Dreadnought (WarShip class)

This article is about the WarShip class. For the eponymous first ship of that class, see Dreadnought (Individual Dreadnought-class WarShip).
Dreadnought WS.jpg
Dreadnought
Production information
Manufacturer
Introduced 2300
Production Year 2300[1]
Use Battleship
Tech Base Inner Sphere
Technical specifications
Mass 960,000 tons
Length 890 meters
Sail Diameter 1,050 meters
Fuel 5,000 tons
Burn Rate 39.52
Safe Thrust 1.5 g
Top Thrust 2.5 g
Sail Integrity 5
KF Drive Integrity 19
LF Battery No
Armament
Armor 1,147.5 tons of Standard
DropShip Capacity 0
Crew 146 officers
518 enlisted/non-rated
98 gunners
20 first-class passengers
50 second-class passengers
270 marines
128 bay personnel
Grav Decks 2x 150 meter
Escape Pods/Life Boats 60/60
Heat Sinks 2,048
Structural Integrity 60
BV (2.0) 104,949



Description[edit]

The first true WarShip to be produced, the Dreadnought was originally considered to be a plaything of Admiral James McKenna. The TAS Dreadnought, launched in 2300, was the first of seven ships in this class and served as McKenna's flagship until he transferred his flag to the Black Lion. In 2315, McKenna disabused the warring parties of the Terran Alliance that these ships were mere playthings when he staged several firepower demonstrations involving destroying uninhabited islands on Terra from orbit, and paved the way for the birth of the Terran Hegemony.[2][3]

The Dreadnought class would serve for just over 300 years before being formally retired in 2602; during these three centuries, no Dreadnought was lost in combat, although two Dreadnoughts were lost as a result of navigational accidents during the Age of War and a third was scrapped after a series of engineering mishaps. While the Dreadnought class was superseded in service by the Farragut and Monsoon classes, three of the four surviving Dreadnoughts remained as reserve vessels within the Star League navy; unlike many later vessels, each Dreadnought mounted an array of fighter-scale weapons, making them capable of repulsing a fighter escort even without dedicating any of the cargo or small craft bays to carrying fighter support.[2]

The Reunification War was the final campaign for the Dreadnought class, and three of the four surviving vessels were scrapped or gifted to museums after the war; the last vessel to remain in service was also the first, the SLS Dreadnought.[2]

Armament[edit]

The Dreadnought class was intended to operate independently and was armed entirely with naval and fighter grade autocannons, making the class capable of fearsome displays of firepower but also causing them to require frequent resupply, even with the capacious cargo bays on each vessel. The larger NAC/20s were mounted fore, aft and within the broadsides, with the lighter NAC/10s mounted in the fore and aft side arcs. The lighter AC/5s and AC/2s were mounted evenly around the ship, making it difficult for attacking light craft to find an easy avenue of approach.[2]

Cargo[edit]

  • Bay 1: 12 Small Craft, 2 doors
  • Bay 2: 12 Small Craft, 2 doors
  • Bay 3: 132,316.5 tons of Cargo, 4 doors
  • Bay 4: 40,000 tons of Cargo, 2 doors

See Also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. MUL online date for the Dreadnought (WarShip class)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Historical: Reunification War, pp. 222–223: "Dreadnought-class WarShip"
  3. The Star League, p. 13

Bibliography[edit]