[Coming Soon] The battlecruiser Derfflinger: “Iron Dog”

Historical note

Derfflinger type battlecruisers were laid down under the program of 1912 as a counterweight to the newest British battlecruisers Lion and Tiger. For their time Derfflinger battlecruisers were truly the pinnacle of engineering thought: 305-mm main caliber guns in superimposed turrets, superior armor boilers with coal-oil heating and range-finding posts for each of the four turrets of the main caliber. The lead ship of the series was enlisted in the fleet in the autumn of 1914. Derfflinger took her first serious battle as part of Rear Admiral Hipper's detachment at Dogger Bank on January 24, 1915, against five British battlecruisers.

During the Battle of Jutland, Derfflinger fired 385 shells, destroyed the battlecruiser Queen Mary by herself, and participated in the sinking of several other ships. The battlecruiser Derfflinger was extremely damaged, but was able to reach port on her own. For her tenacity in battle, British sailors nicknamed Derfflinger “Iron Dog”. In 1919, the interned ship was sunk by her own crew in Scapa Flow.

SMS Derfflinger (Rank III)

SMS Derfflinger is an active and daring fighter. With a high level of defense, the ship retains good performance. Its main caliber allows successful combat against all ships up to battleships.

The SMS Derfflinger battlecruisers were the first ships of this type in the Kaiserlichmarine to be armed with 305mm guns. The battlecruiser SMS Derfflinger carried 8 of these guns. The shells of the battlecruiser have no problem to penetrate the defense of all “classmates” at any distance. At short ranges SMS Derfflinger also has a good chance due to the high reloading speed of the main caliber guns. The auxiliary caliber is represented by 12 150-mm guns. The arsenal is completed by 4 torpedo tubes with 500 mm torpedoes.

In terms of protection of the main armor belt, main gun turrets and armored deck SMS Derfflinger has very few competitors among battlecruiser. The protection of some aspects brings it closer to battleships.

Surprisingly, but with a rather large caliber and serious defense SMS Derfflinger retains the main advantage of a battlecruiser - high mobility. The ship is fast and maneuverable, making it an excellent choice for the most daring tactics. This battlecruiser is always in the thick of the battle!

The only disadvantage of the SMS Derfflinger would be its weak air defense battery. This is a common problem with almost all early warships. The battlecruiser can only fight off aircraft with four slow 88mm guns, and there are no AA guns at all. The only way out is to stay close to her teammates. Their AA batteries can save the SMS Derfflinger in case of danger.

*Vehicle specifications and camouflages are still work in progress and may differ on release.

The SMS Derfflinger (Rank III) can be obtained from the Medium Trophy of the Ship Campaign with the start of the new Season.