World of Warships: Legends ship guide

Java

Beta
AA-specialistAnchors the team's AA umbrella; match value is air denial as much as direct damage.
Playstyle
  • Hold under 10 km with islands tight enough to break vision on demand
  • Avoid: Open-water broadside trading
Key characteristics
Heavy AP pen11 km gun rangeStrong AAStealthy (8.4 km)High fire chanceFlat AP shells
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Playstyle

Overview

Java is the Tier II Dutch AA-specialist light cruiser with 166 AA DPS at 3 km. Match value is air denial as much as direct damage; she anchors the team's AA umbrella so peer ships rotate into the air-defended cell rather than away from it. Standout traits: best close-range AP pen in T2 CAs (246.9 mm) and top-decile long-range AP brick in T2 CAs (84.1 mm).

Positioning

Hold under 10 km with islands tight enough to break vision on demand. The HE pressure rewards a steady firing arc more than rotation play; pick a corner of the map you can hold and work fires from there. Your guns lose penetration at range, so aim AP at broadsides you can still citadel and put HE into superstructures and upper-hull sections, rather than the bow-in or belt armor your shells bounce and shatter on.

Potato Avoidance

Open-water broadside trading

Her 150mm shells citadel cruisers on the wrong frame, and her 24,500-HP hull does not recover from a punished salvo. Pick rotations and angles deliberately; the chip-damage role pays better than the trade-blow role on a cruiser of this profile.

Signature Traits

ELITE MAIN BATTERY
  • Close-range AP brick · 246.9 mm
  • Long-range AP brick · 84.1 mm
  • Flat AP shells · 900.0 m
  • Flat HE shells · 900.0 m
Top-tier AA

166.0 AA DPS, best of T2 CAs (median 9.0).

ELITE MOBILITY
  • Heavy powerplant · 65000.0 hp
  • Holds speed in turns · 114.0 hp
Hardened superstructure

10.0 mm superstructure, best of T2 CAs. HE farms less.

Acquisition

How to get Java

Java is available in the Early Dutch Cruisers branch of the Netherlands Tech Tree for 13,000 credits after researching it in the branch. Known module upgrades cost up to 2,600 credits.

Show Netherlands tech-tree branch diagram
Netherlands Tech Tree

Java sits in the Early Dutch Cruisers branch. The highlighted path shows the local branch context inside the full Netherlands tree.

Official WG availability sources

Builds Beta

Pair with a commander whose unique skill complements her main armament; check the build tool for current recommendations.

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Cohort position

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Where Java sits among Tier II CAs (25 ships). Notable standouts are shown first; the rest of the cohort-ranked stats are in the expand below. Acquisition variants (Black Friday, Founders Edition) are counted once with their base ship, not as separate peers.

BestAP velocity900 m/s (1 of 3 tied) BestHE velocity900 m/s (1 of 3 tied) BestEngine power65,000 hp (1/25) BestTurn-speed retention114 hp/m (1/25) BestAA DPS166 (1/25) BestDeck armor80 mm (1 of 3 tied) Top 10%Max speed30 kt (3/25) Top 10%Stealth profile8.45 km / 5.07 km (3/25 / 3/25) Top 10%Main battery range11.46 km (3/25) Top 10%Power-to-weight7.92 hp/t (3/25) Top 25%Hit points24,500 HP (6/25) Top 25%HE shell damage2,150 (7/24) Top 25%HE fire chance11% (4/24) Top 25%AP shell damage3,000 (5/24) Top 25%AA threat387 (3/16) Bottom 25%Rudder shift7.2 s (21/25) Bottom 25%Main battery reload11.5 s (20/25) Bottom 25%Displacement8,206 t (20/25) Bottom 25%Citadel belt60 mm (20/25) WorstNo secondaries (10 of 25 in cohort) WorstNo torpedoes (19 of 25 in cohort)
See 16 mid-pack stats

Not standouts for Java -- here's where she sits on every other ranked stat in the cohort. Stats tagged NORM are tied across more than half the cohort, so the value is the cohort default rather than a standout.

Traverse-to-turn ratio5.16 ×(12/25) Main battery caliber150 mm(17/25) Sigma2(11/25) Fires per minute4.02(9/24) HE DPM78,522(17/24) AP DPM109,565(13/24) Main dispersion104.9 m(14/25) Acceleration24.1 s(9/25) AP arming threshold25 mm(15/24) AA range3 km(9/25) Max armor125 mm(10/25) NormAP fuse timer0.03 s(13 of 24 tied at this value) NormAP ricochet start45°(23 of 24 tied at this value) NormAP auto-bounce angle60°(23 of 24 tied at this value) NormBow armor6 mm(23 of 25 tied at this value) NormStern armor6 mm(22 of 25 tied at this value)
Survivability
Hit PointsInitial: 21,600 → 24,500
Displacement8,206 t
Armor range6–125 mm
Plate armor thicknesses6, 10, 15, 25, 50, 60, 75, 80, 100, 125 mm
Armor material/layer entries42
Fire resistanceInitial: 0% → 3.3%
Fire duration30 s
Torp Reduction4%
Main Battery
ModuleArtillery: 150 mm/50 Mk.6
Mounts / barrels10 mounts / 10 barrels
Reload time11.5 s
Firing range (base)10.4 km
Firing range (top fire control)11.5 km
Turret traverse8 °/s
Shell Grouping (σ)2
Max Horiz Disp
ƒHorizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model: σH=(R30·idealRadiusminRadiusidealDistance+minRadius)·30 =(1042030·81.11000+1.1)·30=104.9m
104.9 m
Max Vert Disp
ƒVertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: σV=σH·radiusOnMax =104.9·0.6=62.9m
62.9 m
Med Horiz Disp
ƒ50%-hit horizontal radius: σH,50=σH·GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) =104.9·0.319(σ=2)=33.5m
33.5 m
Med Vert Disp
ƒ50%-hit vertical radius: σV,50=σV·GetHalfHitsRatio(σ) =62.9·0.32(σ=2)=20.1m
20.1 m
Turret turn time
ƒ180 degrees / 8 deg/s traverse speed = 22.5 s.
22.5 s
Base shells/min
ƒ7 broadside guns x 60 / 11.5 s base reload = 36.5.
36.5
HE shells
HE Damage2,150
HE Velocity900 m/s
Fire Chance11%
HE penetration
ƒ25 mm ≈ 150 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).
25 mm
HE full-salvo alpha
ƒ2,150 HE damage x 7 broadside guns = 15,050.
15,050
Base HE DPM
ƒ15,050 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 11.5 s base reload = 78,522.
78,522
Base fires/min
ƒ36.5 shells/min x 11% fire chance = 4.02.
4.02
AP shells
AP Damage3,000
AP Velocity900 m/s
Min Ricochet45 deg
Guaranteed Ricochet60 deg
Fuse Timer0.025 s
Fuse Threshold25 mm
AP overmatch
ƒfloor(150 mm caliber / 14.3) = 10 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
10 mm
AP Pen Close
ƒCanonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: P=107·K·m0.69·d1.07·v01.38 =107·2200·46.70.69·0.151.07·9001.38=283.6mm. Matches the in-game spec card.
283.6 mm
AP Pen Far
ƒSame formula at the ship's max firing range (14.3 km), where the shell has slowed to 372.9 m/s: P=107·2200·46.70.69·0.151.07·372.91.38=84.1mm.
84.1 mm
AP full-salvo alpha
ƒ3,000 AP damage x 7 broadside guns = 21,000.
21,000
Base AP DPM
ƒ21,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 11.5 s base reload = 109,565.
109,565
AP AOE Radius
ƒAP shell over-penetration splash radius; scales with shell mass. Wickes 102mm = 3, standard 152mm CL ~ 20, Iowa 406mm ~ 270, Yamato 460mm = 400, Incomparable 650mm = 550 (max). Larger value = bigger splash damage area when AP over-pens.
10
AA Defense
AA mount pointsInitial: 4 → 8
Close-range AA DPS
ƒSum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (33×3.5×0.9) + (21×3.5×0.85) = 166. Covers AA-only mounts plus dual-purpose secondaries (Bismarck 105mm, USN 5"/38 cruiser secondaries) and dual-purpose main batteries (Sumner-class 5"/38, Akizuki-line 100mm). Formula validated against in-game captures on California, Sumner, Manfred von Richthofen, Dante Alighieri (exact) and within +/-17% on the remaining verified ships.
166
Maximum AA range
ƒLongest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.
3 km
75 mm/55 Bofors Model 19294×1 75mm
12.7 mm Browning M1921 (upgraded hull only)4×1 13mm
Medium aura
DPSInitial: 32 → 33
Range3 km
Near aura
DPS21
Range1.2 km
Total DPS in Aura
ƒMedium 33 + Near 21 = 54
54
Maneuverability
Engine moduleEngine: 65,000 hp
Engine power65,000 hp
Maximum speed30 kt
Turning circle radius570 m
Rudder shift time7.2 s
Engine power-boost threshold7 kt
Engine spool-up time15.3 s
Reverse spool-up time7.7 s
Acceleration 0-90%
ƒTime to reach 90% of top speed (27.0 kt of 30 kt), from our in-house acceleration model.
24.1 s
Acceleration 0-99%
ƒTime to reach 99% of top speed (29.7 kt of 30 kt). 99% rather than 100% because true top speed is asymptotic (thrust meets drag), so the last fraction of a knot is never quite gained.
38.8 s
Traverse-to-turn ratio
ƒHow many degrees the turret can swing for each degree the hull turns. Turn rate ωhull=180π·Vmax(m/s)Rturn=180π·30.0·0.5144570=1.55°/s, so ratio=ωturretωhull=81.55=5.2×. Below 5 the turrets drag in a turning fight; 25+ keeps up with any rudder.
5.2× slow
Concealment
Detectability by sea8.45 km
Detectability by air5.07 km
Smoke firing penalty3.62 km
Detect after firing main guns
ƒmax(base sea detectability, gun-firing bloom range). Firing never pulls your detection closer than base concealment.
8.45 km
Detect Fire Sea10.45 km
Detect Fire Air8.07 km
Guaranteed Detect2 km
Consumables
Damage Control Party∞ charges · 60 s reload · 5 s active
Module options (2)

Stats above use the fully-upgraded modules. These are the research-tree alternatives; trade-offs are flagged.

HullUpgrade
  • Hit points21,600 → 24,500
  • Rudder shift13.2 → 9.4 s
  • AA mounts4 → 8
  • Close-range AA DPS32 → 54
Fire controlUpgrade
  • Main battery range10,420 → 11,462 m

See all derived stats

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All values are ship base stats with modifications and upgrade changes denoted inline.

Numbers the spec table cannot show directly: alpha-strike math, DPM, dispersion, AP penetration. Click the formula chip on any row to reveal how it is calculated.

Main battery formulas

Shell Grouping (σ)2
Max Horiz Disp104.9 m
Horizontal dispersion ellipse width at max range, from the verified WoWS dispersion model: $\sigma_H = \left(\dfrac{R}{30}\cdot\dfrac{\text{idealRadius}-\text{minRadius}}{\text{idealDistance}} + \text{minRadius}\right)\cdot 30$ $= \left(\dfrac{10420}{30}\cdot\dfrac{8-1.1}{1000} + 1.1\right)\cdot 30 = 104.9\,\text{m}$
Shell scatter width @ 10 km102 m
How wide your shells scatter at 10 km, from the same dispersion model as the max-range figure above. Picking a fixed range makes this number directly comparable from ship to ship: max-range dispersion makes a longer-range gun look worse even when it's tighter at any common range. The interactive Dispersion tab on the Charts card plots the full curve from 0 to max range.
Max Vert Disp62.9 m
Vertical dispersion ellipse height at max range: $\sigma_V = \sigma_H \cdot \text{radiusOnMax}$ $= 104.9 \cdot 0.6 = 62.9\,\text{m}$
Shell scatter height @ 10 km60.4 m
How tall the same scatter ellipse is at 10 km. Comparable from ship to ship for the same reason as the width value above.
Med Horiz Disp33.5 m
50%-hit horizontal radius: $\sigma_{H,50} = \sigma_H \cdot \text{GetHalfHitsRatio}(\sigma)$ $= 104.9 \cdot 0.319\;(\sigma = 2) = 33.5\,\text{m}$
Med Vert Disp20.1 m
50%-hit vertical radius: $\sigma_{V,50} = \sigma_V \cdot \text{GetHalfHitsRatio}(\sigma)$ $= 62.9 \cdot 0.32\;(\sigma = 2) = 20.1\,\text{m}$
Dispersion familyCruiser Disp.
Standard cruiser dispersion baseline.
AP Pen Close283.6 mm
Canonical community AP formula (jcw780/wows_shell), evaluated at muzzle velocity: $P = 10^{-7}\cdot K \cdot m^{0.69} \cdot d^{-1.07} \cdot v_0^{1.38}$ $= 10^{-7}\cdot 2200 \cdot 46.7^{0.69} \cdot 0.15^{-1.07} \cdot 900^{1.38} = 283.6\,\text{mm}$. Matches the in-game spec card.
AP Pen Far84.1 mm
Same formula at the ship's max firing range (14.3 km), where the shell has slowed to 372.9 m/s: $P = 10^{-7}\cdot 2200 \cdot 46.7^{0.69} \cdot 0.15^{-1.07} \cdot 372.9^{1.38} = 84.1\,\text{mm}$.
HE penetration25 mm
25 mm ≈ 150 mm caliber / 6 (standard HE penetration ratio).
AP overmatch10 mm
floor(150 mm caliber / 14.3) = 10 mm (AP auto-penetrates plating this thick or less).
AP AOE Radius10
AP shell over-penetration splash radius; scales with shell mass. Wickes 102mm = 3, standard 152mm CL ~ 20, Iowa 406mm ~ 270, Yamato 460mm = 400, Incomparable 650mm = 550 (max). Larger value = bigger splash damage area when AP over-pens.
Broadside guns used for alpha7
Barrels that can bear on one beam (7 of 10); casemate/wing mounts only fire one side.
Turret turn time22.5 s
180 degrees / 8 deg/s traverse speed = 22.5 s.
HE full-salvo alpha15,050
2,150 HE damage x 7 broadside guns = 15,050.
AP full-salvo alpha21,000
3,000 AP damage x 7 broadside guns = 21,000.
Base HE DPM78,522
15,050 HE full-salvo alpha x 60 / 11.5 s base reload = 78,522.
Base AP DPM109,565
21,000 AP full-salvo alpha x 60 / 11.5 s base reload = 109,565.
Base shells/min36.5
7 broadside guns x 60 / 11.5 s base reload = 36.5.
Base fires/min4.02
36.5 shells/min x 11% fire chance = 4.02.

AA defense

Close-range AA DPS166
Sum across every AA aura on this ship of (aura.continuous_damage x 3.5 x aura.hit_probability). Here: (33×3.5×0.9) + (21×3.5×0.85) = 166. Covers AA-only mounts plus dual-purpose secondaries (Bismarck 105mm, USN 5"/38 cruiser secondaries) and dual-purpose main batteries (Sumner-class 5"/38, Akizuki-line 100mm). Formula validated against in-game captures on California, Sumner, Manfred von Richthofen, Dante Alighieri (exact) and within +/-17% on the remaining verified ships.
Maximum AA range3 km
Longest-reaching aura across AA-only + dual-purpose auras.
AA threat index387
SUM over AA auras of (aura DPS x aura range km). A plane crossing the AA bubble is exposed to each aura for a time proportional to that aura's range, so long-reach DPS is worth more than the same DPS in a short bubble. Units: DPS*km; used to rank overall AA threat across the cohort.
Near aura range1.2 km

Armor Beta

Hull HP 21,60024,500 with hull upgrade, distributed across 5 hull zones, each with its own plate thicknesses, saturation cap, and pen thresholds. HP caps are the exact in-game values, not estimated.

Bow & stern6 mm

Overmatched by 106+ guns across the bracket. Can’t reliably bow-tank; gets bow-citadelled and overpenned.

Farming6 mm

Superstructure and extremities take HE pens and AP overpens from nearly any gun: steady chip damage. Fire resistance 3%, fires burn 30s. Range-by-range in the ballistics tool →

Section Plates HP cap Threats Tactic
Bow6 mm primary (range 6–50 mm)400 (2% of HP)
Overmatched by 127mm+ (Farragut, Shenyang)6 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Bow-tank fits behind this exterior plate. Saturation is FAST here; the cap is often only a few thousand HP.
Hull (midship)6 mm18,400 (75% of HP)
Overmatched by 127mm+ (Farragut, Shenyang)6 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Largest HP pool. Citadel sits behind these plates; thinner deck and side plating absorb the rest.
Stern6 mm primary (range 6–50 mm)300 (1% of HP)
Overmatched by 127mm+ (Farragut, Shenyang)6 mm: HE pens from 127mm+
Mirror of bow. Same fast saturation.
Citadel60 mm primary (range 6–60 mm)≈ 165,500 (effectively no cap)
Citadel pen: full damageOver-pen: ×0.10 damage
Effectively no cap; citadel pool sits at ~165k HP on every ship. An AP citadel penetration deals the shell's full damage, the biggest single hit available; only over-penetrations are damped, to ×0.10.
Superstructure10 mm primary (range 10–125 mm)1,000 (4% of HP)
Any HE ≥16 mm pens at full damage
Any HE ≥16 mm pens at full damage. HE-spam target, and the section saturates fast (often only a few thousand HP).
Turret (module, per magazine)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP12,300 magazine HPMagazine detonation1–30% chance · below ~75% HPPer-turret powder-magazine HP. Detonation chance scales from 1% (no mag damage) to 30% (full mag damage); this range is the in-game value. Detonation can't roll while the ship is above ~75% HP (the standard detonation-protection threshold, not a per-ship stat). Smaller magazines saturate to the 30% ceiling faster.
AA mount (75 mm mount)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP200 per-mount HPDestroyed at 0 HPPer-mount HP for the heaviest AA on this ship. An AA mount destroyed at 0 HP stops shooting down planes for the rest of the battle; DCP does not repair destroyed mounts. HE shells specifically target AA mounts since the small-caliber HP pool falls fast.
Rudder (module)separate HP pool, does not drain ship HP7,400 module HPIncapacitated at 0 HPWhen module HP reaches 0 the rudder locks at its current angle until DCP repairs it. Repair via Damage Control Party.

Saturation cap = HP a section can absorb before further damage to it is reduced (the "bow-tank" effect). Citadel pool is ~165k on every ship (effectively no cap); damage is gated by pen/over-pen multipliers instead. Superstructure saturates fast but HE always pens regardless of the plate thickness. Rudder (and other module HPs) are a separate pool from ship HP: damaging a module doesn't drain ship HP. Incapacitated modules like the rudder and engine are restored by DCP, but secondary and AA mounts destroyed at 0 HP stay out for the rest of the battle.

Approximated side profile.
Open the 3D armor viewer →
3D armor viewer
Open in Charting Tool

Acceleration and Ballistics Chart

Exteriors

Skins & permanent camouflages

Every custom exterior Java can equip, from in-game data.

  • Java default exterior
    DefaultThe ship’s standard exterior

Primary official WG sources

Filtered to official World of Warships: Legends pages where this ship is a focus, reward, line member, or high-context variant mention.