Willem de Eerste: Tier X Dutch Battleship 1921 (How to Obtain)

Willem de Eerste: Tier X Dutch Battleship 1921

A battlecruiser—a further development of the G3 design—that could hypothetically have been built in Britain in the 1920s and later modernized in the late 1930s. The ship could have been transferred to the allied Netherlands during World War II to strengthen the nation's navy.

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Key Features

The Willem de Eerste, a Tier X Dutch battleship introduced in World of Warships, brings a unique flavor to the battlefield. Built on the hull of the Duncan, this ship might initially appear underwhelming with its main battery of nine 419mm guns—a relatively light armament for its tier. However, don’t let that fool you. These guns boast good accuracy and decent range, making them a credible threat that enemies can’t afford to ignore.

What truly sets Willem apart is its groundbreaking armament: it’s the first battleship equipped with a long-range HE bomb airstrike. This feature delivers solid damage and impressive penetration, giving Willem a tactical edge over traditional battleship designs.

Mobility is another strength. With good speed and decent maneuverability for a battleship, paired with a small detectability range, Willem excels at positioning. Its consumables include the standard Damage Control Party and a Repair Party to offset its weaker armor, smaller HP pool, and vulnerable citadel. Additionally, an Engine Boost consumable enhances its speed advantage, allowing it to outpace many rival battleships.

Gameplay Tips

Playing the Willem de Eerste is all about leveraging its speed and stealth. Use these traits to secure advantageous positions where you can maximize the effectiveness of both your main guns and airstrike. The ability to deal damage from stealth with the HE bomb airstrike is a game-changer—perfect for racking up damage while staying off the enemy’s radar.

Tip: If the enemy starts to close in or focus you, don’t hesitate to use your concealment to disengage. Patience is key—wait for your Repair Party to come off cooldown while using the airstrike to keep the pressure on from a safe distance.

Balance aggression with caution. Your weaker armor and HP mean you can’t slug it out in prolonged brawls, but your mobility and unique airstrike capability allow you to dictate the terms of engagement. Master this playstyle, and you’ll turn the Willem de Eerste into a formidable predator on the high seas.

Ship Info

Ship Name:   X Willem de Eerste

Lever: 10

Rarity Level: Rare Ship. Requires dedicated or focused effort via challenging events or long-term commitment.

Estimated Release: 14.5

How to obtain:  31,000 Steel

Base value:  31,000

Nation:  Netherlands

Current development status:  Released

Ship Specifications

Armor

Hit Points: 75,300 hp

Armour: 10-419 mm

Fore/Mid/Aft Hull: 32/32/32 mm

Fore/Mid/Aft Deck: 32/32/32 mm

Superstructure: 19 mm

Fore Athwartships: 20 mm

Aft Athwartships: 20 mm

Citadel Fore Athwartships: 25-305 mm

Citadel Aft Athwartships: 25-254 mm

Citadel Torpedo Bulkhead: 44 mm

Casemate Armor Belt: 32 mm

Citadel Armor Belt: 305-356 mm

Citadel Deck: 102-203 mm

Citadel Bottom: 50 mm

Turret Plating: 184-419 mm

Torpedo Protection: 23%

Tonnage: 54,390

Main Battery

3x3 419 mm/45 Mk.I on a Mk.I mount:

Max Range: 22.2 km

Reload: 28.0 s

Switching Time: 28.0 s

180° Turn Time: 30.0 s

Dispersion at Max Range: 282 m

Sigma:  2.1σ

HE Shells:

9x 419 mmHE Mk Ia:

Alpha Damage: 6,150

Alpha Piercing HE: 70.0 mm

Ammo Type: High Explosive

Shell Air Drag: 0.31

Shell Always Ricochet At: 60.0°

Normalization: 8.0°

Shell Detonator: 0.001

Shell Detonator Threshold: 2.0

Shell Diameter: 419 mm

Shell Krupp: 250.0

Shell Mass: 995.0 kg

Shell Ricochet At: 91.0°

Shell Speed: 792.0 m/s

Burn Probability: 47%

AP Shells:

9x 419 mmAP Mk IIa:

Alpha Damage: 13,700

Ammo Type: Armor Piercing

Shell Air Drag: 0.2353

Shell Always Ricochet At: 60.0°

Normalization: 6.0°

Shell Detonator: 0.033

Shell Detonator Threshold: 70.0

Shell Diameter: 419 mm

Shell Krupp: 2408.0

Shell Mass: 1287.0 kg

Shell Ricochet At: 45.0°

Shell Speed: 747.0 m/s

HE Bomb Airstrike

Reload: 120 s

Available Flights: 2

No of Aircraft in Attacking Flight: 12

Aircraft HP: 2200

Max Range: 15 km

Bombs in Payload: 6x HE P.u.W. 160 kg

Max Bomb Damage: 8,500

Armor Penetration Capacity: 46 mm

Chance of Causing Fire: 48%

Airstrike Type Switching Time: 10 s

Depth Charge Airstrike

Reload: 120 s

Available Flights: 2

No of Aircraft in Attacking Flight: 1

Aircraft HP: 2000

Max Range: 15 km

Bombs in Payload: 3x 325 lb Depth Bomb

Max Bomb Damage: 3,000

Secondaries:

6×2 133 mm HE Mk IC:

Max HE Shell Damage: 1,900

Range: 7.3 km

Reload: 6.7 s

Alpha Piercing HE: 22.0 mm

Ammo Type: High Explosive

Shell Speed: 792.0 m/s

Burn Probability: 8%

8×2 113 mm HE 5crh:

Max HE Shell Damage: 1700

Range: 7.3 km

Reload: 5.0 s

Alpha Piercing HE: 19.0 mm

Ammo Type: High Explosive

Shell Speed: 746.0 m/s

Burn Probability: 8%

AA Defense

Long Range:

6x2 133 mm/50 QF Mk.I on an RP10 Mk.I mount
8x2 113 mm/45 QF Mk.I/III on an RP10 Mark II BD mount:

Continuous Damage per Second: 137

Hit Probability: 75%

Action Zone: 6.0 km

Number of Explosions in a Salvo: 7

Damage within an Explosion: 1,540

Continuous Damage: 409

Action Zone: 3.5 - 6.0 km

Mid Range

16x1 40 mm/70 SAK-40/L70-350 on a SAK-40/L70-350 mount:

Continuous Damage per Second: 700

Hit Probability: 75%

Action Zone: 3.5 km

Mobility

Maximum speed: 32.0 knots

Turning circle radius: 910 m

Rudder shift time: 16.6 s

Propulsion: 160,000 hp

Detectability

Surface Detectability: 15. km

Air Detectability: 11.7 km

Detectability by enemy subs: 0-11.7 km

Detectability whilst firing in smoke: 15.3 km

Available Consumables

Slot 1: Damage Control Party

Duration Time: 15 s

Reload Time: 80 s

Equipment: Unlimited

Slot 2: Repair Party

Duration Time: 28 s

HP per Second: 375 hp p/s

Reload Time: 80 s

Charges: 4

Slot 3: Engine Boost

Charges: 3

Action Time: 120 s

Reload Time: 120 s

Boost: +8%

All stats are listed without crew and upgrade modifiers but with best available modules. The stats are subject to change at any time.