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The Roland class was the latest and most advanced destroyer class of the Royal Manticoran Navy at the outbreak of the Second Havenite-Manticoran War.
Origins and design notes[]
The Roland class reflected much of what the Royal Manticoran Navy had learned in the course of the war against Haven. In terms of sheer size, it was the largest destroyer ever produced, rivaling the size of other navies's light cruisers.
The Royal Manticoran Navy had been caught short of suitable flagships for cruiser and destroyer service during the First Havenite-Manticoran War, and the Rolands were one attempt to address that shortage. Every member of the class was fitted with extensive command and control capability and, in essence each can operate as the flagship of a destroyer squadron.
One of a family of post-war designs which included the Edward Saganami-C-class heavy cruisers and the Avalon-class light cruisers, the Roland-class destroyers were developed after the First Havenite-Manticoran War to make full use of technological advances such as multi-drive missiles, off-bore launchers and electronics.
Classed officially as "destroyers" by BuShips, at 188,560 tons the Roland-class ships were larger than many pre-war light cruiser classes, the "destroyer" designation being used by BuShips to ease approval of the class design by the Janacek Admiralty.
The first units of the class were ready for deployment in 1921 PD. (SI2)
Specifications[]
The Roland was the smallest warship to carry the Mark 16 dual-drive missile, mounting a cluster of six launchers in each hammerhead. Using off bore fire, it could bring all missiles to bear on a single target. The obvious downside of this arrangement was that a single hammerhead hit could take out half the total missile armament. The Roland was a match for any conventional light or even heavy cruiser without multi-drive missiles of its own. It was able to engage at a range far outside the opponent's, and fast enough to make a run for it if its MK16s were unable to penetrate the enemy's defenses.
As with the Wolfhound class, the Roland class had no place in the modern RMN wall of battle, and all of the units commissioned were deployed to the Talbott Quadrant or Silesia for use as pickets, system defense and convoy protection. The Grayson Space Navy has modified its Paul class versions. (Companion)
Known ships of the class[]
- HMS Roland († 1921 PD) – lead ship of the class
- HMS Ajax
- HMS Arngrim
- HMS Barbarossa († 1922 PD)
- HMS Gaheris
- HMS Galahad († 1921 PD)
- HMS Gawain
- HMS Honda Tadakatsu
- HMS Ivanhoe
- HMS Kay
- HMS Lancelot († 1921 PD)
- HMS Laozi († 1922 PD)
- HMS Saladin († 1922 PD)
- HMS Tornado
- HMS Tristram
- HMS Xiahou Dun
- HMS Yamamoto Date († 1922 PD)
External links[]
- David Weber post about the Roland-class in the infodump
| Manticoran Starship Classes | |||
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| Non-Warships | |||
| Small Craft | Hawk | Highlander | Pryderi | Skyhawk | ||