How to citadel a Tirpitz

[Iron_Knickers]

I recently asked a how to citadel a Tirpitz on this forum, and people responded that I could citadel one at long ranges because of its weak deck armor.

 

However, after testing, I found that my Iowa 16in shells were able to penetrate the front armor of the Tirpitz and hit the citadel spot on its frontal guns. So, the Tirpitz seems to have some weaker frontal armor that can be penetrated when you shoot its guns at a 90 degree angle from the side. (I did this at about 6km)

[Ephemeric]

Seems that shell size <400mm can't pen anything against the Tirpitz, unless the Tirpitz driver was a potato and exposed his flat broadside. But why bother with that, just spam HE.

[Wo_9]

you can cit them if they show there red hull paint.  

[Iron_Knickers]

Seems that shell size <400mm can't pen anything against the Tirpitz, unless the Tirpitz driver was a potato and exposed his flat broadside. But why bother with that, just spam HE.

 

Luckily just about anything fighting a tirpitz that is a battleship will have guns >400mm

[TurboT]

Just don't shoot my Tirpitz. Run.

[Skpstr]

Only time I ever did, was in a Colorado at 4km.

 

He chased me, closed the range, then swung wide to torp me, so I double citted him, (plus 2 pens) and didn't even have to dodge the torps, because I had my stern to him.

 

By the time he turned the other way and showed me his other broadside to shoot those torps, (which missed like the first ones, though I actually had to put on a smidge of rudder to dodge) I was reloaded and did exactly the same thing, which sank the poor fellow.

 

TBH though, I was nervous when he first started chasing me and closing, because I knew they had good belt armour. I couldn't believe it when he swung wide to launch torps.

[Fog_Cruiser_Chikuma]

Don't try to cut my torpitz. Just run from me horizontally

[DokturProfesur]

The best way to get a tirpitz is to pierce her deck. Don't even bother with her center hull, even Yamato struggles to penetrate her.  I recall a recent match where a Tirpitz flanked my Yamato, and in a panic I fired into her (flat) broadside. Every one of my shells bounced. I would have at least got some decent pen damage if I fired on her bow or her stern, in front of her guns, but anywhere else is a waste of time.

 

Don't go for citadels, go for pen damage.

[Braize]

You don't citadel a Dirpitz. You use HE on it.

[DokturProfesur]

You don't citadel a Dirpitz. You use HE on it.

 

You can actually get some pretty decent damage if you pierce her bow or aft armor from the side. If a tirpitz is bow on, fire on her guns and knock them out, or nail her superstructure. If you can neuter her, you can create a situation where tirpitz will have to give you enough of an angle to pierce the weaker layers of armor effectively.

[BakaTofu]

you can cit them if they show there red hull paint.  

 

lewd upskirt >///<

[Wo_9]

 

lewd upskirt >///<

 

bwaka 

[DokturProfesur]

 

lewd upskirt >///<

 

[KaptainKaybe]

No matter where you fire, there's always a *chance* at penning any ship ... but the RNG becomes terribly small. In the case of the Tirpitz (and expected on all future German and British battleships), she has a disgusting armor belt, but a weak deck ... so the most reliable way of citadeling her is through plunging fire. So normally beyond 15km or so. At under 10km, your shell arcs will pretty much always smack it's belt ... and good luck with that.

 

There's a reason ships like the Tirpitz, Warspite, and New York are considered brawlers. Their armor scheme is most effective up close as they put all that steel into the belt rather than reinforcing her deck. This is the opposite of high tier IJN and USN battleships that are better protected from dive bombers and plunging fire.

[D_bob]

Honestly, you don't citadel a Tirpitz.  You do regular penetrations for ~4k and you do a lot of them.  Every time I'm in an Amagi or NC and I see a broadside Tirpitz I aim high on the belt and do 10-20k salvos with multiple 33% pens.  It works almost every time, barring horrible RNG.