Carrack-class light cruiser/Legends

Carrack-class light cruiser The Carrack-class light cruiser, also known as the Carrack-class gunship, was a cruiser first used by the Republic Navy in the last years of the Galactic Republic, including the Clone Wars.

It was later an important addition to the Imperial Navy; although 350 meters long, the small combat cruisers were heavily armed and had a top speed that matched X-wing starfighters.

Characteristics


Two weapon configurations were known for this class: one with ten heavy turbolasers, twenty laser cannons designed to defend against starfighters and missiles, and five tractor beam projectors, and an alternative version which replaced the flak lasers with ion cannons. In either version, the Carrack was very heavily armed for its size, a feature which it coupled with impressive speed and maneuverability made it a highly versatile warship. A group of Carracks could defeat one ship ten times bigger than an individual Carrack.

In addition, the survivability of the design was enhanced by safety devices built into the hull to strengthen the spaceframe and provided extra protection for the crew. Reinforced bulkheads and a compartmentalized design made Carracks tough for their size, and these were combined with independent life-support systems in different sections of the hull to lessen the dangers of hull breaches. Even when Carracks were reduced to drifting hulks, it was by no means uncommon for salvage teams to find survivors unharmed inside the wreckage.



However, the small size of the ship, especially when combined with the additional reinforcement and safety equipment, meant that there was no room available for an internal hangar bay. Instead, an exterior rack was added for up to five TIE series starfighters for use on reconnaissance or courier duties.

The ship's controls were also simple and automated enough so that two people could operate the vessel, although in normal circumstances, they carried a crew of 1,092 and a small Army contingent of 142 soldiers.

Although the ship may only appear the size of a small shuttle from some perspectives, this is because the main transparisteel viewport is larger than most ships in it's class and appears to be the shape of an oversized cockpit rather than a bridge.

History


The Carrack-class was made as a cheap replacement for expensive capital ships and was not designed to operate as ships of the line, despite being capable of trading fire with larger adversaries.

Redkihl Rokk and his band of pirates piloted a modified Carrack-class cruiser, Hungry Ghost, during the Clone Wars and Galactic Civil War.

During the Clone Wars, they served as fast-attack escorts for larger ships like Dreadnaught-class heavy cruisers. A group of Carracks, along with other Republic vessels, helped bring down the Confederate flagship Invisible Hand at the Battle of Coruscant.

Over time, the increasing size and firepower of Star Destroyers made them more vulnerable in the heat of combat, but their speed and firepower continued to make them useful. In the years after the Battle of Endor, Imperial commanders like Thrawn and Josef Grunger deployed them in skirmish lines ahead of their primary screening forces of Strike-class cruisers at battles like Tralus and Sluis Van.

Perhaps one of the best examples of the Carrack-class' capabilities came with the First Battle of Bakura (4 ABY). As the sole cruiser in the Bakuran system, the Imperial Carrack-class Dominant was a natural focus of the invading Ssi-Ruuvi fleet, who heavily damaged the vessel-however, the vessel remained nominally operational despite major damage. It was recruited into the new Bakuran Defense Force soon afterwards.



Under the New Order, sister-ships also served as patrol ships in quieter areas of Imperial space, and their speed and firepower also meant that many Imperial dignitaries used them as personal transports. While not a match for a Star Destroyer or a Mon Calamari Star Cruiser, a Carrack in open space could outrun most threats that it could not fend off, and it was also fast and tough enough to break though a blockade fleet.

Other ships of this class were put to more esoteric uses. In 5 BBY, during a campaign to exterminate the Oswaft, the Empire blockaded the entrance to the sack-shaped ThonBoka with five hundred capital ships (mostly Carrack cruisers modified to contaminate the "interstellar plankton" drifting into the nebula), intending to starve the entire Oswaft race into extinction. Luckily for the Oswaft, the Imperial plot was thwarted with the arrival of Lando Calrissian and Vuffi Raa.

Behind the scenes
The Carrack-class was named after the carrack sailing ship, which was developed in the 15th century. They were the first proper ocean-going ships in Europe, and became famous as the Spanish and Portuguese ships which explored the world in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Notes and references
Carrack cruiser Carrack-Klasse Kreuzer Crucero ligero clase Carrack Croiseur Leger Carrack Carrack-osztályú cirkáló Carrack-class Light Cruiser Krążownik typu Carrack