Albemarle

Survivability

Health: 33,748

Citadel Protection: 7.50%

Fire and Flooding Resistance: 12.50%

Damage Reduction: 7.50%

Torpedo Damage Reduction: 9%

Armour

Bow: 25 mm

Stern: 25 mm

Deck: 40 mm

Belt: 152 mm

Maneuverability

Top Speed: 32.79 Knots 

Time to Full Speed: 14.13 s

Max Traverse Speed: 7.60 deg/s

Turn Time: 9.30 s

Main Guns (203 mm L/50 BL Mk IX 3x3)

Reload Time: 11 s

• Rate of Fire: 49.09 RPM

Range: 10.92 km

• Flight Time: 5.40 s

  • Initial Velocity: 278.18 m/s

  • Deceleration: 8.68 m/s²

Dispersion Min/Max/Vertical: 66 m / 240 m / 57.60 m

Sigma: 2 σ

HE Damage: 732

• Raw Alpha: 6,588

• Raw DPM: 35,935

Fire Chance: 9%

• Raw Alpha: 57.21%

• Raw FPM: 3.12 FPM

AP Damage: 802

• Raw Alpha: 7,218

• Raw DPM: 39,371

Citadel Chance: 6%

• Raw Alpha: 42.7%

• Raw CPM: 2.33 CPM

Citadel Damage Rate: 200%

• HE Citadel Damage: 1,464

• AP Citadel Damage: 1,604

Turret Traverse: 8 deg/s

Torpedo Tubes (553 mm QR Mk IV 2x4)

Reload Time: 47.60 s

• Salvo Per Minute: 1.26 SPM

Range: 7.80 km

• Time Expire: 26.36 s

  • Torpedo Speed: 63.91 Knots

  • Reaction Time (at standstill): 11.92 s

Min/Max Torpedo Spread: 0 deg / 4 deg

Torpedo Damage: 3,894

• Raw Alpha: 15,576

• Raw DPM: 19,634

Flood Chance: 19%

• Raw Alpha: 56.95%

Torpedo Concealment: 1.98 km

Torpedo Traverse Speed: 25 deg/s

Anti-Aircraft Armament

Large Caliber AA Damage: 184

Large Caliber AA Range: 3.30 km

Small Caliber AA Damage: 179

Small Caliber AA Range: 1.80 km

Total AA Damage: 363

Concealment

Surface Detection: 8.46 km

After Firing Guns: 11.76 km

Air Defense Alert II x3

Large Caliber AA damage: +100% for 20 s

Small Caliber AA damage: +100% for 20 s

Before: 184 / 179

After: 368 / 358

Cooldown time: 75 s

Smoke Generator I x2

Smoke Activation: 9 s

Smoke Time: 24 s

Cooldown: 105 s

Cruiser Modernization

Ship Hit Points: +2%

Large Caliber AA Damage: +5%

Main Battery Traverse Speed: +7%

Before: 33,748 / 184 / 8 deg/s

After: 34,423 / 193 / 8.56 deg/s

Advanced Turret

Main Battery Traverse Speed: +20%

Before: 8 deg/s

After 9.60 deg/s

Single Fire Torpedo

This ship can choose to fire off individual torpedoes in a launcher

Additional Repair Kit +1

This ship can take four repair kits in a single battle.

Albemarle is a step up from Surrey, and arguably the other high point of this line. She increases the firepower and AA defences, as well as improving the consumable setup. She is uncompetitive, but not grossly so. 

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FIREPOWER

Albemarle gains one more gun than Surrey, which is a welcome boost to her firepower. Weapon damages and ranges also improve. Unfortunately, these guns are still characterized by low penetration, short range, and obnoxiously long reload for their damage. Her DPM is low, and the high number of halfpens she scores will further hurt it. 

Unfortunately, Albemarle still suffers from the "Devonshire effect" meaning her AP shells have such low penetration that they will not overpenetrate destroyers at anything but close range. Throwing AP at destroyers will yield higher damage than HE, so this is recommended. 

This ship boasts a quad torpedo launcher on each side, and she can single-fire her torps like all British ships. They still lack the range or alpha to be a viable weapon. 

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PROTECTION

Albemarle is poorly protected as usual, designed to eat maximum damage from anything she faces. This is further hurt by her massive profile, which catches shells that would have missed other cruisers. Combined with her weak firepower, the inability to tank means Albemarle needs an unfair advantage to duel cruisers and win. 

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EVASION

Albemarle has average speed and decent agility for a ship of her size. She is not bad in these aspects, but note that she'll need to begin slowing down in advance to avoid outrunning her smoke. This ship also boasts a good concealment value, which should ALWAYS be your focus in equipment. Stealth defines Albemarle's playstyle, picking and choosing engagements to avoid overcommitting in fights that cannot be won. 

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ANTI-AIR

Albemarle has decent AA defence, and the DFAA 2 consumable. When the consumable is active, she can shoot down a decent number of aircraft. This will not repel strikes, however, and nor will her AA without said consumable. AA building is a waste of slots on this ship. 

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FINAL THOUGHTS

This is a mediocre ship in a bad line. Albemarle is a solid step-up after Surrey, so players used to British CAs will be reasonably impressed. Of course, she pales in comparison to some of the other monsters at her tier, so this is still a highly difficult and generally weak vessel. 

Albemarle is a work of fiction by Wargaming. She shares a hull with Neptune, has fictional turrets and an odd superstructure uncharacteristic of British cruiser design at the time.