Convoy attack!!!

[cowboy40]

It is nearing the end of the Four Years War, and Star Fleet is going after the stretched Klingon logistics tail. A small battle group of three Federation warships is stalking a Klingon convoy near Veska, in Klingon space, passing through the space around Rigel.

The Klingon consists of four G-8A freighters, one T-3A assault ship, and a T-8 troop transport that is being used as a hospital ship. The convoy is escorted by two K-23A and one K23B escort vessels.

The Federation force consists a Loknar Mk.II frigate and two Larson Mk.II destroyers.

In this fight, I have gained even more of a respect for the Klingon K-23 escorts. The forced the battle group out into a prolonged assault on the convoy. The battle group eventually had to isolate and tackle each K-23 one at a time, thus allowing the convoy to scatter. Once that happened, it became a game of using the frigate and one destroyer to try to isolate the klingon escorts...while the remaining destroyer tried to track the Klingon supply ships heading in different directions either in pairs or singly.

Once the escort was isolated it dropped most of its power into shields and weapons and they fought delaying actions. Usually leading to a dead escort and damage to the frigate that adds up over time of the engagements.

Once the escorts were overcome, it became a protracted search and destroy mission that bagged three G-8A freighters and the T-3 transport. The T-8 was never found. The other freighter turned and ran back across the border toward the Protection of Veska.

What should have been short work for this battle group wound up taking 17 hours.

That is pretty much how this war of attrition has turned out...long drawn out operations against logistics on both sides.

[brickwall]

Wow! Yikes! Talk about a long drawn-out battle.

Three ships out to get a convoy of that size doesn't get the job done as far as I'm concerned. Not unless that's all Star Fleet had available at the time.

[cowboy40]

Oct 20, 2023 11:39:47 GMT -7 brickwall said:

Wow! Yikes! Talk about a long drawn-out battle.

Three ships out to get a convoy of that size doesn't get the job done as far as I'm concerned. Not unless that's all Star Fleet had available at the time.

In the fourth year of the war, Star Fleet had many advantages.

They had production numbers up.

They introduced new weapons.

The Klingons were being worn down, forcing them to fight with damaged ships.

Klingon supply lines were stretched.

With that said, Star Fleet faced its own problems.

They had spent the third year recovering territory. Their crews and ships were tired. Many ships required extensive repair and others had to go through refits for the new weapons.

They had to defend their own lines of communication.

They were still conducting Fleet actions, planetary assaults and raids into Klingon space.

They were conducting exploration missions in an attempt to flank the enemy.

They also had to patrol the Romulan borders.

So yes they were spread thin, but the advantages still allowed an even tempo to operations.

[cowboy40]

Meanwhile, out on the flanking effort, the newly commissioned USS Bismark (NCC-1704), a Constitution MK.II vessel, is investigating the single class M planet and its moon, in an uncharted system of a sun and six planets. As they approach the planet, they discover a Klingon force of two cruisers also approaching the system.

The Klingons immediately take an aggressive stance with an old D-4E moving to screen the research cruiser of the D-9B type.

Bismark closes the distance to the Klingon and the exchange of lasers and disrupters begin. The two cruisers close into accelerator cannon range and the Bismark fires her missiles, followed by more laser fire. The D-4E goes dead in space.

The Bismark then calls for the D-9 to surrender, but the Klingons don't answer the hail, and they begin to use the planet as a shield against the Bismark.

Bismark opens fire with lasers, when she can get a shot as she is moving to intercept the Klinks. Both ships continue to exchange light beam fire, until the Klinks run out of time and Bismark has the D-9 in a position to turn lose a full round of fire with her weapons. Bismark decides to try and capture the ship, so even though they are armed, she holds fire with her accelerator cannons. What in sues is a full barrages of beam weapons. After abut two more exchanges, the D-9 sir-comes to the fire and explodes, thus denying Bismark of her prize, and any scientific information the "Seeker" would have had in her computers.

Bismark then dispatches the D-4 after checking for survivors. Then she commences an orbital survey of the planet while she conducts battle damage control...

So, we have a new discover that started with a bang...