The _Rhine_ class Fleet Tender
TF-1 Rhine TF-R7313F3-090100-00009-0 MCr40,390.8 100,000 tons
batteries bearing 8 Y Crew=764.
batteries A Z TL=12.
Low=382. Cargo=2,706. Fuel=33,000. EP=3000. Agility=1. Marines=300.
Y=35, Z=50
Notes: This is a fleet battle tender. It can carry up to 40,000 tons
worth of riders--normally four _Berlins_ or two _Provences_. Has a frozen
watch, and fuel purification plant.
This is the original, and only known, version of the _Rhine_ class. 70
were built for the NFN, named for rivers on Earth. This class saw action
in the Old Islands War and the Topas War. Following the Topas War, FAdm
Connor commented that the ships' substantial missile armament made them
useful as 'auxiliary battleship' in some situations. In 5629, five of
these ships were handed over to the Alliance Navy.
Many _Rhines_ were present in the Neubayern system at the beginning of
the Second Battle of Neubayern, but they successfully escaped to St.
Genevieve where they joined the Alliance Fleet. Many of these ships no
longer had riders to carry, as these had been destroyed at Neubayern, and
were handed over to the Alliance or mothballed.
The fate of the _Rhine_ was unclear since the riders were being phased
out. The NFN had begun experiments with a class of 1000-ton laser-armed
gunboats, but the experiment had not yet yielded any concrete results
when the Imperials arrived. Many _Rhines_ were scrapped or hidden, but
five were hidden on Sansterre.
When the Cluster Liberation War came, one of the _Rhines_ carried forty
of the experimental _Thunderbolt_ class PFs, while the others carried
various riders. Following the War, some of the _Rhines_ were reactivated
to carry PFs, while others were used to carry disabled ships to shipyards.
Since the Alliance Navy uses _Rhines_ primarily as support ships in
peaceful areas, those that remain in service are a very low priority for
upgrades. As of 5650, there are no known refits of the class, although it
has been rumoured that one ship has been modified for use as a technology
demonstrator.