world of warships best set up for Cleveland

And the rudder shift time is already good enough. It makes a big difference when accelerating.

Slot 4: Propulsion Mod 2 is really good to juke attacks, either battleship volleys from far away or carrier attacks. The Cleveland gets to 9 and 7 flak bursts with this upgrade. More flak bursts are highly valueable if you can get over 6, since they will start to spawn to the left and right of the planes, making dodging them much more difficult. Slot 2: Hydroacoustic Search Mod 1 if you got the coal for it (and don't need it for anything else), otherwise Damage Control System Mod 1. You can change that to Main Armaments Mod 1 if your turrets get knocked out a lot and carriers aren't a big issue for you (e.g. Having your AA more difficult to destroy can save your life and the lives of your team mates close to you. Slot 1: Take Auxiliary Armaments Mod 1 if you encounter a lot of carriers.

Preventive Maintenance is the best choice for the last skill point, but it should be taken after you got all 3 of the 4 point skills. Take the other skill when you got to 18 to have both. Take Concealment Expert or Manual Fire Control for AA Armament when you got to 14 points (Manual Fire Control for AA if CVs like to attack you or ships around you a lot, Concealment Expert otherwise - note that you have to use the sector reinforcement system all the time to make use of the Manual Fire Control for AA, but it's something you should do all the time, even without the skill). IFHE (Inertia Fuse for HE Shells) is a must have and you have to get it first.

World of warships best set up for Cleveland