1st Battle of Cephei 2150
Turn 14
Background:
The NSL 5th Fleet under Admiral Katharina Haubenstricker has been garrisoning the Cephei System since 2146. After her repulse at the Skirmish of Schedar in 2147, Haubenstricker has been awaiting reinforcements to complete her mission of securing that system.
In 2150 the awaited reinforcements arrive, another three Lances of Walburg Class DD/Ms and DDs. This brings 5th Fleet up to one Cruiser and fifteen Escort Class vessels. While Admiral Haubenstricker is absorbing the new ships into her formation, the system sensor buoys announce fresh ships in-bound. Not one, but two, hostile fleets have just FTLed into her system.
Sensor readings indicate that one fleet is of probable Eurasian Solar Union origin and consists of two Capital, two Cruiser and six Escort Class ships. The other fleet is of unknown origin and consists of one Capital, one Cruiser and two Escort Class ships. Haubenstricker can see a major maul developing.
Fleet Orders and Initiative will determine the order in which these three fleets will engage each other.
Cephei System contains nine planets. Cephei I is a sub-Terran world, on which is the Neu Swabian League colony of Neu Konigsburg and a NSL Command Post. There is a Planetary Defence Unit (equivalent to a BattleDreadnought, though without FTL or Thrust manoeuvre) in orbit around the planet. Cephei V, VI, VII and VIII are small gas giants. All other planets are small, uninhabitable, rocky worlds.
NSL Situation:
Admiral Katharina Haunenstricker's orders are to protect the NSL colony of Neu Konigsburg.
5th Fleet consists of:
| Markgraf class Heavy Cruiser Markgraf |
| Waldburg/M class Missile Destroyer Diamantmarkierung |
| Waldburg/M class Missile Destroyer Boa |
| Waldburg/M class Missile Destroyer Klapperschlange |
| Waldburg/M class Missile Destroyer Kobra |
| Waldburg class Destroyer Csikos |
| Waldburg class Destroyer Csepel |
Task Force 5.2 has just joined 5th Fleet and consists of:
| Waldburg/M class Missile Destroyer Stiefel |
| Waldburg/M class Missile Destroyer Tapfer |
| Waldburg/M class Missile Destroyer Fledermaus |
| Waldburg/M class Missile Destroyer Drache |
| Waldburg/M class Missile Destroyer Esel |
| Waldburg/M class Missile Destroyer Mungo |
| Waldburg class Destroyer Kuh |
| Waldburg class Destroyer Kabeljau |
| Waldburg class Destroyer Fliege |
The Markgraf is serving as Flagship.
Admiral Haunenstricker is an Average Officer as are the Captains of the Diamantmarkierung, Klapperschlange, Boa, Csepel, Stiefel, Tapfer, Fledermaus, Mungo, Kuh, Kabeljau and Fliege. The Captains of the Markgraf, Drache, Esel and Csikos are Good Officers. The Captain of the Kobra is a Poor Officer.
If Haunenstricker wins Initiative, she can choose which Fleet to engage first. As the Defender, she automatically chooses the location of battle, which can be in Free Space, at a gas giant, or near a Dense world. Unless the battle takes place around Cephei I, Haunenstricker can not use the orbital Planetary Defence Unit for fire support, nor use its fighter flight.
ESU Situation:
As part of Operation Iron Hammer, Kontr-admiral Alexander Zinoviev has been ordered to raid the Cephei System and destroy the Nue Swabian League Command Post, thus disrupting NSL plans to expand to Trailing. Zinoviev's 2nd Fleet is then to withdraw to its forward base in the Schedar System to await further reinforcements.
2nd Fleet consists of:
| Manchuria class Battlecruiser Shandong |
| Petrograd class Battleship Sartov (flag of Kontr-admiral Vladimir Putin) |
| Gorshkov class Heavy Cruiser Ochakov |
| Tibet class Light Cruiser Jilin |
| Volga class Heavy Destroyer Angara |
| Warsaw class Destroyer Czestochowa |
| Warsaw class Destroyer Krakow |
| Novgorod class Frigate Neustrashimy |
| Lenov class Scout Istomin |
| Lenov class Scout Zenit |
The Shandong is serving as flag ship.
Admiral Zinoviev is an Average Officer, as is Kontr-admiral Putin and the Captains of the Sartov, Shandong, Ochakov, Krakow, Neustrashimy and Istomin. The Captain of the Jilin is a Good Officer, while the Captains of the Czestochowa, Angara and Zenit are Poor Officers.
If Zinoviev wins initiative, he may choose which hostile fleet to engage first. If he chooses to take on the Neu Swabian League, the NSL admiral, as defender of the system, chooses the battle location. Otherwise, Zinoviev has the choice of battle location: Free Space, near a Dense world, or near a Gas Giant.
Kra'Vak Situation:
Huntleader Ti'uk of the 1st Host of the Kra'Fas'Kon has continued his patrol sweep Coreward and Spinward from the Spica System. Jumping into Cephei System, his kon's scout suffered a collision with an uncharted asteroid and was destroyed. At about this time, Ti'uk became aware of two hostile fleets present in the system.
Seeing himself heavily out numbered, Ti'uk orders an exploratory attack.
1st Host consists of:
| Yu'Kas class Superdreadnought Kia'Zes |
| Va'Dok class Heavy Cruiser Va'Lak |
| Da'Kak class Heavy Frigate Di'Fan |
| Da'Kak class Heavy Frigate Ko'Tol |
The Kia'Zes is serving as flag ship.
The captains of the Ko'Tol and Va'Lak are Good Officers, while all other officers, including Huntleader Ti'uk, are Average officers.
If Huntleader Ti'uk can win the initial Initiative, he may decide which enemy fleet to attack. If he decides upon the Neu Swabian League, then the NSL admiral determines the location of the battle. If Ti'uk decides to attack the ESU fleet, he can determine the battle location within the system. His choices are, Free Space, near a Dense world, or near a Gas Giant.
Huntleader Ti'uk's objective to capture, or destroy, the hostile ships in Cephei System while ensuring his own ships are not needlessly damaged.
Points/Mass:
| Kra'Vak: | 1468 Points | 373 Mass |
| Eurasian Solar Union: | 1516 Points | 452 Mass |
| Neu Swabian League: | 1781 Points | 532 Mass |
| - | (2281 incl. PDU) | (682 incl. PDU) |
Ships Used:
All Eurasian Solar Union ships in this engagement were Fleet Book 1 standard.
All Kra’Vak ships were Fleet Book 2 standard.
All Neu Swabian League ships were Fleet Book 1 standard.
Historical Result:
Admiral Zinoviev won the initial Initiative and decided to engage the Kra'Vak, first, in Free Space. The Shandong and Sartov formed the core of his battle line, with the Krakow and Angara to port and the Ochakov, Jilin and Czestochowa to starboard. The Neustrashimy, with the Zenit and Istomin, formed a flying squadron on the starboard wing.
The massive Kia'Zes formed the centre of Huntleader Ti'uk's line, with the Va'Lak and Ko'Tol to starboard and the Di'Fan to port. As the two battle lines approached each other, Ti'uk began to slide his formation to starboard, apparently aiming to concentrate on Zinoviev's left. As Zinoviev ordered a turn to port to support his weak left, Ti'uk reversed direction and began bearing down on Zinoviev's right. Again, Zinoviev ordered a turn, trying to keep his heavy units lined up with the Kia'Zes.
Ti'uk suddenly reversed direction again, sweeping across the front of the ESU formation as Zinoviev's flying squadron flashed past his left flank. The Di'Fan attempted to engage but the Neustrashimy, Zenit and Istomin were out of arc of the heavy destroyer's main K-guns.
Ti'uk then launched the Kia'Zes's fighters against the Sartov as the Ochakov, Jilin and Czestochowa engaged the Di'Fan. The fighter attack was ineffectual and Di'Fan's firing was woeful. Pounded by the three ESU ships, the Di'Fan lost thrust and then vanished in a ball of plasma.
Meanwhile, the Kia'Zes, Va'Lak and Ko'Tol were fast approaching Shandong and Sartov. The fighter attack on Sartov continued, slowly wearing on the battleship, taking out its screens, a fire control and one of its Class 3 Beam batteries. Point defence fire had accounted for four of the fighters.
As the two lines converged, Ko'Tol suffered a series of hits on her Main Drive, her bridge, Life Support, and Power Plant. Out of control, and her Life Support failing, Ko'Tol was abandoned. Forty-five minutes later, the hulk blew itself apart as the Power Plant went critical.
Handling errors on both sides resulted in very little damage being suffered as the two lines passed through each other. Ti'uk then promptly reversed his surviving ships as he accelerated away, hoping to bring at least the Kia'Zes's massive K-6 guns to bear. In a furious exchange of fire, the Kia'Zes lost two of its four K-6 guns while landing only one hit on the Sartov.
By now the two fleets were heading away from each other and Ti'uk had had enough. The Kra'Vak ships FTLed out of the system.
Admiral Zinoviev hurriedly recalled his ships and began repairing such damage as he could before moving in-system to confront the NSL 5th Fleet.