World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Salem

Also called: 塞勒姆 Beta
U.S.A. · Tier VIII · CA Cruiser · Premium
Super-heal cruiserThe heal, not the armor, keeps it alive: trade aggressively and patch it back.
Playstyle
  • Hold 12-15 km from a contested cap with an island close enough to break sightline when focus shifts
  • Avoid: Using radar like a destroyer hunter rather than a position tool
Key characteristics
Radar (8.5 km)High HE / fire outputWide always-pen zoneDefensive AASuper-healSoft superstructure
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Community Data

Salem Community Stats

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Playstyle

Overview

Salem is a Tier VIII American cruiser built around the super-heal: each Repair Party charge returns dramatically more HP than a standard heal, so her durability comes from sustain rather than armor. Surveillance Radar (8.5 km, 40 s active, every 180 s) is the cap-control consumable on top, so she sets fights as well as winning them. Standout traits: best AP always-pen window in T8 CAs (60°) and best radar duration in T8 CAs (40 s).

Positioning

Hold 12-15 km from a contested cap with an island close enough to break sightline when focus shifts. Push the radar forward only once the destroyer fight is yours; burning the drop to fish for a lone DD kill leaves the next push with no answer to smoke or vision. The helm answers quickly (8.6 s), so she can break an incoming salvo that slower hulls have to eat.

Potato Avoidance

Using radar like a destroyer hunter rather than a position tool

The consumable's value is locking down a cap your team can take, not stealing a single salvo on a lone DD. Burn it early to fish for a kill and the next push has no answer to smoke or vision. Yours reaches 8.5 km for 40 s, which is the whole window your team gets to act on what it shows.

Signature Traits

Surveillance Radar

8.5 km range, 40 s duration. Detects all enemy ships within a fixed radius regardless of line-of-sight. Controls caps and punishes smoke-firing DDs.

ELITE MAIN BATTERY
  • Wide always-pen zone · 60°
  • Late auto-bounce · 67.5°
Super-heal

Repair Party heals 2%/s, best of T8 CAs. Restores more HP per active second than peers.

Long-duration radar

40 s Surveillance Radar duration, best of the 9 T8 CAs with radar. Keeps caps lit longer.

ELITE ARMOR
  • Thick end plates · 27 mm
  • Thick bow plate · 27 mm
Soft superstructure

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

Acquisition

How to get Salem

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

Official WG availability sources
  • Through the Spy Glass: Salem Ship feature / release Start: 2023-06-29 · End: open/unknown end Official Through the Spy Glass feature for this ship; useful as a release/availability source, but not a guaranteed current-store listing.

Builds

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

Norman Scott

WG official

WG official build from Through the Spy Glass: Salem.

Source: Through the Spy Glass: Salem

Open in Build Tool →

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 Salem sits among Tier VIII CAs (34 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 ricochet start60° (1 of 7 tied) BestAA threat2,865 (1 of 2 tied) BestRepair heal rate2 %/s (1 of 7 tied) BestEnd plates27 mm (1 of 10 tied / 7/35) Top 25%Rudder shift8.6 s (7/35) Top 25%Main battery reload5.9 s (8/35) Top 25%Fires per minute12.81 (4/29) Top 25%AP DPM366,102 (9/34) Top 25%Secondary HE alpha1,800 (7/27) Top 25%AP auto-bounce angle67.5° (5/34) Top 25%Effective HE DPM (incl. fire)315,514 (7/29) Top 25%AA DPS573 (7/35) Bottom 25%Traverse-to-turn ratio4.75 × (29/35) Bottom 25%HE shell damage2,300 (23/29) WorstSecondary DPM (per side)108,000 (1 of 5 tied) WorstSecondary fire chance5% (1 of 11 tied) WorstAP velocity762 m/s (1 of 6 tied) WorstNo torpedoes (14 of 35 in cohort)
See 32 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Salem -- 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 points44,700 HP(23/35) Max speed33 kt(23/35) Concealment13 km(19/35) Smoke fire bloom7.49 km(17/35) Air detection7.8 km(21/35) Turning circle770 m(17/35) Main battery caliber203 mm(19/35) Main battery range15.47 km(23/35) Sigma2.05(17/35) HE fire chance14%(18/29) HE DPM210,508(9/29) AP shell damage4,000(25/34) Main dispersion139.7 m(13/35) Secondary HE pen21 mm(13/27) HE velocity823 m/s(22/29) Acceleration28.3 s(24/35) AP arming threshold34 mm(15/34) Engine power120,000 hp(22/35) Turn-speed retention155.8 hp/m(21/35) Displacement20,950 t(21/35) Power-to-weight5.73 hp/t(21/35) AP pen at 10 km263 mm(19/34) AA range5 km(23/35) Flak per wave (expected)1,944(14/35) Max armor160 mm(18/35) Citadel belt160 mm(14/35) Deck armor51 mm(13/34) NormSecondary dispersion bracket57(20 of 28 tied at this value) NormAP fuse timer0.03 s(24 of 34 tied at this value) NormTurn speed retained81%(32 of 35 tied at this value) NormSecondary range5 km(22 of 28 tied at this value) NormRepair charges2(33 of 35 tied at this value)
Survivability
Hit Points44,700
Displacement20,950 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.
218.4 x 23 m
Armor range6–160 mm
Plate armor thicknesses6, 16, 27, 30, 40, 51, 90, 102, 127, 140, 152, 160 mm
Armor material/layer entries45
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 duration30 s
Fire damage
ƒEach fire ticks 0.3% of max HP per second for the full 30 s, so one unattended fire burns 9% of the pool (4,023 HP on this ship). 4 fire points can burn at once. Verified against measured burn ticks in replay data.
0.3% of HP per second
Flood duration40 s
Flood damage
ƒA flood ticks 0.25% of max HP per second for the 40 s duration, so one unattended flood costs 10% of the pool (4,470 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.
7%
Magazine HP
ƒPer-turret powder-magazine HP, a separate pool from the ship's. Penetrating hits wear it down and the turret is likelier to be knocked out as it falls, so a larger pool keeps the guns firing through punishment that silences a peer's.
22,400
Steering gear HP
ƒDurability of the steering gears. As this pool drops, hits are likelier to jam the rudder; unlike most modules the steering can be knocked out and repaired but is never permanently destroyed.
13,400
Effective HP
ƒBase 44,700 HP plus everything Repair Party can restore: 2%/s x 20 s = 17,880 HP per charge, x2 charges = 35,760 HP. Ceiling, not a prediction: a charge only restores damage actually taken, and only the regeneratable share of it. Across 1,826 players in our replay corpus the median ship realized about half of this, mostly because half the charges go unspent — when Repair Party IS pressed it returns ~97% of the per-charge figure above.
80,460
Repairable: penetration50%
Repairable: citadel33%
Repairable: steering gear50%
Main Battery
ModuleArtillery: 203 mm Mk16
Mounts / barrels3 mounts / 9 barrels
Reload time6.5 s
Firing range15.5 km
Turret traverse6 °/s
Turret armor203 mm
Turret traverse arcs
ƒHow far each mount can train, in degrees to either side of the mount's own facing, read from in-game data. A rear turret with ±150° leaves a 60° blind wedge over the bow; one-sided arcs are wing mounts that cover a single side. The data does not say which way each mount faces, so the arcs are listed per mount without bow/stern angles.
2x ±149°, ±150°
Guns to bear
ƒHow far off the bow (or stern) the ship must angle before every main turret can fire: the widest blind wedge among the rear-facing (or forward-facing) mounts, from each mount's trainable arc. Mount facing is inferred from turret stations and verified against known layouts, including Izumo's aft-facing forward turret.
30° off bow / 31° off stern
AP pen max range200 mm
HE fire DPM vs T8 BB95340
Effective HE DPM vs T8 BB286417
Shell Grouping (σ)2.05
Max Horiz Disp
ƒHorizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model: σH=(R30·idealRadiusminRadiusidealDistance+minRadius)·30 =(1546930·81.11000+1.1)·30=139.7m
139.7 m at 15.5 km
Max Vert Disp
ƒVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: σV=σH·radiusOnMax =139.7·0.6=83.8m
83.8 m at 15.5 km
Med Horiz Disp
ƒ50%-hit horizontal radius: σH,50=σH·0.6σ =139.7·0.62.05=40.9m
40.9 m at 15.5 km
Med Vert Disp
ƒ50%-hit vertical radius: σV,50=σV·0.6σ =83.8·0.62.05=24.5m
24.5 m at 15.5 km
Turret turn time
ƒ180 degrees / 6 deg/s traverse speed = 30 s.
30 s
Shells/min
ƒZero upgrades: 9 broadside guns x 60 / 6.5 s base reload = 83.1. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 9 broadside guns x 60 / 5.9 s all-upgrades reload = 91.5.
Initial: 83.1 → 91.5
HE shells
HE Damage2,300
HE Velocity823 m/s
Fire Chance14%
HE penetration
ƒ34 mm ≈ 203 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).
34 mm
HE full-salvo alpha
ƒ2,300 HE damage x 9 broadside guns = 20,700.
20,700
HE DPM
ƒZero upgrades: 20,700 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 6.5 s base reload = 191,077. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 20,700 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 5.9 s all-upgrades reload = 210,508.
Initial: 191,077 → 210,508
Fires/min
ƒZero upgrades: 83.1 shells/min x 14% fire chance = 11.63. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 91.5 shells/min x 14% fire chance = 12.81.
Initial: 11.63 → 12.81
AP shells
AP Damage4,000
AP Velocity762 m/s
Min Ricochet60 deg
Guaranteed Ricochet67.5 deg
Fuse Timer0.033 s
Fuse Threshold34 mm
AP overmatch
ƒfloor(203 mm caliber / 14.3) = 14 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
14 mm
AP Pen Close
ƒCanonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: P=107·K·m0.69·d1.07·v01.38 =107·2919·1520.69·0.2031.07·7621.38=488.4mm. Matches the in-game spec card.
488.4 mm point-blank
AP Pen Far
ƒSame formula at the ship's max firing range (15.5 km), where the shell has slowed to 399.6 m/s: P=107·2919·1520.69·0.2031.07·399.61.38=200.4mm.
200.4 mm at 15.5 km
AP full-salvo alpha
ƒ4,000 AP damage x 9 broadside guns = 36,000.
36,000
AP DPM
ƒZero upgrades: 36,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 6.5 s base reload = 332,308. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 36,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 5.9 s all-upgrades reload = 366,102.
Initial: 332,308 → 366,102
AP AOE Radius
ƒAP shell over-penetration splash radius; scales with shell mass. Wickes 102mm = 3, standard 152mm CL ~ 20, Iowa 406mm ~ 270, Yamato 460mm = 400, Incomparable 650mm = 550 (max). Larger value = bigger splash damage area when AP over-pens.
45
AA Defense
AA mount points12
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.
5 km
76.2 mm Mk3310×2 76mm
76.2 mm Mk332×2 76mm
127 mm Mk32 (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: your secondaries doing double duty against aircraft. The same mounts appear on the Secondary Battery card - shared guns, not extra hardware.
6×2 127mm
Far + Medium aura
Guns127 mm Mk32 (DP) + 76.2 mm Mk33
Far continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS in in-game units (raw aura damage × 3.5 × hit probability, summed per contributing aura) - matches the Close-range AA DPS headline's currency. Includes 91 from dual-purpose secondaries firing as AA in this range band.
91
Medium continuous DPS
ƒEffective DPS: 153 raw aura damage × 3.5 × 0.9 hit probability = 482 - the same in-game units as the Close-range AA DPS headline.
482
Range5 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒFar 91 + Medium 482 = 573
573
Flak bursts
Bursts
ƒEach ~2 s wave fires 2 quick salvos of 4 clouds ahead of the attacking squadron, plus 1 stray cloud farther out that appear off-beat between waves - up to 9 clouds per wave × 240 damage each. Planes that fly into a cloud take its damage; clouds dissipate before the next wave lands. Defensive AA Fire, where fitted, multiplies the salvo repeats within each wave.
2 salvos × 4 clouds + 1 outer
Cloud damage
ƒDamage a plane takes for flying into one flak cloud, before any reductions.
240
Cloud spawn chance
ƒEach cloud in the pattern rolls this chance to spawn, so waves average fewer clouds than the maximum. Often called flak 'hit chance', but spawned clouds always damage planes that fly into them - the roll is on spawning.
90%
Wave rate
ƒA flak wave spawns roughly every 2 s - timed frame-by-frame from gameplay footage and consistent across ships.
every ~2 s
Fired by
ƒFlak keeps firing while at least one secondary battery mount is operational - even losing every other AA mount does not stop it.
Secondary battery
Flak zone
ƒThe activation band: flak fires while attacking planes are inside it. Clouds are placed ahead of the planes' path, so bursts can land short of 2.5 km or past 5 km - once planes get inside the band, new waves stop. AA range bonuses push the outer edge out; the 2.5 km inner edge does not move.
2.5-5 km
S
Secondary Battery
Mounts6
Firing range5.0 km
Shell Grouping (σ)1
127 mm Mk32 (DP)
ƒDual-purpose: the same mounts also fire at aircraft, so they appear on the AA Defense card too - shared guns, not extra hardware.
6×2 127mm
Caliber127 mm
Reload time6 s
HE Damage1,800
Muzzle Velocity792 m/s
Fire Chance5%
Armor Pen21 mm
Secondary dispersion type
ƒMax dispersion = range (km) × 57 + 30. Each dispersion type sets its own slope; this is not a percentage applied to a standard baseline.
Standard
Max secondary dispersion @ 5 km
ƒ5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.
315 m
Maneuverability
Engine power120,000 hp
Maximum speed33 kt
Turning circle radius770 m
Rudder shift time8.6 s
Engine power-boost threshold7 kt
Engine spool-up time15.3 s
Reverse spool-up time7.7 s
Reverse speed
ƒtop speed / 4 + 4.9 = 33 / 4 + 4.9 = 13.2 kt. The community reverse-speed model from the WoWs ShipBuilder project, the same source as the acceleration model on this card. Base value; speed modifiers scale it. Not shown on the in-game card.
13.2 kt
Crash stop
ƒSeconds from top speed to a dead stop after ordering full reverse: reverse power winds in over the reverse spool-up while water drag does most of the braking. Same community-model simulation as the acceleration times, using the ship's own reverse-power ratio from in-game data. The full curve is on the acceleration chart.
30 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).
10.2 kt
Acceleration 0-90%
ƒTime to reach 90% of top speed (29.7 kt of 33 kt), from our in-house acceleration model.
28.3 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (32.7 kt of 33 kt). 99% rather than 100% because true top speed is asymptotic (thrust meets drag), so the last fraction of a knot is never quite gained.
46.9 s
Traverse-to-turn ratio
ƒHow many degrees the turret can swing for each degree the hull turns. Turn rate ωhull=180π·Vmax(m/s)Rturn=180π·33.0·0.5144770=1.26°/s, so ratio=ωturretωhull=61.26=4.8×. Below 5 the turrets drag in a turning fight; 25+ keeps up with any rudder.
4.8× drags
Concealment
Detectability by sea13 km
Detectability by air7.8 km
Smoke firing penalty7.49 km
Detect when firing (sea)
ƒEqual to the ship's main battery range (never below base detectability): firing makes you visible to everyone you can reach. Matches the in-game 'Detect Firing Sea' value on all 8 unmodified captures, and range-modified captures track the modified range.
15.47 km
Detect when firing (air)
ƒAir detectability plus the gun-firing bloom (4.06 km, which tracks main-battery caliber x 0.020). Matches the in-game 'Detect Firing Air' value on every captured ship.
11.86 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.
15 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.
10.8 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
Consumables
Damage Control Party∞ charges · 60 s reload · 5 s active
Defensive AA Fire3 charges · 140 s reload · 25 s active · ×2 flak burst boost
ƒRepeats the flak burst pattern ×2 within each wave - more clouds in the air over the wave, at the same spots.
Choose one
Surveillance Radar2 charges · 180 s reload · 40 s active · 8.5 km radar range
ƒDerived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): 283×301000=8.5 km
Sonar2 charges · 180 s reload · 100 s active · 5 km ship detect
ƒDerived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): 167×301000=5 km
· 3.5 km torpedo detect
ƒDerived from the consumable's 30 m grid-unit range (km = grid units x 30 / 1000): 117×301000=3.5 km
Repair Party2 charges · 80 s reload · 20 s active · 17,880 HP (40% of max HP) total heal (per charge)
ƒHeal per second (2%) x effective active time (20 s) = up to 40% of max HP restored per charge.
· 35,760 HP (80% of max HP) total heal (all charges)
ƒ40% per charge x 2 charges = up to 80% of max HP if the whole Repair Party loadout is used.
· 894 HP/s (2% of max HP) heal per second
ƒ2% of max HP (44,700 HP) per second = 894 HP/s. WoWS heals a flat percent of MAX HP each second, so this rate holds at any health level.

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)2.05
Max Horiz Disp139.7 m at 15.5 km
Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model: σH=(R30·idealRadiusminRadiusidealDistance+minRadius)·30 =(1546930·81.11000+1.1)·30=139.7m
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.
Shell scatter width @ 15 km136.5 m
Horizontal scatter at a fixed 15 km, from the same verified dispersion model - the long-range anchor. Only shown when the ship's guns reach 15 km.
Max Vert Disp83.8 m at 15.5 km
Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: σV=σH·radiusOnMax =139.7·0.6=83.8m
Shell scatter height @ 10 km54 m
How tall the same scatter ellipse is at 10 km. Comparable from ship to ship for the same reason as the width value above. The height/width ratio is a piecewise-linear curve through three points from the ship's own dispersion data: radiusOnZero=0.2 at 0 m, radiusOnDelim=0.5 at delim·Rmax=0.5·15469=7734 m, and radiusOnMax=0.6 at 15469 m. Above the kink: k=0.5+(0.60.5)·100007734154697734=0.5293, so σV=σH·k=102·0.5293=54m.
Med Horiz Disp40.9 m at 15.5 km
50%-hit horizontal radius: σH,50=σH·0.6σ =139.7·0.62.05=40.9m
Med Vert Disp24.5 m at 15.5 km
50%-hit vertical radius: σV,50=σV·0.6σ =83.8·0.62.05=24.5m
AP Pen Close488.4 mm point-blank
Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: P=107·K·m0.69·d1.07·v01.38 =107·2919·1520.69·0.2031.07·7621.38=488.4mm. Matches the in-game spec card.
AP Pen Far200.4 mm at 15.5 km
Same formula at the ship's max firing range (15.5 km), where the shell has slowed to 399.6 m/s: P=107·2919·1520.69·0.2031.07·399.61.38=200.4mm.
AP pen 5 km355 mm
AP penetration at a fixed 5 km, read off the same PC-validated ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the canonical community AP formula P=107·K·m0.69·d1.07·v1.38. Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.
AP pen 10 km263 mm
AP penetration at a fixed 10 km, read off the same PC-validated ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the canonical community AP formula P=107·K·m0.69·d1.07·v1.38. Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.
AP pen 15 km205 mm
AP penetration at a fixed 15 km, read off the same PC-validated ballistic curve as AP Pen Close/Far: the shell's impact velocity at that range fed through the canonical community AP formula P=107·K·m0.69·d1.07·v1.38. Fixed anchors make ships directly comparable at the same fighting distance; the Charts card plots the full curve.
HE flight time @ 10 km5.88 s
How long an HE shell takes to reach a target at a fixed 10 km, from the same numerically integrated trajectory the Charts card plots. The shell slows under quadratic air drag, adrag=kρv2, where ρ is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and k bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass: k=πCdd28m=π·0.333·0.20328·118=4.57×105. That runs from a 823 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.
AP flight time @ 10 km6.04 s
How long an AP shell takes to reach a target at a fixed 10 km, from the same numerically integrated trajectory the Charts card plots. The shell slows under quadratic air drag, adrag=kρv2, where ρ is air density from a standard-atmosphere profile and k bundles the shell's drag coefficient, caliber and mass: k=πCdd28m=π·0.356·0.20328·152=3.79×105. That runs from a 762 m/s muzzle velocity in 0.02 s steps under gravity 9.8 m/s² until the shell lands, then divides by 2.77: the game clock runs faster than real time, and that factor was measured against stopwatch runs in the Training Room. Lower is better, since a faster shell is harder to dodge and needs less lead.
HE penetration34 mm
34 mm ≈ 203 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).
AP overmatch14 mm
floor(203 mm caliber / 14.3) = 14 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
AP AOE Radius45
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 alpha9
All 9 barrels bear on the broadside.
Turret turn time30 s
180 degrees / 6 deg/s traverse speed = 30 s.
HE full-salvo alpha20,700
2,300 HE damage x 9 broadside guns = 20,700.
AP full-salvo alpha36,000
4,000 AP damage x 9 broadside guns = 36,000.
HE DPMInitial: 191,077 → 210,508
Zero upgrades: 20,700 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 6.5 s base reload = 191,077. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 20,700 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 5.9 s all-upgrades reload = 210,508.
AP DPMInitial: 332,308 → 366,102
Zero upgrades: 36,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 6.5 s base reload = 332,308. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 36,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 5.9 s all-upgrades reload = 366,102.
Shells/minInitial: 83.1 → 91.5
Zero upgrades: 9 broadside guns x 60 / 6.5 s base reload = 83.1. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 9 broadside guns x 60 / 5.9 s all-upgrades reload = 91.5.
Fires/minInitial: 11.63 → 12.81
Zero upgrades: 83.1 shells/min x 14% fire chance = 11.63. All upgrades (Main Battery Mod. 3 = -10% reload): 91.5 shells/min x 14% fire chance = 12.81.

AA defense

AA DPS at max range573
Only families that reach 5 km contribute at the outer edge of the AA bubble. In-game families: 3in50 Twin Mark 33 10x2 -> 402 DPS @ 5 km; 3in50 Twin Mark 33 2x2 -> 80 DPS @ 5 km; 5in38 Mk32 Mod12 6x2 -> 91 DPS @ 5 km.
Maximum AA range5 km
Longest-reaching family on the in-game AA card. Base AirDefense aura max range is 5 km; dual-purpose mount auras extend it.
AA DPS layered by range573 DPS @ 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-blank573
Sum of every family's average DPS, achievable only inside the closest-range family (5 km).
AA threat index2865
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 km315 m
5 km × 57 + 30 = 315 m.

Secondary battery firepower

Secondary DPM (per side)108,000
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: 6×2 127 mm (6/side) × 60/6 × 1800 = 108,000. Assumes every shell hits (real hit rate is lower; the Brawl matchup tool on the Compare page folds in dispersion + target armor).
Max HE alpha1800
Maximum HE damage per shell across secondary HE families. Best on this ship: 1800 from the 127 mm family.
Max HE fire chance5%
Maximum per-shell fire chance across secondary HE families (before target fire resistance is applied). Best on this ship: 5% from the 127 mm family.
Max HE pen21 mm
Maximum HE armor penetration across secondary HE families (caliber × 1/6 for most nations; 1/4 for German/UK BBs). Shells whose pen falls under a plate's armor thickness shatter for 0 hull damage though fire chance still applies. Best on this ship: 21 mm from the 127 mm family.

Armor Beta

Hull HP 44,700, 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 & stern27 mm

Overmatched by 72+ AP guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Belt / citadel152 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 40%, fires burn 30s. Range-by-range in the Compare tool →

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow27 mm primary (range 27–40 mm)2,200 (5% of HP)
Overmatched by 406mm+ AP (Hawke, Iowa)Angle bounces 380mm27 mm: HE pens from 203mm+
Bow-tank fits behind this exterior plate. Saturation is FAST here; the cap is often only a few thousand HP.
Hull (midship)16 mm primary (range 16–140 mm)33,500 (75% of HP)
Overmatched by 283mm+ AP (Scharnhorst '43, Schill)Angle bounces 203mm16 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern27 mm primary (range 6–102 mm)3,400 (8% of HP)
Overmatched by 406mm+ AP (Hawke, Iowa)Angle bounces 380mm27 mm: HE pens from 203mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel152 mm primary (range 6–160 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 6–160 mm)no cap
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 HP22,400 magazine HPTurret knocked outPer-turret powder-magazine HP, a separate pool that does not drain ship HP. As it is worn down the turret is likelier to be knocked out, and a smaller pool gets there faster.
Secondary mount (127 mm mount)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP800 per-mount HPDestroyed at 0 HPPer-mount HP for the heaviest secondary on this ship. A mount destroyed at 0 HP is out for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. Smaller (lighter-caliber) secondaries typically share the same HP value.
AA mount (76 mm mount)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP200 per-mount HPDestroyed at 0 HPPer-mount HP for the heaviest AA on this ship. An AA mount destroyed at 0 HP stops shooting down planes for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. HE shells specifically target AA mounts since the small-caliber HP pool falls fast.
Rudder (module)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP13,400 module HPIncapacitated at 0 HPWhen module HP reaches 0 the rudder locks at its current angle until DCP repairs it. Repair via Damage Control Party.

Saturation cap = HP a section can absorb before further damage to it is reduced (the "bow-tank" effect). Citadel pool is ~165k on every ship (effectively no cap); damage is gated by pen/over-pen multipliers instead. Superstructure saturates fast but HE always pens regardless of the plate thickness. Rudder (and other module HPs) are a separate pool from ship HP: damaging a module doesn't drain ship HP. Incapacitated modules like the rudder and engine are restored by DCP, but secondary and AA mounts destroyed at 0 HP stay out for the rest of the battle.

Open in Charting Tool

Ship Charts

Balance History

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

Nerf ×3Buff ×3Rework ×1Main Battery ×3
2023-09-28

Halloween Update: Spooky Waves

  • Main Battery reload time increased from 5.5 to 6.5 s.
  • Armor plating for casemate sides reduced from 30 to 27 mm.
  • Conning tower armor improved from 102 to 140 mm.
  • on the roof and reduced from 165 to 160 mm.
  • Based on your feedback and stats during the open test of Anchorage, her stats were changed prior to the release:
  • Main Battery Reload Time improved from 15.5 to 14.5 s 180-degree turret traverse time improved from 30 to 27 s.
Read the full official post
2023-06-15

Summer Update: Always Courageous

  • This all-new American cruiser comes with a high rate of fire, improved penetration angles for AP shells, a solid AA suite, and the choice between the Sonar and Radar consumables. It's time to deal damage! You can acquire her in the Forge starting June 19.
Read the full official post
Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

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

  • Salem 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.