Lee (DropShip class)

This article is about the DropShip design. For other uses, see Lee (disambiguation).
Lee (DropShip).jpg
Lee
Production information
Manufacturer Terran Hegemony
Production Year 2756[1]
Use 'Mech Transport
Type Military Spheroid
Tech Base Inner Sphere
Technical specifications
Mass 17,000 tons
Structural Integrity 25
Length 98 meters
Width 98 meters
Height 117 meters
Safe Thrust 2.5 g
Max Thrust 4 g
Fuel (tons) 850 tons
Fuel (days) 461.95
Armament
Armor 90 tons Ferro-Aluminum
Crew 26[2]
  • 4 Officers
  • 7 Elisted
  • 15 Gunners

Marines: 30
Bay Personnel: 102

Passengers First-Class: 3
Second-Class: 20
Escape Pods/Life Boats 10/10
Heat Sinks 203 double
BV (2.0) 14,393[1]

Description[edit]

Produced a few decades before the Amaris Coup, the Lee-class DropShip was one of the last major military transports to be produced for the SLDF prior to its conquest by Stefan Amaris. Pitched by a consortium of three major naval yards in the Terran Hegemony, the Lee proposal was presented to SLDF Commanding General Aleksandr Kerensky in 2749. The design was part of his vision to streamline the number of Military DropShip Classes. His efforts were focused on the creation of a heavily armed and armored vessel that could carry a large payload of SLDF troops into battle quicker than any current design currently in service. Twice the size of the SLDF's standard Overlord, the Lee's primary design was configured to carry a reinforced battalion's worth of BattleMechs, while supported by a single squadron of aerospace fighters. Kerensky's efforts to get the Lee into production was not easy, due to various boondoggles and political entanglements associated with the creation and development of previous vessels, such as the Colossus-class DropShip. However, the unpopular Star Lord Richard Cameron's efforts to prevent the design from entering production proved to be beneficial in having it approved by his Star League Council. The Lee entered production in 2756.[2]

The Lee saw its first major action during the Periphery Uprising, where its ability to move large numbers of troops quickly proved to be a boon for the SLDF. However, the ship's large carry capacity became a liability during the invasion of the occupied Hegemony. Space Defense System's Caspar fleet of drones effectively destroyed a large number of these ships, causing many troops to be lost. Shortly after, these ships would be left in the SLDF's reserves until the landings on Terra where they were deployed in large numbers. Few of these ships survived to join the Exodus Fleet to the deep Periphery with General Kerensky and those remaining ships would be later lost in fighting during the Pentagon Civil War.[2]

Armaments[edit]

The Lee has the following weapons, by Firing Arc:

Nose[edit]

2 Gauss rifles, 3 ER PPCs, 3 ER large lasers with a cluster of 4 medium lasers, and a pair of Artemis IV guided twenty-tubed LRMs.

Forward Right/Left Arcs[edit]

2 Gauss rifles w/single 20-class autocannon, 2 ER PPCs, 1 ER large laser with a cluster of 4 medium lasers, and a pair of Artemis IV guided twenty-tubed LRMs.

Aft Right/Left Arcs[edit]

1 Gauss rifles w/single 20-class autocannon, 2 ER PPCs, 1 ER large laser with a cluster of 4 medium lasers, and a trio of Artemis IV guided twenty-tubed LRMs.

Aft[edit]

1 Gauss rifles w/20-class autocannon, 2 ER large lasers with a cluster of 6 medium lasers, and a pair of Artemis IV guided twenty-tubed LRMs.

Cargo[edit]

Variants[edit]

The Lee was produced in four different configurations, with the later designs in limited numbers.[2]

  • Lee Aerospace Carrier 
    This variant was designed to carry 40 aerospace fighters and a single squadron of small craft. This version of the Lee would lead to the creation of the Vengeance-class aerospace carrier DropShip.
  • Lee Cargo Transport 
    A short-lived design, which only saw three ships produced. This variant was designed as a blockade runner with 8,000-ton cargo capacity. Giving the SLDF the ability to run vital military cargo quickly to battlefields.

Notes[edit]

  • As of this writing, only the featured 'Mech carrier design has a canon record sheet found in Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 2.
  • The fluff indicating the CV version of the Lee was what brought on the creation of the Vengeance was written after the Vengeance was retconned to a post–Star League design, but prior to the design introduction date being reverted to the Star League era, in keeping with its original depiction.
  • Although not stated explicitly, the class may very well be named for SLDF Commanding General Carlos Dangmar Lee.

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 MUL online entry for the Lee (DropShip class)
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume II, pp. 148–149, 159: "Lee-class (DropShip)"

Bibliography[edit]