White Base

Pegasus-class assault carrier

The White Base was a Pegasus-class assault carrier produced by the Earth Federation. Principality of Zeon identified the ship with the codename Trojan Horse. The carrier looked like a horse. It also carried mobile suits and soldiers within, hence the reference to the Greek mythology Trojan Horse.

History

When the One Year War started, the Principality of Zeon surprised the Earth Federation with their use of mobile suits. The Federation realised the importance of mobile suits and started Project V to develop mobile weapons. The Federation scientists were also tasked with developing a line of carriers to transport the mobile weapons in to battle.

The White Base was the most notable vessel from the Pegasus-class. Later models were refitted and modified based on the feedback and data collected from White Base.

The Pegasus-class carriers were designated with a few model numbers. For example, the White Base was desginated as LMSD-71 / MSC-02 / SCV-70. LMSD stands for Landing Mobile Suit Deck. MSC stands for Mobile Suit Carrier. SCV stands for Space Carrier Vessel. The carriers were initially designated as SCV but they were later on redesignated as LMSD. After the war, the surviving ships were reassigned as MSC.

When the Zeon forces attacked Side 7, White Base was thrown into action to fight off the enemy. Captain Paolo Cassius was the first captain of White Base. After he was wounded by sharpnel from a missile attack, Ensign Bright Noa, the highest-ranking military personnel, served as the acting commander. When Captain Cassius died from his injuries, Bright Noa took over command of the ship. Bright remained as the captain of White Base until it was destroyed in the battle of A Baoa Qu. Mirai Yashima was made acting captain during the period that Bright was unable to perform his duties.

The White Base served the Earth Federation well during the One Year War, participating in major battles such as Jaburo, Operation Odessa, Solomon, and A Baoa Qu.

During the battle of A Baoa Qu, the White Base spearheaded the final assault on the space fortress and it was used to ram into the asteroid. The crew evacuated the ship and it was self-destructed to damage A Baoa Qu.

Design

Pegasus-class carriers were built with two sections on either side of the ship that housed the launch catapults and internal hangars. The catapults were used for launching and landing the mobile weapons. The proximity of the catapults to the hangars allowed fast emergency sorties and to facilitate repair and resupply during battle.

The carriers had a rotating secion in its main body to generate artificial gravity when in space.

Each Pegasus-class carrier had a Minovsky craft system that allowed it to make atmospheric re-entry and to fly on Earth.

Bridge of a Pegasus-class assault carrier

Bridge of a Pegasus-class assault carrier

Armaments

The battleships had a main turret, two mega particle turrets and eight anti-aircraft turrets. This weapon load meant that it had firepower to match Zeon’s [Musai-class][] light cruisers.

Main guns

Pegasus-class carriers had a main turret with two 580 mm guns. This main turret delivered the most firepower among the carriers’ armaments.

Secondary guns

The assault carriers had two secondary turrets that had two mega particle guns each.

Anti-aircraft guns

Eight twin machine gun turrets provided anti-aircraft and anti-mobile suit defense.

Missile launchers

The Pegasus-class carriers had eight three-tube missile launchers that could use a variety of missiles.

Hangar

The hangar of the White Base was able to fit up ten mobile weapons. They had six mobile suit bays and space for four mobile weapons. The mobile weapons were usually support units or mobile armours.

The White Base carried the three prototype mobile suits from Project V: the RX-75-4 Guntank, the RX-77-2 Guncannon, and the RX-78-2 Gundam. These three mobile suits served as the main defence squad.

Behind the scenes

Kunio Okawara was the original mechanical designer.

Appearances