Explain Citadel High Tier BBs

[SavingJ]

So I watched some videos from iChase and saw some interesting clips where I saw Des Moines citadeling battleships and even the New Orleans able to citadel an Iowa. Then I decided to try it out in the training room with my Des Moines against a full broadside Montana and Yamato. I'm hitting the water line at the gun mounts and boiler room in close proximity and most of the shots was unable to penetrate and the few that did, did less damage than if I were to shoot the upper section of the hull. Can anyone share what is going on?

[Poltr]

The upper belt armor is thinner then the lower belt armor therefor giving you 33% damage penetrations. You probably won't get a citadel shooting the upper belt but you have to be within a rather close range to penetrate the lower belt armor with cruiser guns to get a citadel.

[MrDeaf]

Yamato has extensive armor covering its citadel. You cannot cit it with 203mm. Even 406mm has trouble doing so at 12km, on an exposed broadside.

Yamato also has a hexagonal citadel, meaning its citadel under the guns become angled when broadside and a broadside when angled poorly.

 

Not sure about Montana. I haven't done much testing against it.

 

NC, Amagi, Iowa and Izumo don't have as much armor as Yamato, or Colorado, because they trade armor for speed and are subsequently easier to citadel with 203mm on an exposed broadside.

 

Aside from that, ships do roll when they turn, which means their armor profile changes at the waterline. For example, a Tirpitz can be citadelled from close range, if it is doing a hard turn and exposing its hull underneath its belt.

[saagri]

Moskva's 210's can citadel Yamato within 7km, same with Montana. I once citadeled a North Carolina at 12kmish? 

[SFC_Storm]

Moskva's 210's can citadel Yamato within 7km, same with Montana. I once citadeled a North Carolina at 12kmish? 

 

 

1450

DM in this game has the lowest Pen of all T10 Cruisers at the sides. But it has plunging fire that works well.

 

Moskvas 220mm vs side armor is the most its almost 600mm at 5 KM. German would be the next with 203mm rounds going 925 m/s.

 

Its funny but as someone mentioned the Colorado is the pinnacle of protection from the sides. Its the last 342mm Belt ship and that 304mm upper section is on a 30 degree bulge area. Other US BB like NC, Iowa at the thickest are 304mm with huge bulge angle.

 

Yammy has a thin casemate but the Cit is low and so to get any Cits from the upperbelt are super rare as the shot has to hit a  super high [60 degree+] shot as angle skims over the top of the cit box.

 

But it can be easily cit`d if you are low in the water and flat and hit the 400mm belt square. But if your in a tall T10  cruiser your looking down at it and this is also trouble. Its unique in that its citadel doesnt even try to use the water line and instead relies on 410mm slanted at 15 degrees meaning its a minimum 500mm and the Cit itself is 200mm thick

[GensuiHime]

Des Moines lacks the shell speed and penetration at distances past 5km to hit an X BB's citadel, under most circumstances. You have to get up close and personal (<5km) against a fully broadsided Yamato or Montana, and aim explicitly at the weakest citadel, the forwardmost turret. Another option is when they are turning and expose their lower hull (commonly seen when a ship is turning, the red part), and you fire at that. I call it upskirting :^)

Even without hitting citadels however, Des Moines can cause massive damage via AP every salvo to BBs that are broadsiding less than 14km away, either from deck penetrations or superstructure damage. With the armor that Des Moines currently has, getting close to any BB is unwise and should be a situation well avoided unless you have absolutely no alternatives, or the BB is near death and you are certain you can finish him before he finishes you with bow citadels.