Federation CA Hull Numbers

Scott36 · Post by **Scott36** » Tue Aug 18, 2009 2:29 am

First of all, I'll apologize in advance if this is the wrong forum for this question (or if this seems silly). I'm just getting back into SFB after a long hiatus and I'm still feeling my way around.

I'm compiling a list of ship names that more or less matches up with the Order of Battle listed in Federation & Empire (for use in a future campaign, maybe). One thing that I noticed is that there are multiple series' of hull numbers for Federation CA's. Aside from the 1700's, there are some older hull numbers from old CA's that have been refitted (1017 Constellation, for example).

My question is regarding the 1600's... are these older cruisers that have been refitted, newer cruisers produced after the 1700's, or what? I've found descriptions for 1601, 1602, 1603 and I know that 1651 and onwards appear to be for NCA's. The others have me stumped, though - particularly since 1601 - 1603 seem to be fairly late production models, compared the 1700 hulls.

Dal Downing · Post by **Dal Downing** » Tue Aug 18, 2009 3:38 am

Hi Scott,

Welcome back I have my Opinions of what those ships are but I will wait and see if someone more in the know knows something before i muddy the water. BUT... I have a few links you may want to scan through for Fed Fleets during Day of the Eagle or Day One. The Day One is a Wild A$$ Guess in places but figured you could use the research and change it up the way you want to see it look.

Romulian Border - "Day of the Eagle" (6th fleet)

http://www.starfleetgames.com/federatio ... sc&start=0

And for Klingon Border - Roughly on "Day One" (3rd and 7th Fleet)

Scroll down to Mon Nov 24, 2008 1:55 am

http://www.starfleetgames.com/federatio ... php?t=1543

OGOPTIMUS · Post by **OGOPTIMUS** » Tue Aug 18, 2009 3:52 am

Thanks for the plug of my miniatures post!

This might not be much help, but there is a line in the fiction story from CL39 about the 1600 series of cruisers being upgraded to the same specifications of the 1700 series.

So, that might imply that the 1600s were produced before the 1700s, but it might also just mean that the 1700s got their upgrades first, and then Star Fleet went back to upgrade the 1600s.

djdood · Post by **djdood** » Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:50 am

That was the impression I had always gotten too. That being the 13xx and 16xx series were all brought up to be functionally identical to the 17xx Constitution-class ships (at least identical in the things that SFB and FC model).

Perhaps one or both of the older series were "Middle Years" ships or even earlier.

If and when Leanna's Fighting Starships is published, maybe it will answer some of these kinds of questions. Or, maybe not.

OGOPTIMUS · Post by **OGOPTIMUS** » Tue Aug 18, 2009 6:58 pm

Just to quickly follow up on my earlier note, I went back and read the relevant section of the fiction story and here's the line:

"...a heavy cruiser of the sixteen hundred series...one of the oldest heavy cruisers..."

And then the reply: "...but even the sixteen hundreds were upgraded to the seventeen hundred standard before the war..."

Quote taken from Captain's Log #39, published and copyright ADB Inc., 2009.

djdood · Post by **djdood** » Tue Aug 18, 2009 8:03 pm

Makes perfect sense to me.

Look at the modern-day U.S.S. Enterprise CVN-65. She's still in service and will have been in service for well over 50 years by the time she retires (when U.S.S. Ford replaces her). Enterprise has been extensively refitted several times during her career, including full-swaps of her defensive armament and radar/electronics suites as well as numerous complete replacements of her air group.

Considering how durably Starfleet builds its peacetime ships, I can easily see them being valid for upgrade for well over 100 years (like the oCL's). The CA hulls I'm sure would follow suit.

Scott36 · Post by **Scott36** » Tue Aug 18, 2009 10:50 pm

Thanks! I was thinking roughly along the same lines.

The description in Fast Warships for the Federation fast cruiser seems to contradict this, indicating that the fast cruisers were built in Y167, 168 & 169, 'replacing the normal CA's in the production schedule for those years'. Two of the three fast cruisers had 1600 hull numbers (1602 Wolverine, 1603 Stingray). Agincourt (1601) is listed in the same product as being rebuilt as a drone cruiser and re-entering service in 172, but there's no mention of when the cruiser was originally launched.

That being said, I'm still leaning towards the explaination that many of the 1600 series ships listed were older cruisers that were refitted up to 1700 standards.

Thanks again. And thanks for the 'Day One' links for the 3rd and 6th fleets - those were very helpful!

djdood · Post by **djdood** » Tue Aug 18, 2009 11:36 pm

Issuing of the NCC-numbers may not be consecutive. It may very well skip blocks of numbers, for reasons only bureaucrats would understand.

OGOPTIMUS · Post by **OGOPTIMUS** » Tue Aug 18, 2009 11:51 pm

Different shipyards contracting for a limited production run several times?

And not all shipyards are upgraded or switch over at the same time. IIRC, there was one Klingon shipyard that never stopped making D6s when all the others made D7s long before the General War.

djdood · Post by **djdood** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 12:10 am

There's always cancellations and then later reassignment to other hulls too.

CV's 50 through 58 for the U.S. Navy were all canceled. One of those could get reactivated and used for a new construction (stranger things have happened).

Scott36 · Post by **Scott36** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 12:32 am

That works for me!

Thanks for the input.

Bolo_MK_XL · Post by **Bolo_MK_XL** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 12:37 am

Remember that CA/CL and CV/CVLs used the same number list ----
Wasn't a separate list of numbers for the hull types --

Most numbers were used, just the construction was canceled --

terryoc · Post by **terryoc** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 12:52 pm

Yeah, the older CAs were the R-class, including Republic and Reshadije, among others. I think they were either Middle Years era ships or even Early Years ships, updated to modern standards. The original hull design had "growth room" which allowed the hulls to be upgraded to other ships like the GW CA, CC and even CB.

The Klingons continued to produce D6s through the GW for similar reasons: the D6 is an extremely adaptable hull, they built carriers, scouts, drone cruisers, penal ships, commando ships, and I don't know what else from that hull.

mjwest · Post by **mjwest** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 1:47 pm

terryoc wrote:Yeah, the older CAs were the R-class, including Republic and Reshadije, among others. I think they were either Middle Years era ships or even Early Years ships, updated to modern standards. The original hull design had "growth room" which allowed the hulls to be upgraded to other ships like the GW CA, CC and even CB.

The R-class CAs are all Middle Years designs (yes, this is a retcon). That does mean there are two separate "Republic" classes: The EY ships, and the R-class MY ships.

Also, don't forget the 10xx series ships represented by the Constellation.

Bolo_MK_XL · Post by **Bolo_MK_XL** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 2:13 pm

In the US, ship Numbers/Names were handed out with the contract --- Names were sometimes changed during construction ---

Thinking that possibly in the Federation, Contractors had certain numbers they would use when they got a contract -- A used 10XXs, B had 16XXs so fore and etc ----

That would put things in a simpler light when trying to explain things ---