Supertest: European Tier VII Cruiser Hel

Update 15.8 will bring to the game a new line of cruisers. These will be the European cruisers with ships from nations such as Sweden, Poland, Greece, Sweden and, you guessed it, Sweden. There is only one ship that was actually built, being the tier VI, and for the rest, it's a lot of what-if or straight-up Wargaming creations. These cruisers will work as torpedo-focused ships with high speed and low detection range, and the same torpedoes as the European destroyers with high speed but low damage.

Representing Poland, here is the tier VII, the Hel.

Historical background

Hel is based on a variant from a series of small light cruisers designed by the Soviet Union in the 1950s. Just like Ochakov, she represents the MLK-8-152 variant. In contrast, Smolensk represents the MLK-16-130.


Similarly to a large number of other Soviet designs from the 1950s, these would never see the light of day, in part due to Stalin's passing.

As for Hel, the idea is that if one of the MLK-8-152 had been built, it could have been transferred to Poland following the Warsaw Pact. To be more specific, she appears as the ship would have been fitted in 1965.

Ship's preview


Ship's permanent camouflage



As a reminder, this is a ship in testing; anything can change, so don't look at her like she would already be released.


Modules

Hull
Engine
Gun Fire Control System
Main battery
Torpedoes
icon_module_Hull_installed

Hel (A)
icon_module_Engine_installed

 Propulsion: 108,000 hp
icon_module_Suo_installed

Mk 7 Mod. 1

 icon_module_Artillery_installed

152 mm/57 on a BL-115 mount

icon_module_Torpedoes_installed

53-39 mod. 1
icon_module_Hull_installed

Hel (B)

icon_module_Suo_installed

Mk 7 Mod. 2

icon_module_Torpedoes_installed

53-39 mod. 2

STOCK SHIP

General Characteristics

Tier VII
Health 26 600 HP
Torpedo Damage Reduction 4 %
Displacement 8 233 tons
Dimensions
Overall length 179.0 m
Beam 18.14 m
Overall height (keel to the highest point on the ship) 24.22 m
Freeboard 6.07 m
Main Armament
Maximum Firing Range 12.454 km
152 mm/57 on a BL-115 mount4 x 2 152 mm
Torpedo Armament
Maximum Firing Range 10.000 km
533 mm Quad N-7 2 x 4 533 mm
Maximum speed 35.0 knots
Turning Circle Radius 640 m
Rudder Shift Time 11.5 s
Surface Detectability 10.47 km
Air Detectability 6.440 km
Detectability After Firing Main Guns in Smoke 4.930 km
Consumables
Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Damage Control Party


Work time: 5 s
Cooldown: 60 s
Repair Party


Number of charges: 3
Work time: 28 s
Cooldown: 80 s
HP regeneration speed: +0.66%/s
Casemate damage regeneration: 60%
Citadel damage regeneration: 33%
Emergency Engine Power (time-based)



Total usage time: 150 s
Minimum usage time: 10 s
Cooldown: 20 s
Maximum speed: +20%

Main Armament



4 x 2 152 mm/57 on a BL-115 mount
 Maximum Firing Range 12.454 km
 Reloading Time 6.1 s
180 Degree Turn Time 13.8 s
Optimal firing angles at the front 32°
Optimal firing angles at the rear 32°
Sigma 2.00 sigma
Maximum Dispersion 119 m (cruiser dispersion)
Shells
Type of Projectile  HE - OFU-35 
Alpha Damage 2 200
Penetration capacity  25 mm
Fire chance 12 %
Projectile Speed 950 m/s
Air Drag 0.35
Projectile Mass 55.0 kg
Type of Projectile AP - AP-35 
Alpha Damage 3 300
Projectile Speed 950 m/s
Air Drag 0.35
Projectile Mass 55.0 kg
Projectile Krupp 2 216
Projectile Detonator 0.025 s
Detonator threshold 25 mm
Ricochet Angles 45° - 60°

Torpedo Armament



2 x 4 533 mm Quad N-7
Torped M1943 mod 2
Reloading Time 110.0 s
Maximum Distance 10.000 km
Optimal firing angles at the front 35°
Optimal firing angles at the rear 32°
Damage 7 533
Flooding Chance 119 %
Speed76 knots
Surface Detectability 1.6 km

Anti-air Armament



4 x 2 152 mm/57 on a BL-115 mount
Sector firing range 0.1 km - 5.8 km
Hit chance 90 %
Sector's damage19
Sector's damage frequency 0.29 s
Sector's damage per second 67
Flak clouds number2
Flak cloud damage 1 470
5 x 4 25 mm 110-PM on a 4M-120 mount
Sector firing range 0.1 km - 3.1 km
Hit chance 85 %
Sector's damage 30
Sector's damage frequency 0.29 s
Sector's damage per second 105

ASW Airstrike



Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer - Depth charge airstrike 350 lb depth bomb

 
Reloading Time 30 s
Number of charges 1
HP per plane 2 000
Attack range 0.5 km - 6.0 km
Number of planes in the squadron 1
Number of bombs in payload 1
Damage 3 400
Detonation timer 3.5 s - 4.5 s
Explosion radius 375 m
Fire chances 16%
Flooding chances 300%

FULLY UPGRADED SHIP

General Characteristics

Tier VII
Health 29 400 HP
Torpedo Damage Reduction 4 %
Displacement 9 903 tons
Dimensions
Overall length 179.0 m
Beam 18.14 m
Overall height (keel to the highest point on the ship) 24.22 m
Freeboard 6.07 m
Main Armament
Maximum Firing Range 13.699 km
152 mm/57 on a BL-115 mount4 x 2 152 mm
Torpedo Armament
Maximum Firing Range 12.000 km
533 mm Quad N-7 2 x 4 533 mm
Maximum speed 35.0 knots
Turning Circle Radius 640 m
Rudder Shift Time 8.2 s
Surface Detectability 10.47 km
Air Detectability 6.440 km
Detectability After Firing Main Guns in Smoke 4.930 km
Consumables
Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Damage Control Party


Work time: 5 s
Cooldown: 60 s
Repair Party


Number of charges: 3
Work time: 28 s
Cooldown: 80 s
HP regeneration speed: +0.66%/s
Casemate damage regeneration: 60%
Citadel damage regeneration: 33%
Emergency Engine Power (time-based)



Total usage time: 150 s
Minimum usage time: 10 s
Cooldown: 20 s
Maximum speed: +20%

Main Armament



4 x 2 152 mm/57 on a BL-115 mount
 Maximum Firing Range 13.699 km
 Reloading Time 6.1 s
180 Degree Turn Time 13.8 s
Optimal firing angles at the front 32°
Optimal firing angles at the rear 32°
Sigma 2.00 sigma
Maximum Dispersion 128 m (cruiser dispersion)
Shells
Type of Projectile  HE - OFU-35 
Alpha Damage 2 200
Penetration capacity  25 mm
Fire chance 12 %
Projectile Speed 950 m/s
Air Drag 0.35
Projectile Mass 55.0 kg
Type of Projectile AP - AP-35 
Alpha Damage 3 300
Projectile Speed 950 m/s
Air Drag 0.35
Projectile Mass 55.0 kg
Projectile Krupp 2 216
Projectile Detonator 0.025 s
Detonator threshold 25 mm
Ricochet Angles 45° - 60°

Torpedo Armament



2 x 4 533 mm Quad N-7
Torped M1943 mod 2
Reloading Time 120.0 s
Maximum Distance 12.000 km
Optimal firing angles at the front 35°
Optimal firing angles at the rear 32°
Damage 10 700
Flooding Chance 173 %
Speed76 knots
Surface Detectability 1.6 km

Anti-air Armament



4 x 2 152 mm/57 on a BL-115 mount
Sector firing range 0.1 km - 5.8 km
Hit chance 90 %
Sector's damage19
Sector's damage frequency 0.29 s
Sector's damage per second 67
Flak clouds number 2
Flak cloud damage 1 470
5 x 2 30 mm AK-230 mount
Sector firing range 0.1 km - 2.5 km
Hit chance 85 %
Sector's damage 141
Sector's damage frequency 0.29 s
Sector's damage per second 494

ASW Airstrike



Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer - Depth charge airstrike 350 lb depth bomb

 
Reloading Time 30 s
Number of charges 1
HP per plane 2 000
Attack range 0.5 km - 6.0 km
Number of planes in the squadron 1
Number of bombs in payload 1
Damage 3 400
Detonation timer 3.5 s - 4.5 s
Explosion radius 375 m
Fire chances 16%
Flooding chances 300%

The Armor

External armor protection:

Citadel armor protection:


Turrets protection:


Personal Opinion

This one might be the stinker of the line considering that it's a downtiered Ochakov...

You would think that being a tier lower than Ochakov will help her, but since shells tend to be slower and of a smaller caliber as you go down the tiers, that means that it will be easier for ships in general to hit the sizable citadel of the Hel without overpenetrating it. Her firepower is also not impressive, with a middle-of-the-pack HE DPM and a very short range, making it harder to dodge enemy shots. At least she gets the improved Repair Party, and the engine boost to help.

As for the torpedo power, while you start getting a good torpedo range, it's still only 4 torpedoes per side dealing low damage.

Hopefully I'm wrong, but I can't easily forget how much I disliked Ochakov.

Regardless...

Thank you for reading this article!

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