Richelieu using Mongoose Traveller 2300AD Aerospace Engineer’s Handbook

Richelieu using Mongoose Traveller 2300AD Aerospace Engineer’s Handbook

 

Preamble

In GDW 2300AD, the Richelieu and successors were the largest, most powerful warships humanity possessed. Unfortunately there was a typo on the Ship Status Sheet that led to their armour value of 10 being written as 0. This is a variant of the classic GDW “missed or added a zero” typo which cropped up occasionally.

The Richelieu was notable for having a 415 MW power plant. In GDW 2k3, power plants consumed much of the mass of a warship, and were the major defining factor in how powerful it was. The Germans and the Americans also wanted “battleships”, but they would only build diminutives with 150 MW and 180 MW plants respectively. The situation was much like the US build Nimitz supercarriers, and the British building Invincible CVS’s – still carriers but much less powerful.

With this in mind, I set out to build the Richelieu using the AEH. There are some points to note:

1.       As a Traveller based system, it is volume that matters rather than mass. The volume of the ship was set at the estimated volume of the GDW ship, or 14,000 dTons. This is technically off the end of the scale, but we are talking about the largest warships in existance.

2.       MgT 2k3 livres are not GDW 2k3 livres. There has apparently been some inflation. I budgeted 10 billion livres for the ship, including her two embarked fighter wings and her missiles.

3.       Colin Dunn has stated that, contrary to GDW 2k3, in MgT 2k3 tantalum is not a limiting factor. Hence I’m free to treat missiles like any ammunition, rather than worrying about the lost opportunity cost (every 2-3 missiles built is a merchant transport not built in GDW 2k3).

4.       Oh, and I thank the author for Mongoose canonising my ideas about Ta-180m.

To be clear, this is the smallest and weakest of France’s battleships, but she’s 3 times the size of a German, American or Manchurian battleship. Only the British battleships match her, perhaps. The follow-ons in French service are even more powerful. The next two (Tallyrand and Sainte Jeanne d’Arc) are basically improved versions of this, and following that the BB’s get even bigger and better. One French BB has been lost prior to 2300AD; the Sainte Jeanne d’Arc narrowly lost a fight against six Kafer BB’s and was destroyed. In 2301 the Tallyrand would again narrowly lose a fight against an entire Kafer battlefleet when the Germans cut and ran.

Hull

The GDW ship is ca. 14,000 dTons. I will keep this value constant. If I try to scale armour to the Beta example (10/7 * 11 = 16), I find I’m beyond the maximum allowed. Ergo I’ll go with the maximum allowed armour, which is either 12 or 13 depending on which page you read. I’ll pick 13. The hull is advanced composite with no modifications, but I think I get tough for free.

The armour consumes 910 dTons, and the hull and armour cost MLv1,239. This is already more than the cost of the ship in GDW livres. It has the traits advanced, heavy and tough.

It was unclear what “radiation shielding” would do that LaFarge shields and a meter thick armoured hull wouldn’t do.

 

Reaction Drives

Not a thing in GDW, because GDW ships could use their drives in the dead zone, just at dramatically reduced efficiency, but combined with slingshot orbits they didn’t need to make orbital burns to discharge etc. For this design, I’ll install a nuclear OMS. I don’t care about power usage, because it’s far below the stutterwarp usage and I’ll never be using both simultaneously. A calculate I need 0.105 dTons of fuel per burn. I suspect this is a typo, and the book is two orders of magnitude out (caused by the % sign). Thus I’ll have 400 burns, knowing this may be reduced to 4. Even at 10.5 dTons per burn, I can have scores of burns in the cargo hold (see later).

The nuclear OMS costs 280 dTons and MLv280. I could almost buy 2 GDW Kennedy’s for the cost of this system alone. There are 42 dTons of reaction mass (400 burns).

 

Stutterwarp and Power Plant

For the size of the power plant, I’m going to take the size of the original as correct. At 16,500 m3, it’s 1,179 dTons, which I’ll round to 1,200 dTons. An advanced fusion reactor of that size is not at the point of being too large and dividing in two. As an advanced fusion reactor, it produces 1.8 GW (1.5 MW per dTon).

If I’d have used mass fraction of the GDW design, I’d have around 5.25 GW or perhaps 10.5 GW depending on interpretation. All I could have done with that power, since I’m hardpoint limited, is install a bigger stutterwarp.

Speaking of stutterwarp, I keep the same fraction of power dedicated to the stutterwarp; 1,800 MW * 300/415 = 1,310 MW (to the nearest ten MW). I can now calculate speed.

The formula is very different. In GDW 2k3, the power to speed relationship was cubic – to double speed 8 times the power was needed. In MgT it is square – to double speed 4 times the power is needed. Given this, very different results can be expected.

I have a 1,310 MW stutterwarp pushing 14,000 dTons. The hull is both heavy and advanced. The drive is TL-12. My final warp efficiency is 5.7.

To be clear, whilst this is much faster than GDW, MgT 2k3 is a very different universe. Ships are simply faster, if well designed. Had the Kennedy kept the same reactor size as GDW, it would be warp efficiency 15.3.

For advanced radiators, I need 900 dTons (18,000 * 0.05) etc. I will add stutterwarp vanes, ignoring the power requirement because they won’t be being used at the same time as the stutterwarp.

The fusion reactor and stutterwarp, with the vanes and radiators, uses 2,479.835 dTons and costs MLv2,217.175.

 

Bridge, Computers etc.

I install two full bridges, with the large, protected and neural linked traits. This take 360 dTons and costs MLv420.

For computers, I have two Core/100 fib units, both linked to share data with the targeting trait added. This costs MLv318.15. For software, I take everything listed at the highest available level at TL-12. This takes 89 bandwidth (so I have a lot of slack) and the software would cost MLv132.6, except the MSIF (“missive” the French Space Navy of the GDW 2k3 universe) would own the software and just install it for free.

 

Sensors

She has very advanced military sensors with the extended range, enhanced signals processing and redundant systems traits. Additionally was has a grav scanner, military countermeasures, DSS, 3 telescopes, advanced survey sensors and 10 long range laser communicators.

This use 80.233 dTons and cost MLv160.9675

 

Weapons, Screens, Hangars and TAC

She has the maximum modern screens system, with 100 reloads.

Her installed weapons are 46 heavy laser barbettes with UTES equipped HLC-72 (or probably a modern improved version) and 48 turrets with PDC-29. There are 8 missile controllers capable of directing 16 missiles.  There are 16 Ritage-2 launchers, each with a magazine of 16 missiles for a total of 256 nuclear weapons.

Here I should note that the Ritage-2 of MgT 2k3 is different to that of GDW 2k3. The GDW missile was the fastest, most advanced missile available to humanity with the largest warhead. It has swapped in MgT for the less powerful SIM-14. The number of missiles is based upon missiles now just being ammunition. I am capable of controlling 16 missiles, thus I’ll have 16 launchers. The GDW Richelieu only carried 16 missiles (controlling 8), and was really a gunship. If tantalum no longer matters, why restrict oneself? There is a maintenance bay for the nukes.

The GDW Richelieu had 21 small craft berths, 9 platoon landers and upto 12 fighters with expansive hangars capable of being doubled up when crowded. Generally she carried fewer fighters, because there weren’t that many fighters around. Herein we keep the 9 landers (LC-10) but the number of fighters was based around the available space and the budget. I found 36 Martels (2 full wings of 18 fighters) to be about right.

The hangar is insanely expensive. At MLv0.3 per ton, the hangar comes out as MLv1,512 (about 10 GDW Kennedy’s). I suspect there is a typo and a full hangar should be MLv0.03 per ton, as an extension of the birth at MLv0.01 per ton. I will place a note on the final price.

The TAC has 119 people, mostly gunners (94 of them).

In total these take 6,206.2 dTons and costs MLv2,101.432. 72% of the price of the tactical systems is the hangar. If there is an “extra zero” typo in the hangars then these cost MLv740.632.

 

Crew etc.

It was estimated that the ships crew, with an embarked power-armour infantry battalion of 100 men, would be around 800 men. Originally I had every man having their own full 4 dTon stateroom, but after I had to add briefing rooms, individual toilets etc., I had to start doubling up. In Traveller, the assumption was that some of the stateroom area went to kitchens, toilets etc., and nobody cared about where the toilets were.

I ended up with 796 men with the infantry embarked. This included enough stewards to treat everyone like an “officer”, and the enlisted men on starships is largely inverse snobbery from former servicemen who weren’t officers. It is assumed that everyone is roughly equal when it comes to food etc. like aboard a submarine. What’s good enough for the captain is good enough for the youngest aspirant manning a gunner post.

I had to add a bunch of stuff that was handily covered by accommodations and by workstations in GDW Star Cruiser. I added:

·         4 Medical bays, each with an operating theatre, 4 man recovery room and 10 automeds

·         80 man galley

·         40 safety lockers

·         1 ships locker

·         10 workshops

·         27 armouries

·         A briefing room for 88 people (176 dTons! Costs the same as a starfighter!)

·         40 extra toilets

With 360 staterooms, all under spin, this all totalled 2,205.7 dTons and cost MLv382.835.

The spin gravity is 1 G.

 

Cargo and Airlocks

The GDW ship had a large cargo bay of 21,728 cubic meters (1,552 dTons). A 1,350 dTon cargo bay was installed with 4 large cargo airlocks. 8 Normal airlocks were also installed.

I have 22.03 dTons of displacement unutilised.

 

Production

The whole ship costs MLv7,120.039 or MLv5,759.239 if there was a mistake in the hangar formula.

The time of production is bizarre. Time doesn’t scale to price – pouring a ton of cheap concrete takes the same time as pouring a ton of expensive concrete. The Richelieu herself in GDW took about 8 years to complete with a commando raid damaging her and working being stopped for several years afterwards.

The MgT rule of thumb is one day per MCr. A GDW Livre is 3 Credits, but a MgT Livre is worth significantly less than a GDW Livre. Still, High Guard rules allow for upto a 90% construction time for large ships if constructed modularly, and follow-ons cost 90% of the first. This could bring the time down to 3 years. Seven are in service in (January) 2300, after losing Ste. Jeanne d’Arc. We’ll say that the early ones were delayed, hence taking 8 years each, but the follow-ons took around 3 years each, thus:

Richelieu: LD 2285, in service 2293

Tallyrand: LD 2286, in service 2294, to be lost in 2301

Ste. Jeanne d’Arc: LD 2287, in service 2295 and destroyed early 2297

Charlemagne: LD 2293, in service 2296

Charles Martel: LD 2294, in service 2297

Clemenceau: LD 2295, in service 2298

Mirabeau: LD 2296, in service 2299

De Gaulle: LD 2297, in service 2300

--- 7 in service, 8 built, one lost ---

(2298 elections, Ruffin re-elected and made elected Emperor by plebiscite, 13^th Republic becomes 3^rd Empire)

Napoleon: LD 2298, in service 2301 (the newest BB as of mid-2301 in GDW Invasion)

Mazarin: LD 2299, in service 2302

Trochu: LD 2300, in service 2303

TBC

 

The length etc. is quite different, but below is the output from AEH.

 

French Battleship Richelieu

·         Nations: France

·         First Example Laid Down: 2284

·         Manufacturer: Initially Rouchard-Ligget Military Yard, Tirane plus two others at Earth/

·         Production Status: Derivatives still in production, 1 at Tirane and 2 at Earth (new construction commenced immediately upon the slip being cleared)

·         Production Time: 3 years each using modular construction, although originals were heavily delayed

·         Service Status: In service

·         Fleets in service: France

·         Number in service: 7 as of 2300 (Richelieu, Tallyrand, Charlemagne, Charles Martel, Clemenceau, Mirabeau and De Gaulle) with one destroyed (Sainte Jeanne d’Arc) and 3 under construction (Napoleon, Mazarin and Trochu). Named for great French statesmen and leaders (not admirals etc.)

·         Length: 80 m

·         Width: 40 m

·         Displacement: 14,000 dTons

·         Power Planet: 1.8 GW advanced fusion

·         Reaction Drive: Nuclear OMS, 400 burns

·         Stutterwarp: 1,310 MW TL-12 stutterwarp

·         Purchase Cost: ca. MLv5,183.315 ongoing (prototype cost more, assumes typo in hangar stats)

·         Maintenance Cost: MLv0.432 per month, exclusive of embarked vessels

By the middle years of the Central Asian War, the French Navy was solidly committed to the so-called "big ship" concept pioneered by the Suffren-class missile cruisers. Having proven themselves time and again as valuable independent units or as the core of a task force, large powerful ships were what the line admirals demanded more than anything else. Considerable war losses also necessitated a renewed building program which mostly concentrated on proven designs. However, a naval requirement was also issued for a truly massive ship capable of carrying out deep raids into enemy territory.

 

The basis of the requirement was for a vessel superior to the Suffren class in its ability to operate for extended periods away from friendly maintenance and able to take on a wider variety of combat missions by itself. The requirement to operate away from friendly repair yards meant that the vessel would either have to be able to absorb and repair considerable amounts of battle damage or avoid suffering damage in the first place. Since its expanded combat capability by necessity required a larger ship, simple speed and stealth characteristics were not considered an adequate solution.

 

Armor and shields fulfilled part of the requirement, but the principal solution adopted was to concentrate much of the ship's offensive power in 36 fighter craft which, while valuable in their own right, could theoretically keep a superior enemy at bay and preserve the mother ship from crippling damage. In addition to its considerable fighter complement, the vessel carried nine small armed troop landers, each capable of transporting two squads of infantry or one armored personnel carrier. For armament the ship included 46 heavy laser barbettes and 48 PDC’s. The missile armament was originally Ritage-1, but Ritage-2 launchers have been installed in place of them.

 

When the Central Asian War ended in 2287 the Richelieu, as it was by then named, remained incomplete in orbit over Tirane, and had been extensively damaged by a successful Manchurian commando-style raid in 2286. During the post-war European recession, work on the Richelieu was repeatedly delayed by budgetary constraints and some of the money appropriated was apparently diverted to other projects by the Rouchard-Ligget Cartel responsible for its construction. When the War of German Reunification broke out in 2292, the French navy was caught poorly prepared and short of serviceable ships, and a panic crash construction program was instituted. As equal priority was given to all ships currently under construction, few new vessels were actually commissioned prior to the cessation of hostilities in mid-2293, and the Richelieu remained incomplete. However, it was now sufficiently close to completion that work continued and the Richelieu joined the fleet shortly before Christmas.

 

For all of the care lavished on the vessel, the design was quickly found to be deficient in a number of areas. The defensive armament of the ship was considered inadequate and the armed landers, designed by the now-defunct Rouchard-Ligget Cartel, had many troublesome teething problems which have never been completely overcome. A second vessel of the Richelieu class had been laid down in 2287, and a third in 2288, but little progress had been made on either. These two vessels were now christened, Ste. Jeanne D'Arc and Tallyrand, but were completed with considerable modifications and are considered a separate class of vessel. The hangar decks have been redesigned to accept six large standard landers, the same type as used by the Suffren-class cruisers,

in place of the nine smaller vessels carried by the Richelieu.

 

Since their completion the two ships of the Ste. Jeanne D'Arc class have seen considerable action against the Kafers (the Ste. Jeanne D'Arc was lost with all hands at the First Battle of Tithonus), but the Richelieu has yet to see action. It is currently stationed at Beta Canum Venaticorum and flies the flag of Vice Admiral Jean Baptiste d'Aumont, commander of the Third French Fleet. It is rumored that it is currently having its drives overhauled and is having additional missile bays installed. In the mean time it is serving as a tender for a variety of fighter craft tasked with defending the Beta Canum system.

 

Power Requirements

·         Reactor Produces 18,000 power (1.8 GW)

·         Basic Ship req.: 140 (14 MW)

·         Reaction drive: nil (14,000 or 1.4 GW when engaged, never engaged with stutterwarp, drone controllers etc.)

·         Stutterwarp: 13,100 (1.31 GW)

·         Vanes: nil (3,275 or 327.5 MW when engaged, never engaged with stutterwarp)

·         Sensors and Long Range Comms: upto 165 (16.5 MW, of which 10 MW is the comms)

·         Drone Controllers: 160 (16 MW)

·         Weapons: 4,110 (411 MW)

·         Sum: 17,675 power typically used (1.6555 GW), leaving 32.5 MW unused.

Richelieu Type TL-12 Battleship, 14,000 dTons

·         Hull: 14,000 dTon advanced composite spaceframe

·         Reaction Drive: Nuclear OMS, 400 burns (or 4)

·         Stutterwarp: 5.7 ly/day, Tac Speed: 6, Insystem Speed: 3.68 AU/day. Has discharge vanes.

·         Power Plant: 18,000 Power (1.8 GW)

·         Radiators: AHDR, 18,000 capacity

·         Bridge: Large, hardened, neural link, laser comms (x10)

·         Computer: Two link core/100 fib

·         Weapons: 46 HLC-76 barbettes w/UTES, 48 PDC-29 turrets, screens-6 with 100 reloads

·         Targeting: +8 (+1 for UTES, +5 for targeting computer and +3 for software)

·         Ordnance: 16 Ritage-2 launchers, each with a magazine of 16 missiles (256 missiles total)

·         Controllers: 8 controllers (can control 16 missiles)

·         TAC: 6 flight controllers (for upto 60 embarked craft), 94 gunners, 16 missiles and 3 sensors

·         Systems: under spin:

o   27 armouries

o   40 automeds

o   88 man briefing room

o   80 man galley

o   4 medbays, each with an additional operating theatre and 4 recovery beds

o   40 safety lockers

o   ships locker

o   40 simple freshers

o   10 workshops, plus nuclear weapons workshop for the > 1,000 nuclear warheads aboard

·         Drones and remotes: various carried in cargo for if needed and launched from the hangar deck

·         Hangar decks: Full hangars for 36 Martel fighters and 10 LC-10 landers

·         Airlocks: 4 large cargo and 8 normal airlocks

·         Accommodations: 360 full sized staterooms, most double occupied, all under spin

·         Artificial gravity: extendible spin capsules, 1 G.

·         Software:

o   Archive

o   Auto Repair/ 2

o   Fire Control/ 3

o   Intellect

o   Maneouvre

o   Stutterwarp

o   Battle/ 2

o   Advanced Robotics

o   Electronic Warfare/2

o   Neural Interface

o   Security/3

·         Life Support Consumables: carried in cargo, typically > 1 years stores

·         Cargo: 1,350 dTons