Commandant or Kapitean name: Kapitaen Engelbert Oels
Ship Class: Rheinland Battleship
Affiliations: Rheinland Military, Rheinland Military Guard
Identification Card: Rheinland Military
Primary Ship usage(s): Force Projection and Military Diplomatic Vessel stationed in New Berlin
Ship History:
(Sorry for spelling and grammatical errors in this. I'll proof read it later. Just wanted to toss it up now so I'm legal and what not, when I'm flying around in my battleship.)
During the early days of the war Eighty Year war Kapitaen Otto von Mackensen was in command of the Battleship RNC Kronprinz. The Kronprinz was part of a small agile strike group known as K?mpfen Gruppe Vier. This group consisted of one battleship, one cruiser, four gunboats, and three wings of support craft. The purpose of this strike force was to respond to areas under attack. With no stationary battle line, the fleet was free to move and aid other beleaguered positions in the system. K?mpfen Gruppe Vier was one of the last flotillas to enter Sigma 13, and saw little action in the early days of the war.
The battle group time and time again proved it usefulness as an experienced and battle hardened attack force, striking just when the GMG forces thought they would gain the upper hand, K?mpfen Gruppe Vier would appear from through the gas clouds, like ghosts the fleet would engage and destroy the enemies, secure the allied forces position and then vanish as quickly as they arrived. Everyone in the battle group was on strict short range communications only, no ship had contact with anyone who wasn't within their shortwave communication devices.
For 15 years they fought, only stopping to resupply and refuel. The war continued to trudge onwards, with no end in sight the fights became more like mathematical problems. It wasn't randomness or luck, the eb and flow of battle was a dance they had seen thousands of times before, and each new encounter was a rerun of the last.
It wasn't until the last day of the 15th year that that changed. The GMG grew tired of the elusive ghost fleets their pilots spoke of, and intended to put a stop to it. GMG fighters boxed a lone wing of Bombers and their Fighter escorts into a small gas cloud. Praying the wing would call for help and the Ghost fleet would arrived to aid them, their trap was set. This same tactics was deployed over and over again, until one trap was finally sprung. The Ghost fleet arrived....
Kapitaen Otto von Mackensen held on to the brass rails overlooking his bridge.
"Another day in the service of the Rhein." he thought to himself with a smile. His crew was busy carrying out their duties, ensuring the Kronprinz was in prime fighting condition.
"Kapitaen, the fleet is in position. We are reading the retreating bomber wing at 12K from our port. They are being chased by what appears to be no fewer than 15 enemy fighters. I also would like to report three large gas collectors in the area. They seem to be interfering with our equipment. I'm not sure what it is, but they are not filled with the usual gas collected in this area." The operations officer said, in a firm but unfeeling tone. His eyes never left his monitor as his hands glided over the key controls in front of him.
"Thank you. Lets try to avoid those. Arm forward batteries bring us to port, and cut engines to 10%. Silent running until we have contact with the enemy. Send word to the rest of the fleet. Bring back the RNC Albert to the rear guard, post the RNC Schmitt and her sister on the starboard and port. The other two gunboat may take up forward lance position, along with fighter wings eins and zwei. I want this by the book, cut down the enemies and leave.", Von Mackensen said releasing his grip on the brass rail and clasping his hands behind his back.
The entire fleet began to shift their positions. In turn each ship was given it's orders, and each moved with the precision of surgical scalpel in the hands of a doctor. It was something of a beauty in it's own right, like a dance. It wouldn't last long.
As the Battle fleet got in range of the enemy fighter wings the gas collectors revealed their true identity. Demo charges exploded around their centers and the hollow metal shells fell away. Bomber wings, each collector opened up housing no less than fifteen bombers and three Kusari gunboats. A special forces contingent of the Kusari navy, that excelled in covert operations against enemy fleets. Black ops, if they failed Kusari would deny their existence, if they won they would clean up the area and appear as if they had never been there.
The gunboats in front and their escort wings had no time to react. They had been destroyed within the first few minutes of the battle. The guard gunboats protecting the Kronprinz went down next, not before taking out an enemy gunboat and several bombers. The Kronprinz and the cruiser RNC Albert were the last to remain, and they battled the enemy for four hours. Both sides took heavy loses and finally the Alberts reactor went critical and destroyed the ship with all hands on board.
It was over, the Kronprinz wouldn't last much longer. The Kapitaen looked out the view glass with a slight glaze over his eyes, and not so much a worried expression on his face as an interested one. This was it, after 15 years of constant combat, this was how they met their end. He had seen this from the other side of the conflict as the victory in hundreds of battles, and now it was his turn. He sighed, and remained calm as the crew fought and remained at their stations into the grave.
The Kronprinz was destroyed with all hands, and non of her escorts survived the ordeal.
Many years later, after the nomad wars a salvage team located the wreckage of K?mpfen Gruppe Vier. The valor and service of the men and women of K?mpfen Gruppe Vier was rewarded by a ceremony held in New Berlin. The record of their missions, some ships log, and several holo recordings of their final fight had all survived mostly intact. In honor of the warships and their crew the Rheinland Government proposed to salvage what they found and rebuild the Kronprinz. It took 5 years to complete. Pieces of each vessel in K?mpfen Gruppe Vier were used to help build the new battleship. The original bridge from the Kronprinz was used and her Kapitaens chair was still in place. This new vessel would be named the Gott Schalk, a reminder of all the valiant servants of the people, ideas, and places that make up Rheinland, who serve for the greater good of the GottKanzler and his realm.
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