Halford
Tier IX · Destroyer · U.S.A. · Premium
Rating C- (Quite weak within its tier and class · overall score 16) · Agile destroyer
Agile destroyer, suited to air scouting. Its 7.8 km torpedoes outrange its 6.24 km detectability by 1.6 km, ideal for smoke-backed ambushes. Launching aircraft every 60 s lights up enemies behind islands and near smoke, a big scouting asset for the team, and its bomber strikes (4 bombs at 2,065 each) reach targets beyond gun range. Top speed of 38.1 kn is 1.4 kn above average, with good turning, rudder shift, acceleration. Key skills: Engine Accelerator I ×4 (top speed +8%, 25 s); Smoke Generator II ×2 (11 s deploy, 28 s linger); Air Defense Alert II ×3; Sonar I ×2 (3.75 km, 25 s). Weak guns: avoid gunfights and focus on torpedoes or spotting.
Key stats
- HP: 18,172
- Top speed: 38.09 kn
- Surface detectability: 6.24 km
- Main battery: 127 mm 4X1 · reload 3.4 s · range 8.16 km
USS Halford, a Fletcher-class destroyer, received a catapult for a float plane in place of her aft torpedo mount and one of her main guns, allowing the ship to launch a Kingfisher scout observation plane. The catapult turned out not to be operationally suitable for the intended purpose and was ultimately removed from Halford in October 1943. In 1944, the ship provided covering fire for amphibious operations on the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, and the Philippines; she took part in battles in the Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf. During the course of World War II, Halford was awarded 13 battle stars.