Oberth-class (オーベルト級 Ōberuto-kyū) is a class of Space Destroyers (宇宙駆逐艦 Uchū Kuchikukan) featured in the Super Dimension Fortress Macross television series.[1]
Technology & Combat Characteristics
Each Oberth-class Destroyer is propelled by Thermonuclear Reaction Engines.[2]
Each Oberth-class Destroyer has a length of 200 meters, two main thermonuclear reaction cruise rockets and two battle-use booster rockets. Although their armor is weak, they have high maneuverability. They were the first example of technology that was reversed-engineered from the Macross.[3]
The main engines are used for cruising and the two battle-use booster rocket are used in battle and when high-maneuverability is needed.[3]
Armaments
- Anti-Ship Reaction Weapon Missile Launchers
- Beam Cannons
- Armed with four, large-bore type.[2]
History
Unification Wars
Due to the ASS-1's presence on Earth, human beings realized that there were conflicts between the aliens taking place outside of the solar system, thus they established the United Nations Government and strengthened their defense. A space-faring destroyer, mounting a Thermonuclear Reaction Rocket Engine, was developed as part of that strengthening. Construction began in April, 2003, at the L-5 Industrial Station. Two years later, in March, 2005, the Oberth, was commissioned. Afterwards, the Oberth-class Destroyers were mass produced, and a considerable number were deployed by the time of the outbreak of the First Interstellar War. The Oberth-class Destroyers were regarded as excellent warships because they were build (due to the simplified structure) and of course, their maneuverability.[2]
After the first Destroyer was commissioned, the second ship, the “Goddard”. was commissioned in June, 2005, and the third ship, the “Tsiolkovsky”, was commissioned in September. Thereafter, in preparation for hostilities with the aliens who were expected to arrive in the near future, a considerable number of the Destroyers were built. However, the first battle came long before Space War I began. In September, 2005, the “Tsiolkovsky” was hijacked by the Anti-U.N. Forces, and attacked a fleet from Mars. The ship's first gunfire was turned on Earth's UN Forces themselves. The UN Forces dispatched the “Goddard” into this situation. The Tsiolkovsky was stopped with Reaction Weaponry, and the incident was suppressed. The Captain of the Goddard happened to be Bruno J. Global, the man who would later command the Macross.[3]
Space War I
ARMD-01 with Oberth-class Destroyers.
On February 7, 2009,[4] some Oberth-class Destroyers accompanied ARMD-class Space Carriers in engaging several Zentradi ships in battle, thus they were among the first human-built vessels to fight Zentradi. The battle resulted in one Thuverl-Salan-class Battleship being destroyed by Large Missiles (which were reaction weapons) from ARMD-01, ARMD-02 sustaining minor damage and ARMD-01 being put out of commission by guided beam cannons from Vrlitwhai Kridanik's Nupetiet-Vergnitzs-class Fleet Command battleship. The fate of the Oberth-class Destroyers in that battle was unknown. (SDFM: "Boobytrap")
The destruction of the ARMD-01 and an Oberth-class Destroyer.
Later on in the day, the SDF-1 Macross had launched into space and Vrlitwhai wanted it captured. He ordered a barrage of beams to be fired from his fleet to destroy the smaller ships surrounding the Macross. According to First Lieutenant Hayase, this destroyed two Oberth-class destroyers (the Miranda and the Akishima) as well as ARMD-01. (SDFM: "Space Fold")
Although there was quite a number of Oberth-class Destroyers in Earth's orbit at the time Space War I broke out, they suffered heavy losses from the first contact with the Vrlitwhai fleet. However, it can be said that they succeeded in battle more than the U.N. Spacy Headquarters had assumed, by their confirmed sinking of more than 10 enemy ships with Reaction Weapons. At the time of the all-out attack on the Earth by Golg Boddole Zer's Main Fleet, 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 the few ships remained; the ones that had been assigned to the defense of Apollo Base on the Moon's surface.[3]
Notes & Trivia
- The Oberth-class and the Oberth are named after Hermann Oberth, a pioneer of rocket science. Similarly, the Goddard is named after the first American rocket scientist, Robert H. Goddard, and the Tsiolkovsky is named after Russian rocket scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, who is considered to be the father of rocket science and astronautics.
- Coincidentally, the Star Trek franchise also has a class of starship named Oberth as well as two ships of the line named Oberth and Tsiolkovsky.
References
- ↑ Macross Perfect Memory Page 166
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Macross Chronicle Revised Edition 25/03/2014 Page 7
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Macross Chronicle Revised Edition 25/03/2014 Page 8
- ↑ Macross TV Series Liner Notes | AnimEigo
External links
 For the Robotech equivalent, visit Oberth class. |