quote:Originally posted by Mr. Pink: So what are you saying, David? That this has been discussed before and I thus look like an idiot or that you just don't care?
I've been so used to discussing what the Galaxy is capable of, that I forgot what my opinion on the numbers in service was. I'd have to go with Red Admiral's numbers, maybe somewhat less than his optimal guestimation. We do see quite a few Galaxies during the War, in basically every fleet that we comes across.
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Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
The Federation though is a huge entity, with a massive amount of resources at its disposal. I can't see a problem with the Federation running a fleet of around 8,000 ships, at least...
-------------------- "To the Enterprise and the Stargazer. Old girlfriends we'll never meet again." - Scotty
posted
There certainly aren't that many Galaxys around, seeing that we're contantly infromed that it's a unique and expensive starship. That'd be like saying that there's 100 Sovs and Prometheus-class ships running about, when I think it's more reasonable to say that there's most certainly below 10, or even more likely, 5 or less of each.
But, back to the episode... when we do hear for the Galaxy wing to engage the Cardassian Galors, we see a couple of Galaxy's on our TV screen firing phaser blasts in that memorable moment, suggesting that it is in fact made up of Galaxys.
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posted
But Sisko did speak of *two* Galaxy wings, and we see two Galaxy class ships...
Frankly, I'd have liked to see more correlation between the dialogue and the VFX. Nowhere in the battles did the Federation ships appear to be fighting in formations of any sort. It was everybody for herself, except for those annoying obligatory moments of "Bogie on your six!" "I can't shake him!" "Hang on!"... No organization whatsoever.
How would a "Galaxy wing" operate, assuming it's something built of a Galaxy and her escorts? From the looks of the Galor-cutting sequence, it could be that the Galaxy spearheads the formation, eliminates the hardest resistance, and allows the lesser ships to move in and finish the job, then perhaps turns tail and runs so as not to be damaged by the lesser opponents. Much like a war elephant might plunge into the ranks of enemy cavalry, opening the way for the infantry to engage the enemy infantry, and then escaping before the mighty beast panics.
In no case could I see a "Galaxy wing" operating in the same manner as today's carrier wings. A wet-navy carrier is a defenseless hindrance to the wing in ship-to-ship or ship-to-sub combat - a Galaxy is the wing's most potent combatant in that form of fighting.
posted
Well, in the context of the "Sacrifice of Angels" battle, which was sublight and close-quarters...
I'd suggest that it was generally an organized free-for-all, where each wing had a certain basic vector to try to cut their way through the Dominion fleet. The Galaxy-class ships spearheaded the advance -- blowing the crap out of the Galor, for example -- and did the maximum damage first in order to soften the enemy up for the rest of the Starfleet ships that were following them.
Sheer speculation, but imagine a "Galaxy Wing" of something like:
1 Galaxy Class starship
4 Excelsior Class starships
10 Miranda Class starships
5 Akira Class starships
And so on...
So basically, the Galaxy would act as a "battering ram" against the enemy, blast their way in and make way for the rest. One interesting detail, though, is that not a single Federation starship (aside from Our Heroes aboard the Defiant) managed to make their way through the Dominion lines. So the question is, were the other ships simply bogged down and cut off by the Jem'Hadar, unable to get out of the melee? Were they destroyed? Or did they conveniently forget Sisko's orders in order to (1) allow for the convenient climax of "one little ship against thousands of reinforcements" and (2) foresee the Dramatic Victory of the allies against the Dominion fleet?
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted
My memory isn't 100% here, but I seem to remember other Federation ships did break through the Dominion line right at the end of the episode, just after the Defiant comes out of the wormhole. It was either Federation or Klingon ships at any rate, and it led to Weyoun to comment "Time to start packing".
In an organised free-for-all, you would expect a ship like the Defiant to fare better. It would have been one of the few ships there that could really manouver. The Galaxies and other big ships would just float around, shooting at whatever they came near. The Defiant could duck and dive like some crazy cockney.
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Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Yeh you're right. At the end 200 ships break through Dominion lines and head for DS9.
Siwiak: I have no knowledge of us being constantly informed that it's (the Galaxy Class) a unique and expensive starship. The reason there aren't 100's of Sovereigns and Prometheus's around is obvious. They're new ships, freshly commissioned. The Galaxy is not so new, it's been around for about 20 years now - the USS Galaxy being commissioned in 2357. As soon as the construction order was finalised for the Galaxy Class, six spaceframes were prepared. That was 20 years ago. 100 by now, Federation-wide, is not at all out of the question.
-------------------- "To the Enterprise and the Stargazer. Old girlfriends we'll never meet again." - Scotty
posted
maybe the galaxy wings were exactly that: the wings of the galaxy fighting for the federation. it would make more sense than threshold. personally, i think that "galaxy wings" was just a throw away term that sounded "cool" at the time. i doubt that the writers were pondering "hmmmm, is a galaxy wing a formation headed by a galaxy class starship, or is it a big group of GCS"? if they were thinking that, i would choose the former. maybe galaxy wing is a maneuver. maybe it is a military code name. maybe sisko was having an orb experience while he was saying it. who knows. and i would certainly also like to have some of that crack cocaine that Matrix has.
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Red BWC
Ex-Member
posted
But wouldn't it make more sense to just send in the Stardrive Section? Lose 60% of it's mass and you've got a small target and hard to hit.
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posted
There was some suggestion of a formation of sorts during the battle. The Sitak and the Megellan were flying in formation with the Defiant, covering her flank.
This might suggest that groups of 3 or 4 ships were paired up within the various wings. But we really didn't see any other evidence of that other than the fighters flying in groups.
posted
BWC: The sole purpose of saucer separation was for the evacuation of civilians in emergency situations. Do you think that Starfleet let family members stay aboard ships that were being sent on an invasion of enemy territory?
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted
Plus you wouldn't want to deprive yourself of those 2 extra impulse engines (which seamed to be in full use during the battle). Not to mention that wacking great shuttlebay for fighter support, or the extra phaser banks, sensor arrays and a battle bridge that is much more protected when the sauser is docked.
posted
I know. MMan, but there should be at least some Galaxies seperated. I wouldn't want my captial ship to go and be destroyed... not like they had a chance, though.
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Prismatic EdipisReks
Ex-Member
posted
other than the Big O, we never saw a Galaxy class destroyed by the Jem'Hadar. theory killed.
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