runsforcelery wrote:
Rose, I'm sorry to say that your partiality for Havenites is not the only factor I have observed in your "THAT'S my girl!" quotient. Will you be too terribly upset if you find out she's not a Havenite . . . but she's still threatening a force 80-90 ships strong with a single DD?
robert132 replied:
It's good to see you back RFC, causing us to scratch our heads as we try to follow the clues.
Whoever this young lady is, if she's playing tag against even "just" a squadron or division of BCs (even Sollie ships) with "only" a destroyer (even Manty or Grayson) I'd say she's ...
a) ... running a bluff (obviously) against the Flag Officer commanding that group, a single DD hasn't got the deep magazines her ship would need
b) ... got a pair of big BRASS ones (again obviously)
c) ... got something else going for her that we your readers don't know of as yet
I am very much looking forward to reading the full story Chief.
EDIT: I was thinking that if this young woman is Havenite then perhaps she's served under Lester Tourville during her young and most impressionable years.
Hmmm, a DD can take about 20 missile pods, each carrying 9 Mk 23 missiles and a Mk 23E (IIRC). Based on previous battles, 2 pods
might be enough to take out a BC. Plot a course ahead of the enemy force, release the some of the pods, then travel more, release more pods, and when the BCs are in range, fire 2 or 3 pods at each BC. Should be sufficient for mission kill, given the past experience. The 20 pods might be enough to take out a squadron of BCs. Alternatively, a single pod should be sufficient for a Sollie lone DD or CL.
Using multiple launches instead of a single one is part of the psy-ops against the Sollies.
When the pods run out, delayed launch the Mk 16s.
And if the DD had enough time to launch the pods, get more pods, and return, ...
I assume that missiles can be controlled from directions other that "almost aft"?
I suspect that the mentioned DD is down to it's own tubes, and may be down to almost no anti-ship missiles, when the ultimatum is made.
Yes, I definitely want to read this ASAP! Thank you, David!
-- Bob G
SF & Fantasy: The only things better than Chocolate.