USS North Carolina: The Showboat

Today we’re pleased to present USS North Carolina, one of the most iconic American battleships of the mid-20th century!

Using the USS North Carolina in Battle!

North Carolina is another well-armed addition to the US ranks, a truly classic American battleship with a devastating 406 mm broadside, a reasonably sturdy belt, but a relatively vulnerable deck. North Carolina will excel the most in long range engagements. Here, her own armor will be more effective, and her powerful guns will still be able to punch through most enemy battleships.

Feature Spotlight: Firepower

USS North Carolina’s primary battery is unquestionably her strongest asset. Her nine 406 mm guns are among the finest and most destructive weapons in War Thunder naval combat. Her secondary weapon set is equally impressive, with twenty (!) rapid-fire dual-purpose 127 mm guns. The short range AA battery is a tad weaker though, enemy aircraft will be met with four quadruple 28 mm “Chicago Piano” mounts, forty 20 mm Oerlikon cannons, and various heavy machine guns.

Interesting: Being the US Navy’s first modern battleship in nearly 20 years, USS North Carolina drew extensive media attention at the time, enough to earn her the nickname “Showboat”.

Developer comment

We’re adding USS North Carolina in her 1942 refit, this is the classic configuration with the “Chicago Pianos” mounts. It was in this form where she fought through the fiercest battles of the early Pacific campaign, so it’s only fitting that we add her to War Thunder in this setup too. In game, she’ll feel the most at home in the penultimate bracket, where she’ll be a worthy opponent to Richelieu and Bismarck, and a reliable teammate for South Dakota.

Vehicle History

The North Carolina-class battleships were the first American “fast” battleships designed after a lengthy hiatus imposed by naval treaties. Two ships of this class were built: USS North Carolina (BB-55) and USS Washington (BB-56). North Carolina was laid down in October 1937, launched in June 1940, and commissioned in April 1941. The ship saw extensive action in the Pacific theater; in September 1942, she was struck by a torpedo from a Japanese submarine, which took her out of commission for a while. Throughout the war her anti-aircraft armament, which initially included the temperamental 28 mm “Chicago Piano” mounts, was progressively replaced with 40 mm Bofors and 20 mm Oerlikon guns, whose numbers steadily grew. Over the course of the war, she earned 12 battle stars. In 1962, she was preserved as a museum and memorial ship in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.