World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Rhein

Also called: 莱茵河 Beta
AP dive-bomber carrierCitadel broadside heavies with AP bombs; torpedoes handle the rest.
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 squadronsFast torpedoesLong-reach AAFast for the classTighter secondary dispersionLight bombs
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Community Data

Rhein Community Stats

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Playstyle

Overview

Rhein is the Tier III German carrier built around AP dive bombers: armor-piercing bombs that citadel broadside battleships and heavy cruisers, with fast 50-kn air torpedoes for the destroyers and angled targets the bombs glance off. Per-bomb damage is low, so the payout is reliable citadels off target selection rather than raw volume. Standout traits: best AA reach in T3 CVs (4.5 km).

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 10.7 km and run at 26 kn, so that distance plus your speed is the whole margin for noticing a DD has slipped past and getting out. A 760 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 107 s at best, and your most fragile squadron flies at 1,300 HP, so a wave sent into a wall of AA thins the reserve for the rest of the match.

Signature Traits

Fast air torpedoes

50 kn air-torpedo speed, best of T3 CVs. Harder for targets to angle out.

Long-reach AA

4.5 km AA reach, best of T3 CVs.

ELITE MOBILITY
  • Fast for the class · 26 kt
  • Nimble for the tonnage · 3.15 hp
ELITE SECONDARIES
  • Tighter secondary dispersion · 145.5 m
  • Tighter secondary dispersion
MIXED AIRCRAFT
  • Light bombs · 2100 damage
  • Short air-torp range · 2.5 km
Acquisition

How to get Rhein

Rhein is available in the Atlantic Carriers branch of the Germany Tech Tree for 270,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 54,000 credits.

Show Germany tech-tree branch diagram
Germany Tech Tree

Rhein sits in the Atlantic Carriers branch. The highlighted path shows the local branch context inside the full Germany tree.

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 Rhein sits among Tier III CVs (5 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 speed26 kt (1/6) BestSecondary dispersion bracket33 (1/6) BestPower-to-weight3.15 hp/t (1/6) BestAA range4.5 km (1/6) BestAA threat652 (1/6) BestAir torpedo speed50 kn (1/6) Top 25%AA DPS169 (2/6) WorstTurning circle760 m (6/6) WorstSecondary DPM (per side)30,000 (6/6) WorstSecondary HE alpha1,000 (6/6) WorstSecondary fire chance4% (6/6) WorstSecondary HE pen15 mm (6/6) WorstBomb damage2,100 (6/6) WorstAir torpedo range2.5 km (6/6)
See 20 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Rhein -- 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 points32,300 HP(4/6) Concealment10.66 km(3/6) Air detection7.46 km(3/6) Rudder shift8.6 s(3/6) Acceleration32.4 s(5/6) Engine power35,000 hp(3/6) Turn-speed retention46.1 hp/m(3/6) Displacement11,100 t(3/6) Max armor60 mm(3/6) Citadel belt25 mm(3/6) Deck armor60 mm(3/6) Air torpedo damage4,000(5/6) Squadron restore time107 s(3/6) Deck HP16,150 HP(4/6) Plane HP1,300 HP(5/6) NormFlak per wave (expected)260(4 of 5 tied at this value) NormBow armor16 mm(4 of 6 tied at this value) NormStern armor16 mm(4 of 6 tied at this value) NormAir torpedo stealth1.3 km(5 of 6 tied at this value) NormSquadron size12(5 of 6 tied at this value)
Survivability
Hit PointsInitial: 31,500 → 32,300
Displacement11,100 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.
178.7 x 26.03 m
Armor range10–60 mm
Plate armor thicknesses10, 16, 20, 25, 30, 60 mm
Armor material/layer entries44
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.
Initial: 6.7% → 10%
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 (7,752 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 (2,422 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.
9,700
Repairable: penetration50%
Repairable: citadel10%
Repairable: steering gear50%
Squadrons
Total plane capacity72
Flight deck HP16,150
Hangar HP16,150
Dive bomber
Plane HP1,400
Cruising speed115 kt
OrdnanceAP bomb, 2,100 dmg
Hangar max12
Hangar restore+2 every 107 s, start 12
Recovery time107 s
Torpedo bomber
Plane HP1,300
Cruising speed122 kt
Ordnancetorpedo, 4,000 dmg
Flooding chance25%
Torpedo arming time3 s
Torpedo arming distance77 m
Hangar max12
Hangar restore+2 every 107 s, start 12
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 points4
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.
4.5 km
37 mm Flak LM/424×2 37mm
88 mm L/76 Dop. L. C/32 (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.
2×2 88mm
Far aura
Guns88 mm L/76 Dop. L. C/32 (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 60 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
60
Range4.5 km
Medium aura
Guns37 mm Flak LM/42
Continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 31 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 1 hit probability = 108 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
Initial: 88 → 108
Range3.5 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 60 + Medium 108 = 168
168
Flak bursts
Bursts
ƒEach ~2 s wave fires 2 quick salvos of 1 clouds ahead of the attacking squadron - up to 2 clouds per wave × 160 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
ƒDamage a plane takes for flying into one flak cloud, before any reductions.
160
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 4.5 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.
2.5-4.5 km
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts2
Firing range3.5 km
Shell Grouping (σ)1
88 mm L/76 Dop. L. C/32 (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.
2×2 88mm
Caliber88 mm
Reload time4 s
HE Damage1,000
Muzzle Velocity950 m/s
Fire Chance4%
Armor Pen15 mm
Secondary dispersion type
ƒMax dispersion = range (km) × 33 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.
Improved (40%, German battlecruiser type)
Max secondary dispersion @ 3.5 km
ƒ3.5 km × 33 + 30 = 145.5 m.
145.5 m
Maneuverability
Engine power35,000 hp
Maximum speed26 kt
Turning circle radius760 m
Rudder shift time8.6 s
Engine power-boost threshold7 kt
Engine spool-up time23 s
Reverse spool-up time11.5 s
Reverse speed
ƒtop speed / 4 + 4.9 = 26 / 4 + 4.9 = 11.4 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.
11.4 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.
31.1 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).
7.8 kt
Acceleration 0-90%
ƒTime to reach 90% of top speed (23.4 kt of 26 kt), from our in-house acceleration model.
32.4 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (25.7 kt of 26 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.
51.3 s
Concealment
Detectability by sea10.7 km
Detectability by air7.4 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.
7.46 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.
12.7 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.
10.4 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
Module options (1)

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

HullUpgrade
  • Hit points31,500 → 32,300
  • Rudder shift15.7 → 11.2 s
  • Close-range AA DPS25 → 31

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 range60
Only families that reach 4.5 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 37mm Flak M42 Zwilling 4x2 -> 109 DPS @ 3.5 km; 105 mm SKC 37 2x2 -> 60 DPS @ 4.5 km.
Maximum AA range4.5 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 range60 DPS @ 4.5 km, 169 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-blank169
Sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (3.5 km).
AA threat index652
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 typeImproved (40%, German battlecruiser type)
Max dispersion = range (km) × 33 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.
Max secondary dispersion @ 3.5 km145.5 m
3.5 km × 33 + 30 = 145.5 m.

Secondary battery firepower

Secondary DPM (per side)30,000
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: 2×2 88 mm (2/side) × 60/4 × 1000 = 30,000. 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 31,50032,300 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 & stern16 mm

Overmatched by 47+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Farming10 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 10%, fires burn 60s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow16 mm primary (range 16–20 mm)700 (2% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Nassau, Von Der Tann)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)16 mm primary (range 16–25 mm)24,200 (75% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Nassau, Von Der Tann)Angle bounces 203mm16 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern16 mm primary (range 16–25 mm)700 (2% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Nassau, Von Der Tann)Angle bounces 203mm16 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel25 mm primary (range 16–25 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.
Superstructure10 mm primary (range 10–60 mm)300 (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 (88 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 (37 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 HP9,700 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 Rhein. Cards are condensed; use each source link for full context.

Nerf ×5Buff ×10Rework ×2Airstrike ×2Torpedo ×4
2024-06-27

Ministry of Balance: Aerial Adjustments

  • Torpedo.
  • Torpedo bomber restoration time increased from 76.5 to 107 s.
  • Dive bomber restoration time increased from 76 to 107 s.
  • Dive bomber base speed increased from 105 to 115 kts.
Read the full official post
2024-05-24

Ministry of Balance: Carriers 2.0 – First Wave

  • Bombs per aircraft increased from 1 to 2.
  • Dive bomber accuracy (likelihood of an individual bomb hitting the inner circle) reduced from 80 to 65%.
  • Bomb damage reduced from 3,050 to 2,100.
  • Maximum & starting hangar aircraft increased from 10 to 12.
  • Aircraft restoration time increased from 59 to 76 seconds.
  • Aircraft restored increased from 1 to 2.
  • Maximum HP per aircraft reduced from 1,940 to 1,400 (squadron HP reduced from 11,640 to 8,400).
  • Base speed increased from 96 to 105 knots.
  • Aircraft maximum flight range set to 26 kilometers.
  • Torpedo Bombers:
  • +3 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 10.6 to 10.7 km; air detectability range changed from 7.4 to 7.5 km.
  • Dive bomber HP changed from 1,850 to 1,940; torpedo bomber HP changed from 1,520 to 1,600.
Read the full official post
2021-09-30

Halloween Update: Double the Fun, Double the Trouble

  • Detectability range by sea increased from 9.5 to 10.6 km.
  • Detectability range by air decreased from 7.5 to 7.4 km.
Read the full official post
Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

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

  • Rhein 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.