Through the Spy Glass: Elbing

Elbing returns! Once an auction prize, this German Tier VIII Premium destroyer is now available in the Store for 1,400,000 Global XP.

The German Kriegsmarine was suffering from a lack of ocean-going destroyers in the second half of the 1930s, and they were looking for a solution to this problem. These ships were needed to primarily operate in the Atlantic, including in tropical conditions, and so the 1936A design and subsequent 1937 type were drafted to fit the criteria. However, finding the right balance between the speed of a destroyer and protection of a cruiser for a ship the size of a light cruiser proved to be a tricky task. The 1938A and B designs attempted to do just that, with the latter being a draft for a ship intended for the Northern and Baltic waters. Those ended up becoming the Spähkreuzer 1938 design, which Elbing is based on.

Let's take a look at her in-game strengths and weaknesses, as well as a suggested Commander build courtesy of TheSailingRobin.

When you find yourself playing a ship that feels both like a destroyer and a light cruiser, that's when you know you're playing Elbing. This impressively large "scout cruiser" is equipped with the largest caliber artillery that can be found on a destroyer: 6-inch (150 mm) guns that also boast devastating AP (armor-piercing) shells with improved ballistics, penetration, and penetration angles. The ship is also armed with torpedoes, but they are slow-going—a fact that is compensated for by their great range. Moreover, Elbing offers the largest HP pool of any destroyer in the game. Any drawbacks? Oh yes. Not only is Elbing slower than even some cruisers (and she also lacks access to the Engine Boost consumable), but her massive size makes her a very easy target to hit, even for battleships. Elbing is played best on the flanks, making use of her very accurate, hard-hitting AP salvoes that have the ability to strike the citadels of heavy cruisers even at medium ranges. Her ability to flood key areas with torpedoes may also surprise the occasional careless warship, and access to Defensive AA Fire can come in handy to defend yourself or protect your teammates from airborne assaults. Dealing with other destroyers might be tricky due to her above average main battery reload time and poor HE damage per minute, but the sheer amount of HP will help you take a lot of punishment, at least for your type. Another trick up Elbing's sleeve is her very large 1-inch (25 mm) plated midsection, allowing you to shatter most destroyers’ HE shells and even bounce cruisers’ and some battleships’ AP shells at an angle.

Our build includes Erich Bey with his Shifty base trait, which reduces the detectability range of your destroyer.

• Observant Rage to decrease Elbing's main battery reload time and increase her torpedo acquisition range.
• Mortar to substantially increase the destroyer's main shells damage at the cost of some concealment.
• Reaching Out for additional range on the guns.
• Smoke on the Water to benefit from your Smoke Generator for just a little longer.
• Unstoppable to make sure Elbing is not a sitting jar of sauerkraut if your engine or rudder gets incapacitated. 

For inspirations, let's get straight to the point:

• William Sims' Built to Last to add even more hit points to Elbing's already generous pool.
• William Halsey's “I Mean Harm” for additional armor-piercing shell damage.

Make a good use of Elbing, and turn the tide!