GamingDiver / WoWs Legends Ships / Karlsruhe

World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Karlsruhe

Also called: 卡尔斯鲁厄 Beta

Germany · Tier III · CL Cruiser · Tech Tree: Fire-Support Cruisers

AP citadel cruiserAn AP citadel threat with Sonar for safe vision around cover and torpedoes.

Playstyle

Sit 10-13 km from a contested cap where an island shadows you from the opposite battleship line
Avoid: Pushing in blind because the kit says brawler

Key characteristics

Improved HE penHigh AP DPMLobs over islandsSonarSlowWeak AA

On this page

Community stats
Playstyle
How to get Karlsruhe
Builds
Cohort position
Stats and specs
Armor
Charts
Balance history
Exteriors

Community Data

Karlsruhe Community Stats

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

Playstyle

Overview

Karlsruhe is a Tier III German light cruiser whose 150mm guns earn citadels on broadsides (170,769 AP DPM), with Sonar as her vision tool: Hydro lets her contest islands and smoke without exposing the hull. HE pen sits at the 1/4 caliber ratio instead of the standard 1/6, so HE spam is a real damage option here. Standout traits: best Sonar ship range in T3 CAs (5 km) and best Sonar torpedo range in T3 CAs (3.5 km).

Positioning

Sit 10-13 km from a contested cap where an island shadows you from the opposite battleship line. Hydro (5 km on ships, 3.5 km on torpedoes) lights up DDs and incoming torpedoes inside its bubble, so you can push the cap edge from cover without taking the spotting cycle; prefer cover positions over open-water flanks. 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.

Potato Avoidance

Pushing in blind because the kit says brawler

5-km Sonar is what makes the close fight winnable, and it only helps once you are already committed; it does not tell you what is waiting two islands over. Push when a destroyer is lit or a teammate holds vision, not to find out who is there.

Signature Traits

Improved HE penetration

HE pen at the 1/4 caliber ratio instead of the standard 1/6. HE-spam is a real damage option here, not just a fire-starter, unique in T3 CAs.

LOBBING BATTERY ↗

AP DPM machine · 170769 AP
High-arc HE shells · 26.86°

ELITE SONAR ↗

Long-range sonar · 5 km
Wide torpedo · 3.5 km
Long-duration sonar · 110 s

Thick deck armor ↗

90 mm armor deck, best of T3 CAs. Eats plunging fire and HE that peers don't.

Slow AP shells ↗

835 m/s AP muzzle velocity, bottom decile of T3 CAs. Lobby trajectory, more lead, easier to dodge at range.

Acquisition

How to get Karlsruhe

Karlsruhe is available in the Fire-Support Cruisers branch of the Germany Tech Tree for 85,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 21,240 credits.

Show Germany tech-tree branch diagram

Germany Tech Tree

Karlsruhe sits in the Fire-Support Cruisers branch. The highlighted path shows the local branch context inside the full Germany tree.

7 ships in highlighted branch · scroll to inspect all Germany lines.

GermanyIIIIIIIVVVIVIIVIII★

Destroyer

Destroyer Split

Cruiser

Battleship

Battleship Split

Carrier

Tier VIIIFelix SchultzPGSD209 Tier VIIIPrinz RupprechtPGSB209 Tier VIIGustav Julius MaerkerPGSD208 Tier VIIZietenPGSB208 Tier VIZ-31PGSD207 Tier VIPrinz HeinrichPGSB207 Tier VMackensenPGSB206 Tier IVDerfflingerPGSB205 Tier ★Z-52PGSD110 Tier ★Großer KurfürstPGSB110 Tier ★Manfred von RichthofenPGSA110 Tier VIIIZ-46PGSD109 Tier VIIIRoonPGSC109 Tier VIIIFriedrich der GroßePGSB109 Tier VIIZ-23PGSD108 Tier VIIHipperPGSC108 Tier VIIBismarckPGSB108 Tier VIIAugust von ParsevalPGSA108 Tier VIMaassPGSD107 Tier VIYorckPGSC107 Tier VIGneisenauPGSB107 Tier VGaedePGSD106 Tier VNürnbergPGSC106 Tier VBayernPGSB106 Tier VWeserPGSA106 Tier IVT-22PGSD105 Tier IVKönigsbergPGSC105 Tier IVKönigPGSB105 Tier IIIV-170PGSD104 Tier IIIKarlsruhePGSC104 Tier IIIKaiserPGSB104 Tier IIIRheinPGSA104 Tier IIKolbergPGSC103 Tier IIV-25PGSD102 Tier IDresdenPGSC002

Builds

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

Open in Build Tool →

Commanders frequently paired with this ship AL Graf Spee AL Hipper AL Roon

Have a build you swear by? Open it in the Build Tool and hit Save build to share it here.

Cohort position

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Where Karlsruhe sits among Tier III CAs (11 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.

BestAP DPM170,769 (1/12) BestDeck armor90 mm (1/12) Top 25%Main dispersion120.1 m (4/12) Top 25%Max armor100 mm (3/12) Bottom 25%Stealth profile10.52 km / 6.31 km (10/12 / 10/12) Bottom 25%Smoke fire bloom4.72 km (11/12) Bottom 25%HE shell damage1,800 (10/11) Bottom 25%Engine power45,000 hp (10/12) Bottom 25%Turn-speed retention76.3 hp/m (10/12) WorstMax speed27.5 kt (12/12) WorstSecondary HE alpha1,000 (4/4) WorstSecondary fire chance4% (4/4) WorstSecondary HE pen15 mm (4/4) WorstAP velocity835 m/s (12/12) WorstHE velocity835 m/s (11/11) WorstPower-to-weight6.01 hp/t (12/12) WorstAA DPS6 (12/12) WorstAA threat18 (12/12) WorstEnd plates10 mm (1 of 6 tied / 1 of 6 tied)

See 30 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Karlsruhe -- 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 points22,700 HP(9/12) Rudder shift6.9 s(7/12) Turning circle590 m(7/12) Traverse-to-turn ratio5.1 ×(8/12) Main battery caliber150 mm(7/12) Main battery range12.63 km(9/12) Main battery reload6.5 s(5/12) HE fire chance10%(7/11) Fires per minute4.62(6/11) HE DPM83,077(9/11) Secondary DPM (per side)15,000(3/4) Acceleration24.3 s(7/12) AP arming threshold25 mm(9/12) Displacement7,486 t(5/12) AP pen at 10 km60 mm(9/12) Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)113,389(9/11) Secondary range3.5 km(3/4) AA range3 km(9/12) Flak per wave (expected)198(5/7) Torpedo range6 km(7/11) Torpedo damage≈10,200(7/11) Torpedo speed57 kt(7/11) Torpedo reaction time9.1 s(9/11) Torpedo reload53 s(5/11) Citadel belt60 mm(8/12) NormSigma2(11 of 12 tied at this value) NormAP fuse timer0.03 s(9 of 12 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(11 of 12 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(11 of 12 tied at this value) NormTurn speed retained81%(11 of 12 tied at this value)

Peers in this cohort

Compare Tier III Cruisers

Show all 11 peers

Stats & specs

Customize in the Build Tool →

Survivability

Hit PointsInitial: 19,700 → 22,700

Displacement7,486 t

Hull dimensions

Length 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.

152.8 x 15.5 m (measured from the ship model)

Armor range10–100 mm

Plate armor thicknesses10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 60, 90, 100 mm

Armor material/layer entries38

Fire resistance

Does 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.

Initial: 6.7% → 10%

Fire duration30 s

Fire damage

Each fire ticks 0.3% of max HP per second for the full 30 s, so one unattended fire burns 9% of the pool (2,043 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

A flood ticks 0.25% of max HP per second for the 40 s duration, so one unattended flood costs 10% of the pool (2,270 HP on this ship). Verified against measured flood ticks in replay data.

0.25% of HP per second

Torp Reduction

Reduces 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.

Magazine HP

Per-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.

11,400

Steering gear HP

Durability 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.

6,800

Repairable: penetration50%

Repairable: citadel10%

Repairable: steering gear50%

Main Battery

ModuleArtillery: 150 mm L/45 MPL C/16

Mounts / barrels8 mounts / 8 barrels

Reload time6.5 s

Firing range (base)11.5 km

Firing range (top fire control)12.6 km

Turret traverse7 °/s

Turret armor50 mm

Turret traverse arcs

How 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 ±143°, 150° port-only, 150° starboard-only, 163° starboard-only, 163° port-only, 2x 211° arc

Guns to bear

How far off the bow (or stern) the ship must angle before every main turret can fire: the widest blind wedge among the rear-facing (or forward-facing) mounts, from each mount's trainable arc. Mount facing is inferred from turret stations and verified against known layouts, including Izumo's aft-facing forward turret.

all guns bear at the bow

HE fire DPM vs T3 BB30282

Effective HE DPM vs T3 BB113358

Shell Grouping (σ)2

Max Horiz Disp

Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model:

σ_{H} = (\frac{R}{30} \cdot \frac{idealRadius - minRadius}{idealDistance} + minRadius) \cdot 30

= (\frac{12626.9}{30} \cdot \frac{8 - 1.1}{1000} + 1.1) \cdot 30 = 120.1 m

120.1 m at 12.6 km

Max Vert Disp

Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range:

σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot radiusOnMax

= 120.1 \cdot 0.6 = 72.1 m

72.1 m at 12.6 km

Med Horiz Disp

50%-hit horizontal radius:

σ_{H, 50} = σ_{H} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 120.1 \cdot \frac{0.6}{2} = 36 m

36 m at 12.6 km

Med Vert Disp

50%-hit vertical radius:

σ_{V, 50} = σ_{V} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}

= 72.1 \cdot \frac{0.6}{2} = 21.6 m

21.6 m at 12.6 km

Turret turn time

180 degrees / 7 deg/s traverse speed = 25.7 s.

25.7 s

Shells/min

5 broadside guns x 60 / 6.5 s base reload = 46.2.

46.2

HE shells

HE Damage1,800

HE Velocity835 m/s

Fire Chance10%

HE penetration

38 mm ≈ 150 mm caliber / 4 (improved HE penetration: German BBs, Yamato-class, and a handful of others).

38 mm

HE full-salvo alpha

1,800 HE damage x 5 broadside guns = 9,000.

9,000

HE DPM

9,000 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 6.5 s base reload = 83,077.

83,077

Fires/min

46.2 shells/min x 10% fire chance = 4.62.

4.62

AP shells

AP Damage3,700

AP Velocity835 m/s

Min Ricochet45 deg

Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg

Fuse Timer0.025 s

Fuse Threshold25 mm

AP overmatch

floor(150 mm caliber / 14.3) = 10 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).

10 mm

AP Pen Close

Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity:

P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v_{0}^{1.38}

= 10^{- 7} \cdot 1925 \cdot {45.3}^{0.69} \cdot {0.15}^{- 1.07} \cdot 835^{1.38} = 219.1 mm

. Matches the in-game spec card.

219.1 mm point-blank

AP Pen Far

Same formula at the ship's max firing range (12.6 km), where the shell has slowed to 277.8 m/s:

P = 10^{- 7} \cdot 1925 \cdot {45.3}^{0.69} \cdot {0.15}^{- 1.07} \cdot {277.8}^{1.38} = 48 mm

48 mm at 12.6 km

AP full-salvo alpha

3,700 AP damage x 5 broadside guns = 18,500.

18,500

AP DPM

18,500 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 6.5 s base reload = 170,769.

170,769

AP AOE Radius

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.

Torpedoes

ModuleTorpedoes: 8 tubes

Launchers / tubes4 launchers × 2 tubes = 8 tubes

Reload time

Base reload of the top torpedo module (all-upgrades configuration); the stock module reloads in 42 s. In-game port tooltips additionally fold in your installed modernizations and commander effects - e.g. Torpedo Launchers Mod. 3 alone is x0.85:

53 \times 0.85 = 45

53 s

Projectile speed

Speed of the top torpedo module (all-upgrades configuration, 57 kt); the stock torpedo module runs 58 kt. Site stats assume the full-upgrades fit unless a row shows a stock → top pair.

57 kt

Range6 km

Maximum simulated damage

Estimate of WG's in-game value; matches the in-game port screen within ±5%. Saturation: most targets only intersect one hull section, so the sim transfers ~1/3 of the warhead alpha (2/3 when the warhead blast >= 5000 and the burst reaches a second section). For this ship:

D_{sim} = α \cdot c = 30, 600 \cdot 0.333 = 10, 200

≈ 10,200

Maximum damage (ammunition)

The ammunition card's 'Maximum Damage' stat, exact: warhead alpha / 3 plus the blast addend. This is the per-torpedo number most references quote; the 'Maximum simulated damage' row above is WG's separate geometry-sim stat from the launcher spec panel.

11,200

Torpedo detectability1.4 km

Reaction time

How long a target has to dodge after your torpedo is spotted at its detectability range (lower means less warning):

t_{react} = \frac{1.4 km}{57 kt \times 2.6855} = 9.1 s

. The 2.6855 m/s-per-knot game-speed factor is calibrated from in-game measurement; the community's traditional 2.6 reads about 3% slower. Base value; commander torpedo-concealment skills lower it further. Community torpedo-reaction calculator by u/LorenDovah and u/The_ColorOutofSpace.

9.1 s

Flooding chance

Read straight from the game's own data: this torpedo carries a flooding-chance value of 1.8 per hit, shown as

1.8 \times 100 = 180 %

. Torpedo flood values above 100% are normal: in battle the base chance is scaled down by the target's torpedo protection (the Torp Reduction stat on its Survivability card) and any flood-resistance modifiers, so a value above 100% keeps flooding likely even through partial protection. Not shown on the in-game port screen.

180%

Torpedo launcher traverse25 °/s

Launch arcs148° per side

Torp Turn

Time to rotate the launchers 180 deg:

t_{turn} = \frac{180 °}{25 ° / s} = 7.2 s

7.2 s

Torp Arming183 m

Per-side salvo damage

One side firing, all torpedoes hitting: per-side tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 4 x 10,200 = 40,800.

40,800

AA Defense

AA mount points0

88 mm L/45 MPL C/13 (DP)

Dual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.

2×1 88mm

Maximum AA range

Longest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 0 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.

3 km

Guns88 mm L/45 MPL C/13 (DP)

Continuous DPS

Effective 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 6 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.

Range3 km

Bursts

Each ~2 s wave fires 2 quick salvos of 1 clouds ahead of the attacking squadron - up to 2 clouds per wave × 110 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 × 1 clouds

Cloud damage

Damage a plane takes for flying into one flak cloud, before any reductions.

110

Cloud spawn chance

Each 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

A flak wave spawns roughly every 2 s - timed frame-by-frame from gameplay footage and consistent across ships.

every ~2 s

Fired by

Flak 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

The 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 3 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.

2.5-3 km

See the AA layers diagram ↓

Secondary Battery

Mounts2 → 3

Firing range3.5 km

Shell Grouping (σ)1

88 mm L/45 MPL C/13 (DP)

Dual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.

2×1 88mm

Caliber88 mm

Reload time4 s

HE Damage1,000

Muzzle Velocity890 m/s

Fire Chance4%

Armor Pen15 mm

Secondary dispersion type

Max 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 @ 3.5 km

3.5 km × 57 + 30 = 229.5 m.

229.5 m

Maneuverability

Engine power45,000 hp

Maximum speed27.5 kt

Turning circle radius590 m

Rudder shift time6.9 s

Engine power-boost threshold7 kt

Engine spool-up time15.3 s

Reverse spool-up time7.7 s

Reverse speed

top speed / 4 + 4.9 = 27.5 / 4 + 4.9 = 11.8 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.

11.8 kt

Crash stop

Seconds 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.

24.8 s

Engine boost threshold (reverse)

Speed 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).

8.3 kt

Acceleration 0-90%

Time to reach 90% of top speed (24.8 kt of 27.5 kt), from our in-house acceleration model.

24.3 s

Acceleration 0-99%

Time to reach 99% of top speed (27.2 kt of 27.5 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.

39.5 s

Traverse-to-turn ratio

How many degrees the turret can swing for each degree the hull turns. Turn rate

ω_{hull} = \frac{180}{π} \cdot \frac{V_{max} (m/s)}{R_{turn}} = \frac{180}{π} \cdot \frac{27.5 \cdot 0.5144}{590} = 1.37 ° / s

, so

ratio = \frac{ω_{turret}}{ω_{hull}} = \frac{7}{1.37} = 5.1 \times

. Below 5 the turrets drag in a turning fight; 25+ keeps up with any rudder.

5.1× slow

See the full acceleration curve ↓

Concealment

Detectability by sea10.52 km

Detectability by air6.31 km

Smoke firing penalty4.72 km

Detect when firing (sea)

Equal 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.

12.63 km

Detect when firing (air)

Air detectability plus the gun-firing bloom (3 km, which tracks main-battery caliber x 0.020). Matches the in-game 'Detect Firing Air' value on every captured ship.

9.31 km

Detect when on fire (sea)

Base sea detectability + 2.0 km while burning; matches the in-game 'Detect Fire Sea' value on every captured ship.

12.52 km

Detect when on fire (air)

Base air detectability + 3.0 km while burning; matches the in-game 'Detect Fire Air' value on every captured ship.

9.31 km

Guaranteed Detect2 km

✦

Consumables

Damage Control Party∞ charges · 60 s reload · 5 s active

Sonar Hull B only2 charges · 180 s reload · 110 s active · 4.98 km ship detect
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{166 \times 30}{1000} = 4.98 km$
· 3.48 km torpedo detect
ƒ
Derived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): $\frac{116 \times 30}{1000} = 3.48 km$

Module options (3)

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

HullUpgrade

Hit points19,700 → 22,700
Rudder shift12.5 → 8.9 s

Fire controlUpgrade

Main battery range11,479 → 12626.9 m

TorpedoesTrade-off

Range4.02 → 6 km
Reload42 → 53 s
Alpha damage28,900 → 30,600
Display damage9,633 → 10,200
Speed58 → 57 kt

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 Disp120.1 m at 12.6 km

Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model:  $σ_{H} = (\frac{R}{30} \cdot \frac{idealRadius - minRadius}{idealDistance} + minRadius) \cdot 30$   $= (\frac{12626.9}{30} \cdot \frac{8 - 1.1}{1000} + 1.1) \cdot 30 = 120.1 m$

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 Disp72.1 m at 12.6 km

Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot radiusOnMax$ $= 120.1 \cdot 0.6 = 72.1 m$

Shell scatter height @ 10 km57 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  $delim \cdot R_{m a x} = 0.5 \cdot 12626.9 = 6313$  m, and  $radiusOnMax = 0.6$  at 12626.9 m. Above the kink:  $k = 0.5 + (0.6 - 0.5) \cdot \frac{10000 - 6313}{12626.9 - 6313} = 0.5584$ , so  $σ_{V} = σ_{H} \cdot k = 102 \cdot 0.5584 = 57 m$ .

Med Horiz Disp36 m at 12.6 km

50%-hit horizontal radius: $σ_{H, 50} = σ_{H} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}$ $= 120.1 \cdot \frac{0.6}{2} = 36 m$

Med Vert Disp21.6 m at 12.6 km

50%-hit vertical radius: $σ_{V, 50} = σ_{V} \cdot \frac{0.6}{σ}$ $= 72.1 \cdot \frac{0.6}{2} = 21.6 m$

Dispersion familyCruiser Disp.

Standard cruiser dispersion baseline.

AP Pen Close219.1 mm point-blank

Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity:  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v_{0}^{1.38}$   $= 10^{- 7} \cdot 1925 \cdot {45.3}^{0.69} \cdot {0.15}^{- 1.07} \cdot 835^{1.38} = 219.1 mm$ . Matches the in-game spec card.

AP Pen Far48 mm at 12.6 km

Same formula at the ship's max firing range (12.6 km), where the shell has slowed to 277.8 m/s:  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot 1925 \cdot {45.3}^{0.69} \cdot {0.15}^{- 1.07} \cdot {277.8}^{1.38} = 48 mm$ .

AP pen 5 km111 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$ . Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.

AP pen 10 km60 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  $P = 10^{- 7} \cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{- 1.07} \cdot v^{1.38}$ . Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.

AP flight time @ 10 km7.36 s

How long an AP shell takes to reach a target at a fixed 10 km, from the same numerically integrated trajectory the Charts card plots. The shell slows under quadratic air drag,  $a_{drag} = k ρ v^{2}$ , where  $ρ$  is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and  $k$  bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.4145 \cdot {0.15}^{2}}{8 \cdot 45.3} = 8.08 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 835 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77: 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 km7.29 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,  $a_{drag} = k ρ v^{2}$ , where  $ρ$  is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and  $k$  bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass:  $k = \frac{π C_{d} d^{2}}{8 m} = \frac{π \cdot 0.4074 \cdot {0.15}^{2}}{8 \cdot 45.3} = 7.95 \times 10^{- 5}$ . That runs from a 835 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77: 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 penetration38 mm

38 mm ≈ 150 mm caliber / 4 (improved HE penetration: German BBs, Yamato-class, and a handful of others).

Improved HE PenYes

This ship's HE shells use a 1/4 (~0.25) caliber-to-pen ratio instead of the standard 1/6 (~0.167) - 0.253 in this case. Lets HE pen ~37mm armor instead of ~25mm. Hits every German cruiser (150mm CL, 203mm CA) and BB (350mm+), British heavy cruisers / Lion / Nelson, a handful of other premiums.

AP overmatch10 mm

floor(150 mm caliber / 14.3) = 10 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).

AP AOE Radius10

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 alpha5

Barrels that can bear on one beam (5 of 8); casemate/wing mounts only fire one side.

Turret turn time25.7 s

180 degrees / 7 deg/s traverse speed = 25.7 s.

HE full-salvo alpha9,000

1,800 HE damage x 5 broadside guns = 9,000.

AP full-salvo alpha18,500

3,700 AP damage x 5 broadside guns = 18,500.

HE DPM83,077

9,000 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 6.5 s base reload = 83,077.

AP DPM170,769

18,500 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 6.5 s base reload = 170,769.

Shells/min46.2

5 broadside guns x 60 / 6.5 s base reload = 46.2.

Fires/min4.62

46.2 shells/min x 10% fire chance = 4.62.

Torpedoes

Torpedo detectability1.4 km

Estimated torpedo reaction time9.1 s

detectability / (speed kt x 2.6855 game-speed factor, m/s per knot, calibrated from in-game measurement; the community's traditional 2.6 reads about 3% slower).

Torpedo speed57 kt

Travel time to max range39.2 s

range / (speed kt x 2.6855 game-speed factor, m/s per knot, calibrated from in-game measurement).

Torpedo module damage1,000

Per-torpedo module/blast damage parameter from in-game data. Most torpedoes carry 500 to 2,000; ships announced by WG as dealing increased module damage carry 9,000 to 12,000, so their hits knock out engines, rudders, and turrets far more often. Comparative figure; the exact module-HP conversion is not published.

Tube count8

4 launchers x 2 tubes.

Per-side salvo4 torpedoes

tube count / 2 (symmetric port/starboard launcher layout; common on cruisers and battleships with deck torpedoes).

Full-salvo damage81,600

All tubes hitting one target: tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 8 x 10,200 = 81,600.

Per-side salvo damage40,800

One side firing, all torpedoes hitting: per-side tubes x per-torpedo simulated damage = 4 x 10,200 = 40,800.

AA defense

AA DPS at max range6

Only families that reach 3 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 88mm45 SK L45 3x1 -> 6 DPS @ 3 km.

Maximum AA range3 km

Longest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 0 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.

AA DPS layered by range6 DPS @ 3 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-blank6

Sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (3 km).

AA threat index18

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 @ 3.5 km229.5 m

3.5 km × 57 + 30 = 229.5 m.

Secondary battery firepower

Secondary DPM (per side)15,000

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: 2×1 88 mm (1/side) × 60/4 × 1000 = 15,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).

Max HE alpha1000

Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1000 from the 88 mm family.

Max HE fire chance4%

Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 4% from the 88 mm family.

Max HE pen15 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: 15 mm from the 88 mm family.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 19,700 → 22,700 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 & stern10 mm

Overmatched by 95+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Belt / citadel60 mm

Thin belt: battleship AP citadels straight through it broadside. Rely on angle, speed and concealment, never sit flat.

Farming10 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 10%, fires burn 30s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section	Plates	HP cap	Threats	Tactic
Bow	10 mm primary (range 10–60 mm)	1,000 (4% of HP)	Overmatched by 150mm+ AP (Java, Taranto)Angle bounces 127mm10 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)	10 mm primary (range 10–40 mm)	17,000 (75% of HP)	Overmatched by 150mm+ AP (Java, Taranto)Angle bounces 127mm10 mm: HE pens from 127mm+	Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern	10 mm primary (range 10–60 mm)	400 (2% of HP)	Overmatched by 150mm+ AP (Java, Taranto)Angle bounces 127mm10 mm: HE pens from 127mm+	Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel	60 mm primary (range 10–60 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.
Superstructure	10 mm primary (range 10–100 mm)	1,100 (5% 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 HP	11,400 magazine HP	Turret knocked out	Per-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 (88 mm mount)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	800 per-mount HP	Destroyed at 0 HP	Per-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.
Rudder (module)	separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP	6,800 module HP	Incapacitated at 0 HP	When 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 Karlsruhe. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.

Buff ×2

2026-07-30

Ministry of Balance: Anniversary Tune-Up

credit and XP earnings increased by 2%.

Read the full official post

2026-07-30

Anniversary Update: Tides of Adventure

Increased earnings: Karlsruhe, Kuma, Phoenix, Svietlana, Nürnberg, New Orleans, Myōkō, Hipper, Ibuki, Ibuki B, Sejong, Brindisi, Roon, Buffalo, Alaska, Alaska B, Worcester, Yoshino, Småland, Yūgumo, Z-46, A. M. Sumner, Tennessee, Iowa, AL Sov. Rossiya, Iwami, Iwami B, Pommern, Pommern B, Karl XIV Johan, Hizen, Niord, Alsace, Delaware, F. der Große, Izumo, Lepanto, Maine, Minnesota, Prinz Rupprecht, Sov. Soyuz, Temeraire.

Read the full official post

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

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

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.

2026-07-30 · Patch notes Anniversary Update: Tides of Adventure Patch notes

Karlsruhe

Karlsruhe Community Stats

Karlsruhe Community Stats

Playstyle

Overview

Positioning

Potato Avoidance

Signature Traits →

How to get Karlsruhe

Builds

Cohort position

Peers in this cohort

Stats & specs

See all derived stats

Main battery formulas

Torpedoes

AA defense

Secondary battery dispersion

Secondary battery firepower

Armor Beta

Ship Charts

Balance History

Ministry of Balance: Anniversary Tune-Up

Anniversary Update: Tides of Adventure

Skins & permanent camouflages

Primary official WG sources

Signature Traits