World of Warships News

The French destroyer leader, Mogador, was one of the largest and most powerful ships of her type in history.

In terms of her armament and dimensions, she was comparable to a light cruiser, and very few ships in the world could rival her speed. In World of Warships you have an opportunity to see how Mogador performs in battle!
https://youtu.be/302HR0reAnk

Work on a new generation of French destroyer leaders first began in 1931: engineers had been working on an improved version of Le Fantasque, armed with three 138.6 mm coaxial twin mounts, to replace the obsolete destroyer Amiral Sénès. The new ship was to be named Mogador. However, due to ongoing talks between France and Italy regarding a reduction in naval armament, the construction of new ships was put on hold until 1934. At that time, French naval engineers developed a larger ship variant with four twin mounts, but a caliber of 130 mm—universal for destroyers and leaders. In 1933, the role of the ships being designed was changed: now, they were to escort Dunkerque-class battlecruisers in their hunt for German "pocket battleships." The 130 mm caliber was obviously not enough to oppose any Kriegsmarine raiders, which is why the final variant received four 138.6 mm twin mounts at the cost of slightly larger dimensions. Two destroyer leaders—Mogador and Volta—were built according to this project at the Lorient and Nantes shipyards: one for each battlecruiser. They were commissioned in the spring of 1939, becoming the newest ships of this type in the French Navy when World War II began. Neither of the leaders survived the war, as they were scuttled in Toulon in November 1942.


Mogador was laid down according to the 1932 program at the Lorient shipyards on December 28, 1934. She was launched on June 9, 1937, and commissioned on April 6, 1939, as a flagship of the 2nd Light Squadron. With the outbreak of World War II, the ship joined the "Force de Raid" at Brest, and participated in convoy and search operations as part of it. When France capitulated, the destroyer was at Mers-el-Kébir. On July 3, 1940, when the British attacked the French fleet moored at Mers-el-Kébir, Mogador was hit by a 381 mm shell and sustained severe damage. Later, the ship was towed to Toulon, where she remained until November 1942, when she was scuttled by her crew as the German Army was moving in to capture her. The Italians managed to refloat the destroyer, but never restored it.


In our game, the ship is presented in the form of her hypothetical post-war modernization of the 1950s.

Main Battery
Eight 139 mm Modèle 1934 guns in four partially enclosed turrets. The guns were similar to those installed on Le Fantasque-class destroyer leaders and possessed quite good ballistic characteristics. Mogador outmatched all counterparts of her type by the number of her main guns.

Torpedo armament
One Modèle 1928T triple-torpedo launcher and one Modèle 1928D twin launcher on each side of the ship. The launchers used 550 mm Modèle 1923DT torpedoes carrying 308 kg warheads.

Anti-aircraft armament
Eight United States-produced 20 mm Oerlikon automatic cannons in four twin mounts; four Swedish 57 mm/60 (2.25") Model 1951 automatic cannons in two twin mounts.

• Priority Target
  
• Last Stand
  
• Basic Firing Training
  
• Concealment Expert

• Priority Target
  
• Last Stand
  
• Basic Firing Training
  
• Concealment Expert
  
• Survivability Expert
  
• Adrenaline Rush
  
• Advanced Firing Training

• Main Armaments Modification 1
  
• Engine Boost Modification 1 or Steering Gears Modification 1
  
• AA Guns Modification 1
  
• Propulsion Modification 2
  
• Concealment System Modification 1
  
• Main Battery Modification 3

Tier IX destroyer Mogador is one of the most powerful ships of her type, and was built for the French Navy before World War II. Thanks to the four twin mounts of her main battery, with 139 mm guns installed in them, Mogador was superior to the majority of her contemporary destroyers in terms of firepower.

• Effective main battery artillery: eight 139 mm guns with a firing range of 12.8 km, good ballistics and armor penetration, and a decent base chance of causing fire for her high-explosive shells.
  
• A consumable that’s unusual for a destroyer—Main Battery Reload Booster. It will help you by increasing your main guns’ rate of fire when the need arises.
  
• Torpedo tubes arranged in four launchers on her sides allow this destroyer to launch ten torpedoes with a speed of 75 knots and range of 8 km.
  
• Her very high speed of 43.5 knots can be further increased by using the improved Engine Boost consumable, making her an additional 20% faster.
  
• The unusual properties of her hull: its HP can be reduced to zero, just like the HP of ships’ ends. The result is that this part of the ship receives just half the typical damage after being hit several times.

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 improve respectively. Unfortunately, the in-game camera doesn't allow you to see all the details and beauty. In the Dry Dock show, you'll be able to see some of the remarkable in-game models they have created, and duly appreciate their detailed appearance, even down to the objects on their decks.

Today, we focus on a Tier VIII ship from the branch of German battleships, and one of the most famous warships in the world—Bismarck. Take a look at the legendary Bismarck from a unique perspective in Dry Dock!
https://youtu.be/IE4oLRiRgWY

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https://youtu.be/oVWEb-At8yc https://youtu.be/grtfiIIeS5o

Welcome aboard Bayard, Captain!

To create an alternate history, you must know the real historical events very well and be able to draw logical conclusions from them. This is how we created cruiser Bayard based on the drawings of La Galissonnière-class cruisers. So, let's imagine another path that history might have taken had the French shipbuilding industry made a different decision. Let’s imagine that it continued to develop the ideas behind the original De Grasse project…
https://youtu.be/ImLFTaRuP2o

After the signing of the Rome Naval Treaty of 1931 with Italy, the French Navy was obliged to cease the development of heavy cruisers and was forced to focus on building only light ones—with a battery of 155 mm or smaller. Between 1931 and 1933, six rather successful La Galissonnière-class cruisers with main batteries consisting of nine 152 mm/55 Mle 1930 guns in three triple turrets were ordered. However, in 1934, Japan launched its first of four new and powerful Mogami-class light cruisers, with fifteen 155 mm main caliber guns in five triple turrets. To protect the French domains in the Pacific—Indochina, Polynesia, and New Caledonia—an urgent and adequate response was required.

New 152 mm guns, later mounted on De Grasse-class light cruisers and known under the name of Mle 1936, were still under development at the time. It was decided to augment the salvo and firepower of the main battery by simply increasing the number of guns. Between 1934–1935, without waiting for the approval of the next shipbuilding program, noticeably larger ships with the same 152 mm Mle 1930 guns in four triple turrets were designed on the basis of the drawings of La Galissonnière-class cruisers. It was originally intended to arm the ships with six turrets with twin 100 mm/50 Mle 1926 HA guns as their dual-purpose battery. But since the National Assembly of France had resolved not to fund the creation of additional cruisers, construction was delayed. The dual-purpose battery was subsequently replaced with four twin 100 mm/45 CAD Mle 1937 mounts. The ships also had rather powerful torpedo armament, consisting of two triple 550 mm tubes.


Eventually, this new series of cruisers was confined to just one ship, because in 1937, the new shipbuilding program diverted resources to the De Grasse project instead. Despite having a smaller displacement, the approved alternative design carried newer and more effective main battery guns.

The lone Bayard wasn't ready for operation at the start of World War II, and with the defeat of France, the cruiser fled overseas. She finally found herself in the U.S.A., where she waited out the war. Upon her return to the French Navy, the ship was redesigned to confront Soviet light cruisers of the 68K and 68bis projects, as she had a displacement suitable for such refurbishment. Bayard was fitted with a modern fire control system and radar equipment, which became possible only with the complete redevelopment of the ship's superstructures. Her AA armament was significantly reinforced in the process. It consisted of four twin dual-purpose 100 mm/55 Mle 1945 mounts, supplemented by six coaxial 57 mm/60 Mle 1951 guns.


In the game, the ship will be featured as she would have looked in 1953, after all the refurbishments.

Main Battery: twelve 152 mm/55 Mle 1930 guns.

Dual-purpose battery: four twin dual-purpose 100 mm/55 CAD Mle 1945 mounts.

Torpedo armament: two triple 550 mm torpedo tubes.

Anti-aircraft armament: six twin-gun 57 mm/60 ACAD Mle 1951 mounts.

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• Priority Target
  
• Adrenaline Rush
  
• Superintendent
  
• Inertia Fuse for HE Shells

• Priority Target
  
• Adrenaline Rush
  
• Superintendent
  
• Inertia Fuse for HE Shells
  
• Concealment Expert
  
• Demolition Expert
  
• Last Stand

• Main Armaments Modification 1
  
• Propulsion Modification 1 or Engine Boost Modification 1
• AA Guns Modification 1
  
• Propulsion Modification 2
  
• Concealment System Modification 1

Cruiser Bayard carries a fine array of consumables. In addition to the Damage Control Party, you can choose between improving your anti-aircraft defenses by mounting the Defensive AA Fire consumable, or increasing your acquisition range by installing the Hydroacoustic Search consumable. But the main features of the ship are the Engine Boost consumable that increases her maximum speed by 20% for three minutes, and the Main Battery Reload Booster that significantly enhances her rate of fire.



VIII Bayard is a French light cruiser, a further development of the ideas from the initial De Grasse project. She can reach high speeds and has a decent firing range, as well as the ability to rain down a slew of shells on the enemy at the right moment thanks to her Main Battery Reload Booster consumable.

• Twelve 152 mm main battery guns in four turrets. Similar to other light cruisers, the ballistics allow for attacking the enemy from behind cover. The firing range of these guns is 16.4 km, which is decent for a Tier VIII light cruiser. In addition, the ship carries a triple-tube torpedo launcher on each of her sides.
  
• The Main Battery Reload Booster consumable is able to improve the firing rate of the artillery at any given moment that it’s ready.
  
• The ship’s top speed can reach as much as 43 knots with the use of the Engine Boost consumable and the respective signal.
  
• Extra credits per battle and 50% more XP provided by the camouflage.

For a detailed look at the ship's technical specifications, follow this link.

Bundles are available for purchase until Fri. 23 Aug. 07:00 CEST (UTC+2)

A special combat mission will be available from July 24 until August 26, 2019, for those who have Tier VIII Bayard in their Ports. For the first 15,000 XP earned with this ship, you'll receive 250 Republic Tokens.

• VIII Bayard
• Commander with 10 skill points
  
• Permanent French Navy camouflage
  
• Port slot
  
• 2,500
• 4,500,000
• 100×French Riviera camouflages
  
• Combat mission: x3 XP for 25 battles
  
• Commemorative flag

Commanders, the Sixth Season of Clan Battles—codenamed "Neighbors"—is knocking on your doors!

We've changed the rules of this Season to allow a larger number of players to participate in Clan Battles, with teams of six players invited to the fight. All Tier VIII ships are eligible, except for aircraft carriers. Apart from this, each team is restricted to having just one battleship.

Between July 31 – August 14, you’ll have an opportunity to redistribute your Commanders’ skills for free. Get ready for Clan Battles!

The new Season of Clan Battles starts on July 31 and ends on September 16, 2019.

Gaming sessions are available on: Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.

On the days of any update releases, no Clan Battles will be held.

• ASIA 13:30 – 17:30 CEST
  
• CIS 18:00 – 22:00 CEST
  
• EU 19:00 – 23:00 CEST
  
• NA 01:30 – 05:30 CEST

As in the Fifth Season, players will enjoy the advantages of cross-server matchmaking.

Clan Commanders can select their preferred prime time for any of the four servers: EU, NA, Asia, or CIS.

If the "standard" prime time of your region happens to be inconvenient for your Clan on a given day, you can find opponents on another server at a more convenient time. The Clan will still receive any rewards due and your accounts will remain on your "native" server.


Please note: You can select your preferred prime time only once per day. The selected prime time settings will be reset once the prime time of the NA server ends, and you'll be able to select the most convenient time for you once again. The settings reset time can be found in the game client.

Remember that when you take part in battles in another region, the ping might turn out to be higher. This can be due to the server of the battle potentially being located in another region.


As you might remember, there are five main Leagues in the Clan Rating system. Each of these are divided into three Groups as follows:

• Squall League (the starting League)
  
• Gale League
  
• Storm League
  
• Typhoon League
  
• Hurricane League (for the most battle-hardened Clans)

The Hurricane League doesn't have any interim Groups, hence there are no limits on the Rating points you can earn there. To progress to the next League, players need to win three out of five Progression Battles. When a Clan’s number of Rating points is 0, they will need to win three Relegation Battles to stay in the Hurricane League.


The Rating of all Clans will be reset to standard values, but Clans will get 50 bonus points (up to a maximum of 200 points) for the first battle played in each of the Leagues (except for the Squall League) during the "Land of Fire" Season. All battles count towards a unified global Rating, which enables you to compare your results with those of other Clans from all over the world, as well as from your server.


The new Season of Clan Battles brings a new set of special achievements for players. To claim them all, you’ll need to play at least one battle in each of the following Leagues:

During the "Neighbors" Season, players can earn up to 8,750 Steel!

This change has been implemented due to the updated format of the Season. It will be easier to gather a team of six people, while Tier VIII ships will allow for the participation of Clan members without high-tier ships. Both of these factors will contribute to an influx of new players for this Clan Season, making it easier for veterans of Clan Battles to reach the Hurricane League. Accordingly, the amount of Steel that can be earned for completing combat missions in the Leagues has been reduced to correspond to the easier format of the competition.


When the Clan Battles of the "Neighbors" Season cease to rage, those Clans with Ranks 1–50 in the global Rating will receive 4,000 to 20,000 Steel.

Even if your Clan doesn't make it into the Top 50, but achieves particular successes in Clan Battles, your Steel and Coal stocks in the Treasury will grow anyway.

* Each following step brings 200 less Steel.




You can earn valuable rewards in each League. Winning battles is all that’s required to do so.

You can complete this combat mission chain only once and only in the specified sequence. The reward for completing the chain is 30 days of Warships Premium Account.

You can complete this combat mission chain only once and only in the specified sequence. The final reward is 1 Clan Token.

You can complete other combat missions in Clan Battles, too. Completing the following combat missions will bring you extra Free XP per battle and Oil for your Clan. You’ll also be able to replenish your supplies of signals and other valuable in-game goodies.




Battles will rage on the following six maps in the new Season: Trident, Greece, Neighbors, Mountain Range, Sea of Fortune, and Hotspot. All battles will use Domination mode.

• Number of key areas: 3
  
• Capture time: 40 seconds
  
• Points from a captured key area: 3 points per 4 seconds

Ship spawning points are now located opposite key area C. This will allow players to reduce the travel time to the contested key area and engage the enemy quicker.

We wish you the best of luck in Clan Battles, and new records for your Clan's Rating!

Welcome aboard Gascogne, Captain!

This French battleship was set to become the fourth modern battleship of the Marine Nationale by the mid-1940s—intended as an adequate response to the new Italian Littorio-class battleships. However, the disastrous beginning of World War II for France, and the German occupation of the nation’s shipyards prevented the ship from even being laid down. Nevertheless, the project for this battleship has been brought to life in all of its glory in World of Warships, meaning that you can now assume command of one of the most powerful ships under the French flag.
https://youtu.be/0PN6WKaD-uo

In the second half of the 1930s, the political situation in Europe was quickly deteriorating. Germany and Italy were building modern battleships: Bismarck and Littorio, respectively. In these circumstances, the French Navy was soon to be at a disadvantage, having only two Richelieu-class battleships. They required additional modern ships.

Work on the project for two new battleships began in December 1937, and was planned to be part of the 1938 program—they set out to improve the Richelieu class. Two main variants of the design were developed. In June 1938, a decision was made to lay down one ship according to variant A, and another according to variant B. That second ship was to be named Gascogne.


In the second half of the 1930s, naming three battleships after prominent historical figures contradicted the tradition of the 20th century French Navy. Battleships were typically named after provinces and cities, and cruisers—after famous people. One theory suggests that this battleship was named Gascogne because of that being the home province of François Darlan, the Chief of Staff of the French Navy.

The construction of Gascogne was planned to start in August 1939. However, France didn't have the available shipbuilding capacity to construct a ship of her size. Richelieu was launched in January 1939, and Clemenceau (variant A of the new battleships) was laid down on the vacant stocks the very same day.

Project B had been in development since December 1937. Clemenceau was to be built according to the project as well, but a one-year delay would be required in laying down the first of the new battleships, so as to finish the design documentation. Admiral Darlan ordered several layout variants to be prepared with different arrangements of their primary and secondary armament turrets. Eventually, Project B3 ter was selected, with two quadruple main battery turrets—one on the bow and one on the aft end; and two superfiring turrets with dual-purpose 152 mm guns on the bow, and an additional one aft of the main superstructure. The engineers working on the project had to sacrifice one of the two aircraft catapults, and move the remaining one to the stern as it didn't allow for the installation of anti-aircraft armament amidships.

The Gascogne project was very well received by the Navy's General Staff and in June 1939, the guns and armor for the new ship were ordered. The schedule for her construction was originally as follows: she was to be laid down in summer 1940, launched in spring 1942, and commissioned in June 1944.

However, in June 1940, the French shipyards were occupied by German troops. By that time, only 6% of all construction materials had been prepared. Germans declared them spoils of war, and the question of building Gascogne was never raised again.



In World of Warships, battleship Gascogne is presented the way she might have been built early in the war.

Main Battery: eight 380 mm/45 Modèle 1935 guns in two quadruple turrets. Gascogne's main battery turrets are the same as those on Richelieu, only located differently.

Secondary Battery: nine 152 mm/55 Modèle 1930 dual-purpose guns in three triple mounts; and sixteen 100 mm/45 Modèle 1933 dual-purpose guns in eight twin mounts.

Anti-aircraft armament: sixteen 37 mm Modèle 1933 semi-automatic cannons in eight twin mounts; sixteen 37 mm ACAD Modèle 1935 automatic cannons in eight twin mounts; and eighteen 25 mm Hotchkiss Modèle 1939 cannons. The ACAD Modèle 1935 automatic cannons were supposed to completely replace the outdated Modèle 1933 in the French Navy. However, by the time France capitulated in 1940, the development of this gun hadn’t been completed yet, and only several test units existed. That's why the ship in our game carries same-caliber cannons of different types.

• Priority Target
  
• Adrenaline Rush
  
• Superintendent
  
• Fire Prevention

• Priority Target
  
• Expert Marksman
  
• Adrenaline Rush
  
• Superintendent
  
• Basics of Survivability
  
• Concealment Expert
  
• Fire Prevention

• Main Armaments Modification 1
  
• Damage Control System Modification 1
  
• AA Guns Modification 1
  
• Damage Control System Modification 2
  
• Concealment System Modification 1

Battleship Gascogne carries an impressive array of consumables. In addition to the standard Damage Control Party, you can choose between improving your anti-aircraft defenses by mounting the Fighter consumable, or increasing your firing range by installing the Spotting Aircraft consumable. But the main zest of this ship lies in the Engine Boost consumable that increases her maximum speed by 8% for three minutes, and in the improved version of Repair Party with a shorter cooldown time.



VIII Gascogne can be called a battleship with the makings of a cruiser: she combines powerful armor and a protected citadel with Engine Boost. When used, this consumable provides the French ship good acceleration dynamics and allows her to speed up to 34.7 knots. Gascogne has secondary guns with a long firing range, and enthusiasts of close quarters brawls can further improve this feature with the help of upgrades and Commander skills.

The battleship comes with 380 mm main guns that have a firing range of up to 23.8 km. With armor protection such as hers, Gascogne can boldly counter hostiles and is able to confidently withstand enemy fire. AA defenses, however, are not the strongest point of this ship. When facing airborne threats, you need to be cautious and act in coordination with allies equipped with powerful AA artillery.

• Eight 380 mm guns in two turrets mounted fore and aft. Gascogne's range of fire without Spotting Aircraft is 23.8 km—very impressive for Tier VIII.
  
• The reload time of the Repair Party consumable is half that of the majority of battleships. For Repair Party II, it's only 40 seconds.
  
• Quite reliable armor protection on her sides and a protected citadel compensate for her modest HP pool.
  
• The ability to use the Engine Boost consumable.
  
• Extra credits per battle and 50% more XP provided by the camouflage.

• VIII Gascogne 
   
• 1x Port slot