Black Zaō
Tier X · Cruiser · Japan
Rating C (Weak within its tier and class · overall score 30) · Torpedo cruiser
A Japanese heavy cruiser based on Zaō with refined mobility and concealment, able to fire its 10.2 km torpedoes, 1.5 km beyond its 8.7 km detectability, without being spotted. Its 47,800 torpedo salvo is, on paper, 41% above the tier X cruiser average, so a single ambush spread is a major threat. Its twelve 203 mm guns have a theoretical 3.99 HE fires per minute, 10% above average, and Rapid Reload II, replacing the original's Precise Aiming System, lets it stack fires quickly or burst down destroyers. An 8.1 s rudder shift and 14.78 s acceleration make it agile and Engine Accelerator II eases escapes, but 11.88 km range and dispersion 6% wider than average make it weak at long-range gunnery.
Key stats
- HP: 37,752
- Top speed: 34.19 kn
- Surface detectability: 8.7 km
- Main battery: 203 mm 4X3 · reload 10.6 s · range 11.88 km
This heavy cruiser was designed in 1941 with an unusual turret layout, twelve 203 mm guns, and a superior propulsion system to achieve higher speeds. However, the design was far beyond the ability of Japan's industry at that time, and the ship was never completed.