Bretonian Armed Forces Defense Intelligence Staff (DIS) (iRP) (AO)

[Thunderer]

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Priority: High
To: BAF DIS
From: Admiral George Richard Hall
Location: H.M.S. Thunderer, Cambridge System
Subject: Combat Report

Salutations, Armed Forces.

Roughly at the same time, two days ago, my fifth tea break was interrupted due to two Corsair capital ships which had invaded Cambridge system. I hastily finished the cup and ordered the crew to start the Thunderer's engines. We were at battleship Norfolk at that time. We docked with the trade lane leading to planet Cambridge and, at about its middle, stumbled upon a Murmillo named Ares. The Thunderer fired her Heavy Mortar when we were in range. It hit, which proved that the Corsair captain was not excessively experienced, allowing us to apply the strategy of attrition, which enables us to inflict maximum damage and receive minimum, although after a relatively long period of time. However, as I wrote in the beginning, the system was invaded by two Corsair capital ships, which meant that the first one should be dealt with quickly, before they group together. I spotted the second one, a Legate named Atrahasis, shortly after the Ares started receiving damage. I furthered the Thunderer away from the trade lane at the beginning, in order to prevent their ships from approaching us too close, but the Legate came cruising from the direction of the Norfolk, wherever they were before and whatever they were doing there. In order to prevent them from using engine kill to close up to us, I turned the Thunderer 90° upwards. It seems that they were not attempting that at the first place, as they grouped with the Ares. The Thunderer fired at the Atrahasis, them being the priority. Their grouping of all turrets together did reduce their energy effectiveness, but it also caused some of their shots to hit the Thunderer and even damage her hull. We damaged the Legate a lot more though, and they could not take more, resulting in their ship bursting into flames.
The main danger being reduced to a field of scrap metal, handling the Ares was equal to playing. I artistically disabled the Murmillo, finishing her off with a Heavy Mortar.
The captain of the Nottingham, a destroyer which was in New London at that time, proposed a raid of Leeds. I reluctantly accepted, cancelling the resumption of my tea break.
On my way there, I received a notification from the Red Hessian Army, about a Zoner battleship class vessel intruding Cambridge, with a cargo of artifacts. As I was turning around, the Nottingham, which had already arrived in Leeds, spotted a Gallic cruiser, named Le Amant (which I do not believe is correct to say in French, but I am no Gaul). I concluded that aiding the Nottingham in case more Gallic ships appear, which did happen, was more important.
Shortly after the Thunderer arrived close to planet Leeds, we spotted a Valor named Ultima Ratio Regnum, coming to reinforce the cruiser, which was not engaged yet. That changed quickly. I ordered the Nottingham to engage the cruiser and keep them occupied, as they had more firepower and would produce a greater effect engaging the Thunderer, than the Nottingham would if they attacked the Valor. The cruiser, however, kept hugging the Valor, so the Nottingham switched targets. I made a mistake, being too certain in our victory and due to that not concentrated. I was a bit late with turning the Thunderer away from the Valor, doing it at less than 2.5K, which resulted in final distance being as close as 1.5K. The Valor seemed to group all guns together as well, resulting in the above mentioned effect. Their powerplant, it seemed, was quickly emptied, or they did not like the amount of damage they had until then received, so they stopped their engines, allowing the Thunderer to engage them from comfortable 2.5K. From there, the Ultima Ratio Regnum was easily defeated. After that, the remaining cruiser was shot down without any difficulty.
It seems that this had, however, only warned and angered the Leeds garrison, as we were reading three more Valors and a snub on our long range scanners. We did receive some additional forces, in form of a Council Redemption, the Charles de Gaule. They were arriving from Magellan, so we grouped at Magellan jump hole. We were back to planet Leeds in a few minutes and spotted the GRN|RNS-Acheron, the GRN|RNS-Saint-Nazaire and the (GRN)Vigilant, all Valors. There also appeared a bomber, piloted by certain Chilperic of Burgundy, which prevented us to cruise and retreat. The plan was that the Nottingham engages the Vigilant, which I thought would be easy to separate from their main fleet, being a secondary -- leaving only two Valors against the Charles de Gaule and the Thunderer. The Thunderer was supposed to be their first target, her being smaller and nimbler and thus harder to hit. The Vigilant appeared to be vigilant indeed, for they did not separate from the fleet. At that point I was certain that we would suffer losses, but I still had hope. The Thunderer managed to lure the Valors out of range of the Oubli, providing them a bait to waste their damage potential on, while they would be pounded by five Cerberus turrets of the Charles de Gaule, which would be absolutely unhindered. The Charles de Gaule, however, was not firing anything, at all, or so it seemed, so I took a bit of time to see what is happening. That time, however, proved to be crucial, as I committed the same mistake as with the first Valor, but now fighting against three. Being bombarded with Novas. Being flanked by a cruiser patrol. The Thunderer was quickly overpowered. It seemed that at least one of the Valors was using a technique popularly called blindfire, which made the Thunderer really difficult to outstrafe all three's fire. The Charles de Gaule managed to cruise away, while the Nottingham was not allowed by their bomber. They did not make it out.
On one of the satellite camera shots, you can see that the Charles de Gaule in fact probably has either too few or none Cerberus turrets at all, her being a support battleship, equipping missiles. You can see two of them flying towards the Valors.
Thus, I had absolutely no tea breaks until two hours ago, when the Thunderer was finally tugged to Southampton. Oh, my dear Devonshire cream.

PS: I am still waiting for the high command's decision whether or not I may substitute fleets under command with Commodore Natalie Reaser.


Summary:

Place of Event:

1) Cambridge system, roughly the middle of Battleship Norfolk - Planet Cambridge trade lane;
2) Leeds system, west from planet Leeds;
3) Leeds system, north from planet Leeds.

First Event:

Allied Ships Involved:

1) BAF|HMS-Thunderer (Dunkirk; 4/5 hull integrity, full nanobot/shield battery capacity).

Allied Losses:

- None

Enemy Ships Involved:

1) <)CsF(>Ares (Murmillo; disabled);
2) <)CsF(>Atrahasis (Legate; disabled).

Enemy Losses:

1) <)CsF(>Ares (Murmillo);
2) <)CsF(>Atrahasis (Legate).

Second Event:

Allied Ships Involved:

1) BAF|HMS-Thunderer (Dunkirk; 15/16 hull integrity, 934 nanobots and 1600 shield batteries);
2) HMS-Nottingham (Crecy; undamaged, full nanobot/shield battery capacity).

Allied Losses:

- None

Enemy Ships Involved:

1) RNS-Untima´Ratio´Regnum (Valor; disabled);
2) RNS-Le.Amant (Obstinate; disabled).

Enemy Losses:

1) RNS-Untima´Ratio´Regnum (Valor; disabled);
2) RNS-Le.Amant (Obstinate; disabled).

Third Event:

Allied Ships Involved:

1) BAF|HMS-Thunderer (Dunkirk; disabled);
2) HMS-Nottingham (disabled);
3) CLN-Charles.de.Gaule (Redemption; escaped, damage unknown)

Allied Losses:

1) BAF|HMS-Thunderer (Dunkirk);
2) HMS-Nottingham (Crecy).

Enemy Ships Involved:

1) GRN|RNS-Acheron (Valor; lightly damaged, nanobot and shield battery capacity nearly or entirely emptied);
2) GRN|RNS-Saint-Nazaire (Valor; presumed undamaged);
3) (GRN)Vigilant (Valor; light or no damage);
4) Chilperic.de.Bourgogne (Couguar; presumed undamaged);
5) Godefroy.de.Malfete (Couguar; presumed undamaged).

Enemy Losses:

- None

Satellite Camera Shots:

1) The Atrahasis exploding;
2) Last moments of the Ares;
3) The Thunderer engaging the Ultima Ratio Regnum;
4) Le Amant overwhelmed by antimatter;
5) Proof that the Ultima Ratio Regnum has been disabled;
6) The Thunderer is finally overpowered.

Signed: Admiral George R. Hall

- Message Over -

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