Colossus-class Battleship

Class: Battleship
Operators: TOG Navy
Mass: 2,810,091 tons
Cost: 18,935,622,274 talents
Engines:
Right Engine Rating (45,000)
Center Engine Rating (45,000)
Left Engine Rating (45,000)
Thrust: 2
Weapons:
Type (Location)
D Spinal Mount (F)
100 37.5/30 (R)
100 37.5/30 (L)
50 37.5/20 (F)
50 37.5/20 (A)
100 37.5/10 (R)
100 37.5/10 (L)
50 22.5/10 (F)
50 22.5/10 (A)
Type E Missile System (3 Shots at 150 Points)
Fighters: 60 at 300 tons
Small Craft: 15 at 1,200 tons
Cargo: 60,000 tons
Crew: 2,322
Passengers: 500
Marines: 600

Overview

The Colossus-class battleship is considered one of TOG's deadliest space vessels. Its focus is clearly firepower, with an incredible amount of destructive potential in a single broadside.

Though the ship is considered slow and awkward, it is very dangerous. Even at intermediate range (750 kilometers), a full volley from a Colossus broadside bombardment can strip three-fourths of the armor off a destroyer. At closer ranges, the damage is usually fatal.

Capabilities

All the Bishta Harneth laser bays on the Colossus-class battleship are impressive. The 100-gun 37.5/30 bays are the largest possible on a capital ship. Mounted in tandem with these are two bays of 37.5/10 lasers, also in arrays of 100. The fore and aft portions of the Colossus carry significantly less firepower, but given this ship's main spinal mount, only the aft is ever at risk.

Tsprazis Shipyards purchased the Jankowski XXX Class experimental spinal mount for use with Colossus, then Primo Brothers engineers redesigned the mount to provide for a better damper control over the accelerator coils, and more important, 20 percent faster reload and recharge time. After examining these alterations, Jankowski Armaments is planning to redesign its existing product line to incorporate some of the engineering changes.

The Hurtlyr 20 missile battery has proven to be both a strong and weak point on the Colossus. When properly operated and targeted, the missiles are the deadliest in space. This system has failed sometimes in critical situations, however, because of operational errors and targeting problems in fire control.

Colossus-class battleships carry a total of 60 fighters, usually medium and light. The fighters are primarily for defensive operations because the ship has ample firepower to launch its own attacks. Of the Colossuses in service, most carry numerous Manubalistas and Spiculums.

The brain of this ship is the massive Marxum 200 battle computer. With relay stations throughout the ship and a system that constantly diverts core backups to remote sections of the ship, the Marxum 200 is actually able to repair damage and still maintain the most current combat information. It is located directly aft of the Combat Information Center.

The flag bridge of the Colossus is impressive in that it can, in times of emergency, operate as a lifeboat. If the bulkheads rupture near the flag bridge, it automatically seals itself off from the rest of the ship. With its own armored protection and the fact that it is built for breakaway if the superstructure is destroyed, the flag bridge can often survive the near-destruction of the ship, with officers intact. This is one of the many reasons that many Grand Admirals select Colossus-class ships as their command vessels.

Deployment

Though the Colossus is not nearly as widely distributed as the Shiva-class, it is becoming equally popular with the TOG High Command. At present, Shivas that are damaged and in need of repair are being replaced with Colossuses, so that larger numbers now appear in front-line areas of Rift and Shannedam Counties.

The ship's performance in combat is admirable. At the Battle of New Dogger Bank in Gilpin County in 6801, a total of five Colossus-class battleships were lost, more than any other class in the engagement. Before these ships fell, however, they accounted for a tonnage ratio of destruction of nearly three to one.