Chronicle Mechanic: SDFM UN 15a: Oberth Space Destroyer

[Sketchley]

Please extend the courtesy of proper citation via linking when you quote or paraphrase this translation.


Front:

Space Destroyer
Carrying the core of the UN Spacy's military power.  The first warship to mount a thermonuclear reaction furnace.  "Oberth Class Space Destroyer".


Data:
Affiliation: Earth UN Forces
Overall Length: under investigation
Overall Height: under investigation
Overall Width: under investigation
Empty Weight: under investigation
Engine: Thermonuclear Reaction Rocket Engine
Maximum Speed: under investigation
Standard Armament: Anti-warship Reaction Warhead Missile, Large-bore Fixed Beam Cannon


Size Comparison: SDF-1; Space Destroyer

Confirmed Ship Names: Ooberuto (Oberth), Godaado (Goddard), Tsorukofusukii (Tsiolkovsky), Akishima (Akishima), Miranda (Miranda).

Although the adapted Over Technology engine, reaction warhead armament, mobility and offencive strength are perfect [good, satisfactory], because of the lightweight armour, it is vulnerable [fragile, frail, flimsy].

Hull Description:
Due to the taking up of residence (on Earth) by the ASS-1, human beings got to know about the dispute [altercation] between alien comrades taking place outside of the solar system, and established the UN government as well as strengthening the defence system.  A Space Destroyer, mounting a thermonuclear reaction rocket engine, was developed as part of that.  Construction is started in April, 2003, at the L (Lagrange) 5 Industrial Station, and two years later, in March, 2005, the first warship, Oberth, is commissioned.  Henceforth, it was mass produced and a considerable number were arranged by the time of the outbreak of Space War 1.  It was an excellent warship because of it's mass production nature due to the simplified structure, and of course, it's manoeuvrability [mobility].


Reverse:

Application [Operation] Record:
After the first Space Destroyer, in June, 2005, the No.2 ship  “Goddard”, in September, the No.3 ship “Tsorukofusukii”, were commissioned.  Henceforth, in preparation for hostilities with aliens who should come, a considerable number of the warship was built.  However, the first battle won by the Space Destroyer was not Space War 1 in 2009 which it was waiting for.  In September, 2005, the No.3 ship “Tsorukofusukii”, hijacked by the Anti-UN organization, attacked the return fleet [convoy] from Mars.  The first gunfire was turned on Earth's UN Forces itself.  Thus, the UN Forces dispatched the No.2 ship “Goddard” in regard to this situation.  The No.3 ship was sunk with reaction warheads, and the incident was suppressed.  Incidentally, at the time the captain of the No.2 ship, and who later became the the captain of the Macross, was (at the time) Colonel Bruno J. Global.

Although there was quite a number of space destroyers, most centring above an Earth satellite orbit at the time of the outbreak of Space War I, they suffered heavy loss [damage] from the first contact with the Buritai fleet.  However, it can be said that they succeeded in battle more than the UN Forces Headquarters assumed, by their confirmed sinking of 10 or more enemy ships by reaction weapons.

At the time of all-out attack by the Bodol main fleet on the Earth, even though the remaining 125 Space Destroyer returned fire, they were all destroyed within 5 minutes by the enemy's overwhelming firepower.  The result was that only a few [several] ships assigned to the defence of the Apollo Base on the Moon's surface remained.

Caption
The 125 surviving Space Destroyers intercepted, and were annihilated in less than 5 minutes, by the overwhelming military power of the Bodol core fleet, during the fleet's all-out attack on Earth.


Armament
Possessing two medium and large calibre fixed beam cannons, and 18 anti-ship missiles.  The anti-ship missiles used the RB-5 Reaction Warhead, whose explosive power was able to be set within the range of 20 and 100 Kt, and at maximum power, a single missile could incapacitate a Standard Battleship of the Zentraadi Forces.

Caption
Small [size] anti-warship missile.
6 tube missile launcher (3 in total).


Hull Construction
Overall length is about 200 m.  As a space warship, it's armour is weak [fragile, flimsy], though it excelled in mobility.  Employeed in the engine is a reaction propulsion cluster system (a thermonuclear reaction rocket engine).  It is said to be an analysis and copy of the Macross's engine technology.

Caption
Warship Front

A) Bridge - a windowless, sealed up bridge is part of the leading [forefront, state-of-the-art] tower.
B) Small-bore fixed Beam Cannon
C) Large-bore fixed Beam Cannon
D) Rear 6 tube Missile Launcher
E) Cruise Engines
F) Combat Booster Rockets - Usually, the bottom cruising use E (Cruise Engines) are used in battle, as well as the stern battle use F (Combat Booster Rockets) are used when high manueverability is necessary.


Related Matters
Earth UN Forces Space Forces
The Earth UN Forces expects contact and warfare with aliens, and establishes the Space Forces.  The Space Forces started a project to restore and remodel the ASS-1 into a capital ship, and this capital ship will form the base of defense system that is being constructed.  The original plan had the goal of constructing the Macross and ARMD I~VII (I and II docking to the Macross), in addition to an impressive number of space destroyers at the moon and Legrange points undertaking patrol duty, by the year 2011.  However, the fight with the aliens breaks out in 2009.  The Space Forces rushed into a great war before the large fleet was completed, and the strategic concept of the space army was fragile, and collapsed.  However, as the Bodol core fleet boasted of a fleet exceeding 5 million, with overwhelming war potential, at the time of the all-out attack on Earth, doubt remains whether the system of defence would have worked effectively even if the war potential of the Space Forces plan was in order.

Caption
Space Forces Organization Plan:
- Battleship SDF-1 Macross (1 ship)
- Battleship SDF-2 Megaroad (1 ship)
- Space Carrier ARMD I~VIII (8 ships)
- Space Destroyer (plenty [many, quite a few])

Flying Weapons loaded onto the Warships:
QF-3000 Ghost
SF-3A Lancer II

[Sketchley]

Finished the front side of the page.  Wanted to do more... but I'm rapidly running out of steam.  More tomorrow.

[Ezekiel Sulastin]

Data:
Affiliation: Earth UN Forces
Overall Length: under investigation
Overall Height: under investigation
Overall Width: under investigation
Empty Weight: under investigation
Engine: Thermonuclear Reaction Rocket Engine
Maximum Speed: under investigation
Standard Armament: Anti-warship Reaction Warhead Missile, Large-bore Fixed Beam Cannon

I think if I submitted dimensions like that on anything to anyone at any time, my instructors would open a portal to my location and end me   Thanks for the translation work, anyways ^^

[Sketchley]

I think it just means that, despite research and possibly even asking the creators, there was no answer.

[jwlyon1]

Pictures? Links to pictures? Is this site close? http://www.steelfalcon.com/Macross/oberth.shtml

Nice! I think the note about mass production making it "excellent". It's a different way of thinking. I always associate mass production with shoddy and hand built with quality.

[Ezekiel Sulastin]

Pictures? Links to pictures? Is this site close? http://www.steelfalcon.com/Macross/oberth.shtml

Nice! I think the note about mass production making it "excellent". It's a different way of thinking. I always associate mass production with shoddy and hand built with quality.

Both ends of the spectrum exist   In this case, the mass production can refer both to computer-precision parts and (which I feel to be true in this case) many identical ships, which means many identical pieces for many identically trained technicians to identically repair.  A highly common and interchangable set of vehicles is a Very Good Thing for a military, and in this case with most of the space warfare stuff still new and unique it was likely a huge advance in warfighting technology.

And yes, I know it's perfectly correct, but seeing things like Tsiolkovsky constantly rendered in romanized kana form makes something inside me go insane ._.

[Sketchley]

Pictures? Links to pictures? Is this site close? http://www.steelfalcon.com/Macross/oberth.shtml

You'll have to buy the magazine (it's ongoing, so any scans will most likely have a negative effect, ergo no scans.)

The images are correct.  The stats?  Me was thinking of doing a once over and Sketchly-izing them once this article's translation's type-up is completed.

Nice! I think the note about mass production making it "excellent". It's a different way of thinking. I always associate mass production with shoddy and hand built with quality.

In addition to the excellent answer that Ezekiel Sulastin posted, it could also have something to do with the vast quantity that were produced.

Alas, there is no clear answer.  All we know is 125 + a number destroyed at the first encounter + a number surviving at Apollo Base + the Tsorukofusukii.  Not to mention those produced after the war and which accompanied some (or all?) of the Megaroad Class Super Long Range Emigration Fleets.

Perhaps the Space Destroyer should be considered akin to the T-34: not necessarily the best, but quite intimidating when produced in number.

[zinjo]

I was thinking more along the lines of the M-4 Sherman, but a T-34 gives the same idea...

[Sketchley]

?

See: http://military.discovery.com/technology/vehicles/tanks/tanks-intro.html  (Though it doesn't say it, there were 84,000 made.)

There are other justifications in why, IMHO, I choose the T-34 as representative, but they, nor any tank in particular, have nothing to do with the topic.

[zinjo]

?

See: http://military.discovery.com/technology/vehicles/tanks/tanks-intro.html  (Though it doesn't say it, there were 84,000 made.)

There are other justifications in why, IMHO, I choose the T-34 as representative, but they, nor any tank in particular, have nothing to do with the topic.

If one looks at the idea of a quickly mass produced weapons system, then there is some relevancy there.

However after reviewing the link I can see why you chose the T-34.  The Oberth's weapons systems (by Earth's standards) were quite formidable and had humanity more time to produce more, they would have had a greater impact during SW1 than they ultimately did.

[Sketchley]

At long last... finished!

I like the line about how the missiles are, at best, only able to "incapacitate" a standard Zentraadi battleship.

The insite on the pre-SWI organization of the UNS* is interesting.


*The original text uses Unified/Unity Forces and Space Forces.  I don't want to add too much in the translation that isn't in the original.  Therefore, Unified/Unity Forces has been simplified to UN Forces, and Space Forces has been left as is - simply because the article isn't clear if the organization is referred to as such during the time-frame!

[Sketchley]

I just noticed a typo in the original:

A text section describes the smaller sized beam cannon as "medium calibre".  Another section, describes them as "small calibre".

[zinjo]

At long last... finished!

I like the line about how the missiles are, at best, only able to "incapacitate" a standard Zentraadi battleship.

The insite on the pre-SWI organization of the UNS* is interesting.


*The original text uses Unified/Unity Forces and Space Forces.  I don't want to add too much in the translation that isn't in the original.  Therefore, Unified/Unity Forces has been simplified to UN Forces, and Space Forces has been left as is - simply because the article isn't clear if the organization is referred to as such during the time-frame!

It adds a bit of credence to some line art showing UN Navy, UN Airforce, UN Marine Valks as separate forces from Spacy.  Designating different branches under the UN Flag, yet using the same equipment.