Chaffee (Individual Tharkad-class WarShip)

(Redirected from LCS Chaffee)
This article is about the battlecruiser. For other uses, see Chaffee.


Chaffee
Vessel Profile
TypeWarShip
ClassTharkad

The Chaffee was a Tharkad-class battlecruiser in service with the Lyran Commonwealth during the First Succession War as the LCS Chaffee, and was one of the last ships of her class to remain active.

History[edit]

In 2819, the Chaffee was one of the Lyran WarShips taking part in Operation SPIDERWEB, the operation designed by Hauptmann-General Ranier Hogarth to capture the region known as the Solaris Bulge. SPIDERWEB called for two large pincers to encircle and isolate three key systems - Kalidasa, Rochelle and Solaris - before moving to capture those three systems, and used a dogged, determined approach in which the naval forces crushed any opposing aerospace forces before dropping multiple BattleMech regiments onto the planets to capture the system being invaded. The forces in each pincer then waited for reinforcements before moving on to the next system.[1]

When the two pincers came together to attack Rochelle, they discovered that the Free Worlds League Military - used to the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces' approach to the various invasions to date - had responded by pulling forces away from all three systems to try and launch a counterattack before the pincers could close. Hogarth capitalized on this by immediately deploying forces to Kalidasa, without waiting for reinforcements. Having captured Rochelle in February 2819, the Lyran forces arrived in the Kalidasa system in April, with the Chaffee leading the LCAF task force. Having arrived at the zenith jump point, the Lyrans discovered that they had arrived as the FWLM forces were redeploying from Kalidasa, with a fleet of League DropShips making the transfer from the planet out to their transport ships. The Lyran forces were able to chart the DropShips' course and thereby located the waiting JumpShips, as well as the two Soyal-class heavy cruisers and a pair of corvettes escorting them.[1]

The Chaffee swiftly moved to intercept and attack the League flotilla, along with the other Lyran WarShips - the Chaffee's sister ship, LCS Ineffable and a pair of destroyers - plus a dozen escort DropShips. The Lyran forces had a numerical advantage over the League forces, but one of the biggest factors in the battle was the decline in capital ship repair and maintenance facilities over the decades since the War had begun. All of the WarShips involved were suffering from damage taken in previous engagements that had been left unrepaired, poor maintenance, and a severe lack of munitions; while they were far from alone in this, the resulting battle was one of the last heavy naval actions of the First Succession War.[1]

The Lyran flotille was able to destroy all four of the League's escort WarShips, as well as capturing or destroying half the League transport JumpShips, with the remainder escaping back to League space after their escorts were destroyed. The Lyran losses were significant, though; the Ineffable and both Lyran destroyers were lost, and the Chaffee took heavy damage. Despite their naval escort being reduced to the limping Chaffee and a handful of escorting assault DropShips, the Lyran forces were able to land on Kalidasa, destroying the remaining League DropShips on approach, but the lack of an overwhelming orbital presence saw the battle for control of the planet drag on for two months before Kalidasa finally fell.[1]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 First Succession War, p. 78: "Rochelle and Kalisada"

Bibliography[edit]