World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Delaware

Also called: 特拉华 Beta
Airstrike battleshipAirstrikes hit without line of sight; bait broadsides, then cash in with the mains.
Playstyle
  • Park 14-17 km from a contested cap with island cover within one rotation of your bow
  • The airstrike line wants to cross the cap and the predictable retreat lane
  • Avoid: Launching airstrikes at maneuvering targets
Key characteristics
Lobs over islandsSpotter planeLong DCP windowLong fighter loiterLong spotter loiterSoft superstructure
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Community Data

Delaware Community Stats

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Playstyle

Overview

Delaware is the Tier VIII American airstrike battleship. Her alt-armament fires a torpedo-bomber airstrike in place of shipborne torpedoes: the planes drop a spread of aerial torpedoes on the marked lane, a damage source that does not need line of sight on top of her main battery. Standout traits: best DCP duration in T8 BBs (20 s) and best Catapult Fighter duration in T8 BBs (150 s).

Positioning

Park 14-17 km from a contested cap with island cover within one rotation of your bow. The airstrike line wants to cross the cap and the predictable retreat lane, both of which favor positions a little further back than a brawler would take. Open-water lanes are pure downside; you do not need line of sight to score with the airstrike, so cover is free upside.

Potato Avoidance

Launching airstrikes at maneuvering targets

The squadron's travel time is long enough that a healthy DD or cruiser with engine boost simply turns out of the cone. Reserve strikes for capping destroyers, island-huggers, and anyone already tying up with a teammate.

Signature Traits

Airstrike alt-armament

The alt-armament fires a bomber line in place of torpedoes. Rewards behind-cover positioning with the cap in range.

Long DCP window

20 s Damage Control duration, best of T8 BBs. Stays fire / flood immune longer per activation.

Long fighter loiter

150 s Catapult Fighter active time, best of T8 BBs.

Long spotter loiter

40 s Observation Seaplane duration, best of T8 BBs. Spotting + tighter shell grouping stays up longer.

ELITE MOBILITY
  • Fast for the class · 33 kt
  • Holds speed in turns · 230.4 hp
Soft superstructure

6 mm superstructure, bottom decile of T8 BBs. HE farms harder.

Acquisition

How to get Delaware

Delaware is available in the Aviation Battleships branch of the U.S. Tech Tree for 25,000,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 5,000,000 credits. Official source cards below may also show its temporary Early Access window before it became a normal Tech Tree unlock. 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.

Show U.S.A. tech-tree branch diagram
U.S. Tech Tree

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

U.S. hybrid battleships offer unique torpedo airstrike capabilities compared to conventional battleships, but they make large targets and have more limited gunnery abilities as a trade-off.
Advantages
Torpedo Airstrike, Large HP pool
Disadvantages
Low-velocity shells, Limited main battery firing angles, Large target

Best listed chance for this ship

Official WG availability sources
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.

Joseph Reeves

Airstrike specialist

Reeves carries the full airstrike skill suite (Bird's Eye View range, Sea Wings cruise speed, Naval Aviator torpedo speed + damage, Iron Feathers plane HP). Hawke's Big Game Hunter trait stacks more damage onto airstrikes against BB / CA / CV targets; Worf's Sky Attack trait adds damage to every projectile your aircraft drop (no target restriction). Main battery still does the heavy lifting at range; treat the airstrike as a bonus damage window against committed targets or anyone behind cover.

Joseph Reeves

Cooldown spam

Same Reeves skill spine. Riker's Number One trait shaves airstrike cooldown so the squadron is up more often; Hawke's Big Game Hunter trait stacks damage onto the more-frequent strikes against BB / CA / CV targets. Trade a bit of per-strike specialization for more strikes per match. Pairs well when you can park behind island cover with main guns up.

Open in Build Tool →

Commanders frequently paired with this ship Joseph ReevesJonathan HawkeCommander Riker

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Cohort position

Hide

Where Delaware sits among Tier VIII BBs (31 ships). Notable standouts are shown first; the rest of the cohort-ranked stats are in the expand below. Acquisition variants (Black Friday, Founders Edition) are counted once with their base ship, not as separate peers.

BestAA threat3,140 (1/32) Top 10%Max speed33 kt (2/32) Top 25%Air detection12.38 km (9/32) Top 25%Engine power212,000 hp (6/32) Top 25%Turn-speed retention230.4 hp/m (5/32) Top 25%Power-to-weight3.59 hp/t (5/32) Top 25%AA DPS700 (8/32) Top 25%Flak per wave (expected)1,800 (7/32) Top 25%Max armor439 mm (5/32) Bottom 25%Turning circle920 m (25/32) Bottom 25%Fires per minute6 (27/30) Bottom 25%HE DPM95,000 (27/30) Bottom 25%AP DPM218,333 (29/32) Bottom 25%Secondary DPM (per side)180,000 (25/32) Bottom 25%Secondary HE pen21 mm (27/30) Bottom 25%AP velocity762 m/s (26/32) Bottom 25%Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)144,183 (27/30) Bottom 25%Citadel belt297 mm (25/30) WorstTraverse-to-turn ratio3.78 × (32/32) WorstSecondary fire chance5% (1 of 4 tied) WorstSecondary range5 km (1 of 16 tied) WorstNo torpedoes (25 of 32 in cohort)
See 29 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Delaware -- 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 points75,100 HP(19/32) Concealment15.47 km(10/32) Smoke fire bloom14.92 km(15/32) Rudder shift17.2 s(22/32) Main battery caliber406 mm(18/32) Main battery range17.31 km(12/32) Main battery reload28.8 s(21/32) Sigma1.85(15/32) HE shell damage5,700(19/30) HE fire chance36%(14/30) AP shell damage13,100(10/32) Main dispersion233.1 m(21/32) Secondary HE alpha1,800(23/30) HE velocity820 m/s(17/30) Acceleration36.9 s(20/32) AP arming threshold68 mm(17/32) Displacement59,033 t(22/32) AP pen at 10 km623 mm(13/32) AA range5 km(18/32) Repair charges3(13/32) Deck armor38 mm(22/29) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(25 of 32 tied at this value) NormAP fuse timer0.03 s(29 of 32 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(28 of 32 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(28 of 32 tied at this value) NormTurn speed retained81%(31 of 32 tied at this value) NormRepair heal rate0.5 %/s(23 of 32 tied at this value) NormBow armor32 mm(28 of 30 tied at this value) NormStern armor32 mm(28 of 30 tied at this value)
Survivability
Hit PointsInitial: 68,800 → 75,100
Displacement59,033 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.
270.4 x 46.92 m
Armor range6–439 mm
Plate armor thicknesses6, 16, 19, 25, 32, 38, 50, 51, 58, 76, 127, 142, 152, 157, 163, 181, 184, 216, 287, 297, 307, 343, 439 mm
Armor material/layer entries70
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.
40%
Fire duration60 s
Fire damage
ƒEach fire ticks 0.3% of max HP per second for the full 60 s, so one unattended fire burns 18% of the pool (13,518 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 0.5% of max HP per second for the 40 s duration, so one unattended flood costs 20% of the pool (15,020 HP on this ship). Verified against measured flood ticks in replay data.
0.5% 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.
37%
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.
40,400
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.
22,500
Effective HP
ƒBase 75,100 HP plus everything Repair Party can restore: 0.5%/s x 28 s = 10,514 HP per charge, x3 charges = 31,542 HP. Ceiling, not a prediction: a charge only restores damage actually taken, and only the regeneratable share of it. Across 1,826 players in our replay corpus the median ship realized about half of this, mostly because half the charges go unspent — when Repair Party IS pressed it returns ~97% of the per-charge figure above.
106,642
Repairable: penetration50%
Repairable: citadel10%
Repairable: steering gear50%
Main Battery
ModuleArtillery: 406 mm Mk7
Mounts / barrels3 mounts / 8 barrels
Reload time32 s
Firing range (base)15.7 km
Firing range (top fire control)17.3 km
Turret traverse4 °/s
Turret armor500 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.
2x ±140°, ±135°
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.
45° off bow / 40° off stern
AP pen max range515 mm
HE fire DPM vs T8 BB44265
Effective HE DPM vs T8 BB129765
Shell Grouping (σ)1.85
Max Horiz Disp
ƒHorizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model: σH=(R30·idealRadiusminRadiusidealDistance+minRadius)·30 =(1731430·1221000+2)·30=233.1m
233.1 m at 17.3 km
Max Vert Disp
ƒVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: σV=σH·radiusOnMax =233.1·0.6=139.9m
139.9 m at 17.3 km
Med Horiz Disp
ƒ50%-hit horizontal radius: σH,50=σH·0.6σ =233.1·0.61.85=75.6m
75.6 m at 17.3 km
Med Vert Disp
ƒ50%-hit vertical radius: σV,50=σV·0.6σ =139.9·0.61.85=45.4m
45.4 m at 17.3 km
Turret turn time
ƒ180 degrees / 4 deg/s traverse speed = 45 s.
45 s
Shells/min
ƒZero upgrades: 8 broadside guns x 60 / 32 s base reload = 15. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 8 broadside guns x 60 / 28.8 s all-upgrades reload = 16.7.
Initial: 15 → 16.7
HE shells
HE Damage5,700
HE Velocity820 m/s
Fire Chance36%
HE penetration
ƒ68 mm ≈ 406 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).
68 mm
HE full-salvo alpha
ƒ5,700 HE damage x 8 broadside guns = 45,600.
45,600
HE DPM
ƒZero upgrades: 45,600 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 32 s base reload = 85,500. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 45,600 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 28.8 s all-upgrades reload = 95,000.
Initial: 85,500 → 95,000
Fires/min
ƒZero upgrades: 15 shells/min x 36% fire chance = 5.4. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 16.7 shells/min x 36% fire chance = 6.
Initial: 5.4 → 6
AP shells
AP Damage13,100
AP Velocity762 m/s
Min Ricochet45 deg
Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg
Fuse Timer0.033 s
Fuse Threshold68 mm
AP overmatch
ƒfloor(406 mm caliber / 14.3) = 28 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
28 mm
AP Pen Close
ƒCanonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: P=107·K·m0.69·d1.07·v01.38 =107·2520·12250.69·0.4061.07·7621.38=847.6mm. Matches the in-game spec card.
847.6 mm point-blank
AP Pen Far
ƒSame formula at the ship's max firing range (17.3 km), where the shell has slowed to 530.4 m/s: P=107·2520·12250.69·0.4061.07·530.41.38=514.1mm.
514.1 mm at 17.3 km
AP full-salvo alpha
ƒ13,100 AP damage x 8 broadside guns = 104,800.
104,800
AP DPM
ƒZero upgrades: 104,800 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 32 s base reload = 196,500. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 104,800 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 28.8 s all-upgrades reload = 218,333.
Initial: 196,500 → 218,333
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.
250
Squadrons
Airstrike 1
Plane HP3,250
Plane max speed180 kn
Planes per strike4
Ordnancetorpedo, 6,600 dmg
Flooding chance21%
Charges1
Range13.5 km
Reload90 s
Launch arc-60° to 60°
Airstrike 2
Plane HP3,000
Plane max speed180 kn
Planes per strike4
Ordnancetorpedo, 6,200 dmg
Flooding chance21%
Charges1
Range14 km
Reload90 s
Launch arc-60° to 60°
AA Defense
AA mount points29
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
76.2 mm Mk33 (upgraded hull only)14×2 76mm
20 mm Oerlikon Mk2015×2 20mm
40 mm Bofors Mk2 (stock hull only)2×4 40mm
40 mm Bofors Mk2 (stock hull only)12×4 40mm
127 mm Mk32 (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.
10×2 127mm
Far + Medium aura
Guns127 mm Mk32 (DP) + 76.2 mm Mk33
Far 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 123 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
123
Medium continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 174 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.75 hit probability = 457 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
457
Range5 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 123 + Medium 457 = 580
580
Near aura
Guns20 mm Oerlikon Mk20
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 49 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.7 hit probability = 120 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
Initial: 127 → 120
Range2 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 123 + Medium 457 + Near 120 = 700
700
Flak bursts
Bursts
ƒEach ~2 s wave fires 2 quick salvos of 4 clouds ahead of the attacking squadron, plus 2 stray clouds farther out that appear off-beat between waves - up to 10 clouds per wave × 240 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 × 4 clouds + 2 outer
Cloud damage
ƒDamage a plane takes for flying into one flak cloud, before any reductions.
240
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.
75%
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
Mounts10
Firing range5.0 km
Shell Grouping (σ)1
127 mm Mk32 (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.
10×2 127mm
Caliber127 mm
Reload time6 s
HE Damage1,800
Muzzle Velocity792 m/s
Fire Chance5%
Armor Pen21 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 power212,000 hp
Maximum speed33 kt
Turning circle radius920 m
Rudder shift time17.2 s
Engine power-boost threshold7 kt
Engine spool-up time23 s
Reverse spool-up time11.5 s
Reverse speed
ƒtop speed / 4 + 4.9 = 33 / 4 + 4.9 = 13.2 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.
13.2 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.
44.3 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 kt
Acceleration 0-90%
ƒTime to reach 90% of top speed (29.7 kt of 33 kt), from our in-house acceleration model.
36.9 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (32.7 kt of 33 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.
59.5 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·33.0·0.5144920=1.06°/s, so ratio=ωturretωhull=41.06=3.8×. Below 5 the turrets drag in a turning fight; 25+ keeps up with any rudder.
3.8× drags
Concealment
Detectability by sea15.47 km
Detectability by air12.38 km
Smoke firing penalty14.92 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.
17.31 km
Detect when firing (air)
ƒAir detectability plus the gun-firing bloom (8.12 km, which tracks main-battery caliber x 0.020). Matches the in-game 'Detect Firing Air' value on every captured ship.
20.5 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.
17.47 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.
15.38 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
Consumables
Damage Control Party∞ charges · 80 s reload · 20 s active
Repair Party3 charges · 80 s reload · 28 s active · 10,514 HP (14% of max HP) total heal (per charge)
ƒHeal per second (0.5%) x effective active time (28 s) = up to 14% of max HP restored per charge.
· 31,542 HP (42% of max HP) total heal (all charges)
ƒ14% per charge x 3 charges = up to 42% of max HP if the whole Repair Party loadout is used.
· 376 HP/s (0.5% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ0.5% of max HP (75,100 HP) per second = 376 HP/s. WoWS heals a flat percent of MAX HP each second, so this rate holds at any health level.
Choose one
Catapult Fighter3 charges · 70 s reload · 150 s active · 5 km patrol radius
ƒDerived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): 167×301000=5 km
· 2 squadron size
Observation Seaplane3 charges · 200 s reload · 40 s active · 1 squadron size · Tightens main-battery shell grouping
Module options (2)

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

HullUpgrade
  • Hit points68,800 → 75,100
  • Rudder shift31.4 → 22.4 s
  • Close-range AA DPS158 → 223
  • Maximum AA range3.5 → 5 km
Fire controlUpgrade
  • Main battery range15,740 → 17,314 m

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)1.85
Max Horiz Disp233.1 m at 17.3 km
Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model: σH=(R30·idealRadiusminRadiusidealDistance+minRadius)·30 =(1731430·1221000+2)·30=233.1m
Shell scatter width @ 5 km110 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 km160 m
How wide your shells scatter at 10 km, from the same dispersion model as the max-range figure above. Picking a fixed range makes this number directly comparable from ship to ship: max-range dispersion makes a longer-range gun look worse even when it's tighter at any common range. The interactive Dispersion tab on the Charts card plots the full curve from 0 to max range.
Shell scatter width @ 15 km210 m
Horizontal scatter at a fixed 15 km, from the same verified dispersion model - the long-range anchor. Only shown when the ship's guns reach 15 km.
Max Vert Disp139.9 m at 17.3 km
Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: σV=σH·radiusOnMax =233.1·0.6=139.9m
Shell scatter height @ 10 km82.5 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=0.5·17314=8657 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 17314 m. Above the kink: k=0.5+(0.60.5)·100008657173148657=0.5155, so σV=σH·k=160·0.5155=82.5m.
Med Horiz Disp75.6 m at 17.3 km
50%-hit horizontal radius: σH,50=σH·0.6σ =233.1·0.61.85=75.6m
Med Vert Disp45.4 m at 17.3 km
50%-hit vertical radius: σV,50=σV·0.6σ =139.9·0.61.85=45.4m
Dispersion familyUS/UK BB Disp.
2.5% overall improvement compared to EU BB Disp.
AP Pen Close847.6 mm point-blank
Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: P=107·K·m0.69·d1.07·v01.38 =107·2520·12250.69·0.4061.07·7621.38=847.6mm. Matches the in-game spec card.
AP Pen Far514.1 mm at 17.3 km
Same formula at the ship's max firing range (17.3 km), where the shell has slowed to 530.4 m/s: P=107·2520·12250.69·0.4061.07·530.41.38=514.1mm.
AP pen 5 km725 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 km623 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.
AP pen 15 km544 mm
AP penetration at a fixed 15 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 flight time @ 10 km5.34 s
How long an AP shell takes to reach a target at a fixed 10 km, from the same numerically integrated trajectory the Charts card plots. The shell slows under quadratic air drag, 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·0.352·0.40628·1225=1.86×105. That runs from a 762 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77: 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 flight time @ 10 km5.19 s
How long an HE shell takes to reach a target at a fixed 10 km, from the same numerically integrated trajectory the Charts card plots. The shell slows under quadratic air drag, 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·0.346·0.40628·862=2.6×105. That runs from a 820 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77: 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 penetration68 mm
68 mm ≈ 406 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).
AP overmatch28 mm
floor(406 mm caliber / 14.3) = 28 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
AP AOE Radius250
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 alpha8
All 8 barrels bear on the broadside.
Turret turn time45 s
180 degrees / 4 deg/s traverse speed = 45 s.
HE full-salvo alpha45,600
5,700 HE damage x 8 broadside guns = 45,600.
AP full-salvo alpha104,800
13,100 AP damage x 8 broadside guns = 104,800.
HE DPMInitial: 85,500 → 95,000
Zero upgrades: 45,600 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 32 s base reload = 85,500. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 45,600 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 28.8 s all-upgrades reload = 95,000.
AP DPMInitial: 196,500 → 218,333
Zero upgrades: 104,800 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 32 s base reload = 196,500. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 104,800 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 28.8 s all-upgrades reload = 218,333.
Shells/minInitial: 15 → 16.7
Zero upgrades: 8 broadside guns x 60 / 32 s base reload = 15. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 8 broadside guns x 60 / 28.8 s all-upgrades reload = 16.7.
Fires/minInitial: 5.4 → 6
Zero upgrades: 15 shells/min x 36% fire chance = 5.4. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 16.7 shells/min x 36% fire chance = 6.

AA defense

AA DPS at max range580
Only families that reach 5 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 3in50 Twin Mark 33 14x2 -> 457 DPS @ 5 km; 20mm Oerlikon MK20 Twin12 15x2 -> 120 DPS @ 2 km; 5in38 Mk32 Mod12 10x2 -> 123 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 range580 DPS @ 5 km, 700 DPS @ 2 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-blank700
Sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (2 km).
AA threat index3140
SUM over AA auras of (aura DPS x aura range km). A plane crossing the AA bubble is exposed to each aura for a time proportional to that aura's range, so long-reach DPS is worth more than the same DPS in a short bubble. Units: DPS*km; used to rank overall AA threat across the cohort.
Near aura range2 km

Secondary battery 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)180,000
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: 10×2 127 mm (10/side) × 60/6 × 1800 = 180,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
Max HE alpha1800
Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1800 from the 127 mm family.
Max HE fire chance5%
Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 5% from the 127 mm family.
Max HE pen21 mm
Maximum HE armor penetration across secondary HE families (caliber × 1/6 for most nations; 1/4 for German/UK BBs). Shells whose pen falls under a plate's armor thickness shatter for 0 hull damage though fire chance still applies. Best on this ship: 21 mm from the 127 mm family.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 68,80075,100 with hull upgrade, 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 & stern32 mm

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

Belt / citadel307 mm

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

Farming6 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
Bow32 mm primary (range 32–50 mm)2,800 (4% 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)19 mm primary (range 16–439 mm)56,300 (75% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Scharnhorst '43, Schill)Angle bounces 203mm19 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern32 mm primary (range 6–439 mm)4,800 (6% of HP)
Overmatched by 460mm+ AP (Aki, Musashi)Angle bounces 410mm32 mm: HE pens from 203mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel307 mm primary (range 32–297 mm)≈ 165,500 (effectively no cap)
Citadel pen: full damageOver-pen: ×0.10 damage
Effectively no cap; citadel pool sits at ~165k HP on every ship. An AP citadel penetration deals the shell's full damage, the biggest single hit available; only over-penetrations are damped, to ×0.10.
Superstructure6 mm primary (range 6–439 mm)800 (1% 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 HP40,400 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 (127 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 (76 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.
Engine (module, research)engine coefficient (unconfirmed)-0.128 research estimateLargest on BB/BC; zero on destroyersEngine durability isn't a per-ship value in the game data. This small negative coefficient is non-zero only on battleships, battlecruisers, and the heaviest cruisers, and is exactly zero on every destroyer, so it scales with hull displacement rather than any commander skill. Most likely an engine drag or power term in the same family as the deceleration stats; its exact meaning is not yet confirmed.
Rudder (module)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP22,500 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 Delaware. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.

Nerf ×16Buff ×1Rework ×1Airstrike ×1Main Battery ×2
2025-06-26

Ministry of Balance: Declaration of Changes

  • Main battery reload time increased from 30 to 32 seconds.
  • Main battery shell grouping reduced by 2.6% (from 1.9 to 1.85 sigma).
  • Upgraded Airstrike torpedo speed reduced from 50 to 45 knots.
Read the full official post
2024-10-10

Ministry of Balance: Trick and Treat

  • "Tough" ship trait replaced by "Ironclad".
  • Stock hull total health reduced from 69,990 to 68,800.
  • Stock hull engine HP reduced from 80,800 to 75,100.
  • Stock hull casemate HP reduced from 8,900 to 8,800.
  • Stock hull auxiliary room HP reduced from 4,200 to 4,100.
  • Stock hull HP reduced from 52,400 to 51,600.
  • Stock hull steering gear HP reduced from 21,000 to 20,600.
  • Upgraded hull total health reduced from 80,800 to 75,100.
  • Upgraded hull engine HP reduced from 80,800 to 75,100.
  • Upgraded hull bow HP reduced from 3,100 to 2,800.
  • +4 more official change lines in the source post.
Read the full official post
Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Delaware 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.