Bainbridge Type: Attack Destroyer Producer: Zaker Shipbuilding In class: 11 (+1 Building) In service: 2765 Mass: 620,000 tons Sail Integrity: 4 Thrust: 5/8 Fuel: 3000 tons Structural Integrity: 75 Armor: 338 tons of Ferro-Carbide armor (Points: 270 +8 each facing) Fore: 60 Fore-Sides: 55 Aft-Sides: 50 Aft: 48 Docking Collars: 0 Fighters: 12 Small Craft: 6 Crew: 164 Lifeboats: 13 Escape Pods: 30 Grav Decks: 2 (1 175 meter, one 150 meter) Cargo: 41,080 tons Bay 1: Fighters (12) 3 doors Bay 2: Small Craft (6) 1 door Bay 3: Cargo (41,080) 2 doors Other equipment HPG Weapons: Heat sinks: 1200 (2400) Forward (410 Heat) 2 ER PPCs 2 NL-45s 2 NAC-35s Fore Left/Fore Right (345 Heat) 2 ER PPCs 3 Light NPPCs Left Broadside/Right Broadside (340 Heat) 2 ER PPCs 1 NL-45 2 NAC-35s Aft Left/Aft Right (345 Heat) 2 ER PPCs 3 Light NPPCs Aft (310 Heat) 2 ER PPCs 4 NL-45s Ammo 900 Rounds NAC-35 ammo Overview The Bainbridge –class DDA was designed to meet a need for a faster type of destroyer to screen the SLDF’s Sovremenyy and Milwaukee class cruisers. Unlike its competitor, the Gorgon –class, the Bainbridge was not designed by a corporate committee; Rather, she was designed by a team by SLDF naval officers loaned out to newly expanded Warship builder Zaker Aerospace. Based in the Castor system, the company had been a Jumpship builder for decades prior to 2756. In that year, Hugo Zaker, replacing his father Bruno, took the position of CEO. Hugo was a nervous man, always seeing threats to himself and his company. His obsession with defending himself led him to favor a stronger defense for the Star League, and in 2758 he ordered the construction of two new building docks capable of constructing destroyers. However, Zaker was seen as a nut by most of the SLDF’s Shipbuilding Office, and for a time it seemed that no orders would be forthcoming. Things changed however, with the DDA competition. Most of the SLDF’s normal contractors were busy with other projects, leading the Admirals to search for someone new. Given his low standing with the Powers-That-Be, Zaker might still have not landed that contract had it not been for his personal friendship with Ryan Richter. Richter’s concerns about the SLDF’s approach to shipbuilding mirrored Zaker’s own, and the two became close allies in pushing through their ideas. As one of the major forces behind whole concept of the fast cruiser, Richter had a good deal of influence regarding the ships intended to screen said cruisers. He used this influence to win Zaker the contract to develop and build the Bainbridge –class DDA. Capabilities The Bainbridge was built to accompany and screen fast cruisers. It’s 4G maximum thrust gives it the accel to keep up with the cruisers; normally the DDAs were deployed ahead of the cruisers using their weaponry to clear a path for the bigger ships. The ship’s armament reflects the fact that the Bainbridge was intended to work with ships carrying long-range firepower. The main hitting power comes from a sextet of NAC-35s, with two each mounted in the nose and in the broadsides. These cannons have immense striking power, but only limited range. To give the ship some weapons that can hit from a distance, the Bainbridge mounts three light NPPCs in each side, and also mounts a number of NL-45s for anti-dropship fire. Rounding out the ship’s array are 16 ER PPCs, which give a good anti-fighter capacity. A desire to keep costs under control lend to the designers leaving off the Gorgon’s Lamellor ferro-carbide armor in favor of standard ferro-carbide plate. This decision turned out reasonably well; the ship is well armored for a destroyer and unlike its competitor its rear armor is still good (80% as thick as that in front). Moreover, the Bainbridge carries twice as many fighters as the Gorgon -class. Given the three squadron fighter complements of the Milwaukee and Sovremenyy classes, it was intended that a complete fighter regiment be assigned to a fast cruiser and its three (intended) escorting DDA thus providing the fighters with an organic command structure. Last but certainly not least, the naval officers who designed the Bainbridge gave special attention to keeping her well maintained. The ships access panels are easy to open and her systems were designed with a view to making maintenance easy. Coupled with her excellent crew quarters, these features made a tour of duty on a Bainbridge an assignment to be coveted. Deployment Like the Gorgon class, the first two vessels (the Bainbridge and the Ruben James were assigned to exercises upon completion in the summer of 2765, these being done paired with the Sovremenyy class cruiser Udaloy . The trials of the Bainbridge class turned out much better than the competition, with the convoy raiding mission the Gorgon had failed at seeing the two DDAs swinging around and easily killing the Avenger –class dropships sneaking up on the cruiser, following the raiders pound the convoy’s accompanying Black Lion (the Nelson ) to simulated scrap. The results of the trials convinced the admiralty to accept the Bainbridge as its new DDA and an order was placed for 54 of them. Construction of the next pair, the Kane and the Fuller , began at once. On November 29th 2766 both ships were commissioned into the fleet. However, by this time events in the Hegemony had thoroughly alarmed Hugo Zaker. When the SLDF garrison of Castor had been pulled out in March they had been replaced by the 74th Republican Guard Division (the Hammurabi Division). For once Zaker’s instincts found an audience, for many within the SLDF harbored suspicions about Stephen Amaris. Alone among the Hegemony’s shipbuilding systems, Castor began to take precautions. Commodore Alan Burke, the system’s ranking naval officer had SLDF techs install a virus into the systems Caspar drones control computers, enabling Burke to take control of them at any time. On December 12th the SLDF’s 156th Battlemech Brigade entered the system on its way to the Periphery. Burke and Zaker delayed the unit’s departure on every pretext, hoping to keep some ground forces close to hand. When Amaris made his move on the 26th, their planning was vindicated. The Hammurabi Division struck the local defense forces on the planet without warning and then tried to turn the system’s SDS weaponry against Burke’s ships. The shock they received when their drones would not respond soon paled compared to the shock when the drones moved in-system towards the planet and there engaged its ground-based weapons. Though the drones were all but wiped out, they crippled the defenses enough for Udaloy and the four DDAs to rain a furious barrage down upon the Amaris troops. As they did, the 156th Brigade landed a safe distance away. When the bombardment lifted, they charged in and by the morning of the 29th the 74th Republican Guards were no more. Castor still belonged to the Star League. Zaker continued production of the Bainbridge throughout the war to liberate the Terran Hegemony. Though production was slow due to lack of materials, the yard produced 6 more ships, with construction slightly outpacing losses. Bainbridge –class ships were used in twos and threes to screen Sovremenyy –class cruisers, often operating in the vanguard of planetary assaults. Despite this, on the eve of the assault on Terra there were six operational ships left and these were assigned along with the Sovremenyy class cruisers Sovremenyy and Udaloy to the lead group of SLDF warships for the attack. Though the DDAs gave a great accounting of themselves (by some counts, they and the two CAs destroyed 35 Caspars) all six were lost. They were not the last Bainbridge –class ships though, for Zaker Aerospace delivered one more ship, the Edsall in 2780. Edsall lest with the Exodus. Hugo Zaker did not long survive Kerensky’s departure. In the summer of 2787, Castor came under attack from the Free Worlds League’s navy. Though its few defenders did their best, they were overwhelmed and the yards smashed. Declining to survive the death of his family’s livelihood, and that of his own dreams, Hugo Zaker took his personal shuttle into the fray and perished along with the shipyards he had done so much to build up. After the Exodus fleet arrived at the Pentagon worlds, Edsall was put into mothballs. In the fierce fighting of the Civil War that followed, she disappeared and for quite a long while it was thought that the Bainbridge class had become extinct. These past 7 months have seen that belief undone not once but twice. The first finding came from the Federated Suns, where a survey of the Small World system turned up the Peary , a Bainbridge –class DDA crippled there in 2774. With the help of Comstar, the AFFS was able to restore enough to allow her to proceed to Galax, where she is now being refitted. The other occurrence was the rediscovery of the Edsall . The most surprising thing about this finding in May of 3068 was who did the finding; not any of the Clans with large fleets but the Blood Spirits, who happened upon her while searching for the Essex class destroyer Knoxville , which they found mothballed with her. After a short period of negotiations, the Spirits sold Edsall to their allies the Snow Ravens in exchange for the Ravens refitting the Knoxville for duty as the Red Star . The Ravens have not changed Edsall ‘s name, oddly enough, and have kept her naming scheme for the brand new Bainbridge that they have laid down, the Dahlgren . Currently, the Raven have made plans to build that ship and at least one more DDA for themselves, with the resulting trio accompanying the Dido –class cruiser they have under construction, the Athena . And that may not be the end of matters, for the there is talk among the Ravens of selling ships to other Clans. Nor has the Federated Suns stood still. Plans have been announced to build two more Bainbridge –class DDAs for the AFFS navy with the keels to be laid at June and Galax next year. Designer’s notes: Well, I figured I couldn’t let 2002 end without posting the design I promised. I know it took longer than I expected and for that I apologize. Having said that, I do want to make two points about this design: 1. Unlike the other designs I have posted, heat is a small issue with the Bainbridge . Still, 7 arcs can by fired at once and so I think the problem minor. 2. I understand the arguments against NAC-35s (i.e. short range). However I would like to point out that unlike some DDs such the Lola or Naga classes, the Bainbridge is not designed for independent operation. She is intended to work with fast cruisers, with them providing the ranged firepower and the DDAs doing the close-in work.