World of Warships News

Captains!

The coming week will provide you with the opportunity to complete a series of combat missions and receive valuable rewards for doing so.

For more information about the month-spanning missions, bonuses, and rewards available during Update 0.8.9, check out the Combat Mission Briefing here.

From your port to the silver screen -- Midway arrives on November 8. Get your tickets and learn the history behind the film! 
With the epic story of the Battle of Midway hitting cinemas worldwide this week, and in light of the recent discovery of the wrecks of Japanese aircraft carriers Akagi and Kaga by the R/V Petrel research ship, we've put together a special pair of combat missions. These missions and their rewards will give you a chance to relive the momentous struggle for Midway Atoll and get a taste of U.S. and Japanese Navy carrier tactics for yourself.

Click the button below to participate and then play the new missions at your own pace. Or open the news inside the game and click there.

As the Battle of Midway took place between June 4–7, 1942, these missions call on you to earn 47,642 base XP playing both USN and IJN ships. Once you've reached the goal, you’ll get a full day's rental of a Tier VIII Premium aicraft carrier: VIII Saipan when you complete the American mission, and VIII Kaga when you finish the Japanese one. Alongside each of the 1-day carriers, you’ll also get a 6-skill point Commander who you can keep permanently.

Please note: if you already own either or both aircraft carriers, you will not receive the rental or any compensation for the ship. However, you will still receive the Commander.

Over any number of battles, earn 47,642 base XP

Reward:

• VIII Kaga rental – 1 day
  
• Commander with 6 skill points – permanent

Ship restrictions: Tier V–X Japanese ships

Battle type restrictions: Operations, Random, Co-op, and Ranked Battles

You can complete this combat mission only once.

Over any number of battles, earn 47,642 base XP

Reward:

• VIII Saipan rental – 1 day
  
• Commander with 6 skill points – permanent

Ship restrictions: Tier V–X American ships

Battle type restrictions: Operations, Random, Co-op, and Ranked Battles

You can complete this combat mission only once.

Start: Fri. 08 Nov. 06:00 CET (UTC+1) End: Tue. 12 Nov. 06:00 CET (UTC+1)

On November 11, 1918, the armistice was signed that marked the end of World War I. In many countries Remembrance Day is observed on this date, with the poppy as its symbol. In the USA, Veterans Day is observed on November 11.

In battles, deal 100,000 of fire damage to enemy ships.

Reward: 3x Restless Fire expendable camouflages

Ship restrictions: Tier V–X

Battle type restrictions: Operations, Random, Co-op, and Ranked Battles

You can complete this combat mission only once.

In battles, score 5 citadel hits on enemy ships.

Reward: 3x Restless Fire expendable camouflages

Ship restrictions: Tier V–X

Battle type restrictions: Operations, Random, Co-op, and Ranked Battles

You can complete this combat mission only once.

In battles, earn 7 "Incapacitations" ribbons.

Reward: 3x Restless Fire expendable camouflages

Ship restrictions: Tier V–X

Battle type restrictions: Operations, Random, Co-op, and Ranked Battles

You can complete this combat mission only once.

The combat missions of the chain can be completed only in the specified sequence: you can start the next Stage only after all tasks of the previous Stage have been completed.

Final reward: 3x Restless Fire expendable camouflages

• −3% to the ship’s detectability range by sea
  
• +4% to the dispersion of shells fired by the enemy at your ship
  
• +250% Commander XP per battle

Start: Mon. 11 Nov. 06:00 CET (UTC+1) End: Tue. 12 Nov. 06:00 CET (UTC+1)

In China and some other countries 11.11 is the day of ones, and this date has become an informal holiday for bachelors. Being single isn’t a good reason to be bored! Enter your favorite game, complete a chain of 11 combat missions, and receive lots of credits plus even some doubloons!

Please note: all 11 combat missions in the chain are the same. You need to complete them one after another in order to obtain the final reward.

The combat missions of the chain can be completed only in the specified sequence: you can start the next Stage only after all the tasks of the previous Stage have been completed.

Final reward:

The Italian Cruisers Directives are about to end! Hurry to complete the combat missions of all Directives and take your rightful place in the Hall of Fame! By doing so, you'll earn lots of Italian Tokens. You can exchange these for in-game items, including a bundle with Premium cruiser V Genova.

You'll find a detailed description of the "Italian Cruisers" event in a dedicated article.

By the summer of 1942, Japan had strongly consolidated its positions in the Pacific, and the Imperial Japanese Navy had been striving to accomplish two parallel missions: to push the protective barrier farther from their borders, and to obliterate the enemy's fleet in a decisive battle.

The Japanese command saw a chance to fulfill both these missions at once when their attention was caught by a small Midway Atoll. There was a hard-surface aerodrome on the atoll; if the Japanese captured it, they could establish a fine intermediate base on the Americans' doorstep, thus opening up a way to Pearl Harbor.



By the end of May, Admiral Yamamoto had thought over his plan several times, and ordered the start of an operation. Task forces were dispatched to sea one after another. The Japanese hoped for a sudden strike and superiority of forces. However, Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet, Nimitz, had his own ace in the hole: his code breakers had decoded the Japanese code, and so could decipher a part of Japanese transmissions. Moreover, the Navy HQ were receiving a lot of reports on the movements of Yamamoto's forces, thus adding to the overall picture.



The 1st Air Fleet, headed by Admiral Nagumo, was the primary strike force in the upcoming operation. The squadron’s aircraft carriers—Akagi, Kaga, Hiryū and Sōryū—had already caused a lot of trouble for the allied forces. The Japanese forces stood up to the 16th and 17th task forces with three aircraft carriers, USS Enterprise, USS Hornet, and USS Yorktown, commanded by Admirals Spruance and Fletcher.

The initial contact occurred on June 3, at 9:04 AM local time, when a patrol aircraft detected a Japanese transport squadron 500 miles southwest of Midway. Shortly after, another recon aircraft spotted the main Japanese forces 700 miles west of the island. At noon, 6 heavy B-17 bombers set off to intercept the main Japanese forces; around 4:40 PM the aircraft started to release bombs from high altitude, but scored no hits. At night, four Catalina bombers from the 44th Patrol Squadron used radar readings to strike at a Japanese transport squadron, and managed to damage tanker Akebono Maru with a torpedo.

At predawn dusk on June 4, the aircraft carriers commanded by Nagumo were buzzing with activity to prepare the first aircraft group, which was to destroy all US air forces on the island aerodrome as envisioned by the Japanese commanders. At 4:30 AM, the first aircraft got the green light to take off, and, in just 15 minutes, there were 108 machines in the air. After the first group had executed a combat formation and circled around the aircraft carriers, they set off in the direction of Midway.



At 5:45 AM, the following message was received from one of the flying boats: "A multitude of aircraft are heading towards Midway, bearing 320, range 150." Without a second thought, the Americans scrambled everything that could fly on Midway, thus protecting aircraft on the ground from danger. An attempt to repel the assault of the Japanese with 27 Marine Corps fighters failed—15 US fighters were shot down and 7 more were damaged. Nonetheless, when the Japanese group approached the aerodrome for a strike, they could barely damage the takeoff strip and destroyed only a part of the structures. The Japanese mission was almost in vain, and they lost 10 deck aircraft.

All that time, the Americans had been waiting for a main message regarding the detection of the Imperial Japanese Navy strike force. At 5:52 AM, the following message was received from one of the patrol aircraft: "Two aircraft carriers and main force ships detected, heading 135, speed 25." In a short while, deck-borne aircraft launched multiple strikes on Nagumo's aircraft carrier formation, but none of them turned out to be successful. In turn, the Americans lost 14 airplanes during the raid because they were attacking without fighter support. Around 7:28 AM, a Japanese recon airplane from cruiser Tone established the contact with the American task force. A duel of the aircraft carriers started.

The moment Nagumo discovered the location of the American forces, US aircraft had already been approaching his forces. At the same time, sailors on the Japanese aircraft carriers were preparing the second aircraft group willing to finish off the American air forces on the island aerodrome. Additional fighters took to the air to repel a probable attack. Nagumo had a tough choice to make after receiving the recon reports: either scramble the on-deck bombers prepared for striking Midway, and send them to attack the American forces, or let the first aircraft group land, since they had little fuel left, and then hit the enemy with everything the Japanese has. Nagumo decided not to take any chances and chose the latter, the more reliable option.



The first US torpedo bombers and fighters to take off lost contact with each other, making the start of the attack on the Japanese forces uncoordinated. Fifteen TBD-1 torpedo bombers from USS Hornet were the first to attack the Japanese aircraft carriers, and a little later, 14 torpedo bombers from USS Enterprise joined the offensive. Without a single support aircraft, they recklessly rushed into their final attack, and only four torpedo bombers survived. The next to come were 12 torpedo bombers from USS Yorktown accompanied by 10 F4F-4 fighters, but their strike turned out to be unsuccessful as well—only two aircraft managed to return to the aircraft carrier. Meanwhile, the Japanese were trying to prepare their task force to attack the American forces, while landing their returning aircraft at the same time. By the time the attacks of the American torpedo bombers had been repelled, 50 dive bombers from USS Enterprise and USS Yorktown came roaring down from the clouds on the Japanese aircraft carriers, totally unaware of their simultaneous strike. The Japanese fighters didn't manage to gain enough altitude to counter the attack, and could only helplessly observe the attack. In five minutes, Dauntless bombers scored hits on Kaga, Sōryū, and Akagi. All three aircraft carriers were doomed: filled fuel lines, fueled airplanes and the arsenal stockpiled on the decks did their job—devastating fires started that led to detonation of ammunition. By the next morning, all three ships were lying on the sea floor.



After the flagship Akagi had disengaged from action, Rear Admiral Yamaguchi, the commander of the 2nd Carrier Division, took command of the deck aviation. The only sound ship at his disposal was Hiryū, which had withdrawn from the group to the north to avoid the torpedo attacks. At 10:40 AM, Yamaguchi started to scramble a strike force comprising 18 D3A dive bombers and 6 A6M fighters. Despite the obvious preponderance of forces against the Japanese, he had no other choice. An hour later, a fierce dog fight broke out at the approach to USS Yorktown. Without fear of losses, the Japanese dive bombers scored three hits on the ship. For a while, the aircraft carrier was unable to move, but, by 1:50 PM, repair parties had quickly managed to isolate the fires. The ship started moving at a speed of 19 knots, and continued to accept and launch aircraft. After Yamaguchi had received inconclusive reports from the eight airplanes that returned from the mission, he sent in a second group comprising 10 B5N torpedo bombers and 6 A6M fighters. At 2:26 PM, the air group commanded by Navy Lieutenant Tomonaga engaged enemy support fighters in combat and started to attack USS Yorktown from different directions, resulting in two torpedo hits. The ship's machines stopped, its list started to increase, and by 3:00 PM, the crew had withdrawn from the aircraft carrier to escort ships. Despite the damage received, USS Yorktown remained afloat, and the repair parties returned the next day and tried to save the ship. But fate interfered there one more time: Japanese submarine I-168 attacked the immobilized the aircraft carrier on June 6. USS Yorktown received additional damage and remained afloat for almost 24 hours, before sinking the next morning.



At the same time, recon aircraft from USS Yorktown detected Hiryū, accompanied by a dozen ships including battleships Haruna and Kirishima, 72 miles northwest. Yamaguchi planned to attack the remaining US aircraft carriers at dusk, so the crew had a short break to eat and prepare the aircraft. At 5:03 PM, a shout of a Hiryū's flagman broke the silence: "Enemy dive bombers are right above us!" While the Japanese were preparing for another attack, USS Enterprise and USS Hornet sent in their dive bombers, which had managed to refuel and rearm by that time. The air group from USS Enterprise dropped four bombs onto the fore end of the Japanese aircraft carrier; very powerful explosions followed causing a third of the flight deck to collapse inside the hangars, setting the ship ablaze.



By night, all attempts to extinguish the doomed ship failed. Around 2:50 AM, the remaining members of the crew gathered on the flight deck, where Kaku, the commander of the ship, and then Yamaguchi delivered their farewell speech. Both officers decided to go down with the ship. Escort destroyers approached the aircraft carrier and took the rest of the crew on-board. They then executed the final order of the Admiral—to launch a torpedo salvo at Hiryū at 5:10 AM. Explosions sounded, and the ship began to sink. The carrier remained afloat until 8:20 AM, when she finally sank.

That was a catastrophic defeat for Japan in the Battle of Midway. Japan lost their main strike force—their aircraft carriers—and they had nothing to replace them with. At that time, the Americans were constructing 3 squadron and 9 light aircraft carriers in their shipyards, while the Japanese were constructing just 1 squadron, 1 light, and 1 aircraft carrier, rebuilt from a passenger liner. The Japanese "tsunami" was stopped, the war of attrition started, and the Empire had no chance to win that particular war due to the overwhelming supremacy of the USA, both in terms of resources and industrial power.

World of Warships is the largest virtual shipyard in the world.

The quality of the work done by our artists improves each year, and the requirements for the accuracy of the models they create grow respectively. Unfortunately, the in-game camera doesn't allow you to see all their details and beauty. In the Dry Dock show, you'll be able to see the refined beauty of our in-game models and duly appreciate the immaculate details of the various objects on their decks.

Today, we're focusing on a special Premium Tier X ship from the branch of British battleships—Thunderer. The project of the Royal Navy battleship with reinforced firepower was designed taking into account the experience British shipbuilders gained during World War II. The ship is armed with 457 mm main battery guns that were developed in the early 1920s and were the most powerful British naval artillery systems.

Take a look at the British battleship from an unusual angle in the latest episode of Dry Dock!
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

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Destroyer Z-39 was one of the last ships of her type to be built for the Kriegsmarine.

She served in the navies of three countries: Germany, the U.S.A., and France. Now you have the chance to take command of her in World of Warships!
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In early 1939, Germany adopted the so-called "Plan Z" that provided for building a large surface fleet. Under this plan, 68 destroyers were to be constructed, eight of which were ordered to be built as per the 1936A design. These were large ships with a full water displacement of almost 3,700 tons, and their main feature was artillery armament with a caliber of 150 mm—usually typical of cruisers. There were no other countries in the world where shipbuilders mounted guns of such a large caliber on destroyers.

By the time World War II broke out, the execution of Plan Z had only just commenced. It was in September 1939 that Krupp's Germaniawerft shipyards in Kiel received the order for four destroyers, including Z-39. The new ships had to be built within the limitations of wartime budgets and utilize simplified technology, which is why the project was codenamed 1936A (Mob) meaning "mobilization."

Construction progressed slowly. The shipbuilders experienced shortages of materials, the shipyards were busy repairing ships damaged in battle, and their qualified personnel were sent to naval bases in France and Norway. This resulted in Z-39’s construction schedule being set back by almost a year. The destroyer was launched in December 1941, but she was commissioned only in August 1943.

By that time it had become apparent that project 1936A needed to be significantly elaborated. Her five 150 mm main guns turned out to be too heavy and adversely affected the ship's seagoing performance. Apart from that, her AA armament was too weak. Prior to the beginning of 1944, the ship hadn’t even put out to sea, and yet she underwent the necessary overhaul to fix these issues. In the process, she was stripped of her No.3 main battery gun, which allowed her AA armament to be further reinforced.

In 1944, the ship took part in minelaying operations in the Baltic Sea while attached to the 4th destroyer flotilla, and shelled Soviet positions from time to time. In June 1944, off the coast of Paldiski, the ship was damaged during a Soviet air raid. After being transported to Kiel for repairs, the ship again suffered damage during an attack by British bombers. Due to a lack of the necessary personnel and materials for repairs, as well as a critical shortage of fuel, the ship was only able to return to active service in late March, 1945.

During the final months of the war, Z-39 continued to provide fire support for the retreating German forces, and escorted transport ships carrying garrisons and refugees being evacuated from the Baltic coast. On May 10, 1945, the destroyer was decommissioned from the navy in Kiel.

After that, the ship became a prize of war for the Allies. She was transferred to Plymouth in the U.K., and then later in August 1945, to Boston in the U.S.A. The former German destroyer was inducted into the U.S. Navy under the name “DD-939.” The Americans studied their trophy for two years, and were particularly interested in her propulsion. However, the U.S. Navy wasn’t in heavy need of another destroyer, especially one that couldn’t boast of being a particularly successful design. That’s why, in early 1948, the ship returned to Europe and was inducted into the French Navy.

Under the French flag, the ex-Z-39 was renamed “Q-128,” and she served almost until the mid-1960s. But the French decided not to commission her as a warship. The ship was initially used as a donor of spare parts for the nation’s other prize destroyers, and later she served as a pontoon boat. In 1964, the decommissioned ship was finally scrapped for metal in Lorient, France.




In the game the ship will be featured as she was in 1945.

Main Battery: One twin 150 mm L/48 LDrh LC/38 mount, and two 150 mm L/48 Tbts LC/36 guns placed in single mounts.

Torpedo Armament: Two 533 mm quadruple-torpedo tubes.

Anti-Aircraft Armament: Fourteen 37 mm Flak LM/42 AA automatic guns placed in six twin mounts and two single mounts; twelve 20 mm Flak 38 AA automatic guns placed in two quadruple Flakvierling 38 mounts and two twin Flakzwilling 38 mounts.

• Priority Target
  
• Last Stand
  
• Superintendent
  
• Concealment Expert

• Priority Target
  
• Last Stand
  
• Superintendent
  
• Concealment Expert
  
• Torpedo Armament Expertise
  
• Survivability Expert
  
• Expert Marksman
  
• Preventive Maintenance

• Main Armaments Modification 1
  
• Steering Gears Modification 1 or Hydroacoustic Search Modification 1
• Aiming Systems Modification 1
  
• Propulsion Modification 2
  
• Concealment System Modification 1

VII Z-39 is a destroyer equipped with cruiser-like 150 mm artillery guns that successfully employ both types of shells. That, coupled with her fast torpedoes, makes Z-39 a formidable ship—lethal within a 10 km range, especially for other destroyers and battleships. Her large amount of HP, decent speed, and camouflage, as well as the handy Hydroacoustic Search consumable, make her a true force to be reckoned with. Z-39 is built to duel and hunt, but she's also a valuable team player.

• Her pool of 19,600 HP is impressive, even for higher-tier destroyers.
  
• Four 150 mm guns. Their impressively fast shells with flat-trajectory ballistics deliver significant damage and have high penetration capabilities. Her HE shells also have good chances of causing fires on any targets they strike.
  
• She’s equipped with some of the tier’s fastest mid-range torpedoes. Range—8.5 km; speed—65 knots.
  
• The Hydroacoustic Search consumable increases her detection capabilities, rendering Z-39 effective against other destroyers.
  
• Access to Upgrade Slot 5, which is unusual for Tier VII ships.
  
• She earns more credits, and her permanent camouflage provides a 50% XP bonus per battle and reduces the cost of your ship's post-battle service by 10%.

• VII Z-39 
   
• 1×Port slot

Welcome to a new game mode called Raid for the Filth!

A Portal to another dimension has opened up inside our game. Dare you step through the gate into another world to engage in a brutal fight against the forces of darkness? How will you fare against other treasure hunters, and will you stand up to dangerous enemies, the destruction of which could grant you treasures beyond belief? Will you employ the dark magic of the other world, or stick to conventional technologies? The choice is yours!

Learn the backstory of the new Halloween phase and get ready to raid!
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On the scariest night of the year, your opponents should be afraid to even cast a glance at your ship! New Infernal camouflages are available in the Premium Shop. They can be mounted on any battleship, cruiser, or destroyer of a certain Tier, and the camo will remain assigned to the selected ship! Permanent camouflages and Commanders from the new Raid for the Filth mode are also at your service. If you want it all, and you want it now, a bundle with all the new Halloween camos and Commanders is available for you at a humongous discount!
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Bundles are available for purchase until Wed. 20 Nov. 06:00 CET (UTC+1)

• Permanent Infernal camouflage for Tier VIII ships
  
• Permanent Infernal camouflage for Tier IX ships
  
• Permanent Infernal camouflage for Tier X ships
  
• Permanent Mutantovsk camouflage for X Khabarovsk
• Commander Dr. van Shuboff with 10 skill points
  
• Permanent Scorpioid camouflage for X Yamato
• Commander Chernomor the Terrible with 10 skill points
  
• Permanent Сrocosaur camouflage for X Montana
• Commander Skull Teufel with 10 skill points
  
• Permanent Angler camouflage for X Shimakaze
• Commander Boris Angler with 10 skill points
  
• Permanent Fossil camouflage for X Henri IV
• Commander David "Vortex" Jones with 10 skill points
  
• Permanent Octodroid camouflage for IX Alaska
• Commander Rick Diesel with 10 skill points

All the most gruesome and frightening camouflages and Commanders!

Permanent Infernal camouflage for Tier VIII ships can be mounted on any Tier VIII battleship, cruiser, or destroyer, except for VIII Cossack, VIII ARP Takao, VIII HSF Harekaze, VIII AL Yukikaze, and VIII AL Montpelier. Once mounted, it acquires the properties of a typical permanent camouflage and is assigned to that ship.

The viciously grinning pumpkin containers are back in the Premium Shop for a short while. If you open one of these, you’ll find the Halloween permanent camouflage for a Tier VIII or III ship, doubloons, expendable camos, or Free XP. Hurry to grab one for yourself whilst they are still quiet—after all, you never know what to expect from a pumpkin on Halloween!
Bundles are available for purchase until Fri. 08 Nov. 06:00 CET (UTC+1)
It's "awfully" interesting to discover what lurks within!

• A permanent Halloween camouflage for one of the following Tier VIII ships: Tirpitz, Z-23, Shōkaku, Mogami, Kiev, Kagerō, Chapayev, Charles Martel, Lexington, Benson, North Carolina, or Bismarck
  
• A permanent Halloween camouflage for one of the following Tier III ships: Wakatake, Nassau, St. Louis
  
• 2,500 doubloons
  
• 15× expendable Type 3 – Halloween camos
  
• 15× expendable Halloween camos
  
• 15× expendable Blue Lagoon camos
  
• 15× expendable Restless Fire camos
  
• 15× expendable Storm Wind camos
  
• 25,000 Free XP