The Pegasus-class, also known as the White Base-class, was a class of assault landing ship used by the Earth Federation Forces. Originally developed and entered service during the One Year War, improved ships of the class saw action during the Delaz Conflict and beyond.
History[]
Prior to the outbreak of the One Year War, the Federation's space vessels leaned toward the "big ship, big gun" philosophy and did not feel the need for a spacecraft carrier. This finally changed when the Principality of Zeon began increasing its military power, leading to the launch of the carrier development project "SCV-X".[1]
After several plans were considered and scrapped, including a plan for a open type FF-S3 Saberfish carrier, the SCV-27A project, which would later become known as the Pegasus-class, was approved. Following the outbreak of the war, the Federation Forces witnessed the effectiveness of Zeon mobile suits and altered the project, turning the SCV-27A into a carrier for the RX series mobile suits instead of space fighters.[1] Following this, the Pegasus-class was reclassified from space carrier to assault landing ship.[2]
The first ship of the class, the SCV-70 White Base, was approved for construction as part of the U.C. 0077 combat strength improvement project. Its construction began in February, U.C. 0078, in Dock 1 of Jaburo's A Block. At the same time, the second ship and the third ship began construction in Dock 4 and Dock 5. The White Base was completed in September, U.C. 0079. It made a test flight to Luna II before being given the mission to receive the RX mobile suits from Side 7 and return to Jaburo.[1] Since it was completed ahead of the nameship, the SCV-69 Pegasus, some referred to the class as the White Base-class due to ancient naval traditions.[3]
However, during this mission, the White Base was attacked by then-Lieutenant Commander Char Aznable's squadron, losing more than half of its formal crew members. With a cadet of mostly cadets and civilians, it managed to return to Earth and achieved significant battle results against Zeon forces before returning to Jaburo. It was later made part of the 13th Autonomous Corps and participated in the Federation space counteroffensive, ultimately being sunk during the Battle of A Baoa Qu.[1]
During and after the war, many ships of the class with different designs or improved technology were created, such as the SCVA-72 Thoroughbred, the LMSD-76 Gray Phantom, and the MSC-07 Albion. These vessels were sometimes classified as Quasi-White Base-class.[1] Following the end of the One Year War, all such ships were reclassified as Pegasus-class assault landing ships.[4]
Ships in class[]
- SCV-69 (MSC-01) Pegasus - Nameship and second ship of the class. Due to construction delays, it was the second of its class to be completed. Assigned to Luna II fleet near the end of the One Year War.[1][4]
- SCV-70 (LMSD-71) (MSC-02) White Base - First ship of the class and nameship of the White Base-class. The legendary ship that proved instrumental in the Federation's victory during the One Year War.[4]
- SCV-71 White Base Jr. - Third ship of the class. Completed just before the end of the One Year War. Since the White Base was sunk during the war, this ship later commissioned as the White Base II.[1][3]
- SCV-73 Blanc Rival - Fifth ship of the class. Damaged by Midnight Fenrir Corps during the attack on Jaburo,[5] later participated in the Battle of A Baoa Qu carrying the RX-78-3 G-3 Gundam.[6]
- SCVA-72 Thoroughbred - First ship of the Quasi-White Base-class.[1] Flagship of the 16th Autonomous Corps during the One Year War,[7] later assigned to Phantom Sweep Corps in U.C. 0081.[8]
- SCVA-73 Troy Horse - Fourth ship of the class.[3] Second ship of the Quasi-White Base-class. Said to be responsible for transporting supplies during Operation Star One, but did not participate in combat.[1]
- SCVA-74 - Unnamed, it was approximately 40% complete when it was disassembled and used to repair the White Base.[1]
- MSC-05 (LMSD-76) Gray Phantom - Stationed at the Side 6 Ribo colony near the end of the One Year War, deployed mobile suit teams against the MS-18E Kämpfer, which were all destroyed.[9] Later participated in the naval review at Solomon and was sunk.[4]
- MSC-06 (LMSD-77) Stallion - Sixth ship of the class. Its construction was halted with the end of the war, but restarted post-war as part of the Federation Forces Reconstruction Plan.[3] Very little is known about this ship other than that it was apparently destroyed during the naval review at Solomon.[4]
- MSC-07 (LMSD-78) Albion - Seventh ship of the class. Its construction was halted with the end of the war, but restarted post-war as part of the Federation Forces Reconstruction Plan. It featured many new equipment, such as new mobile suit catapults and a laser propulsion system.[3]
Others[]
- Spartan - A unique Pegasus-class ship equipped with four landing ships above its mobile suit decks. The Spartan participated in Operation Thunderbolt, and was sunk during the final battle at Taal volcano base. Appears in Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt.
- Forrestal - A Gray Phantom-type ship used by Federation official Grave. Participated in the attack on Solomon and A Baoa Qu. Destroyed by the rogue Slave Wraith team. Appears in the Missing Link manga.
- Sleipnir Kai
- Centaur
- Il Nido
- Valkyrie
- Tribune - A Gray Phantom-type ship that served as the flagship of the Federation 7th fleet. Appears in Outer Gundam.
- G-class
- Troy Horse III - A Gray Phantom-type ship initially in the hands of True Federal but hijacked by BGST. Appears in Mobile Suit Gundam Katana.
Behind the Scenes[]
Mobile Suit Variation 3 - Federation Edition referred to the White Base's class as the White Base-class. It also referred to the three SCVA ships: the Thoroughbred, the Troy Horse, and the unnamed SCVA-74, as "quasi White Base-class" (準ホワイトベース級). However, Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory used the term Pegasus-class instead, canonizing it as the class name of the White Base. There were several explanations for this discrepency, such as MS Wars stating that White Base-class was an alternate name used by some due to traditions, and Data Gundam stating that the class name was changed to Pegasus-class name following the end of the One Year War.
Due to the addition of various ships over the years, as well as the use of different hull number systems in different series, the numbering of the Pegasus-class was extremely chaotic. For example, both the Gray Phantom and the Blanc Rival were said to be the fifth ship of the class in different sources.
In the Mobile Suit Gundam novel trilogy, the White Base equivalent is the White Base-class assault landing ship, Pegasus.
The term "強襲揚陸艦" meant amphibious assault ship in Japanese, though it was officially translated as "assault landing ship" in English media. An alternate translation, "assault carrier", was used by some official merchandise, such as the M&V Series Assault Carrier "Albion" toy released in North America.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Most Pegasus-class ship names have a horse motif.
- In the non-canon arcade game Mobile Suit Gundam: Spirits of Zeon ~Dual Stars of Carnage~, the players fight and destroy the Pegasus-class 3rd ship in the docks of Jaburo. This ship appears to be identical to the White Base, but has a color scheme similar to the Thoroughbred.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Mobile Suit Variation 3 - Federation Edition (1984), p.106
- ↑ Comic BomBom Special 84 - MS Wars - Mobile Suit Gundam 0083 (1992), p.133
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Comic BomBom Special 84 - MS Wars - Mobile Suit Gundam 0083 (1992), p.134
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Mobile Suit Gundam Characters - Universal Century I (2010), p.20
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeonic Front
- ↑ Gundam the Ride: A Baoa Qu
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story: Space, To the End of a Flash
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam: Battlefield Record U.C. 0081
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket Episode 4, Over the River and Through the Woods
External links[]