Today we’ll be taking a look at French light cruiser Gloire from the La Galissonnière-class, featuring an increased rate of fire and a new radar!
Gloire: A Light Cruiser for France at Rank IV |
At a glance:
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Vehicle History
Gloire, a La Galissonnière-class light cruiser, entered service in 1937. At the start of the Second World War, Gloire transported gold reserves to Canada and escorted convoys.
After the capitulation of France in 1940, Gloire remained under the control of the Vichy regime and was based in Toulon. In September 1940, she was sent to Dakar, but due to machinery breakdowns, was unable to join the other ships and was interned in Casablanca by British forces.
After the Allied landings in North Africa in 1942, Gloire defected to the Free French. After being modernized in the United States, she participated in the search for German ships in the Atlantic and then supported the Allied landings in Italy and southern France. In 1944, she bombarded enemy positions during Operation Dragoon, firing around 2,000 shells. After the war, Gloire made three trips to Indochina, was decommissioned in 1955 and scrapped in 1958.
Introducing Gloire!
The Gloire light cruiser in her 1947 upgrade differs from her sistership La Galissonnière in increased rate of fire, improved radar equipment and a reinforced anti-aircraft battery. This exceptionally versatile ship is joining the French Bluewater fleet tree in the next major update, so let’s take a closer look!
Like the La Galissonnière light cruiser, Gloire features an excellent armament loadout of nine 152 mm guns in three turrets. However, there’s a noticeable difference in that Gloire is coming to the game in her 1947 upgrade, after work had been carried out on the loading system, increasing the rate of fire of the main caliber guns to 9 rounds per minute. On top of this, Gloire features a great ammunition loadout, consisting of high-explosive, semi-armor-piercing and armor-piercing rounds. When playing Gloire, you’re going to have complete freedom to choose the right shells for each combat situation you find yourself in!
Another important difference between Gloire and her sistership is improved air defense capabilities. Gloire has an updated anti-aircraft battery, which has been significantly strengthened compared to earlier configurations. Thanks to this, the proven 40 mm Bofors and 20 mm Oerlikon cannons are responsible for air defense, fixing the relatively weak anti-aircraft defense shortcoming of La Galissonnière-class ships. On top of this, Gloire has updated American and British radar equipment for accurate and early identification of air threats. Space was required to accommodate the radar, so Gloire had the reconnaissance aircraft removed.
Her 1947 upgrade also comes with more crew members, meaning Gloire’s survivability is increased. Gloire also retains the important aspects of her class — torpedoes and good armor protection for important compartments. Gloire is going to be a very versatile ship and a main player in any battle, but make sure to stick with your teammates for the best survivability.
That’s it for this one! Gloire is joining War Thunder in the next major update for France’s Bluewater fleet tree. Make sure to check out our website for more dev blogs coming your way.
Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.