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[h3]Episode 10[/h3] Premieres: Mon. 26 Apr. 19:00 CEST (UTC+2)

This month we're trying out a new time slot for our historical talk show – join us on Twitch, YouTube or Facebook next Monday, April 26 at 19:00 CEST and tune in to our panel's discussion of the naval battles of Narvik. In April 1940, British and German destroyer forces engaged in brutal close-quarters combat in the claustrophobic confines of the Norwegian Fjords as both powers vied for the strategic control of the nordic country.

This month, our panelists are YouTuber Drachinifel, naval historian Dr. Alexander Clarke, and World of Warships' own Tuccy, and MrConway.

• You can leave your questions and comments for our panel at our dedicated Discord server at the link below. If you're not a member of our server, you can join here. If you're already a member, you can follow the direct link below. You can also fill out the traditional question form if you're not comfortable with Discord.

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[h3]The Battles of Narvik[/h3]
For months after Britain's and France's declaration of war against Germany, the world held its breath as neither side seemed to want to be the first to escalate the conflict. In this period, which came to be known as the 'Phoney War', faith in a diplomatic solution to the war still remained, and actual military actions were limited to a small scale. 

The balance was disrupted when in April 1940, Germany buckled and made an aggressive move to occupy Norway —Operation Weserübung— with the aim of gaining uninterrupted access to Swedish iron ore, as well as strategic ports in the British-controlled North Sea. This sudden campaign was costly in general for both sides, and for the Kriegsmarine in particular: heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper suffered damage after being rammed by destroyer HMS Glowworm on April 5, and her sister Blücher was sunk by Norwegian coastal defenses in Oslofjord on April 9.

While this was happening, a force of 10 German destroyers assaulted the sparsely defended northern port of Narvik and landed troops to garrison the city. Due to a delay in refueling, the German destroyer flotilla was forced on April 9 to stay another night in the frigid waters of Ofotfjord before retreating back South.

In the early morning of April 10, the first Royal Navy units slipped into the fjord, setting the scene for a spectacular end to the 'Phoney War'.

How did it play out? Join our stream next Monday and find out!

Captains!

An epic and unpredictable confrontation between the two Titans is coming to World of Warships. Godzilla and Kong will soon face off against each other in a grand battle, and it will be up to you to decide who emerges victorious. Both Titans are set to appear in World of Warships as themed camouflages and Commanders for a limited time only.

We invite you to take a look at a new trailer, comic page, and some beautiful renders.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Godzilla and Kong will be represented by unique camouflages for VIII Amagi and VIII North Carolina, as well as Commanders with recognizable phrases and voiceovers.

Our collaboration with the Titans will also bring a lot of new features, including special containers, themed combat missions, expendable camouflages, commemorative flags, and patches.

More details about the collaboration will be announced later.

©2021 Legendary and WBEI. All Rights Reserved. GODZILLA TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.

Italian battleships Dante Alighieri, Conte di Cavour, Andrea Doria, Francesco Caracciolo, Vittorio Veneto, Lepanto, and Cristoforo Colombo are now available for everyone to research.

Read the article below to learn how to effectively play the newcomers.

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[h2]

Key Features of the Branch[/h2]

• Semi-armor-piercing shells instead of HE shells. These shells deal significant damage to weakly and moderately protected ship parts, but do not cause fires and can ricochet.
  
• Numerous main battery guns on Tier IX and X battleships.
  
• Their main guns have short firing ranges, low accuracy, and long reload times.
  
• Good protection thanks to their decent armor that ensures a high level of defense against high-explosive shells; as well as their good maneuverability.
  
• Tier VIII–X ships have the Exhaust Smoke Generator consumable, which allows them to hide from the enemy without having to reduce their speed.

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[h2]

Tactics[/h2]
Decent maneuverability and armor coupled with low accuracy and short firing ranges define the Italian battleships' gameplay—they are medium- and close-range fighters.

Thanks to their powerful semi-armor-piercing shells with high penetration and damage capabilities, the Italians can boast of having a heavy salvo weight. This applies to Tier IX–X battleships in particular, due to their large number of main battery guns. You can inflict considerable damage to cruisers, as well as the ends, superstructures, and even some of the better-armored casemates of battleships. As for destroyers, they take not more than 1/10 of the maximum damage dealt by a semi-armor-piercing shell. Moreover, semi-armor-piercing shells can ricochet—the "14.3 caliber rule" applies to them, which is something you also need to consider when choosing a target.

You can learn more about the "14.3 caliber rule" by watching a dedicated video.

Italian armor-piercing shells don't have the largest caliber—it's 381 mm for Tier VII–X battleships. However, unlike semi-armor-piercing shells that explode upon contact with armor, armor-piercing shells can strike a ship's citadel, even if it's protected by the casemate's armor belt or plating.

The Italians can enter battle more confidently thanks to the Exhaust Smoke Generator consumable, which appears on high-tier battleships starting with VIII Vittorio Veneto. It allows you to stealthily approach an enemy, escape focused fire even out on open water, or retreat entirely — all without even having to reduce your speed. Exhaust Smoke Generator can also give you the advantage of firing the first salvo, but keep in mind that afterwards you'll be most likely detected due to the high detectability of battleships after firing main battery guns even from within smoke.

Just like other battleships that specialize in fighting at close and medium ranges, the main role of the Italians is to define the attack direction of their team. Make sure to watch the situation on the battlefield carefully though. Despite the Italian battleships having decent armor that provides good protection against high-explosive shells, in case of heavy focused fire from several opponents, it's best to withdraw and change position. That's when Exhaust Smoke Generator and the ships' good maneuverability will come in handy. If the situation allows it, push forward using your numerous main battery guns and powerful semi-armor-piercing shells.

[h2]

Upgrades[/h2]
The following upgrades will be useful:

• Main Armaments Modification 1
  
• Damage Control System Modification 1
  
• Aiming Systems Modification 1
  
• Damage Control System Modification 2
  
• Concealment System Modification 1
  
• Main Battery Modification 3 or Gun Fire Control System Modification 2

In Update 0.10.3, you’ll be able to start building a new German destroyer, ZF-6.

IX ZF-6 is one of the unfinished Le Hardi-class French destroyers that were captured by Germany when France capitulated in 1940. The project that was conceived to finish building the ship involved her complete rearmament with German-manufactured weapons. She has decent concealment; AP shells that can inflict significant damage and have enhanced ricochet angles; and the Engine Boost, Smoke Generator, and Defensive AA Fire consumables. When countering destroyers, the ship can take advantage of the Main Battery Reload Booster consumable. When it comes to heavily armored targets, her fast torpedoes that can inflict heavy damage and have a decent reload time may come in very handy, despite their quite high detectability.

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[h2]

Rules of the Event[/h2]

• The construction process at the Dockyard comprises 22 phases.
  
• These shipbuilding phases can be progressed through by completing Dockyard combat missions, or by spending 2,200 Doubloons to pass through each phase.
  
• If you want to complete shipbuilding phases at a discount, you can purchase Starter Packs: eight shipbuilding phases in exchange for 8,950 Doubloons and three shipbuilding phases in exchange for 5,000 Doubloons.
  
• The Dockyard combat missions span two updates—0.10.3 and 0.10.4. Players will be able to complete shipbuilding phases in exchange for Doubloons until the end of Update 0.10.5.
  
• In total, you can progress through 19 out of 22 shipbuilding phases by completing Dockyard combat missions.
  
• The rewards for progressing through shipbuilding phases are Credits, Elite Commander XP, Free XP, Coal, Premium Account time, special signals, expendable camouflages, and Gift containers.
  
• Upon completing the 22nd shipbuilding phase, you'll receive IX ZF-6 in the War Paint camouflage, a Commander with 10 skill points, a Port slot, and a commemorative flag.

[expand] [/expand]

If you complete the construction of IX ZF-6 by spending Doubloons, make sure to keep completing Dockyard combat missions—each phase will bring you 3,000 Coal and 200 Steel.

The process of creating IX ZF-6's design drawings is the main new feature of the Dockyard in comparison with its previous iterations. The drawing process occupies the first four phases. Once you have progressed through them, the ship's construction begins.

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[h2]

Combat Missions[/h2]
The new game event tasks you with completing 72 combat missions spread across eight groups. The first group will become available with the release of Update 0.10.3, while those that follow will be unlocked on a weekly basis.

Completing each of the first five groups will progress you through two shipbuilding phases—one phase for accomplishing a specific mission, and one phase for finishing the entire group.

Completing each of the last three groups will progress you through three shipbuilding phases—two for specific missions and one for finishing the group.

The Dockyard combat missions will remain available until the release of Update 0.10.5. Detailed information about the mission completion criteria can be found in the game client.

[h2]

Rewards[/h2]
By progressing through the Dockyard combat mission groups, you can complete 19 out of 22 shipbuilding phases and obtain the corresponding rewards at the Dockyard.

By finishing the first three combat mission groups, you can complete up to six shipbuilding phases and obtain the following rewards:

• 3,000,000 Credits
  
• 2,000 Coal
  
• 1 day of Premium Account
• 15x Hunter camouflages
  
• 5x "Black, White, Red" camouflages

Finishing seven out of eight combat mission groups will allow you to complete up to 16 shipbuilding phases and obtain:

• 200,000 Elite Commander XP
  
• 3,000,000 Credits
  
• 2,000 Coal
  
• 4 days of Premium Account
• 15,000 Free XP
  
• 15x Hunter camouflages
  
• 15x "Black, White, Red" camouflages
  
• 10x signals of each of the following types: Hydra, Basilisk, Red Dragon, Ouroboros, Wyvern, and Dragon

By finishing all the combat mission groups, you'll complete 19 shipbuilding phases and obtain:

• 200,000 Elite Commander XP
  
• 3,000,000 Credits
  
• 2,000 Coal
  
• 4 days of Premium Account
• 15,000 Free XP
  
• 15x Hunter camouflages
  
• 15x "Black, White, Red" camouflages
  
• 10x special signals of each type
  
• 5x Gift containers

In order to complete phases 20—22, in addition to progressing through all the combat mission groups, you'll need to spend Doubloons to progress through any three shipbuilding phases.

• The reward for completing the 20th shipbuilding phase is 10,000 Coal.
  
• Completing the 21st phase will bring you five Gift containers.
  
• Upon completing the 22nd shipbuilding phase, you'll receive IX ZF-6 in the War Paint camouflage, a Commander with 10 skill points, a Port slot, and a commemorative flag.

If you complete the construction of IX ZF-6 by spending Doubloons, make sure to keep completing Dockyard combat missions—each phase will bring you 3,000 Coal and 200 Steel.

If you want to complete shipbuilding phases at a discount, two Starter Packs are available to purchase:

• Eight shipbuilding phases for 8,950 Doubloons
  
• Three shipbuilding phases for 5,000 Doubloons

However, these packs will only be available to purchase prior to the point in time when you complete three shipbuilding phases by finishing combat missions. Once you've purchased both Starter Packs or completed three shipbuilding phases by finishing combat missions, you'll be able to purchase further phases individually for 2,200 Doubloons each.

We're here to tell you about Early Access to new German destroyers.


[h2]

German Destroyers: Part 1[/h2]
Features of the Ship Branch

• Accurate main battery guns with a large caliber for this ship type—150 mm.
  
• Powerful AP shells with decent penetration, damage, and enhanced shell ricochet angles. They are capable of dealing significant damage to cruisers.
  
• Good armor for their type, which effectively protects against HE shells of most destroyers (unless they have mastered the Inertia Fuse for HE Shells skill), and large HP pools. Combined with effective artillery, this results in special gameplay for the new German destroyers. They are essentially agile ships that primarily focus on lone targets—light cruisers particularly.
  
• The low damage per minute of their HE shells and their high detectability means that these new ships are quite ineffective when fighting for control of Key Areas.
  
• The Smoke Generator consumable improves the already good survivability of the new ships even further. Starting from Tier IX, German destroyers have the Defensive AA Fire consumable, which allows them to confront enemy squadrons with greater confidence.
  
• Their torpedoes deal heavy damage and have good range and a reload time that is quite standard for most destroyers, but they are rather slow.

[expand] [/expand]
[h2]

Things to Know About Early Access[/h2]
German Tokens are a new temporary resource. You can earn them by completing weekly chains of combat missions. They can also be obtained from random bundles available for Doubloons, free daily bundles, and bundles in exchange for Recruitment Points in the Armory.

[h2]Rewards for German Tokens[/h2]
German destroyers VII Z-31 and VIII Gustav Julius Maerker; Iron Cross permanent camouflages for the new destroyers; and other rewards that can be found in sequentially available bundles.

[h2]Rewards From the Random Bundles Available for Doubloons[/h2]
IX Felix Schultz with a 10-skill-point Commander and Port slot, German Tokens, Hunter and "Black, White, Red" expendable camouflages, and special signals.

When Update 0.10.5 goes live, the new German destroyers will become available for all players to research.

The Port of Hamburg has been updated.

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[h2]

"German destroyers: Part 1" Combat Missions [/h2] Starts: Thu. 15 Apr. 07:00 CEST (UTC+2) Ends: Thu. 20 May 07:00 CEST (UTC+2)

The new game event tasks you with completing 25 missions spread across five weekly chains. The first chain will become available with the release of Update 0.10.3, while those that follow will be unlocked on a weekly basis. The rewards for completing the missions are German Tokens. For completing all chains of combat missions, you can earn 5,000 German Tokens.

The amount of Tokens that can be earned by completing weekly chains of combat missions and obtained from the Kriegsmarine Trophies free random bundles in the Armory will be enough to obtain VII Z-31 and the Iron Cross permanent camouflage from sequentially available bundles.

[h2]

German Tokens[/h2]
German Tokens can be obtained:

• By completing the "German destroyers: Part 1" combat missions—up to 5,000 Tokens
  
• From free random bundles in the Armory—up to 250 Tokens.
  
• From random bundles that are available in exchange for Doubloons in the Armory—up to 14,550 Tokens.
  
• In exchange for Recruitment Points in the Armory—up to 500 Tokens.

For more details about the Recruiting Station, follow this link.

With the release of Update 0.10.5, German Tokens will be converted into Credits at the rate of 1:2,100.

[h2]

Random Bundles[/h2]
Random bundles that can each be obtained for 1,500 Doubloons have been added to the German Destroyers section of the Armory. They have chances of dropping IX Felix Schultz plus a Commander with 10 skill points and a Port slot, German Tokens, and other rewards.

[h2]

Rewards for German Tokens[/h2]
You can exchange German Tokens for sequentially available bundles and other rewards in the Armory.

[h2]Sequentially Available Bundles[/h2]
[h2]Other Rewards[/h2]
[h2]

Free Bundles[/h2]
The Armory is offering the Kriegsmarine Trophies free random bundles. Within them, you'll find German Tokens, 1 day of Premium Account, Doubloons, and other rewards.
The bundles are available until: Thu. 06 May 08:00 CEST (UTC+2)

You can obtain only one bundle per day. A total of 14 bundles will be available, so you can skip 7 days and still be able to collect all the rewards.