House of Steel: The Honorverse Companion (41 page)

At the present time, the future of the destroyer as a type is uncertain. On the one hand, there are those who predict that the destroyer will effectively disappear from the Navy in the not-too-distant future, with its independent operations role reverting to the cruiser and its fleet screening role going to the LAC groups. On the other hand, it is clear that the RMN sees a role for the destroyer today and into the future, as evidenced by the new
Roland
class. The advent of the multi-drive missile and the fact that the
Roland
appears to be the smallest hyper-capable ship type able to carry a meaningful number of these missiles indicate to many that the destroyer will be with us for a long time, even if it masses as much as an old-style light cruiser.

Noblesse-class destroyer

Mass: 68,250 tons

Dimensions: 351 × 41 × 24 m

Acceleration: 524.4 G (5.143 kps²)

80% Accel: 419.5 G (4.114 kps²)

Broadside: 4M, 3L, 2CM, 3PD

Chase: 2M, 1L, 1CM, 2PD

Number Built: 60

Service Life: 1819–1907

The
Noblesse
-class destroyer, a contemporary of the
Courageous
-class light cruiser, was the oldest destroyer still in service when the war with Haven began. In many ways, it was built as a scaled-down version of the
Courageous
, armed with the same outdated missile tubes and general weapon balance, though without the powerful beam armament carried by its larger cousin.

Although originally scheduled for decommissioning by the turn of the century, the RMN’s need for light combatants extended the class beyond its planned operational life, and the many of the ships remained in service until 1907 PD. Although they were still suited for anti-piracy work, they had become obsolete with the rapid technological developments stimulated by the war and all were decommissioned as the
Culverin
class started coming off the building slips.

Falcon-class destroyer

Mass: 70,500 tons

Dimensions: 355 × 42 × 24 m

Acceleration: 523.6 G (5.134 kps²)

80% Accel: 418.8 G (4.108 kps²)

Broadside: 3M, 4L, 3CM, 4PD

Chase: 1M, 2L, 2CM, 2PD

Number Built: 88

Service Life: 1851–1916

The
Falcon
-class destroyer was a product of the same design study that yielded the
Apollo
-class light cruiser and Lightning-class frigate, the last frigate class to be built by the RMN. The notable feature of the
Falcon
class is that it is a beam-heavy platform relative to its contemporaries, designed to close quickly and engage an enemy at short range.

The first flight
Falcons
suffered from the same sub-standard construction practices which caused the
Apollo
class’ structural weaknesses, and all but two required substantial refits.

Unlike the far more successful
Apollo
, both the
Falcons
and
Lightnings
were widely considered to be too fragile to survive an energy engagement (where a single lucky hit can do major damage). Although possessed of impressive firepower for their size, there were grave concerns about their ability to defeat something of their own rate. Although the last of the
Lightnings
was decommissioned before the turn of the century, the
Falcons
lasted until the fleet drawdown of 1916 PD.

Havoc-class destroyer

Mass: 84,500 tons

Dimensions: 377 × 44 × 26 m

Acceleration: 519.8 G (5.097 kps²)

80% Accel: 415.8 G (4.078 kps²)

Broadside: 5M, 3L, 3CM, 3PD

Chase: 2M, 1L, 2CM, 2PD

Number Built: 83

Service Life: 1861–present

The
Havoc
class was built as a successor to the
Falcon
-class destroyer. In many ways, its design presaged the move away from beam-heavy combatants to missile-heavy combatants. Designed as a general purpose destroyer, the
Havoc
class was able to perform all of the traditional destroyer missions and served many of them well. This was especially true in Silesia, where its mix of defensive armaments and adequate broadside made it a natural for anti-piracy operations. The skipper of a
Havoc
will generally attempt to keep the range open against its usual opponents, where the
Havoc’s
superior electronics and deep magazines provide it the greatest edge. Beam armament is modest at best, and a
Havoc
commander who approaches too aggressively places his command in danger.

As the buildup of light units accelerated and after hull numbers reached an unwieldy four digits, the RMN began to renumber its destroyers, with HMS
Havoc
being redesignated as DD-01 in 1873 PD. While the majority of the class are still in service, the combination of a small cramped hull and sub-par defenses have relegated the
Havocs
to rear-area duties and less important remote stations. With the latest round of EW refits, they remain well suited for anti-piracy operations, even if they are unsuited for combat against the Republic of Haven Navy.

Chanson-class destroyer

Mass: 78,000 tons

Dimensions: 367 × 43 × 25 m

Acceleration: 520.7 G (5.107 kps²)

80% Accel: 416.6 G (4.085 kps²)

Broadside: 3M, 3L, 4CM, 4PD

Chase: 2M, 1L, 2CM, 2PD

Number Built: 204

Service Life: 1867–present

With King Roger’s naval expansion program in full swing, the RMN began a serious analysis of combat records from Silesia, and realized that ship defense needed significant improvement. The resulting destroyer, light cruiser, and heavy cruiser designs of the Enhanced Survivability Program all emphasized greater defensive armament and improved passive defenses. The destroyer design was the
Chanson
class.

By far the most numerous class of destroyer in the RMN, the
Chanson
is well suited to a variety of duties, from scouting and picket duty to the destroyer screen of a wall of battle, to independent operations “showing the flag” in smaller star polities. The class has long strategic endurance for a destroyer, making it popular with RMN planners, and its modern electronics suite and enhanced area defense capabilities make it better suited for convoy defense than the
Havoc
. Despite the reduction in launchers over the
Havoc
and
Noblesse
classes, the
Chanson
class remains strongest in a missile duel. Its heavy defenses and superior fire control allow it to hold its own against most destroyers and even some light cruisers as long as it can remain out of energy range. Still, it lacks the offensive punch of the
Havoc
class and its successor the
Javelin
class, a fact that was heavily criticized by opponents of the Enhanced Survivability Program.

When the
Culverin
class was delayed in the early 1900s, another flight of
Chansons
was ordered as a stop-gap. Other than incremental updates in electronics and fittings, these hulls are virtually identical to the older model
Chansons
, despite the ten-year gap in construction.

Javelin-class destroyer

Mass: 87,250 tons

Dimensions: 381 × 45 × 26 m

Acceleration: 519.7 G (5.096 kps²)

80% Accel: 415.7 G (4.077 kps²)

Broadside: 6M, 2L, 4CM, 3PD

Chase: 2M, 1L, 2CM, 2PD

Number Built: 65

Service Life: 1883–present

The
Javelin
-class destroyer is a contemporary of the
Chanson
class but has a fundamentally different design philosophy. Where the
Chanson
focused on cramming as much defense as possible into as small a hull as possible, the
Javelin
favors a heavier offensive punch, at the cost of some defense. It was intended to serve mostly as a fast screening unit for battlecruiser squadrons and has seen less independent command than its more survivable cousins.

While in simulation it seems like a highly effective design, its heavy offensive punch came at a price. Magazine space to support the larger broadside was one limitation, and the fact that all six launchers shared only two magazines made the design particularly vulnerable to damage. Missile tubes and magazines also had to be placed nearer to the sidewall generator spaces than normal and as a result the class has been plagued by feedback issues between grav drivers and sidewall generators for its entire service life. Compared to the
Chanson
and even the much maligned
Culverin
class, the
Javelins
were never particularly popular among either RMN planners or their crews. Most of them were relegated to reserve duty by 1920 even though some much older
Chanson
-class hulls were still in active service.

Culverin-class destroyer

Mass: 104,000 tons

Dimensions: 404 × 48 × 27 m

Acceleration: 547.4 G (5.368 kps²)

80% Accel: 437.9 G (4.294 kps²)

Broadside: 5M, 4L, 5CM, 4PD

Chase: 2M, 1L, 2CM, 2PD

Number Built: 72

Service Life: 1899–present

The
Culverin
class was designed as a powerful, general purpose destroyer to replace both the
Havoc
and
Chanson
classes. Although a bold design in terms of intent, the first units to be delivered came in over budget, late, and “overweight.” Changes in requirements during the design process resulted in an increase in the offensive throw weight and a decrease in crew size, dictating the use of automation more commonly seen in merchant ships. In the end, the automation project was abandoned after the first two ships, but not before these changes delayed the commissioning of the first ship by two years and resulted in software and hardware glitches that were all but impossible to work out. The armament changes caused the
Culverin
to grow by nearly eight thousand tons and to lengthen by almost ten meters. Some point to these early problems as the reason that it took the Admiralty another ten years to try again to reduce crew requirements through increased automation.

When all was said and done however, the
Culverin
class was nearly as good as its design simulations said it should be. It has significant electronic warfare assets, an impressive broadside for a destroyer, and solid defensive capabilities that mesh perfectly with the latest generation of Manticoran hardware. The primary complaint about the
Culverin
is its reputation as a maintenance headache, although part of this reputation resulted from periodic shortages of spare parts during the initial construction phase. The peculiar internal layout brought on by the design changes has caused a great deal of trouble for damage control teams, a fact that wasn’t fully appreciated until the first units began to see combat.

Wolfhound-class destroyer

Mass: 123,500 tons

Dimensions: 428 × 51 × 29 m

Acceleration: 784.7 G (7.695 kps²)

80% Accel: 627.7 G (6.156 kps²)

Broadside: 6M, 3G, 6CM, 5PD

Chase: 2G, 4PD

Number Built: 19

Service Life: 1919–present

The
Wolfhound
-class destroyer is a general purpose destroyer originally designed during the Janacek Admiralty to replace the entire RMN inventory of older model destroyers. Eighteen percent heavier than the
Culverin
class, the
Wolfhound
takes full advantage of the new technologies that enabled the RMN to build a destroyer that is more effective than many prewar light cruisers. The class has a limited off-bore capability and carries the latest generation of single drive missiles in RMN service, far longer ranged and more powerful than anything in service at the start of the war. With a crew of only eighty-seven, the complement of an old-style destroyer can be spread across nearly four
Wolfhounds
, freeing up manpower for other new construction without reducing the total number of destroyers in service.

While the
Wolfhound
is an effective platform by any prewar standard, once the performance numbers began to appear for the new
Roland
-class destroyers, the RMN substantially revised their building schedules. Given the missions that it would be assigned, the
Wolfhound
would not be significantly more capable than the hulls already in service, at least not enough to warrant the cost of replacing almost four hundred of them in wartime. Only nineteen
Wolfhounds
are currently in service; the other twenty of the original flight were destroyed in the Grendelsbane raids. While there are plans to put the
Wolfhound
into limited series production to start slowly replacing the oldest surviving destroyer classes, currently all of the smaller building slips have been dedicated to building
Rolands
and
Avalon
-class light cruisers.