Old Posts (4): Sachsen

A classic design in SC but one utterly breaking the rules as established. When I took it apart and remade it it was a lot more game balanced.

Oh, and some of the comments about the invasion of Bavaria. I always took canon as clear that the War of German Reunification was a German annexation of Bavaria, which fought back with French assistance. The Germans "mobilised to bring Bavaria into the Union" or somesuch (roughly from memory) means mobilising tanks, not a whist drive.

--- Original Post at

German Sachsen class Point Defence Frigate

The Sachsen was conceived as a fleet defence vessel in the emergency period when German (Hannoverean) special forces were engaged with French forces on Joi, and it was possible that not all the German states would agree to union (as indeed happened, prompting a military invasion of Bavaria).

The ship was designed to be built at Hannovers civilian specification shipyard at Sol, it was based
on salvaged 3MW stutterwarp drives from bulk merchants, and 25MW fission plants salvaged from
longhaulers. These were placed in a hull based on Krupps 1157 class shorthaul insystemer merchant ship,
but constructed of advanced composite materials (the vessels most advanced feature), and armoured to an extremely high level for a vessel of this size.

For the fleet defence mission, it was necessary to install a large array of smaller weapons. No less than
20 lasers are carried, arranged in 10 turrets, all equipped with UTES (which was standard for all smaller
Hannoverean ships, as it allowed twice the number of weapons emplacements to be carried, despite the extra expense, and problems directing missiles). For engagement at longer ranges an external missile pack was installed. During the war itself a wide variety of packs were carried, including the SR-9. Glowworm, Ritage-1, Silka and whatever else the desperate newly formed DSKM could get their hands on. After the war enough captured Bavarian missiles were available for conversion to SR series weapons.

The Sachsen is not designed for long term deployments. The lack of spin habitatation (attempts to spin the
hull were only partially successful, as the radius is just too small) is a major problem, and one shared
with the US Hampton class corvette. Sachsens were generally only boarded by their crews when it was
necessary to fight. In fleet deployments, crews would  often cycle through larger supply ships, which did
have spin.

While the DSKM is developing a general purpose frigate to supplement and eventually replace it (one, DSS
Komet was building in 2301), this mission generally fell to the remaining Aconit class frigates in the
DSKM inventory. Sachsens were held at Earth, while 6 were moved up arm to the Kafer frontier. The remaining frigates on the French arm were Aconits (armed with SR-9).

Ship specifications

Warp efficiency: 1.53, unloaded but fully armed
Power Plant: 25 MW fission
Fuel: none
Range: 7.7 light years
Mass: 2,563 tons (unloaded)
Cargo Capacity: 1,128 cubic meters
Crew: 60 (22 Bridge, 15 TAC, 22 Engineering, 1 Science, 2 Medical)
Passengers: none
Comfort: -2
Total Life Support: 60 for 90 days
Cost: MLv42.43 (without ordnance)


Ship Status Sheet
Move: 3
Screens: 0
Radiated Signature: 5
Radial Reflected: 5
Lateral Reflected: 6
Target Computers: +1
Radial Profile: -1
Lateral Profile: 0
Armour: 4
Hull hits: 42/21/11
Power Plant Hits: 32/7
Active: 7
Passive: 3
Other:


Weapons
12 x1+1dbl lasers in external turrets with UTES (2x 1234, 2x 1678, 1238, 3x 4567)


Ordnance Load
12 SR-9 missiles in an external missile pack, 3 communicators


Sensors and Electronics
Spherical Active-7
Spherical Passive-3
Navigation Radar
DSS
Gravitational


Crew Hits
Bridge: Captain, Navigator, Helm, 2 Communications, 4 Computer
TAC: 10 Fire Control, 3 Remote Pilots, Active Operator, Passive Operator

Damage Control: 11

Notes: This is as close a fit to the book Sachsen as I can get. I got nearly everything bang on, excepting
signatures (all of which have been increased by 1 in the book, apparently), the x2's are x1's (otherwise
the required power plant is massier than the ship) and most importantly, the comfort rating.

The Sachsen appears to fall into the trap of being a travelleresque artifical gravity design. I did get one
with the 0 comfort, but it was much heavier. This is a much better fit.

Oh, and I dropped the 1 point of screens.