Kerguelen
Zanzibar-class mobile cruiser used by the Principality of Zeon during the One Year War.
The Kerguelen was a Zanzibar-class mobile cruiser operated by the Principality of Zeon during the One Year War. It was stationed at a secret Zeon mountain base in Southeast Asia under the command of Technical Major General Ginias Sahalin.
History
The Kerguelen was deployed to Southeast Asia in UC 0079 as part of Zeon’s mobile armor development programme. The ship was stationed at Technical Major General Ginias Sahalin’s secret mountain base, where it served a unique dual role as both a mobile cruiser and a power plant for the facility’s research operations.
Unlike other ships of her class that remained in active fleet service, the Kerguelen was converted to provide electrical power for Ginias’s mobile armor research facility, including the development of the Apsaras series of experimental mobile armors. This unconventional use demonstrated the versatility of the Zanzibar-class design and the critical importance of the research being conducted at the base.
In November UC 0079, Earth Federation Forces units, including elements of the 08th MS Team, discovered the location of the secret base and began their assault. As Federation forces pressed their attack, Ginias’s sister Aina Sahalin worked to negotiate a temporary ceasefire to allow the evacuation of wounded soldiers aboard the Kerguelen.
The temporary truce held long enough for the wounded to be loaded onto the ship. However, Ginias violated the ceasefire in his obsession with testing the Apsaras III, launching an unauthorised attack against Federation forces. In response to this breach of the agreed ceasefire, an RGM-79[G] GM Sniper shot down the Kerguelen as it attempted to evacuate, resulting in the loss of all hands aboard the vessel.
Design
As a Zanzibar-class mobile cruiser, the Kerguelen was designed for atmospheric re-entry and unassisted flight within Earth’s atmosphere using its powerful rocket thrusters. This capability made Zanzibar-class ships ideal for supporting ground operations and maintaining supply lines between space and terrestrial bases.
The Kerguelen featured the standard Zanzibar-class configuration with its distinctive separated hull design. The ship could carry up to six mobile suits in its internal hangars, providing mobile suit support for ground operations. When configured for its power generation role at Ginias’s base, the ship’s reactors were likely modified or supplemented to provide the substantial electrical output required for the research facility.
Armaments
The Kerguelen was equipped with the standard Zanzibar-class armament configuration designed for both space and atmospheric combat operations.
Main gun
The ship mounted a single 2-barrel main gun as its primary armament, providing long-range fire support for ground operations and defence against enemy vessels.
Mega particle guns
Four mega particle guns provided the ship with multiple firing arcs and concentrated beam weapon firepower. These weapons were effective against both mobile suits and other vessels.
Machine guns
Five 2-barrel machine guns served as point-defence weapons against mobile suits and aircraft. These rapid-fire weapons provided coverage around the ship’s hull to defend against close-range attacks.
Known captains
The identity of the Kerguelen’s captain during its service in Southeast Asia remains unknown, though the vessel operated under the overall command of Technical Major General Ginias Sahalin at the mountain base.
Behind the scenes
The Kerguelen appeared in the final episode of Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team, serving to illustrate both the humanitarian aspects of warfare and the tragic consequences of individual obsession overriding military discipline and agreed ceasefires.
Appearances
External links
- Zanzibar class (Kerguelen) on MAHQ
- Zanzibar-class on the Gundam Wiki