I need help with the Cleveland.

[Sharkbait_416]

I hate this ship. I really do.

 

Every time I see it, I am unable to do more than 2k damage salvos, even while the Cleveland is broadside and within 5km of my battleship. I aim for the waterline under the smoke stacks, and usually get minimal damage. Sometimes I just get terrible dispersion, but when my shells land where I aim, they just don't do anything.

 

Thinking the ship has troll armor and was tanky, I unlocked it and bought it, only to get instantly deleted while:

• Angled
• Bow on
• Stern on
• Broadside
• Upside Down

 

Oh wait. The last one is just what my ship looks like after driving around for 3 minutes.

 

So I need advice. First, where do I aim while engaging the Cleveland? Second, while in the Cleveland, how do I reduce the chances of being citadeled so frequently from across the map?

 

I went in the training room with my Scharnhorst and found these ships hard to citadel from 5km away while stationary and broadside. How the heck do I citadel them when they are weaving at 10km? Why do I get citadeled so frequently when I am doing that?

[212thAttackBattalion]

I hate this ship. I really do.

 

Every time I see it, I am unable to do more than 2k damage salvos, even while the Cleveland is broadside and within 5km of my battleship. I aim for the waterline under the smoke stacks, and usually get minimal damage. Sometimes I just get terrible dispersion, but when my shells land where I aim, they just don't do anything.

 

Thinking the ship has troll armor and was tanky, I unlocked it and bought it, only to get instantly deleted while:

• Angled
• Bow on
• Stern on
• Broadside
• Upside Down

 

Oh wait. The last one is just what my ship looks like after driving around for 3 minutes.

 

So I need advice. First, where do I aim while engaging the Cleveland? Second, while in the Cleveland, how do I reduce the chances of being citadeled so frequently from across the map?

 

I went in the training room with my Scharnhorst and found these ships hard to citadel from 5km away while stationary and broadside. How the heck do I citadel them when they are weaving at 10km? Why do I get citadeled so frequently when I am doing that?

 

Be a support ship, keep hidden until enemies are engaging your friendlies than pelt them with HE to set fires, focus DD's when they appear and if u get focused, WASD out of there until you're unspotted. keep your distance, which can be hard with those floaty shells.

[Breeze200]

http://forum.worldofwarships.com/index.php?/topic/42033-cleveland-citadels/

 

She is most vulnerable, in my experience, from the stern in her rear magazines. 

[X15]

Use your orbital bombardment shells to camp behind medium and low islands. Do not chase cruisers.

[HMCS_Devilfish]

Always be in evavise mode in this ship a lttle left a little right and never ever go alone, if you have Captain Steven Seagal put him in her, faster shell switching and turrets with this guy, Cleveland is not one of my favorite ships the looping shells and all ,back in the day it was brutal, but power creep and the Cruiser nerf made it a so so in todays game

 

[_Jayzilla]

While the Cleveland has troll armor, it does not mean you are invincible to large caliber BB rounds. You will get penetrated by those quite easily, even if you do not take citadel damage, losing 8k+ HP is no laughing manner since you cannot heal unlike BBs and RN Cruisers. You shoot your HE shells over cover at range and dodge and weave, your HP is very precious to you. 

 

Also you do not aim at the waterline, that is where the belt armor of the BBs will break your shells, you aim at the upper belt or super structure to deliver consistent damage, not aim to try to penetrate their citadels. Remember you will out reload BBs so doing consistent high damage, whether from HE or AP, will yield better results. You see a cruiser broadside, at less than 11km go ham and shoot AP at its citadel where you will reliably penetrate its citadel, not BBs.
 

• HP is precious to you
• Angles are your friend
• Be mindful of its 32 second turret traverse (using Steve Seagal and his +1° per second and 70% ammo swap is very effective on Cleveland)
• HE over cover

[Sharkbait_416]

Seems like this ship is just not good on its own. From that thread it seems like the citadel is under the bridge.

[Sharkbait_416]

While the Cleveland has troll armor, it does not mean you are invincible to large caliber BB rounds. You will get penetrated by those quite easily, even if you do not take citadel damage, losing 8k+ HP is no laughing manner since you cannot heal unlike BBs and RN Cruisers. You shoot your HE shells over cover at range and dodge and weave, your HP is very precious to you. 

 

Also you do not aim at the waterline, that is where the belt armor of the BBs will break your shells, you aim at the upper belt or super structure to deliver consistent damage, not aim to try to penetrate their citadels. Remember you will out reload BBs so doing consistent high damage, whether from HE or AP, will yield better results. You see a cruiser broadside, at less than 11km go ham and shoot AP at its citadel where you will reliably penetrate its citadel, not BBs.

 

• HP is precious to you
• Angles are your friend
• Be mindful of its 32 second turret traverse (using Steve Seagal and his +1° per second and 70% ammo swap is very effective on Cleveland)
• HE over cover

 

Oh, I never shoot AP at BB's belt armor. I was referring to shooting at Clevelands while driving battleships.

[Madwolf05]

Yeah guys, he's talking about how does he KILL the Cleveland, not sail it! :lol:

 

Okay, so the Cleveland is a really well protected ship, and her citadel is below the waterline. German BBs have incredible velocity on their shells, but this is actually bad when shooting other ships up close that citadels below the waterline like the Cleveland. Your shells cannot drop enough, because of their flatter trajectory, to hit the Cleveland's citadel at closer range. So basically you need to be at longer range when engaging them.

[Mizzerys_Fate]

 

Be a support ship, keep hidden until enemies are engaging your friendlies than pelt them with HE to set fires, focus DD's when they appear and if u get focused, WASD out of there until you're unspotted. keep your distance, which can be hard with those floaty shells.

 

he is talking about trying to kill one not drive it.

[_Jayzilla]

Oops, my mistake.

[vonKaiser]

If you're hitting AT the waterline, you'll not have much luck. Cit on the Cleveland is illusive and finicky.  In order to hit it properly you're gonna have to send the shells into the water and hope they have enough oomph to keep going.  If they go high, well it'll just be an overpen, too low, eaten by the water which, depending on your ships dispersion, makes for a frustrating time.  Send out 8 shells, 2 overpens, rest swallowed up by the sea as he's picking apart your superstructure with HE fire makes for a frustrating engagement. 

[Ghostdog1355]

From a BB standpoint I love seeing Clevelands on the other side. Most guys try to drive them like a battle cruiser and get ate up.

[Cobraclutch]

Loved my Cleveland, such a beast of a ship. 

[X15]

Cleveland eats citadels from the front I've found, or at range form most any angle. Fuso and Warspite seem particularly adept at killing Cleveland.

[_Fantomex_]

BB's with floaty shells make cit pens on the Cleveland a piece of cake. Also shooting into the stern or overmatching the bow gives good results as the shells can't overpen.

[IronWolfV]

Yeah guys, he's talking about how does he KILL the Cleveland, not sail it! :lol:

 

Okay, so the Cleveland is a really well protected ship, and her citadel is below the waterline. German BBs have incredible velocity on their shells, but this is actually bad when shooting other ships up close that citadels below the waterline like the Cleveland. Your shells cannot drop enough, because of their flatter trajectory, to hit the Cleveland's citadel at closer range. So basically you need to be at longer range when engaging them.

 

Actually incorrect. Cleveland does have a citadel above the water, it's just in a very specific place and it can be hard as hell to hit. Aim at the island behind the smoke stacks at the waterline, or right infront of the number 3 turret. Boilers are right there above the waterline.

 

Fun fact, same spot on the tier 3 St Louis is her boilers as well.

[Canadatron]

I've had luck hitting the citadel with Atlanta AP from about 5km out slightly forward of the last aft turret. Last time I nailed a Cleveland like that for 12 citadels in a single salvo. Not sure who was more surprised me in Atlanta or him in the Cleveland! Rare for sure 

[Estimated_Prophet]

From a BB standpoint I love seeing Clevelands on the other side. Most guys try to drive them like a battle cruiser and get ate up.

 

I love them, especially up close, (10-5k or less,) because I know I can murder one with a battleship before he can HE me to death, and he can't save himself with torpedoes.

[warmseas]

I think the Cleveland has just been left behind, It used to be a great, fun ship but has been passed over.

 

[Raptor_alcor]

Ah, upon looking at the armor viewer, it does appear she indeed has mag cits. I've been decieved this long. 

[UrPeaceKeeper]

Ah, upon looking at the armor viewer, it does appear she indeed has mag cits. I've been decieved this long. 

 

She does but it is below water.  Interesting that she never used to have them... in fact... she used to have a split citadel too but WG has since removed that because "Reasons".  I wish they'd actually model the REAL citadel spaces rather than making these massive boxes.  It was a key part of cruiser survivability in WWII to stagger boilers/turbines/etc and even leave gaps.

 

As for citadeling Cleveland... well... pray, pray very hard to RNGesus that he can bless you with citadel hits on her.  Realistically though, you are going to get more at range than up close and you will need to have very precise aim and good dispersion.

[Stampz]

Cleveland Rocks! (thanks Drew Carey).

 

1. Hug islands, hug them like your waifu.

2. Use the mortar likes arcs to shoot over islands.

3. Wreck underage ships that get too close with rapid fire HE.

4. Any cruisers dumb enough to come within 7km and show broadside, citadel them with AP.

[Sharkbait_416]

Thanks for the info everyone

[Super_S1X]

1) Try to fight as close to max range as possible.

 

2) Use IFHE

 

3) Don't go broadside. Disengage when outnumbered.