–20 mm)1,200 (3% of HP)
Overmatched by 203mm+ AP (Aoba, Baleares)Angle bounces 152mm13 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)37 mm primary (range 19–37 mm)30,000 (84% of HP)
No common AP caliber overmatches37 mm: most HE shatters, standard pen from 283mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern13 mm primary (range 13–20 mm)1,200 (3% of HP)
Overmatched by 203mm+ AP (Aoba, Baleares)Angle bounces 152mm13 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel114 mm primary (range 10–114 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.
Superstructure6 mm primary (range 6–114 mm)4,400 (12% 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 HP19,200 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.
Secondary mount (102 mm mount)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP800 per-mount HPDestroyed at 0 HPPer-mount HP for the heaviest secondary on this ship. A mount destroyed at 0 HP is out for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. Smaller (lighter-caliber) secondaries typically share the same HP value.
AA mount (40 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 HP12,000 module HPIncapacitated at 0 HPWhen module HP reaches 0 the rudder locks at its current angle until DCP repairs it. Repair via Damage Control Party.

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

Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Balance History

Balance updates affecting Belfast. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.

Buff ×6Rework ×1Main Battery ×4Consumable ×1
2025-05-15

Ministry of Balance: New Horizons, Greater Heights

  • The "Superior HE Pen." ship trait has been replaced with Reloader. This doesn't affect the ship's performance.
Read the full official post
2024-08-01

Anniversary Update: Champion's Journey

  • Main battery reload time reduced from 8.5 to 8 seconds.
  • Main battery maximum firing range increased from 15.3 to 15.5 km.
  • Ship HP increased from 38,400 to 40,000.
Read the full official post
2022-08-25

Autumn Update: In the Shadow of Leaves

  • Main battery reload time decreased from 9.5 s to 8.5 s.
  • Fire-setting chances for HE shells increased from 9% to 11%.
  • Smoke Generator consumable duration increased from 15 s to 20 s.
Read the full official post

Historical context

The real HMS Belfast that gave this ship her name. Facts cross-checked against the linked Wikipedia article.

ClassTown-class light cruiser (Edinburgh sub-class)
OperatorRoyal Navy (United Kingdom)
Era1939–1963
WarsWorld War II, Korean War
BuilderHarland & Wolff, Belfast
Launched17 March 1938
Commissioned5 August 1939
DeploymentsStruck a German magnetic mine in November 1939 and was out of action for over two years before returning to full service in 1942.

Notable engagements

  • Battle of the North Cape (26 December 1943) - Played a key role in the engagement that sank Scharnhorst.
  • D-Day naval bombardment (6 June 1944) - Supported British and Canadian forces landing on Gold and Juno beaches.
  • Korean War combat operations (1950–1952) - Two deployments off the Korean peninsula.

Fate

Decommissioned 1963. Now a museum ship moored on the River Thames in central London, operated by the Imperial War Museums.

Read more on Wikipedia ↗

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Belfast can equip, from in-game data.

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.