The Avalanche was an aberration in Taurian ship-design. While a capable vessel, it was never fully accepted by the rank-and-file of the Fleet. Let me know your thoughts on it.
Code:
AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout
VALIDATED
Class/Model/Name: Avalanche [Destroyer]
Tech: Inner Sphere / 2750
Vessel Type: WarShip
Rules: Level 2, Custom design
Rules Set: AeroTech2
Mass: 490,000 tons
K-F Drive System: (Unknown)
Length: 598 meters
Sail Diameter: 1,020 meters
Power Plant: Standard
Safe Thrust: 5
Maximum Thrust: 8
Armor Type: Standard
Armament:
4 White Shark
8 Barracuda
8 NL55
8 Medium NPPC
4 Killer Whale
6 NL45
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==Overview:==
In 2540, the Concordat Navy decided to commission a new type of ship--a fast
raider/strike vessel. This new vessel was to have a greater thrust than any
other in service at the time (designers hoped to attain 4.5-g's), and carry
four DropShips to assist in fast raids against hostile powers and their
commerce.
In addition, the design was to concentrate the majority of its firepower in
energy mounts, to decrease dependence on depletable ordnance. The design also
called for two full air wings of aerospace fighters (16 in total), four small
craft, and twice the marine complement normally carried by a Destroyer.
The cost proved to be prohibitive, so the Admirality scaled back their
requests. The number of DropShips, fighters, small craft, and marines were
cut in half; acceleration was reduced to 4-g's (2.5-g's safe thrust), but a
heavy assortment of capital missile launchers was added to the design for
anti-fighter capacity.
The resulting ship--TCS Avalanche--was approved for production in 2543, with
the first ship entering the Fleet in 2546. While the Avalanche possessed all
the qualities the Admirality had demanded of the design team, it proved to be
less than successful in Taurian service. Many serving officers felt that too
much firepower had been sacrificed for the exceptional thrust, and the lack of
NACs deprived Concordat ship captains of the hammer they had always had at
their disposal. Though a quite capable design, it seemed the Navy was
institutionally unable to use it for its designed purpose.
Construction was halted in 2557 after a mere twelve ships had been completed.
Instead of being used as a fast strike ship, the Avalanches were assigned to
supplement the Formidable class in traditional Taurian destroyer assignments.
==Capabilities:==
With a maximum thrust of 4-g's, the Avalanches were a potentially unstoppable
foe. Five hundred and eighty-four tons of standard armor provided a solid
belt of armor protection around all vital areas. While not quite as potent as
the protective belt of the Formidables, it compared quite favourably with
contemporary Inner Sphere designs. The eight aerospace fighters, two small
craft, and two DropShips provided an exceptional support capacity for a
Taurian Destroyer.
With supplies and fuel tankage for 180 days of operations, as well as 12,250
tons of spare parts, and 13,127 tons of spare cargo volume these ships had an
adequete operational radius. However, if they were ever to be deployed on
deep-strike missions into the rear areas of hostile foes, resupply vessels
would be required.
Armament consisted of sixteen Norman/Raytheon capital missile launchers.
Eight Barracuda class were mounted one per arc, with 30 missiles each. The
fore, aft, and broadside arcs each mounted one White Shark launcher, also with
30 missiles. The fore-quarters and aft-quarters arcs were equipped with the
Killer Whale launcher, with 30 conventional and 5 nuclear-tipped missiles
each.
Twenty-two energy weapons were also provided. Eight High Energy Systems
Pulsar class Medium Naval PPCs and eight Martin-Gordan Sunburn Class 55 Naval
Lasers were mounted in single bays in each firing arc. Six more Martin-Gordan
Blinder Class 45 Naval Lasers were mounted in one each in every arc save the
front and aft.
These systems--while lacking the raw firepower of most Taurian designs--did
allow the Avalanche unprecedented orbital fire support capabilities, as well
as the best extreme range firepower of any Taurian Destroyer.
==Variants:==
There were no variants of the Avalanche class every produced.
==Notable Vessels & Crews:==
Listed below are all known vessels of the Avalanche class.
Avalance (SDD-073)
Blizzard (SDD-074)
Tsunami (SDD-075)
Hurricane (SDD-076)
Volcano (SDD-077)
Zephyr (SDD-078)
Sicorro (SDD-079)
Gale (SDD-080)
Thunderbolt (SDD-081)
Typhoon (SDD-082)
Tempest (SDD-083)
Tornado (SDD-084)
==Deployment==
Assigned to the tasks and missions of the Formidable, the Avalanche class
proved to be lackluster at best. It took the Reunification War for the
Concordat Navy to recognize their qualities.
As the War began in earnst, the Admirality initially assigned the Avalanches
as fast reaction vessels, to respond to Davion and Cameron probes into Taurian
Space. However, one officer, Admiral Elias Beck, suggested an alternative
strategy.
Always a fierce proponent of commerce raiding and long-range deep strikes into
enemy territory, Beck had been the mind behind the Avalanche program, as well
as the design of the Pinto II class corvettes. In 2576, he presented an
operational plan to Admirality that would use all twelve of the Avalanches,
twelve Pinto IIs, four Wildcat class Corvettes, and four Fleet Replenishment
Vessels to carry the fight to the enemy.
This task force, the Raiding Force, was to be divided into four
sub-groups--the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Raiding Groups (with four Avalanches and
four Pinto IIs each) and the 22nd Support Flotillia (with four Wildcats and
four FRVs). Leaving Concordat space, the Raiding Force would interdict Star
League convoys bringing men, material, and supplies to the Taurian Front.
In addition, they would perform deep-strikes at Davion worlds far behind the
lines, forcing the Star League and the Federated Suns to divert precious ships
from the actual war to the pursuit of the Raiding Force. In addition, it was
hoped that by hitting worlds far from front, the people of the Federated Suns
would rethink their support behind the invasion.
On 14 November, 2576, the Admirality agreed to give Beck a free hand. The
ships he requested were assigned to him, and orders were issued to raise hell
in the rear areas of the troops set to invade the Concordat.
From early 2578 to the spring of 2584, Beck's command wrought havoc in the
systems to the rear of the front lines. Over forty Star League and Federated
Suns compact core transports and nearly one hundred and ten standard JumpShips
were destroyed in the six year long campaign. Beck's command ranged as far
aboard as the Bell system, in an arc from the Capellan border to the Davion
outback.
Once, in 2582, Beck actually jumped into the New Avalon system, destroyed six
JumpShips, and withdrew before he could be intercepted. Furious with his
raiding tactics--and with supplies being interdicted and destroyed--General
Forlough dispatched nearly forty ships of War to the purse the Admiral.
This had been just the opportunity for which Beck had waited. Spies on
Concordat worlds taken by the Star League had passed information along that
these ships had been drawn from the naval bases at New Syrtis and Panpour.
In a bold move, the 2nd Raiding Group attacked New Syrtis itself on 17 May,
2583. Jumping into system, the 2nd used their superior mobility to avoid all
defending warships and proceeded to decimate the orbital infrastructure with
long- and extreme-range attacks. Targets that were too hard to destroy in a
single pass received a nuclear-tipped missile.
The system commander began screaming for help. The Star League Task Force
defending the Panpour Shipyards responded, jumping to New Syrtis. And the
second shoe dropped.
Forty hours after the departure of the SLDF ships from Panpour, the 1st and
3rd Raiding Groups jumped into the Panpour system. For eleven days, these
sixteen ships destroyed building and repair slips, transports carrying
material and munitions, orbital factories, and the entire Fleet Train for the
Davion Auxiallary Corps.
By the time the SLDF and the AFFS were able to respond, both strike
groups--New Syrtis and Panpour--had withdrawn, leaving shattered
infrastructure, and ruined factories in their wake. While Beck refrained from
targeting civilian facilities, he had caused trillions in damage to two
systems vital to the war effort.
General Forlough was furious. And from that point onward, Beck's days were
numbered. Eighty ships were assembled to join the forty already in pursuit,
while SLDF supply lines were rerouted through the Capellan Confederation. The
Confederation was not an active participant in the War, and Forlough hoped
that Beck would not attempt to strike his convoys there, which would possibly
bring the Capellan Navy into the War.
[Editor's note: It is quite possible that Forlough actually intended to goad
Beck into striking Capellan territory. The records of our order show that his
staff leaked information on the changes of the convoy routes to a known
Taurian spy on July 3, 2583, complete with the--false--information that
Capellan shipyards were conducting repairs on damaged SLDF units. Beck
refused to take the bait, however.]
On February 7, 2584, one of the dozen Star League Task Groups searching for
Beck stumbled across the 22nd Support Flotillia in an unihabitated system. In
a desperate action, the four Wildcat class Corvettes attacked the Aegis
cruiser, Congress frigate, and four Lola destroyers to buy time for the supply
ships to jump out. Three of the supply ships did manage to get away, but one
was crippled. All four of their escorts were lost.
Star League Marines took the crippled ship--TCAS Shasta--in an intense and
bloody boarding operation. While none of the crew survived, her computers
revealed Beck's next operation, already placed in motion. None of the three
ships which escaped were capable of relaying the news to Beck that the
operation had been discovered.
On the 6th of June, 2584, Admiral Beck jumped into the Kathil system, planning
to hit the shipyards there with all three of his raiding groups. Expecting a
good amount of resistance, he had not tried to misdirect the enemy, but
concentrated his entire command to ensure the yard's destruction.
Waiting for him was a Star League Fleet, including ten battleships--eight
Monsoons and two Farraguts. Despite a gallant effort to break clear of the
ambush, all of Beck's ships were destroyed or reduced to broken, air-streaming
wrecks. Of the fifty-four hundred men and women crewing his ships, only one
hundred and seventy-three survived--including Beck himself.
Upon arriving at New Syrtis, the POWs were turned over to the Davion
commander, Governor Harold Turner. Turner ordered Beck and his people tried
for war crimes, rather than be placed in POW camps. Over a three week period,
all of his personnel were found guilty, and sentenced to death by firing
squad. General Forlough himself signed the execution order--despite Hegemony
laws against capital punishment.
Beck was executed last, after seeing his wounded men and women murdered by the
firing squads. When given a opportunity to say his final words, Beck
responded with this.
"I should have nuked Panpour, New Avalon, and this damn world when I had the
chance."
Elias Beck then began singing the Taurian national anthem as the Davion
officer ordered the twelve soldiers of the firing squad to open fire. Eleven
bullets struck the Admiral, killing him instantly.
Adding insult to injury, Beck and his people were cremated, and their ashes
scattered, by the order of Governor Turner. Admiral Elias Beck was
posthumously awarded the Concordat Medal of Honor, the highest award for Valor
in the Taurian Concordat.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class/Model/Name: Avalanche [Destroyer]
Mass: 490,000 tons
Equipment: Mass
Power Plant, Drive & Control: 147,000.00
Thrust: Safe Thrust: 5
Maximum Thrust: 8
Kearny-Fuchida Hyperdrive: Compact (Integrity = 11) 221,725.00
Jump Sail (Detachable): (Integrity = 4) 54.00
Structural Integrity: 60 29,400.00
Total Heat Sinks: 2,400 Single 1,813.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 7,344.00
Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters: 1,225.00
Fire Control Computers: .00
Food & Water: (360 days supply) 486.00
Armor Type: Standard (270 total armor pts) 584.00
Capital Scale Armor Pts
Location: L / R
Fore: 45
Fore-Left/Right: 45/45
Aft-Left/Right: 45/45
Aft: 45
Cargo:
Bay 1: Fighters (4) with 2 doors 600.00
Small Craft (1) with 1 door 200.00
Bay 2: Fighters (4) with 2 doors 600.00
Small Craft (1) with 1 door 200.00
Bay 3: Cargo (1) with 2 doors 13,127.00
DropShip Capacity: 2 Docking Hardpoints 2,000.00
Grav Decks #1 - 2: (85-meter diameter) 100.00
Crew and Passengers:
31 Officers (31 minimum) 310.00
113 Crew (112 minimum) 791.00
38 Gunners (38 minimum) 266.00
3 1st Class Passengers 30.00
9 2nd Class Passengers 63.00
50 Marines 250.00
26 Bay Personnel .00
Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 White Shark(30 msls) Nose 3 3 3 3 15 1,320.00
1 Barracuda(30 msls) Nose 2 2 2 2 10 990.00
1 NL55 Nose 6 6 6 6 85 1,100.00
1 Medium NPPC Nose 9 9 9 9 135 1,800.00
1 Killer Whale(35 msls) FL/R 4 4 4 4 40 3,800.00
1 Barracuda(30 msls) FL/R 2 2 2 2 20 1,980.00
1 NL45 FL/R 5 5 5 5 140 1,800.00
1 NL55 FL/R 6 6 6 6 170 2,200.00
1 Medium NPPC FL/R 9 9 9 9 270 3,600.00
1 White Shark(30 msls) L/RBS 3 3 3 3 30 2,640.00
1 Barracuda(30 msls) L/RBS 2 2 2 2 20 1,980.00
1 NL45 L/RBS 5 5 5 5 140 1,800.00
1 NL55 L/RBS 6 6 6 6 170 2,200.00
1 Medium NPPC L/RBS 9 9 9 9 270 3,600.00
1 Killer Whale(35 msls) AL/R 4 4 4 4 40 3,800.00
1 Barracuda(30 msls) AL/R 2 2 2 2 20 1,980.00
1 NL45 AL/R 5 5 5 5 140 1,800.00
1 NL55 AL/R 6 6 6 6 170 2,200.00
1 Medium NPPC AL/R 9 9 9 9 270 3,600.00
1 White Shark(30 msls) Aft 3 3 3 3 15 1,320.00
1 Barracuda(30 msls) Aft 2 2 2 2 10 990.00
1 NL55 Aft 6 6 6 6 85 1,100.00
1 Medium NPPC Aft 9 9 9 9 135 1,800.00
1 Lot Spare Parts (2.50%) 12,250.00
1 Bay Personnel Quarters 182.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS: Heat: 2,400 490,000.00
Tons Left: .00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 3,479,585,600 C-Bills
Battle Value: 62,781
Cost per BV: 55,424.18
Weapon Value: 25,881 (Ratio = .41)
Damage Factors: SRV = 1,728; MRV = 1,728; LRV = 1,382; ERV = 583
Maintenance: Maintenance Point Value (MPV) = 325,602
(64,080 Structure, 182,672 Life Support, 78,850 Weapons)
Support Points (SP) = 403,425 (124% of MPV)
BattleForce2: Not applicable
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