SUPPLY AND SUPPLYSHIPS FOR MEGATRAVELLER FLEET OPS
1. SUPPLYFIGURES
Some calculations gives the following average figures for supply:
1 batron in 1 major battle will use up 82,000 kl of ammo (missiles &
cannisters of sand). This will be modifyed upwards if the batron is
large, consists of extra-heavy battlerships or ships with a larger than
normal number of missilebays. The opposites of all this will tend
to make it significantly less.
1 batron in 1 major battle will require 432,000 kl of repairs.
(provided all ships survive)
1 batron will require 21,600 kl of repairs per week of skirmishing.
1 batron will require 1260 kl of provisions per week.
(I used the figures from Beltstrike, ie: 150 man-weeks take up 13.5 kl)
2. SUPPLY USAGE
1 batron will use up 798,500 kl of supply during one month of hard
fighting including one major battle (supply is for the batron and
some extra ships)
1 batron will during a month of skirmishing use up 155,000 kl of supply
(also for the batron and some extra ships)
3. SUPPLY RESERVES
According to Imperial naval doctrine every batron should bring with
it a reserve capable of supplying it during one month of skirmishing
and through one major battle.
This is roughly equivalent to two Shugliiki class fleet supply ships.
If the fleet are to operate on its own for a longer time more supply
will have to be carried.
If the fleet will employ standard resupply procedures (ie transports
to the nearest source of supply.) it will have to have a large number
of 20,000 ton transports running back and forth.
A batron requires 155,000 kl of supply per month. With 50% to 100%
capacity this means that 2 or 3 Relief class armed supply ships will
have to reach it per month.
A batron operating one sector from it's sources of supply will thus
have to have tonnage equal to *half the tonnage of the batron itself*
dedicated to bringing it supplies.
(No wonder then that the Consulate never win any frontier wars. They
are fighting one half sector from home and their supplyships are
TL14 with jump3. This would also explain their preference for hoarding
large chaches of supply inside the Imperium!)
(I wonder how the Solomanis managed to conquer the ZiruSiirka. They
were fighting several sectors away from their sources of supply and
their ships were at most TL12 and jump2!)
4. ALTERNATE SUPPLY SOURCES
The trouble of bringing supplys to the fleets at the front means
that an integral aspect of a succsessful interstellar war is the
ability to rapidly integrate conquered industrial worlds and use them
as sources of supply.
This affects planetary invations in may ways. The attacker must,
for example, hold back to insure that the planets industrial base is
left untouched, but at the same time that industrial base is producing
forces for the defence of the planet! (Bombing a planet back to TL0 is
very stupid if one wants to repair ones jumpdrives there later :-)
The best solution is to make the planet capitulate, either through
propaganda or through coercion (Threatening to nuke, or actually nuking
the capitol or other civilian targets.) A rebellious supplyworld
with sabotaged supplies is however even worse than no supplyworld at
all.
Captured enemy shipping may be used as a source of supply,
*provided the enemy uses the same types of ships*. Otherwise it can
at most provide missiles and provisions.
(A situation like the present one, with the same types of ships on
both sides, is rare. It has not occured since the end of the civil war.
This means that commanders may overlook this possibility at first, but
after a month or so and the first major battle, cannibalization of
enemy ships for spare parts etc will become the norm.
5. SUPPLY SHIPS
PRICES INCLUDES WEAPONS, SUBCRAFTS, ARCHITECTS FEES, AND LONG SERIES
FLEET SUPPLY SHIP
CraftID:Fleet Supply Ship, Type QF, TL15, MCr 24,302.458
Hull: 90,000/225,000, Disp=100,000, Config=7USL, Armor=40G,
Unloaded=483,324tons, Loaded=1,058,870tons
Power: 4500/6000, Fusion=809,118MW, Duration=30/90
Loco: 6700/9000, Manuever=2, 5400/7200, Jump=3, Cruise=750, Top=1000,
Agility=0
Commo: Radio=System x 3, Laser=System x 2, Maser=System x 2
Sensors:PassiveEMS=Interstellar x 2, ActiveEMS=FarOrbit,
Neutrino=10kW, Densitometer=LoPen/250m, ActObjScan=Routine,
ActObjPin=Routine, PasObjScan=Routine, PasObjPin=Routine,
PasEngScan=Simple, PasEngPin=Routine
Off: Missiles=x07, Batt=5, Bear=4, w/ 40 battery rds, BLasers=x09,
Batt=45, Bear=32
Def: DefDM=+7, NukeDamper=8, BlackGlobe=1, SCasters=xx9, Batt=50,
Bear=35
Control:Computer=9fibx3, Panel=Holodynamic link x 1438,
Special=HoloHUD x 100, LgHoloDisplay x 10, Environ= basic env,
basic ls, extended ls, grav plates, inertial comp, AirLocks=20
Accomm: Crew=2 x 100 (Bridge=15, Engineering=77, Maint=1, Gunnery=55,
Flight=30, ShipTroops=25, Command=33, Steward=8, Medic=2),
Staterooms=150, Subcraft=Shuttles x 10, Pinnace x 1
Other: Cargo=537,458kl, Fuel=561,600kl, PurificationPlant=81h,
ObjSize=Large, EMLevel=Strong
The "Shugliiki" class fleet supply ship is an old standard design
that has been around for a long time. It's purpose is to travel with
the fleets (two Shugliiki per Batron) to provide long term supply
during patrol and combat operations. The Black Globe is a late addition
(post 5FW) and has been fitted to about 20% of the fleet. During actual
combat the Shugliiki holds back and is protected by several cruisers.
This ship is never found alone. The only instance when it can be
encountered without a batron is when it is ferrying supply in support
of a planetary invasion. Even then it will be escorted by cruisers.
The hull is shaped as seven connected cylinders laying side bu side.
Aft of this is the engine assembly and in front is a sphere containing
the livingquarters and the bridge. All subcraft is docked to the
outside of the ship.
ARMED SUPPLY SHIP
CraftID:Armed Supply Ship, Type QM, TL15, MCr 7,144.309
Hull: 18,000/45,000, Disp=20,000, Config=5SL, Armor=40G,
Unloaded=113,359tons, Loaded=223,523tons
Power: 710/950, Fusion=128,754MW, Duration=30/90
Loco: 1300/1800, Manuever=2, 1100/1400, Jump=3, NOE=190, Cruise=750,
Top=1000, Agility=0
Commo: Radio=System x 3, Laser=System x 2, Maser=System x 2
Sensors:EMMask, PassiveEMS=Interstellar x 2, ActiveEMS=FarOrbit,
EMSJamm=FarOrb, Neutrino=10kW, Densitometer=HiPen/1km,
ActObjScan=Routine, ActObjPin=Routine, PasObjScan=Routine,
PasObjPin=Routine, PasEngScan=Simple, PasEngPin=Routine
Off: Missiles=xA0, Batt=5, Bear=5, w/ 40 battery rds, BLasers=x09,
Batt=5, Bear=5
Def: DefDM=+8, OptimumNukeDamper=1, BlackGlobe=4, SCasters=xx9,
Batt=10, Bear=10
Control:Computer=9fibx3, Panel=Holodynamic link x 361,
Special=HoloHUD x 28, LgHoloDisplay x 3, Environ= basic env,
basic ls, extended ls, grav plates, inertial comp, AirLocks=5
Accomm: Crew=8 x 20 (Bridge=15, Engineering=15, Gunnery=53, Flight=20,
ShipTroops=40, Command=23, Steward=5, Medic=2),
SmallStaterooms=100, Subcraft=Shuttles x 2, ModularCutters x 5,
Launch x 1
Other: Cargo=96,850kl, Fuel=100,300kl, Scoops, PurificationPlant=24h,
ObjSize=Large, EMLevel=Moderate
In 1112 the Imperial Navy put out mission reqirements for a new
class of supplyships. The specifications was for a armed and armored
supply ship capable of penetrating long stretches of disputed territory
in order to bring supply to an fleet operating on or beyond the
frontier. This controversial design was designed by the indepent
shipyard "Metric Yards LIC".
The controversy was about the Black globe generator and the
detractors ridiculed the decision of using it on a supply ship. It can
be suspected that the real reason behind the debate was the fact that
none of the designs submitted by the megacorporations had been
accepted. The Blackglobe is in fact both cheaper, smaller and lighter
then an equivalently armored hull, which in any case won't offer any
protection agains mesonguns.
Viritually the entire production of "Relief" class ships is by LSP
who has bought the rights to the design from Metric Yards for a
percentage of the profit.
The first of the "Relief" class armed supply ships is expected to
be commissioned around mid-1117. They are used by all ex-imperial
fractions of the rebellion.
The "Relief" ships will be encountered together with its escort of
destroyers plying the spacelanes between a fleet and its sources of
supply.
The hull is shaped as a sphere with the manuverdrive at the bottom
and the high-value components (bridge, computer, screens) about halfway
above the centre. The missilebays and hangars all lie at the sphere's
equator and 100% of the missile load is nuclear. All the decks are
parallel to the equator.
LIGHT SUPPLY SHIP
CraftID:Light Supply Ship, Type QL, TL15, MCr 4,470.270
Hull: 9,000/22,500, Disp=10,000, Config=2SL, Armor=49G,
Unloaded=79,280tons, Loaded=129,609tons
Power: 340/450, Fusion=61,002MW, Duration=30/90
Loco: 680/900, Manuever=2, 680/900, Jump=4, NOE=190, Cruise=750,
Top=1000, Agility=0
Commo: Radio=System x 3, Laser=System x 2, Maser=System x 2
Sensors:EMMask, PassiveEMS=Interstellar x 2, ActiveEMS=FarOrbit,
Neutrino=10kW x 2, Densitometer=HiPen/1km, ActObjScan=Routine,
ActObjPin=Routine, PasObjScan=Routine, PasObjPin=Routine,
PasEngScan=Simple, PasEngPin=Routine
Off: Missiles=x07, Batt=3, Bear=3, w/ 40 battery rds, BLasers=x07,
Batt=4, Bear=4
Def: DefDM=+8, OptimumNukeDamper=1, BlackGlobe=1, SCasters=xx9,
Batt=5, Bear=5
Control:Computer=9fibx3, Panel=Holodynamic link x 332,
Special=HoloHUD x 8, LgHoloDisplay x 3, Environ= basic env,
basic ls, extended ls, grav plates, inertial comp, AirLocks=5
Accomm: Crew=12 x 10 (Bridge=9, Engineering=8, Maint=2, Gunnery=52,
Flight=12, ShipTroops=20, Command=17, Steward=4, Medic=2),
SmallStaterooms=75, Subcraft=Shuttles x 1, ModularCutter x 3
Other: Cargo=45,011kl, Fuel=55,686kl, Scoops, PurificationPlant=24h,
ObjSize=Large, EMLevel=Faint
The "Nova" class light supply ship is tailored for supplying
cruiser and destroyer operations and patrols. It has good sensors and
is resonably well armed and armored for its own self defence. If it is
employed alone it probably will be escorted by a handful of destroyers
or destroyer-escorts.
The hull is shaped like two cones put together base-to-base with
the engines in one end and the bridge in the other.
- --
Bertil K K Jonell @ Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg
NET: [email removed]
VOICE: [phone removed] / +46 300 61004 "Don't worry,I've got Pilot-7"
[address removed] (Famous last words)
"GOOD DEEL ON SLIGHTLY USED CRANE" Orson Scott Card 'The Abyss'
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