Zara

Unit Card:

WASZaraStatCard.jpg

Set - Rarity - Number

Task Force - Rare - 48/60

History:

Zara participated in the Spanish Civil War.
1940

7 July: Battle of Calabria
19 July: Battle of Cape Spada
1 September: Operation Hats
29 September: Operation MB 5
11 November: Night of Taranto

1941

On 28 March, in the battle of Cape Matapan, under commander Capitano di Vascello Luigi Corsi, the Zara was escorting the battleship Vittorio Veneto, which had been damaged by an aerial torpedo and slowed down, to Italy. The Zara class cruiser, Pola was damaged by a torpedo from a British aircraft, and was also obliged to slow down and later stop. The remainder of the Italian force headed towards home ports, leaving the ship, but at the coming of night, the Zara together with her sister-ship Fiume and four destroyers (Oriani, Alfieri, Carducci and Gioberti) of the IX Squadriglia were dispatched to the Pola. In a night action the unprepared Italian cruisers were taken by surprise by the radar-equipped British vessels. Three British battleships, HMS Barham, Valiant and Warspite, firing from as short distances as 2,000 m (2,200 yd) comprehensively outgunned the cruisers. Zara and Fiume were struck several times within five minutes. Unable to recover the ship, the commander ordered the crew to scuttle and abandon Zara. The Fiume and the ship they had come back for, the Pola, and two destroyers, Vittorio Alfieri and Carducci, were also sunk. 799 of Zara's 1086 men were lost, among them her commanding officer Capt. Luigi Corsi and Admiral Carlo Cattaneo, commander of the 1st Naval Division of which Zara was the flagship. Some survivors were picked up by British destroyers in the following morning, some more by Greek destroyers on 29 March and the last ones were rescued by the Italian hospital ship Gradisca three days late

Reviews:

Lobukia
This is an awesome unit when it comes to screening battleships, protecting subs, and hunting destroyers/light cruisers. At 12 points the Zara is above average in protection (Armor 5!), carries strong guns (enough to damage almost any cruiser), good secondaries, decent AA, and fights like a 4 hull unit until she is sunk.

The only cruisers that should give her pause are those with extended range, and it should be able to fight twice its number in destroyers (many of which cost almost the same amount of points). 24 points of Zaras will seriously mess up 24 points of any destroyers you want to bring, and most likely both Zaras would survive.

Keep her away from Baltimores and Clevelands (unless you can get them to range 2), and let your big guns hunt while your Zaras protect. Zaras will also work very well with the German cruisers or in a German fleet. Seriously, if you have Zaras and you haven't used them yet… you really really should consider using them as a screening element in your next build.

ROUS
Hard to get unit for sure, and maybe not as good as it seems at first. 6 AA is less than most of its counterparts, and there are no torpedoes. With a 9 vital armor (just 4 more than armor) coupled with the stalwart, this units has "target me with a a huge attack and Go for the Vital Kill" written all over it. 12 is good price, but for 13, you could get a Garibaldi…

Plastic Figure Notes:

TF_Zara_zps92b09c5f.jpg
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