Battle Report: Yamato vs. NAC II

Charles and my rematch, with him commanding the Yamato.

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To:  Earl Sean Delvin, Second Star Lord.

From:  Commodore Dakkar Singh SDN Thunderchild 5 March 2187.

Milord, as per the boards orders dated 4th February 2187, I raised by pendant
on the Thunderchild for a patrol through the Draconis Sector. On the 1st of
March the Sappho suffered a major environmental systems failure two hours out
from Epsilon Draconis, and remained in orbit around Novaya Kornwall to make
repairs with the assistance of the General Dynamic yard.

Total Squadron Strength as of 3 March 2187

RN Squadron 104:

SDN Thunderchild Captain Elizabeth Shenafe 416 Interceptor Squadron Group
Captain Rupert Harris 1047 Interceptor Squadron Squadron Leader Rinji Gurung

42nd Cruiser Division CA Wellington Captain Rebecca Stormhawk CL Kennet
Captain The Earl Arthur Kennedy

22nd Destroyer Division DD Crownhill Captain Richard Aubery DD Newhaven
Captain Stuart Ball

33rd Frigate Division FF Raven Commander Jennifer Tzi (FF Sappho still under
repair)

92nd Frigate Division FF Freya Commander The Lord Alexander Delvin FF Medsua
Lieutenant Commander Stephanie Drake

Turn 1-
Two days out from Epsilon Draconis we detected anomalous tachyion emissions
similar to a Janeway event from the vicinity of Hawking IV. Warping in in
standard tight echelon to investigate we discovered a pair of spacecraft at
approximately 56Mm. These immediately vectored to intercept broadcasting a
demand for our surrender in Japanese. Bogey 1 was of extremely unconventional
design resembling a early C20 naval vessel, its approximate mass being about
30000 Tones. SigInt gave her name as Yamato. Bogey 2 was of more conventional
design and had a mass similar to a Majestic class BC. SigInt gave her name as
Mogami.

I immediately accelerated to engage deploying 416 Squadron to close escort HMS
Thunderchild, while 1047 squadron screened HMS Wellington. The Yamato launched
two fighter squadrons screening herself and the
Mogami. Our velocity was 10Km/s directly towards the hostiles at this
point. They were on a reciprocal course at 12Km/s. Sensors indicated
extreme levels of neutrino emission from the Yamato as we closed.

Turn 2-

Upon reaching extreme range HMS Thunderchild took Mogami under fire with Pulse
torpedoes and Main batteries. resulting in the Mogami streaming air. At this
point the neutrino emissions from the Yamato reached a peak and she fired what
appears to be a spinal mount plasma wave weapon. This hit the centre of our
echelon damaging HMS Thunderchild, HMS Wellington and HMS Kennet. Both
squadrons of Hellhound Interceptors were destroyed attempting to evade the
shockwave and HMS Kennet suffered Major structural damage disabling her
shields drives and half her close in weapons. The Mogami took HMS Thunderchild
under fire but was unable to penetrate our shields.

Turn 3-
        The Squadron accelerated to 12Km/s and turned to starboard,
while the
hostiles reached 17 Km/s and turned to their starboard separating
fighters for a close attack on the Thunderchild. Close in point
defence measures destroyed 2/3rds of the first squadron to engage and
they were unable to press home the attack. The Mogami brought HMS Wellington
under fire with heavy energy weapon fire causing structural damage but no loss
of combat effectiveness. It also hit HMS Crownhill with an Pulse Torpedo. HMS
Thunderchild then successfully ranged her with both beam weapons and pulse
torpedoes causing major structural damage and disabling her forward turrets.
The Yamato brought HMS Wellington under fire with all batteries leaving the
Wellington with no operational weapons. She also launched short range missiles
at the Crownhill disabling her main battery. HMS Kennet locked weapons on the
Mogami disabling her bridge turret, pulse torpedo launcher remaining
firecontrol arrays and cripling her drive systems.
        Captain Aubery then brought the Yamato under co-ordinated fire
from our light escorts causing the Yamato to start streaming Air. Damage
control parties on board HMS Kennet were able at this point to bring her
shields back up.

Turn 4-
At this point the squadron broke echelon with the lighter vessels
decelerating to 10 Km/s and steering hard to starboard while HMS
Thunderchild and HMS Wellington turned hard to port with the HMS Wellington on
HMS Thunderchild's unengaged flank. This sissored the squadron to ensure the
enemy could be brought under fire. The enemy
decelerated to 14 Km/s and turned to engage the escorts. A Second
fighter attack on HMS Thunderchild was driven off for no damage on either
side. HMS Thunderchild laid fire on the Yamato for minimal damage, while the
Yamato destroyed HMS Raven with her lighter batteries, while failing to
penetrate the Kennet's shields with her Primary and secondary turrets. HMS
Freya and HMS Crownhill kept the Mogami under fire while HMS Kennet and HMS
Newhaven suffered from gunlaying problems. During its respite from fire HMS
Wellington restored power to its main battery.

Turn 5-
The squadron turned in on the enemy with the intention of bringing it under
fire. HMS Freya was destroyed by a salvo of long range missiles from the
Yamato on the way in while HMS Thunderchild destroyed half the enemies
remaining fighter strength with point defence and tertiary batteries, the
remaining fighters managed to damage her point defence systems. Beam
engagements at medium range between the remaining combatants are mostly
inconclusive with HMS Wellington destroying the Mogami's remaining turret.

At this point the enemy scuttled the Mogami and taking her survivors and the
remaining fighters aboard the Yamato and broke contact.

After Action Report-
The Plasma Wave system appears totally lethal to fighter squadrons and I doubt
whether even Stormwolf Heavy fighters could survive within its field of
effect. Despite this I believe due to the apparent requirement to route all
weapon power to this system and its spinal mounting that the enemy, whoever
they are would have been better served by deploying a higher ratio of ships
similar to the Mogami at the expense of the massive Yamato class. the Mogami's
have more than half the short range fire power and identical long range fire
power disregarding this system and the extra firepower thus deployed would
make up for their lesser survivability. It may however be that the enemy
suffers some constraint that produces deployments like this or that they
consider the Mogami to be an escort class. It should be noted that for much of
the battle the system was apparently ready to fire but an inability to bring
it to bear prevented it use.

The enemies concentration on a small number of wide arced weapon turrets
maximises there ability to utilise what weaponry they have and the effect of
their damage control parties.

My condolences about Alex, He fought his ship well but without some ability to
interlock ships point defences light combatants do not have the capability to
intercept enough of a missile salvo to survive.

Signed,

Commodore the Maharaja Dakkar Singh KCMG

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Charles still has problems with his threshold checks.