GamingDiver / WoWs Legends Ships / Hakuryū
World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Hakuryū

Also called: 白龙 Beta
Japan · Tier ★ · Aircraft Carrier · Premium
Strike carrierStrike, rearm, repeat; position the carrier safely and keep squadrons in the air.
Playstyle
  • Stay a full map cell behind the brawl line, far enough back that a rotated DD or radar cruiser cannot threaten the hull
  • Launch from positions where the recall path stays inside your team's AA umbrella
  • Avoid: Trading a full squadron for one high-value kill
Key characteristics
Big squadronsTorpedo bombersFire bombsHeavy secondary DPMFast for the classVisible air torps
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Community Data

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Playstyle

Overview

Hakuryū is the Legendary Japanese carrier: a balanced strike kit across dive bombers and air torpedoes without a single dominant weapon. The kit rewards reading the enemy AA and picking the squadron that fits the next target. Her air-torpedo alpha is among the heaviest in the cohort.

Positioning

Stay a full map cell behind the brawl line, far enough back that a rotated DD or radar cruiser cannot threaten the hull. Launch from positions where the recall path stays inside your team's AA umbrella, not over open water where intercepting fighters can finish off limping squadrons. Longer trip back, fewer waves per match. You are spotted at 14.6 km and run at 34.5 kn, so that distance plus your speed is the whole margin for noticing a DD has slipped past and getting out. A 1,250 m turning circle is wide for her cohort, so a committed turn gives up a lot of water; plan course changes a salvo ahead.

Potato Avoidance

Trading a full squadron for one high-value kill

Match impact comes from cycling waves across multiple targets, not committing a dive into layered AA for one battleship. When a target's AA is heavy, route around and find a softer pick rather than burning planes through the wall. Replacing a lost aircraft takes 80 s at best, and your most fragile squadron flies at 2,100 HP, so a wave sent into a wall of AA thins the reserve for the rest of the match.

Signature Traits

Heavy air torpedoes ↗

6700 damage per air-dropped torpedo, best of Legendary CVs. Each torp delete-strike hits harder.

Heavy secondary DPM ↗

427972 secondary DPM per side, best of Legendary CVs. Per-side barrels × shots/min × alpha across every secondary family; real damage scales with hit rate against the target.

ELITE MOBILITY ↗
  • Fast for the class · 34.5 kt
  • Heavy powerplant · 240000 hp
  • Holds speed in turns · 192 hp
  • Nimble for the tonnage · 5.24 hp
MIXED AIRCRAFT ↗
  • Visible air torps · 1.6 km
  • Slow squadron restore · 80 s
Acquisition

How to get Hakuryū

Hakuryū is a Premium ship and not available to unlock in the Tech Tree. Acquisition path: Premium/Event.

Official WG availability sources

Builds

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

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Cohort position

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Where Hakuryū sits among Legendary CVs (3 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.

BestMax speed34.5 kt (1/4) BestSecondary DPM (per side)427,972 (1/4) BestAcceleration34.5 s (1/4) BestEngine power240,000 hp (1/4) BestTurn-speed retention192 hp/m (1/4) BestDisplacement45,780 t (1/4) BestPower-to-weight5.24 hp/t (1/4) BestBow armor40 mm (1/4) BestAir torpedo damage6,700 (1/4) Top 25%Stealth profile14.64 km / 10.25 km (2/4 / 2/4) Top 25%Rudder shift17.2 s (2/4) Top 25%Bomb damage7,250 (2/4) Top 25%Air torpedo range6 km (2/4) Top 25%Air torpedo speed48 kn (2/4) WorstHit points63,100 HP (4/4) WorstTurning circle1,250 m (4/4) WorstSecondary HE pen17 mm (4/4) WorstAA DPS683 (4/4) WorstAA range5 km (1 of 2 tied) WorstAA threat2,821 (4/4) WorstMax armor165 mm (4/4) WorstCitadel belt165 mm (4/4) WorstAir torpedo stealth1.6 km (4/4) WorstSquadron restore time80 s (4/4) WorstDeck HP31,600 HP (4/4) WorstPlane HP2,100 HP (4/4)
See 10 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Hakuryū -- 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.

Secondary HE alpha1,700(3/4) Secondary fire chance6%(3/4) Deck armor51 mm(3/4) Bomb penetration55 mm(2/3) NormSmoke fire bloom0 km(3 of 4 tied at this value) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(3 of 4 tied at this value) NormSecondary range5.5 km(3 of 4 tied at this value) NormFlak per wave (expected)3,220(3 of 4 tied at this value) NormBomb fire chance40%(2 of 3 tied at this value) NormSquadron size24(3 of 4 tied at this value)

Stats & specs

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Survivability
Hit Points63,100
Displacement45,780 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.
285.3 x 30.4 m
Armor range13–165 mm
Plate armor thicknesses13, 16, 19, 25, 40, 44, 48, 50, 51, 57, 60, 65, 85, 89, 95, 100, 125, 130, 165 mm
Armor material/layer entries61
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 0.4% of max HP per second for the full 60 s, so one unattended fire burns 24% of the pool (15,144 HP on this ship). 4 fire points can burn at once. Verified against measured burn ticks in replay data.
0.4% of HP per second
Flood duration30 s
Flood damage
ƒA flood ticks 0.25% of max HP per second for the 30 s duration, so one unattended flood costs 7.5% of the pool (4,732 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.
25%
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.
18,900
Repairable: penetration50%
Repairable: citadel10%
Repairable: steering gear50%
✈
Squadrons
Total plane capacity100
Flight deck HP31,600
Hangar HP31,600
Dive bomber
Plane HP2,100
Cruising speed152 kt
OrdnanceHE bomb, 7,250 dmg
Fire chance40%
Bomb penetration55 mm
Hangar max24
Hangar restore+3 every 80 s, start 24
Recovery time80 s
Torpedo bomber
Plane HP2,100
Cruising speed142 kt
Ordnancetorpedo, 6,700 dmg
Flooding chance50%
Torpedo arming time5 s
Torpedo arming distance123 m
Hangar max24
Hangar restore+4 every 107 s, start 24
Recovery time107 s
Squadron consumables
Patrol Fighters
Charges3
Duration60 s
Reload10 s
Evasive Maneuver
Charges2
Duration10 s
Reload150 s
Damage reduction-50%
Return to Carrier
EffectAll aircraft return to carrier.
AA Defense
AA mount points22
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/60 Type 522×2 40mm
100 mm Type98 (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.
12×2 100mm
Far aura
Guns100 mm Type98 (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 287 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
287
Range5 km
Medium aura
Guns40 mm/60 Type 5
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 113 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 1 hit probability = 396 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
396
Range3.5 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 287 + Medium 396 = 683
683
Flak bursts
Bursts
ƒEach ~2 s wave fires 3 quick salvos of 4 clouds ahead of the attacking squadron, plus 2 stray clouds farther out that appear off-beat between waves - up to 14 clouds per wave × 230 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.
3 salvos × 4 clouds + 2 outer
Cloud damage
ƒDamage a plane takes for flying into one flak cloud, before any reductions.
230
Cloud spawn chance
ƒEvery potential cloud spawns - the full pattern, every wave. Often called flak 'hit chance', but spawned clouds always damage planes that fly into them - the roll is on spawning.
100%
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
See the AA layers diagram ↓
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts12
Firing range5.5 km
Shell Grouping (σ)1
100 mm Type98 (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.
12×2 100mm
Caliber100 mm
Reload time2.86 s
HE Damage1,700
Muzzle Velocity1000 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 @ 5.5 km
ƒ5.5 km × 57 + 30 = 343.5 m.
343.5 m
Maneuverability
Engine power240,000 hp
Maximum speed34.5 kt
Turning circle radius1250 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 = 34.5 / 4 + 4.9 = 13.5 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.
13.5 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.
39.7 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).
11.4 kt
Acceleration 0-90%
ƒTime to reach 90% of top speed (31.1 kt of 34.5 kt), from our in-house acceleration model.
34.5 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (34.2 kt of 34.5 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.
54.7 s
See the full acceleration curve ↓
Concealment
Detectability by sea14.6 km
Detectability by air10.25 km
Detect when firing (air)
ƒAir detectability plus the gun-firing bloom (0 km, which tracks main-battery caliber x 0.020). Matches the in-game 'Detect Firing Air' value on every captured ship.
10.25 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.
16.6 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.
13.25 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
✦
Consumables
Automatic Damage Control Party∞ charges · 90 s reload · 60 s active
Automatic Fighter4 charges · 40 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
· 4 squadron size

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.

AA defense

AA DPS at max range287
Only families that reach 5 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 40mm Bofors 22x2 -> 396 DPS @ 3.5 km; 100mm65 Type89 12x2 -> 287 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 range287 DPS @ 5 km, 683 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-blank683
Sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (3.5 km).
AA threat index2821
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 @ 5.5 km343.5 m
5.5 km × 57 + 30 = 343.5 m.
Secondary dispersion @ 5 km315 m
Same per-type line evaluated at a fixed 5 km: 5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.

Secondary battery firepower

Secondary DPM (per side)427,972
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: 12×2 100 mm (12/side) × 60/2.86 × 1700 = 427,972. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
Max HE alpha1700
Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1700 from the 100 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 100 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 100 mm family.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 63,100, 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 & stern40 mm

Nothing in its bracket overmatches it. Angled, every AP shell in matchmaking bounces.

Belt / citadel165 mm

AP can citadel a flat broadside even at range. Stay angled and avoid showing the full side.

Farming13 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
Bow40 mm3,400 (5% of HP)
No common AP caliber overmatches40 mm: most HE shatters, standard pen from 283mm+
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 13–130 mm)47,300 (75% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Gouden Leeuw)Angle bounces 203mm19 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern19 mm primary (range 16–125 mm)2,000 (3% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Gouden Leeuw)Angle bounces 203mm19 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel165 mm primary (range 25–165 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.
Superstructure13 mm primary (range 13–57 mm)700 (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).
Secondary mount (100 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 HP18,900 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.

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Ship Charts

Balance History

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

Nerf ×15Buff ×12Rework ×1Commander Skill ×1Airstrike ×4
2026-05-28

Ministry of Balance: Summertime Refit

  • Torpedo damage increased from 7,400 to 7,800.
  • Torpedo AoE damage increased from 1,000 to 1,100.
  • Chance of causing flooding increased by 25%.
  • Johan Furstner is still a considerably stronger Commander than Karel Doorman, so we nerfed his unique base trait and unique skill to make both Commanders more comparable in combat effectiveness and Inspiration value.
  • Minister of the Navy:
  • Risk Theory:
  • , Epic, and Legendary Secondary Battery Mod. 3.
Read the full official post
2024-06-27

Ministry of Balance: Aerial Adjustments

  • Torpedo.
  • Torpedo bomber restoration time increased from 76 to 107 s.
  • Torpedo bomber maximum HP per aircraft reduced from 2,180 to 2,100.
  • Torpedo bomber base speed reduced from 153 to 142 kts.
  • Dive bomber restoration time increased from 57 to 80 s.
  • Dive bomber maximum HP per aircraft reduced from 2,170 to 2,100.
  • Dive bomber base speed reduced from 167 to 130 kts.
Read the full official post
2024-05-31

Ministry of Balance: Carriers 2.0 – First Update

  • Maximum HP per aircraft reduced from 2,250 to 2,170 (squadron HP reduced from 27,000 to 26,040).
  • Torpedo bombers:
  • Maximum HP per aircraft reduced from 2,300 to 2,180 (squadron HP reduced from 27,600 to 26,160).
  • Base speed reduced from 160 to 153 knots.
  • Torpedo speed reduced from 50 to 48 knots.
  • Torpedo damage reduced from 9,200 to 7,400.
Read the full official post
2024-05-24

Ministry of Balance: Carriers 2.0 – First Wave

  • Aiming speed increased (aiming circle shrinks faster).
  • Bombs per aircraft increased from 1 to 2.
  • Number of aircraft in squadron increased from 8 to 12.
  • Dive bomber accuracy (likelihood of an individual bomb hitting the inner circle) reduced from 75 to 60%.
  • Maximum HP per aircraft reduced from 2,600 to 2,250 (squadron HP increased from 23,400 to 27,000).
  • Base speed increased from 148 to 167 knots.
  • Aircraft maximum flight range set to 36 kilometers.
  • Bomb damage reduced from 12,500 to 7,250.
  • HE bomb penetration reduced from 60.1 to 55 mm.
  • Bomb fire-setting chances reduced from 55 to 40%.
  • +4 more official change lines in the source post.
Read the full official post
2022-09-29

Halloween Update: New Friends, Old Foes

  • Surface detectability range changed from 15.7 to 14.6 km; air detectability range changed from 12.6 to 10.3 km.
Read the full official post
Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Hakuryū 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.

2023-06-20 · Official ship feature / stats Colors of Freedom Official source 2022-08-25 · Patch notes Autumn Update: In the Shadow of Leaves Patch notes 2022-09-29 · Patch notes Halloween Update: New Friends, Old Foes Patch notes 2023-06-15 · Patch notes Summer Update: Always Courageous Patch notes 2024-05-23 · Patch notes June Update: Wings Over Waves Patch notes 2026-05-28 · Patch notes June Update: The Ages Betwixt Patch notes