This is the Admiral's log of the battle to remove some Precursors from Groombridge 1618. The Terran Confederation at this point has lost 15 survey ships to Precursors in 3 systems. Terran Confederation Naval Command decided to send the 101st Cruiser Squadron, along with the 201st, 202nd, and 203rd Destroyer Squadrons as screening elements.
Order of Battle
101st CRURON
CG Batavia, Buenos Aires - Santisima Trinidad II class missile cruisers.
CLE Commerce de Marseilles, Imperial - King Louis II cruiser escorts.
CJ Abyssinia, Afghanistan - Greece II jump cruisers.
SC Blackbird - Eagle II scout destroyer.
201st DESRON
JD Alexander Abt - Guderian III jump destroyer.
SC Albatross - Eagle II scout destroyer.
DDE Biela, Brooks, Daniel, Howell - Comet II destroyer escorts.
DDG Claude Adams, Clyde Abraham - Forrest III missile destroyers.
202nd DESRON
JD Erich Abberger - Guderian III.
SC Bat - Eagle II.
DDE Brorson, Faye, Whipple, Wolf - Comet II.
DDG George Acheson, Oscar Abbot - Forrest III.
203rd DESRON
JD Erich Abraham - Guderian III.
SC Blue Jay - Eagle II.
DDE d'Arrest, Encke, Halley, Pons-Winnecke - Comet II.
DDG Clayton Adams, Emory Adams - Forrest III.
Book strength on the 101st calls for a total of 8 of the Santisima Trinidad II's.
[ooc]Designs will be posted once the battle is complete.[/ooc]
Admiral's Log - 17 NOV 2229
Adm. Emerson Delman, 101st CRURON
2209:46
Hostile contacts detected in Groombridge 1618. These contacts match the data from the Omega drones of the 1007th GeoSurvey Squadron. The enemy ships are 1 Hotel class, 1 Indigo, 2 Joliets, 2 Kilo, 1 Golf, and 1 Echo. The Kilos seem to be escort class vessels. They mount 6 gauss cannons with a rate of fire higher than anything the Federation can field. The Golf seems to be an offensive ship, mounting 11 Railguns, again with a rate of fire higher than ours.
2309:56
The enemy has crossed the 25 million km mark. The fleet prepares to fire. Signals from the Buenos Aires duplicates what my own gunnery officers are telling me. Somehow our magazines have the S-7 Rhaen Mk3's in them rather than the S-3 Shianzpla Mk4's we are supposed to have. So in addition to being 6 cruisers down for this operation, I am now down an additional 24 tubes. Someone in logistics is going to come up a head short after this. Additional signals from the Forrest III's tell me that the enemy has ECM, which cuts our effective range to 22.8 million km.
2344:41
The enemy is finally within range. The Forrest III's open up with their Arbalest Mk3 launchers. After 3 minutes a cease fire order is given to determine the effects of the initial salvos.
2353:16
The first waves of Shianzpla's intercept the enemy. 28 missiles are knocked out of the air. 8 missiles hit, while 4 miss. Analysis shows the Golf has armor of 2. We must have also caught a bit of her engines as the thermal signature dropped from 1750 to 1625. Order is given to resume firing, and to close to 10 million km.
2354:41
Follow up salvos have all been interdicted by the point defense. We are still closing and firing.
18 NOV 2229
0002:31
The next salvo has arrived at the enemy ships. After a number of them being destroyed by PD, 10 missiles impact on Echo 002. Intelligence determines that it also has an armor strength of 2.
0002:51
Additional hits on both Golf 001 and Kilo 001. The Kilos have an armor strength of 2 also. We caught another bit of the Golf's drives as it's thermal signature dropped to 1500. With no evidence of incoming missiles, I've given the order to close in and open up with the Hamlet AMM's.
0003:16
The Golf has dropped to 1375 Thermal. Their fleet has dropped to 2905km/s, giving us a healthy speed advantage if they stick together. Kilo 002 takes 2 more hits.
0003:36
Kilo 002 takes two more hits and the Golf sustains 5 more, dropping their thermal signature to 750. Note to Science Directorate: Improve missile reload rates. 30 seconds on the Arbalest is a killer. Though having 53 of 149 tubes isn't helping matters either.
0005:06
Long range scanners have picked up an Indigo and Hotel around Groombridge 1618 A-II. Hopefully we'll have enough missiles to take care of them when we are done with the mobile units.
0007:36
The mobile enemy units are at 12 million km. The order is given to open fire again. This time, with missiles nearly depleted we will empty the magazines. At 10 million km, the fleet will open up with Hamlets.
0008:06
Scanners have detected a salvo of 19 AMM class missiles at 795k km inbound. Evidently they had the same idea we did, but with a better range. A second salvo appears behind it after a few seconds. The second salvo is only 7 missiles. Their AMM missiles have a speed of 44,000 km/s which is more than twice the rating of our turrets and a clear 4000km/s faster than our own Hamlets. This will give our PD crews a heavy workout.
0008:21
Our first salvos of Hamlets have intercepted the enemy missiles. There are now 4 salvos on approach. 57 Hamlet Mk2 intercepted 11 of the enemy missiles. Hopefully the 30 laser turrets on the King Louis II's can intercept the rest, or this will hurt a lot.
0008:26
The Biela, a Comet II-class DDE in the 201st DESRON is the target for the initial salvos. She's taken some hits to her armor, with a single breach on the crew deck. Captain Flair reports no casualties. Another pair of incoming missiles is destroyed by Hamlet AMM fire. As a side note, FleetCom has just sent out a message squirt containing specs on the newest refits. Makes me wish the 101st had gotten the refits prior to heading out for this party.
0008:31
The Biela is still the target of the enemy missiles. Captain Flair reports their EM scanner is destroyed with 3 casualties. 78 Hamlets intercept 17 enemy missiles. The enemy's 6th salvo appears on scanners. They've been alternating 19 and 7 missiles per salvo. As far as TacIntel has determined, all salvos are the same missile. They got no explanation why the odd salvo numberings.
0008:36
Again, the Biela takes hits. Her armor is heavily cratered but no more internal hits as of yet. With the 201st, 202nd, and 203rd at 100k km flanking our line of approach, they are out of the laser umbrella of the King Louis II's. Either the Science Directorate needs to come up with a longer range laser, or FleetCom needs to amend doctrine to pull them in closer. Another 18 bogies are destroyed by 55 Hamlets, along with another incoming salvo on the scanners.
0008:41
30 Hamlets destroyed 5 bogies. There were no hits on our fleet. And the enemy's 8th salvo shows up. Hopefully the Science Directorate also has something to counter the enemy's ECM.
0008:46
The Biela takes five more hits, thankfully none cause any casualties. The Hamlets have intercepted another 19 enemy missiles. Our missiles should be getting close to them and pull some of this fire off of us. Hopefully, it will be enough to allow us 100% interception.
0008:51
21 Hamlets intercept 4 of the enemy missiles.
0008:56
The Biela suffers another 3 hits, with nothing internal. 78 of our Hamlets intercept 20 of their missiles.
0009:01
The Biela once again takes 5 hits, this time losing a missile tube and a fuel cell. Captain Flair reports 6 casualties. 60 more Hamlets intercept 13 enemy missiles. I've decided that if the Biela loses an engine, I'm sending her towards the JP.
0009:06
42 Hamlet intercept 12 enemy missiles.
0009:11
The Biela takes two more hits, which are stopped by armor. She has 8 breaches at this point. Her DC crews are laboring to get the down tube back in action. Another 12 enemy missiles are stopped by 57 Hamlets.
0009:16
Our Shianzpla missiles must be getting close, because the Claude Adams, a Forrest DDG is targeted by the enemy. She takes 7 hits, all stopped by armor. Five more enemy bogies are downed by our Hamlets.
0009:21
Claude Adams takes two more hits, still no internals. We've knocked down another 16 of their missiles.
0009:26
Five more hits to the Claude Adams. 71 Hamlets intercept and destroy 24 enemy missiles. Scanners show our offensive missiles are about halfway between the two fleets.
0009:31
Our Hamlets intercept another 3 missiles. Currently the closest enemy salvo is over 300k km away.
0009:36
The Claude Adams takes four hits, one of which destroys a magazine. Thankfully, it was either empty or the failsafes worked since there was no secondary explosion. Another 12 enemy missiles are destroyed.
0009:41
The Claude Adams suffers 7 hits, losing an engine and an Arbalest ASM launcher. Her speed is now 4965km/s. I order Captain Laughary to head for the JP as fast as he can. Offensively, we are down to 13% missile stocks. Defensively we are still 80+% stocks. 5 more enemy bogies are destroyed.
0009:46
Captain Laughary's course takes him through the PD envelop of the King Louis II's. Their laser clusters are not as effective as I'd hoped. 43 weapons fired, 1 missile destroyed. The Claude Adams takes another hit, damaging an engine but not destroying it. The Hamlets take out 12 more enemy missiles.
0009:51
The Claude Adams takes 10 hits, losing their damaged engine and almost losing a magazine. 16 more enemy missiles are destroyed. The Claude Adams continues to fire Shianzplas at the enemy ships. I expect Captain Laughary to do so until he is out of range, out of missiles, or out of ship. TacIntel informs me that the Joliet class enemy ship has a strength 30 ECM suite.
0009:56
The Claude Adams takes another hit. Our Hamlets take out 12 missiles. The Abyssinia has depleted her magazines. I order Captain Storck to escort the Claude Adams to the JP, since the Abyssinia is a jump cruiser.
0010:01
14 more enemy missiles are shot down.
0010:06
With the Claude Adams headed away, the enemy focuses on the Clyde Abraham another Forrest II DDG. Their CIWS takes out one missile, but 4 more hit. 2 more missiles are destroyed by Hamlets.
0010:11
The Clyde Abraham takes another 5 hits. 16 more enemy missiles are shot down.
0010:16
The Clyde Abraham suffers another 7 hits, still no internal damage. 12 more enemy missiles are destroyed. Note: When the 101st returns to base, engage in training maneuvers. The Abyssinia is still figuring out how to turn around, while the Claude Adams is steadily heading towards the JP.
0010:21
The CIWS on Clyde Abraham destroys the only missile of the last salvo to get through. Another 11 missiles are destroyed by Hamlets.
0010:26
The CIWS on Clyde Abraham destroys another missile, however 4 more missiles get through and impact on her armor. Thirteen more missiles are destroyed by Hamlets.
0010:31
The Clyde Abraham takes 6 hits, losing one Arbalest and 35 crew. Commodore Velazco has his DC crews working on it. Five more enemy missiles are destroyed.
0010:36
The Clyde Abraham takes 2 more hits, with no internals. 21 enemy missiles are shot down. Hamlet stocks are down to around 75%. Hopefully, the enemy stocks are a lot lower.
0010:41
The Clyde Abraham destroys a missile with its CIWS, and takes 4 hits, and loses an engine. I order her to head back to the JP. 11 more enemy missiles are destroyed.
0010:46
8 more enemy missiles are destroyed.
0010:51
The Howell takes two hits to her armor. The Clyde Abraham takes 5 more hits. The Hamlets take out 14 more enemy missiles.
0010:56
The Howell takes 5 more hits to her armor. 7 more enemy missiles are destroyed by Hamlets. The Abyssinia finally begins to head towards the JP, a full minute after ordered to.
