The Colonies designed and built a number of different destroyers over the yahrens. They were designed for different missions and filled varying roles.
The largest of the destroyer types was the Hydra Class. These were constructed for over ninety yahrens and proved a staple of the fleets during that time. The major drawback of the Hydra class was the length of time it took to build one. Because of the difficulty fabricating magna hulls there were never enough Hydras to go around.
HYDRA CLASS DESTROYER
Designed to escort military convoys and transports in areas of hostile space, serve as rapid deployment units to protect distant colonies and assets.
A more multi functional warship then the Gorgon class, the Hydras can take a place in the order of battle vs a Basestar. The heavier armament allows it to throw quite a punch. The Hydra Class was the last of the magna hull destroyers built in the Colonial shipyards. It was decided that production needed to be stepped up and the magna hull ships, though incredibly tough, simply took too long to build.
The Hydra Destroyers have two small landing/hanger bays. Though the Hydra Class is designed to carry 8 Vipers the Fugitive Fleet as a matter of policy jams a few more Vipers into the destroyers. Typically the Hydra Class Destroyers in the Fugitive Fleet carry four extra Vipers for a total of twelve.
Hydra Class Destroyer side view
Hydra Class Destroyer top view
Surviving Hydra Class Destroyers: Tonga, Hammurabi, Anubis, Hector, Seti, Urr
Commander: Lt.Colonel
Executive Officer: Major
Crew- 800
Max. Speed- 10x Light Speed
Armament-
(4) Heavy Explosive Torpedo Launchers
(6) Medium Torpedo Launchers
( 8 ) Small Torpedo Launchers
(20) Light Laser Batteries <10 port,10 starboard>
(4) Medium Laser Batteries
Defenses-
Ablative Armor
Star Shield (Heavy Armor Plate)
Electronic Defense Shields
Stealth Suites
Compartmentalization
Auxiliary Craft-
( 8 ) Medium Fighters Boosted to 12
(1) Recovery Shuttle
(4) Shuttles Type 2
(4) Land Rams
(2) Scarabs
To speed up destroyer production it was decided to begin producing the ships with alloy armored hulls. This sped production, cut costs and had the benefit of increasing the fuel efficiency, range and speed of the new destroyers. On the down side the newer destroyers simply could not stand against a Basestar and its heavy lasers.
As a matter of policy the newer ‘light’ destroyers were used in quieter areas, freeing up the heavier Hydras for transfer to the hot zones.
The Gorgon Class Destroyers were one of several of the ‘light’ destroyers that came out of the Colonial shipyards towards the end of the war.
GORGON CLASS DESTROYER
Built to serve as patrol vessels to police the quieter regions of Colonial space, these Destroyers were designed to interdict smugglers, deter pirates, escort convoys and serve as support units in larger combat situations. They were NOT designed to slug it out with a Baseship.
One of the first large Colonial warship designed using lighter alloy materials rather then the super dense magna. Their alloy hulls are not as tough as a magna hull, but they were cheaper to build and were out of the ship yards faster then a comparable size magna hull vessel. The lighter hull mass meant that the Gorgon class destroyers are among the fastest warships in the Colonial fleet. Though officially listed as capable of 10x light speed, Gorgons have been known to surpass 11.5x light speed when properly tuned and carrying minimal loads. The lighter hulls also made them more fuel efficient then their size would lead one to expect. Gorgons were still in production right to the end of the war.
The Gorgon Destroyers have a single landing/hanger bay. Though the Gorgon Class is designed to carry 6 Vipers the Fugitive Fleet as a matter of policy jams a few more Vipers into the destroyers. Typically the Gorgon Class Destroyers in the Fugitive Fleet carry four extra Vipers for a total of ten.
Gorgon Class Destroyer side view
Gorgon Class Destroyer top view
Surviving Gorgon Class Destroyers: Kiowa, Sparta, Illium, Titan, Sparta
Commander: Lt. Colonel
Executive Officer: Major
Crew- 700
Max. Speed- 10x Light Speed +
Armament-
(4) Medium Torpedo Launchers
( 8 ) Small Torpedo Launchers
(20) Light Laser Cannon Batteries (40 total) <10 port,10 starboard>
(4) Medium Laser Batteries (8 total)
Defenses-
Ablative Armor
Star Shield (Heavy Armor Plate)
Electronic Defense Shields
Stealth Suites
Compartmentalization
Auxiliary Craft-
(6) Medium Fighters Boosted to 10
(1) Recovery Shuttle
(4) Shuttles Type 1
(4) Land Rams
(2) Scarabs
Europa Class Escort Destroyers
The Europa Class Escort Destroyers were intended to work in pairs while escorting civilian shipping and military supplies. They were reasonably successful in that role but were eventually replaced by the Gorgon Class Destroyers. Several hundred Europa Class were built over a seventy yahren period. Even after production stopped there were still many in Colonial service and limited production runs for parts were made at several intervals. Seventy Europas were sold/gifted to the Delphian Empire and the Delphians began production of a modified and up-gunned, Europa which became the centerpiece of Delphian Swarm Tactics.
Europa Destroyers do not have magna hulls and armor. They are constructed from a layered, composite alloy that is lighter, cheaper and easier to work with then magna.
Europa Class Escort Destroyers
Surviving Europa Class Escort Destroyers: Unknown
Commander: Captain
Executive Officer: Lt.
Crew- 300
Max. Speed- 10x Light Speed +
Armament-
(4) Medium Torpedo Launchers
(6) Small Torpedo Launchers
(10) Light Laser Cannon Batteries (20 total) <5 port, 5 starboard>
(2) Medium Laser Batteries (4 total)
Defenses-
Ablative Armor
Star Shield Composite Alloy Armor Plate
Electronic Defense Shields
Stealth Suites
Compartmentalization
Auxiliary Craft-
(4) Medium Fighters
(3) Shuttles Type 1
Cimmeria Class Attack Destroyer
The Attack Destroyer was something of a new concept in Colonial design. For the first time in almost three hundred yahrens a major warship was designed and built without fighter support. Instead the space saved was allocated to extra power plants and energy banks to allow the small warship mount heavy lasers. Extra firepower was achieved by sling mounting four large torpedoes under the destroyer. Intended to close with and engage larger enemy ships, tactics called for groups of four or more to coordinate simultaneous attacks. Unfortunately the ships were late in arriving and were never available in the kind of numbers that might have made a decisive difference.
Cimmeria Attack Destroyer side view
Cimmeria Attack Destroyer top view
Surviving Cimmeria Class Attack Destroyers: Unknown
Commander: Major
Executive Officer: Captain
Crew- 200
Max. Speed- 10x Light Speed
Armament-
(4) Heavy Explosive Torpedos external mount
(4) Medium Torpedo Launchers
( 8 ) Small Torpedo Launchers
(16) Light Laser Batteries <8 port,8 starboard>
(4) Medium Laser cannon (forward firing only)
(2) Heavy Laser cannon (forward firing only, bow)
Defenses-
Ablative Armor
Star Shield (Heavy Armor Plate)
Electronic Defense Shields
Stealth Suites
Compartmentalization
Auxiliary Craft-
(2) Shuttles Type 2