World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Independence

Also called: 独立 Beta
U.S.A. · Tier V · Aircraft Carrier · Premium
HE bomber carrierRolling HE bomber waves; farm broadsides and angled decks, and nurse your plane reserves.
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 bomb penHeavy-pen bombsVisible air torps
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Community Data

Independence Community Stats

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Playstyle

Overview

Independence is the Tier V American bomber carrier. HE dive bombers are her main battery, hitting for up to 5,900 per drop, so match impact comes from repeated bombing runs on broadside and angled targets rather than a single torpedo strike. Air torpedoes are a secondary option.

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 12.5 km and run at 31.5 kn, so that distance plus your speed is the whole margin for noticing a DD has slipped past and getting out. Once the rudder is over she turns tightly for her cohort (820 m), so a committed turn costs less water than most of what she is fighting.

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 82 s at best, and your most fragile squadron flies at 1,700 HP, so a wave sent into a wall of AA thins the reserve for the rest of the match.

Signature Traits

Heavy-pen bombs

53.4 mm bomb penetration, best of T5 CVs. Punches through decks peers' bombs bounce off.

ELITE ARMOR
  • Thickest plate · 127 mm
  • Thick stern plate · 20 mm
  • Heavy citadel belt · 127 mm
  • Heavy belt
Visible air torps

1.4 km torpedo detect, worst of T5 CVs. Targets spot the drop early.

Short AA reach

3.5 km AA reach, bottom quartile of T5 CVs. Bombs and torpedoes drop before AA bites.

Acquisition

How to get Independence

Independence 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

  • Spectral Vault 4.0 0.26087% Tier V Premium ship Archived · Spectral Vault 4.0 · 1 of 23 ships
  • Spectral Vault 3.0 0.239565% Tier V Premium ship Archived · Spectral Vault 3.0 · 2 paths combined · 1 of 23 ships
    Show 2 paths
    • Spectral Vault 3.00.21087%
    • Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.028696%
  • Mystic Lantern 0.2% Tier V Premium ship Event · Mystic Lantern · 1 of 25 ships
Show all 6 containers (3 more)
  • Spectral Vault 2.0 0.090043% Tier V Premium ship Archived · Spectral Vault 2.0 · 4 paths combined · 1 of 23 ships
    Show 4 paths
    • Spectral Vault 2.00.06087%
    • Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.00.021087%
    • Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.005217%
    • Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.00287%
  • Spectral Vault 1.0 0.019108% Tier V Premium ship Archived · Spectral Vault 1.0 · 7 paths combined · 1 of 23 ships
    Show 7 paths
    • Spectral Vault 1.00.008609%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.00.005478%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 3.00.002109%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.00.001898%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.00047%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.000287%
    • Spectral Vault 1.0 → Spectral Vault 2.0 → Spectral Vault 3.0 → Spectral Vault 4.00.000258%
  • Mystic Box 0.012% Tier V Premium ship Event · Mystic Box · 1 of 25 ships
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.

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Cohort position

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Where Independence sits among Tier V CVs (7 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 armor127 mm (1/8) BestCitadel belt127 mm (1/8) BestStern armor20 mm (1/8) BestBomb penetration53.4 mm (1/7) Top 25%Max speed31.5 kt (3/8) Top 25%Stealth profile12.47 km / 8.73 km (3/8 / 3/8) Top 25%Turning circle820 m (2/8) Top 25%Acceleration30.6 s (2/8) Top 25%Turn-speed retention122 hp/m (3/8) Top 25%Power-to-weight6.78 hp/t (3/8) Top 25%Bomb damage5,900 (3/8) Top 25%Air torpedo damage6,100 (3/8) Bottom 25%Hit points39,000 HP (7/8) Bottom 25%Deck HP18,400 HP (7/8) WorstNo secondaries (1 of 8 in cohort) WorstAA range3.5 km (8/8) WorstBow armor16 mm (1 of 2 tied) WorstAir torpedo stealth1.4 km (8/8)
See 12 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Independence -- 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.

Rudder shift11.5 s(5/8) Engine power100,000 hp(4/8) Displacement14,751 t(4/8) AA DPS369(6/8) AA threat1,126(5/8) Deck armor25 mm(5/8) Bomb fire chance32%(3/7) Air torpedo range3.5 km(5/8) Air torpedo speed49 kn(5/8) Squadron restore time82 s(5/8) Plane HP1,700 HP(5/8) NormSquadron size18(5 of 8 tied at this value)
Survivability
Hit Points39,000
Displacement14,751 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.
189.7 x 33.3 m, draft 7.4 m
Armor range6–127 mm
Plate armor thicknesses6, 10, 13, 16, 20, 25, 30, 38, 51, 102, 127 mm
Armor material/layer entries51
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.
23.3%
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 (9,360 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 (2,925 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.
0%
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.
11,000
Repairable: penetration50%
Repairable: citadel10%
Repairable: steering gear50%
Squadrons
Total plane capacity37
Flight deck HP18,400
Hangar HP18,400
Dive bomber
Plane HP1,950
Cruising speed127 kt
OrdnanceHE bomb, 5,900 dmg
Fire chance32%
Bomb penetration53.4 mm
Hangar max18
Hangar restore+3 every 88 s, start 18
Recovery time88 s
Torpedo bomber
Plane HP1,700
Cruising speed108 kt
Ordnancetorpedo, 6,100 dmg
Flooding chance45%
Torpedo arming time4.5 s
Torpedo arming distance113 m
Hangar max16
Hangar restore+2 every 82 s, start 16
Recovery time82 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 points25
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 3.5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.
3.5 km
40 mm Bofors Mk19×2 40mm
40 mm Bofors Mk22×4 40mm
20 mm Oerlikon Mk414×1 20mm
Medium aura
Guns40 mm Bofors Mk1 + 40 mm Bofors Mk2
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 74 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 1 hit probability = 259 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
259
Range3.5 km
Near aura
Guns20 mm Oerlikon Mk4
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 33 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.95 hit probability = 110 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
110
Range2 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒMedium 259 + Near 110 = 369
369
Maneuverability
Engine power100,000 hp
Maximum speed31.5 kt
Turning circle radius820 m
Rudder shift time11.5 s
Engine power-boost threshold7 kt
Engine spool-up time23 s
Reverse spool-up time11.5 s
Reverse speed
ƒtop speed / 4 + 4.9 = 31.5 / 4 + 4.9 = 12.8 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.
12.8 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.
32.9 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 kt
Acceleration 0-90%
ƒTime to reach 90% of top speed (28.4 kt of 31.5 kt), from our in-house acceleration model.
30.6 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (31.2 kt of 31.5 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.
47.2 s
Concealment
Detectability by sea12.5 km
Detectability by air8.73 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.
8.73 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.
14.5 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.
11.73 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 range259
Only families that reach 3.5 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 40mm Bofors Mk1 9x2 -> 212 DPS @ 3.5 km; 40mm Bofors Mk2 2x4 -> 47 DPS @ 3.5 km; 20mm Oerlikon MK4 14x1 -> 110 DPS @ 2 km.
Maximum AA range3.5 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 range259 DPS @ 3.5 km, 369 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-blank369
Sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (2 km).
AA threat index1126
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

Armor Beta

Hull HP 39,000, 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 & stern16 mm

Overmatched by 92+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Belt / citadel127 mm

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

Farming6 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 23%, fires burn 60s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow16 mm primary (range 16–102 mm)800 (2% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Moltke, Graf Spee)Angle bounces 203mm16 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Bow-tank fits behind this exterior plate. Saturation is FAST here; the cap is often only a few thousand HP.
Hull (midship)6 mm primary (range 6–127 mm)27,500 (71% of HP)
Overmatched by 127mm+ AP (Nicholas, Fubuki)6 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern20 mm primary (range 13–51 mm)1,400 (4% of HP)
Overmatched by 305mm+ AP (Indefatigable, Toulon)Angle bounces 283mm20 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel127 mm primary (range 6–127 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 6–127 mm)100 (0% 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).
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 HP11,000 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.

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Ship Charts

Balance History

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

Nerf ×11Buff ×19Rework ×2Airstrike ×2Torpedo ×6
2025-06-26

Ministry of Balance: Declaration of Changes

  • Increasing accuracy rate while aiming increased by 20%.
  • Chance to hit central circle increased by 15%.
  • Central circle size decreased by 33%.
  • Aircraft HP increased from 1,850 to 1,950.
  • The Powerful AA Defenses ship trait has been replaced with Precise Bombs. This doesn't affect the ship's performance.
Read the full official post
2024-09-05

Ministry of Balance: Season of Change

  • Dive bomber maximum flight range (fuel limit) increased from 31 to 32 km.
  • Maximum bomb damage increased from 5,700 to 5,900.
  • Torpedo strike aiming time reduced from 5.5 to 4.5 seconds.
Read the full official post
2024-06-27

Ministry of Balance: Aerial Adjustments

  • Torpedo.
  • Torpedo bomber restoration time increased from 57 to 82 s.
  • Torpedo bomber base speed reduced from 115 to 108 kts.
  • Torpedo arming time increased from 3.33 to 5.5 s.
  • Torpedo damage increased from 6,653 to 7,200.
  • Dive bomber restoration time increased from 57 to 88 s.
  • Bomb damage increased from 5,500 to 5,700.
  • HE bomb penetration increased from 42.7 to 53.4 mm.
  • Bomb fire-setting chances increased from 24 to 32%.
Read the full official post
2024-05-31

Ministry of Balance: Carriers 2.0 – First Update

  • Bombs per aircraft reduced from 3 to 2.
  • Dive bomber accuracy (likelihood of an individual bomb hitting the inner circle) reduced from 50 to 35%.
Read the full official post
2024-05-24

Ministry of Balance: Carriers 2.0 – First Wave

  • Bombs per aircraft increased from 1 to 3.
  • Number of aircraft in squadron increased from 6 to 9.
  • Number of attacking aircraft per strike increased from 2 to 3.
  • Dive bomber accuracy (likelihood of an individual bomb hitting the inner circle) increased from 25 to 50%.
  • Dive bomber inner and outer dispersion circle size increased.
  • Maximum HP per aircraft reduced from 2,200 to 1,850 (squadron HP increased from 13,200 to 16,650).
  • Base speed increased from 115 to 127 knots.
  • Maximum flight range set to 31 kilometers.
  • Maximum & starting hangar aircraft increased from 16 to 18.
  • Aircraft restoration time reduced from 65 to 57 seconds.
  • +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 13.7 to 12.5 km; air detectability range changed from 10.9 to 8.7 km.
Read the full official post
Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

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

  • Independence default exterior
    DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior

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.