USS Tennessee (BB-43) is an American battleship of the so-called ‘standard type’, built close to the end of WWI and incorporating several improvements over the New Mexico-class preceding it.
USS Tennessee (BB-43): A Battleship at Rank VI for the USA
At a glance:
- Powerful 14’’ primary guns!
- Enhanced protection.
- Powerful anti-air arsenal.
- Mediocre mobility.
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USS Tennessee was laid down in 1917 as the lead ship of a class of two battleships, representing a further development of the preceding New Mexico class. Continuing the by then established standard type design philosophy of American battleships, USS Tennessee was built with a particular emphasis on improved torpedo and mine protection while also increasing the range of its main battery guns through an updated turret design. These, as well as other improvements, soon resulted in the commissioning of the most advanced battleship of the U.S. Navy at the time, taking place in 1920.
After entering service, USS Tennessee took part in numerous fleet exercises and went on goodwill tours until the outbreak of WWII. After the U.S. entered the war in 1941, USS Tennessee underwent repairs following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Soon after, the warship was modernized, undergoing a major refit which substantially upgraded the ship’s capabilities. Throughout the rest of the war, USS Tennessee took part in many key operations in the Pacific theater and was involved in almost every major battle in the final stages of the war. After the war’s end, USS Tennessee, like many warships, was put in reserve until it was finally decommissioned and sold for scrap in 1959.
Meet USS Tennessee (BB-43)!
Arriving to the game in the next major update in her late war configuration, USS Tennessee is going to offer you the American battleship signature combination of excellent firepower and protection, placing particular emphasis on improved anti-air protection. Let’s take a look!
In its essence, USS Tennessee represents a further development of the New Mexico class battleship. Therefore, it should come as a surprise that USS Tennessee shares some of its features with its direct predecessor, USS Mississippi. One of these features can be found in its primary arsenal. Consisting of a battery of 12 x 14’’ (356 mm) cannons, USS Tennessee inherits its predecessor’s deadly firepower while introducing design optimizations to its turrets which allow the cannons to reach targets at even greater distances.
Furthermore, USS Tennessee is equipped with up to 8 x dual 5’’ dual-purpose cannons as well 10 x quadruple 40 mm and 43 x single 20mm cannons. In other words, pilots and captains of smaller vessels ought to think very carefully about launching attack runs on this floating fortress. On the other hand, thanks to such an extensive arsenal complemented by access to air search radar, USS Tennessee is ideally suited for supporting more vulnerable allied vessels in fending off enemy attacks, thus making it a great warship to team up with!
Interesting: USS Tennessee took part in the famous Battle of Surigao Strait, representing the last major battleship duel in naval history.
As is standard for battleships and even more so for American ones, USS Tennessee features superb protection, similar to the already familiar USS Mississippi. Thanks to its 343 mm thick belt armor, extensive compartmentalization and large torpedo bulges, USS Tennessee can withstand a great deal of enemy fire before suffering critical damage. Even then, its large crew ensures that damage can be controlled and repaired in a timely manner. Additionally, you’re able to launch a scout plane to gain a better overview of the battlefield, seize strategic points and even lay a smoke screen to break line of sight with the enemy, if needed
On the other hand, all this comes at the expense of a large displacement and with that, an impact to the ship’s mobility. Similar to the USS Mississippi, USS Tennessee is able to obtain a top speed of just 20.5 knots (38 km/h), which prevents it from spearheading the attack in most cases. Due to her sluggishness and comparatively low reload time, USS Tennessee should keep at distance and destroy enemy ships with precise deadly 12-rounds salvos..
USS Tennessee has set course for War Thunder naval battles and will dock in ports with the arrival of the next major update. In the meantime, keep your binoculars at hand and keep scanning the news section as we continue to release more information on the upcoming update. Until then, calm seas, captains!
Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.
