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Overview The Hampton class Corvette (designated by the USSF as a “Destroyer Escort”) is one of six classes of light warships operated by the USSF, the others being the old Hancock class, the modern Cayuga class, the French built Aconit class, the American Concord and the British Killiecrankie. The main role this class was designed for was convoy escort and anti-piracy work within America’s own sphere of influence, although it was also intended to be an armed courier and scoutship. The first vessel of the class was laid down in the mid-2280’s. Each Hampton is armed with 4 Hyde Dynamics EA-122 laser weapons and can carry upto 6 Space Intercept Missile, 14 tons (SIM-14). Following current USSF doctrine, the Hampton has neither armour nor screens, but relies on maneouverabilty and stealth for defence. Unlike larger USSF warships, the Hampton has no spin habitat and is not suitable for mission durations above 2 weeks. The Hampton has received some benefits from the latest generation of USSF ships, including UTES, advanced fire control, hull masking and an advanced synthetic hull. However, to save money it was decided to install older civilian specification engineering, this halved the projected cost, and for a small decrease in speed the USSF was able to increase its order from 12 to 20 hulls. The missiles are carried in a pair of slung missile packs, which can be jettisoned when empty in order to decrease the ships active radar return.
Kafer War Units In the 2280’s the USSF put out a contract for replacement light ships, as the 6 Hancock’s were extremely old and not very capable when compared to a modern design like the Aconit. The two corporations in the running were the Leeman Corporation, with their ambitious military specification Cayuga class, and Linton-Ingall-Norton with their more prosaic Hampton class. The Cayuga design was accepted by the USSF in 2283, and laid down. It soon became clear that it would take over a decade to complete the class due to problems over her ambitious design. In July 2284, the USSF approved the Hampton as an interim measure. USS Hampton (DE-150) was laid down at the USSF L-4 yard, which is notoriously inefficient, and the USS Aberdeen (DE-151), laid down shortly afterwards at the Loren-Fryer Yard in Martian orbit was completed first. This has lead to some publications labelling this class as the “Aberdeen class”. No further ships of this class were ordered at L-4, L-4 and the American Highport stations building the Cayuga and the Loren Fryer yard building the Hampton. Despite this inauspicious start, the Hamptons first patrol in 2287 was a great success, intercepting a Hijacked transport and arresting the two hijackers, who had connections with the Terra Nostra (an Italian-American crime syndicate). In the following 4 years Hampton class corvettes were introduced into patrol forces on the American Arm. In 2291, Germany reunited and used military force to complete the unification. After many months of cold war, the Germans crossed into France in 2292 and started the War of German Unification. American forces were forced to protect their shipping along the French Arm, which quickly became a free fire warzone. The Hampton was not involved, but was used to secure the lines of communication. The Hampton was increasingly becoming a USSF-R vessel, and when the Kafers invaded Aurore in 2297, there where more Hamptons in the Reserve than the Regulars.
6th Light Division “Riders on the Storm” The 6th was a regular unit of 3 ships, two of which were destroyed on escort duty on convoy BB-10, a supply run to the Watchpost at Beta Comae Bernices. Once they arrived insystem the Division was challenged by 4 Golf fighters. They should not have been a problem, except that due to supply shortages none of the ships had any missiles. The USS Catskill was overwhelmed and left for dead as the remaining ships pushed on to complete their mission. The Division returned to the site of the battle 4 days later, laid a screen of Sentinels and searched the wreck of the Catskill. One injured survivor, the TAC officer, was recovered from an automed. The Division carried out a second mission on the French Arm, escorting the Iwo Jima up arm with substancial other forces, but the USS Hartford was caught discharging over BCV-6 by a Kafer Sentinel that was missed, it managed to disable the Hartford in an unstable orbit and the ship burnt up in the atmosphere. Only the USS Bellevue remains, the USS Hartford and USS Catskill have been destroyed. The unit has been retired to Earth and when refit is complete the unit will be amalgamated with the 7th to form the 6th/7th and be redeployed to the French Arm. 7th Light Division “Roughnecks” The 7th was a regular unit assigned to escort convoy DK-001 to Dunkelheim. The convoy launched out of Vogelheim on 20th September 2301 escorting 4 merchantmen loaded with weapons for the Dunkelheim militia. On entering the system they headed straight for Dunkelheim. However, the planet was screened by a Sentinel field. The Sentinels registered the intruders presence, fired and summoned help. This arrived in the shape of Alpha-12 “The Final Solution”, a damaged Kafer Battleship assigned to guard the rear area while repairs were conducted. Despite the damage the Sundance was destroyed by missile fire and the Stockton disabled. As the Ashland and Bloomfield fought to keep the Kafer away from the Stockton, the Kafer launched her 3 Golf class fighters. With the warships pulled away from their protectees the Golfs ran amok, destroying two of the merchants, before the remaining warships managed to disengage and occupy the fighters long enough for the remaining merchants to drop their cargo. The four remaining Terran ships withdrew to Dunkelheim-3 to discharge and then withdrew from the system. The action was considered a failure. The USS Sundance and the SS Lugwigslust and Creussen were destroyed outright. The USS Stockton was abandoned and boarded by the Kafers. None of the cargo reached its destination. The remaining ships where extremely damaged. The unit has been retired back to Earth for refit. Current Orbat: USS Ashland (CQ+1, major breach, 2 turrets and 2 missile packs destroyed, active sensors destroyed, 2 DC, 4 bridge and 3 TAC personnel killed), USS Bloomfield (CQ 0, major breach, 3 turrets and 2 missile packs destroyed, active and passive sensors destroyed, 4 personnel left alive) 9th Light Division (Reserve) “Hammerheads” The 9th Division is a USSF-R unit mobilised in November 2301, and sent to the French Arm to escort convoy BV-06, which contained 6 merchants. The target, BCV-4 had been overrun, but the main Kafer Battlefleet had moved down the Joian finger and it was decided to try and drop supplies to the British Army in New Africa who were still fighting. This was one of dozen of similar missions launched that month. The convoy discharged at BCV-6 and proceeded to BCV-4. They encountered no Kafer fleet elements around BCV-4, as they were expecting an inbound supply convoy of their own and had moved to meet it (The British privateer Kingfisher had been gutting Kafer convoys entering the system). When they were detected returning to BCV-4 it was decided to abort the drop half complete and withdraw. The Division returned on another supply run, linked up with Rochemont’s Strike Fleet, and was insystem on 10th April 2302 when Task Force X-Ray under Triumphant Destiny drove off the Terran fleet, although only screening elements (including the 9th) came into contact. They withdrew with the fleet to Vogelheim, and were used as scouts in the demonstration towards Crater in May. In July 2302 the fleet finally retook BCV system, but not before the remanants of TF X-Ray had withdrawn through it to prepared positions down arm. The Division retired for refit, and returned for service with its alternate crews, the Division was used to escort a convoy of merchants loaded with 2nd line supplies for the American forces on Dunkelheim. They were contacted on 10th June 2303 by a raiding Kafer Epsilon. They pushed on through exchanging missile fire and the Division flag, USS Redfield was hit and destroyed in the fighting around the convoy, but the USS Lynchburg, USS Colfax and USS Mankato pushed on, returning to search for survivors later. There were none. The 9th is currently at Dunkelheim, attached to Task Force 29, along with the Battleship USS Columbia, the Cruisers USS Kennedy and Jefferson (1st Cruiser Division), and the Destroyers USS Fort Knox and Fort Bragg (2nd Destroyer Division). Current Orbat: USS Lynchburg (CQ+2) , USS Colfax (CQ+1) and USS Mankato (CQ+1) 10th Light Division (Reserve) “Sundivers” The 10th is a USSF-R unit mobilised in November 2301, and sent to the French Arm to escort convoy UM-015, one of Vice Admiral Stark’s forlorn missions which cost the USSF so many ships in such a short space of time. The mission was a supply run to Rochemont’s Strike Fleet, regardless of the fact that the supplies were being sent regularly via Grosshiddenfaden. The USSF had to be shown to be doing its bit. The convoy reached the Joian system at roughly the same time Kafer fleet elements were withdrawing from their abortive strike on Grosshiddenfaden, and encountered one of the Kafer flagships Delta-2 “Ecstasy of Struggle”. The warships immediately attacked the Delta, which was hamstrung by the fact that she was escorting two troopships. They valiantly flung themselves at the Kafer, and were swatted like flies. However, the merchants pressed on and reached the safety of Rochemonts fleet. The action was deadly and USS Paxton, USS Glenrock and USS Redding were lost. 11th Light Division (Reserve) “Starchasers” The 11th Division is a USSF-R unit mobilised in November 2301 and was initially tasked with a convoy run to Dunkelheim, convoy DK-020. Launching out of Vogelheim, they arrived on the FTL shelf and almost the same time as a Kafer convoy which had arrived in the vicinity of the 11th. The merchants immediately scuttled back towards the shelf while the Division turned to meet the Kafer convoy escort, an Epsilion class Cruiser, Epsilon-66 “Sense of Self”, engaged the Hamptons, and the Hampton and Ellsworth suffered power plant damage and the Burlington was left to counter the Kafer. Fortunately they held the Kafer back for long enough for repairs to be effected and the Division withdrew across the FTL shelf. The unit was then tasked with patrolling the American Arm with most of the regular forces pulled away. As such it is the only full strength Hampton unit remaining in the order of battle. The three ships of the division are spread around the American Arm and are busy chasing illegals. Current Orbat: USS Hampton (CQ+2), USS Ellsworth (CQ+1), USS Burlington (CQ+3) 13th Light Division (Reserve) “Black Cats” The 13th Division were a USSF-R unit who were mobilised December 2301, and consisted of USS Aberdeen, USS Camden and USS Eureka. With the Kafers distracted and down the Joian finger it was decided to try and run supplies to the British colony of Crater. The operation was quickly conceived, and while it was not really approved of, received some backing from American members of Grahams staff (especially the originator, Vice Admiral Stark), but was believed in general to be a fools errand. As the third supply run to Henry’s Star it was numbered HS-003. As they approached Crater, they were jumped by 4 Kafer Golfs, and a firefight ensued. Again, the supply situation was such that only a small number of missiles were carried, and these were held back in case of running into a Kafer capital ship. While the Division seemed to be doing well against these 4 fighters, 5 more soon joined them, then more. It quickly became apparent that the initial group was a patrol and that the main force of fighters defending Crater was coming after them. The British merchants Cup of Gold, and Nightshade survived by dumping their cargo and running, leaving the warships to their fate. When contact was lost, the American warships were facing upwards of 2 dozen fighters, and they had been battered into junk. Shortly thereafter the system was liberated, and only fragments were left of the ships. It has been confirmed that all three warships were destroyed, although there is evidence that several were boarded, not least the fact that the heads of several crewmembers were recovered from spikes in Rimview. The Divisons number has been permanently struck from the USSF roles and the names USS Aberdeen, USS Camden and USS Eureka have been retired and will never be recycled.
Performance
Warp efficiency: 1.96 (Unloaded, fully fuelled), 3.08 (Running empty) Power Plant: 15 MW MHD Turbine Fuel: 3,000 tons (2 weeks maximum power) Range: 7.7 light years Endurance: 30 days supplies Mass: 1,038 tons (unfuelled and unloaded) Cargo Capacity: 520 cubic meters Crew: 26 (10 Bridge, 8 TAC, 6 Engineering, 1 steward, 1 medical); Passengers:
none Comfort: 0 (+2 for CO and XO) Emergency Power: 150 hours Total Life Support: 26 for 30 days Cost: MLv28.15 (without ordnance) Ship Status Sheet Move: 4 Screens: 0 Radiated Signature: 3(5) Radial Reflected: 5 (4 if missile packs jettisoned) Lateral Reflected: 5 Target Computers: +2 Radial Profile: -1 Lateral Profile: +1 Armour: 0 Hull hits: Power Plant Hits: 60/12 Active: 7 Passive: 10 Other: 4 x1+1 lasers in masked turrets with UTES (2x 1234, 2x 1678) Ordnance Load 6 SIM-14 missiles in 2 packs, 2 missile communicators Spherical Active-7 Crew Hits: Damage Control:
3 (and 5 spare bridge crew, plus the steward)
The Hampton class
corvettes are some fairly good ships for adventuring in. Unlike the larger war
cruisers and the like they are closely tied to a logistics net and the Director
has a firm grip on them. Their characteristics make them suitable for “Special
Operations” type missions. A dash to deliver troops behind Kafer lines, a recce
of the Kafer defences for the fleet etc. Also, the Hamptons gives
the GM a good way to get his players involved via the Reserves, players can
find themselves suddenly mobilised and on a warship en route either to the
Kafer War or maybe to the American Arm to fight crime. Notes
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