Battleship
Capital Ship Combatants | Escort Combatants | Military Smallcraft | Support Ships | |||||||
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Battleship | Cruiser | Carrier | Destroyer | Escort | Frigate | System Defense Boat | Fighter | Assault Transport | Smallcraft | Auxiliaries |
Commercial Mercantile Ships | Non-Mercantile Commercial Ships | Non-Commercial Ships | Civilian Smallcraft | Highports & Satellites | ||||||
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Merchant | Liner | Transport | Commercial Industrial | Commercial Ships | General | Research | Private | Auxiliary | Orbital Complexes |
Satellites |
Battleships are jump-capable starships intended to stand in the line of battle in space combat.
- Some ships in this mission or supraclass are known as Dreadnoughts with certain specific characteristics.
- The Supraclass designation is also known as Ship Mission, Ship Mission Code, Mission, or Ship Hull Designation.
- It is a starship supraclass.
Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information:
Starship:
- Starship User Types
- Ships by Function
- Advanced Ship Classifications
- Ship Mission Code / Supraclass
- Ship Type Code / Superclass
- Ship Class Code / Class
- Model (TL)
- Bloc (Lot)
- Basic Ship Classifications
- Speed of Travel
Description (Specifications)
A Battleship is a jump-capable capital ship intended to stand in the line-of-battle in space combat. Battleships are usually supported by cruisers, which stiffen the flanks of the line-of-battle.
Strategy & Tactics (Doctrine)
The power of the Imperial Navy is concentrated in its battleships. The definition of a battleship is a starship which, due to its armament and protection, is capable of standing in the line of battle. When a battleship meets any lesser type of ship, its victory is almost guaranteed. When battleships on two sides meet, victory goes to the better armed, better armored, and better directed ship.
Two opposite views in naval architecture have dominated the design of the major battleships of space navies:
- BATTLESHIP CONCEPT: The battleship concept involves large, well-armed and armoured starships of massive tonnage, capable of meeting any adversary. Armament and protection are appropriate to this mission. They generally have little better primary armament than cruisers. However, their extensive secondary batteries render them virtually immune to missiles and small craft attack, while their bulk provides a tremendous ability to absorb damage and keep fighting. Moreover, in a battle against a superior force, the battleship can flee combat by using its own jump drives.
- BATTLERIDER CONCEPT: The opposite is the battle rider concept, involving a large jump-capable battle tender carrying a complete Battle Squadron (BatRon) of two to ten heavily armed and armoured non-jump-capable battle riders. The Battle Tender strategy does not allow for the possibility of superior force; no matter how good a rider is, if it meets a superior adversary, it is placed in a position of winning or dying. Retreat is nearly impossible without losses.
Supraclass Roles
Battleships typically serve the following roles:
- Battle Rider (BR)
- Battleship (BB)
- Dreadnought (BDN) (...old DN)
- Frontier Battleship (BF)
- Heavy Battleship (BA)
- Heavy Monitor (BMA)
- Hybrid Battle Rider (BZ)
- Light Battleship (BL)
- Monitor (BM)
- Planetoid Monitor (BMP)
- Pocket Battleship (BP)
- Strike Battleship (BS)
- Super Battleship (BBS)
- Super Dreadnought (BDNS)
Supraclass Archtypes
Major Battleship Classes:
Battleship Supraclass Archtypes | |||
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Archtype | Type Code | TL Range | Remarks |
Battleship | BB | TL:11-13 | The technological basis for Imperial battleships is the BB- 11. From it was developed the BB-12 and then the BB-13. Battleships are representative of the rest of the vessels of this category. They are both heavily armed and armored and are considered the backbone of any naval force. They are strong enough to take enormous damage and still act effectively. On the downside, like the heavy battleship they are resource hogs, and the maintenance burden is significant. |
Heavy Battleship | BA | TL:13-15 | The heavy battleship has been called a number of names, such as superbattleship, or more commonly dreadnought. Although many were developed from independent designs, a number were logical extension of the earlier battleship lines. Some militaries, including the Imperial Navy, use the designation of dreadnought to designate its latest, most-effective battleships, and may redesignate them simply as battleships when their superior abilities are supplanted by newer construction. These ships represent the ultimate projection of naval power, and their power often dwarfs other ships. As such, their construction represents a tremendous outlay of resources in materials, and manpower. |
Battle Rider | BT/R | TL:14-15 | The Battle Rider system was developed in an attempt to produce battleship strength vessels in greater numbers. The BT/R-14 system combines non-jump battle riders with a jump capable battle tender. The BT/R-15 system is an evolution of the BT/R-14. Although the battle rider is a non-jump capable vessel, it is otherwise armed and armored like a battleship. With the elimination of the jump drives and the associated controls and power plant support, the internal space can be reallocated to additional armor, weaponry, or agility. On a ship to ship basis, battle riders normally have superior combat capabilities compared to jump-capable battleships of similar tonnage, but they, of course, lack the ability to retreat from a system without their tender. Due to the battle riders need for battle tenders for transportation between star systems, the battle tender tends to be the largest vulnerability of battle rider system. Elimination of the lightly armor tender removes battle riders strategic flexibility, isolating them to their current system. |
Hybrid Battle Rider | BZ | TL-15 | The Battle Rider Hybrid takes the battle rider system one step further and places a battle rider on a battleship for combat support deployment. This design is a hybrid of the BT/R-15 system and the BL-15. This change addresses the greatest weakness associated with the battle rider/battle tender system. |
Light Battleship | BL | TL:13-15 | The light battleship line is based on the BB-12, but showed great innovation in producing a smaller tonnage vessel. The BS-15 is also a member of this line. This class of vessel is an attempt to field a ship with most of the offensive weight of a battleship, but to try to hold down the cost associated with building and maintaining such a vessel. |
Monitor | BM | TL:14-15 | Monitors are usually known as large spaceship with armament equivalent to a battleship, used primarily for system defense roles. Generally based on a planetoid hull (and so automatically unstreamlined), these craft depend heavily on pre-positioned caches and fuel shuttles. The large size of these craft make them generally impossible to move inter-system. Like battle riders, they are in a conquer-or-die situation if facing superior forces. Their deterrent value is therefore fragile as well as powerful. They are generally viewed as more of a mobile fortress than anything else.
The term of monitor is also used with smaller craft. Any semi-mobile fortification, lacking jump capability may be known as a system monitor, but are often grouped in other classes. |
Strike Battleship | BS | TL-15 | The Strike designation is typically associated with a vessel having a long jump and/or a high maneuver capability. Often the term is an unofficial designation associated with new, faster construction. These vessels are based strongly on light battleship designs, with enhanced mobility attributes. |
History & Background (Dossier)
The battleships of the Imperium are designed to overcome any opponent in battle. As technology advances, these designs also advance, both to take advantage of any possible technological benefits, and to experiment with new strategies and construction techniques.
Image Repository
- A typical Tigress heavy battleship or dreadnought in action.
Selected Variant Types & Classes
- Type BB class Battleship
- Connecticut class Battleship
- Cordell class Battleship
- Grendal class Battleship
- Grzying class Battleship
- Harp class Battleship
- Hedron class Battleship
- Howe class Battleship
- Illinois class Battleship
- Indomitable class Battleship
- Jeremiah O'Brien class Battleship
- Joyeuse class Battleship
- Justinian class Battleship
- Kearsage class Battleship
- Magada class Battleship
- Maine class Battleship
- Malos Lobos class Battleship
- Minsk class Battleship
- Miotos class Battleship
- Murrain class Battleship
- Nexus Dauntless class Battleship
- Prince Colin III class Battleship
- Sylean class Battleship
- Tenjada class Battleship
- Vander class Battleship
- Virginia class Battleship
- Zirukaruna class Battleship
- Type BA class Heavy Battleship
- Charming class Battleship
- Cheveldi class Battleship
- Chiqrr class Battleship
- Cluj class Battleship
- Concord class Battleship
- Dirqral class Battleship
- Jotvobl class Battleship
- Kirunika'rra class Battleship
- Kushiahatai class Battleship
- Mastigo class Battleship
- Mother of War class Battleship
- Oblivion class Battleship
- Okedi class Battleship
- Pride of Talokan class Battleship
- Prince John III class Battleship
- Prince Stuart IV class Battleship
- Retribution class Battleship
- Shianzpla class Battleship
- SLC5 Kaayur class Battleship
- Tigress class Dreadnought
- Triumph class Battleship
- Wavel class Battleship
- Type BF class Frontier Battleship
- Type BP class Pocket Battleship
- Chtrfiak class Battleship
- Courageous class Battleship
- Fauve class Battleship
- Furious Anger class Battleship
- Kline class Battleship
- Kokirrak class Dreadnought
- Lefaen class Battleship
- Marat class Battleship
- Plankwell class Dreadnought
- Prince Ian II class Battleship
- Prince Morris I class Battleship
- Prince Roger III class Battleship
- Sarriaklir class Battleship
- Smelchak class Battleship
- Viepchakl class Battleship
- Voroshilef class Battleship
- Yrkath Ossu E*Wr class Battleship
- Type BS class Strike Battleship
Battle Rider
Dreadnought
- Type BDN class Dreadnought
- Type BDNA class Heavy Dreadnought
- Amoreuxi class Dreadnought
- Audacious class Dreadnought
- Commandant class Dreadnaught
- Depression class Dreadnought
- Duke of Sanches class Dreadnought
- Formidable class Dreadnought
- Grendal class Dreadnought
- Jarnac class Dreadnought
- Khurkish class Dreadnought
- Krohn class Dreadnought
- Miller class Dreadnought
- Thingen class Dreadnaught
- Titan class Dreadnought
- Usan class Dreadnought
- Warmoon class Dreadnaught
Monitor
- Type BM class Monitor
- Type BMA class Heavy Monitor
- Type BML class Light Monitor
- Type BMP class Planetoid Monitor
Super Battleship
Ship Summary List
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0 Representative Frontier Battleship (BF) Classes | |
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5 Representative Battle Rider (BR) Classes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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0 Representative Dreadnought (BDN) Classes | |
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2 Representative Monitor (BM) Classes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1 Representative Strike Battleship (BS) Classes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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References & Contributors (Sources)
This article is missing content for one or more detailed sections. Additional details are required to complete the article. You can help the Traveller Wiki by expanding it. |
- John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman. Library Data (A-M) (Game Designers Workshop, 1981), 16. (Classic Traveller Supplement 8)
- Timothy B. Brown. Fighting Ships (Game Designers Workshop, 1981), 38-42. (Classic Traveller Supplement 9)
- Marc Miller. Fighting Ships of the Shattered Imperium (Game Designers Workshop, 1990), 10-38.
- Ben W. Bell, Martin Dougherty. Fighting Ships (QuikLink Interactive, 2003), 11-12,18-21.
- Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
- Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science