Why did the Rebellion bring transports to Endor?

[FaxModem1]

So, in Return of the Jedi, the Rebellion brings the fleet to take on the Death Star, with Han's team already gone ahead on Endor to blow up the shield generator. And the fleet they bring with them, includes the transports.

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2 ... 7/Mc09.jpg

In the middle and on the left hand side you can see rebel transports. These are brought into the space battle at Endor. My question is, WHY? Were they needing cannon fodder in their fleet?

According to wikipedia, they have no armament, unless they're modified, so they have all of 4 laser turrets.

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/GR-75_medium_transport

So, was the Rebellion that callous with their crews? Or did the transports have some other purpose in the battle of Endor?

[Captain Seafort]

Or did the transports have some other purpose in the battle of Endor?

Hellburners. As the novelisation puts it:

Cargo ships loaded with charge were set on collision collision courses with fortress-vessels, their crews abandoning ships to fates that were uncertain, at best.

[Kreller1]

I always thought (don't ask why, I don't know) that they were used as a kind of damage sponge, or objects used to shield "more important" ships like the cruisers and such. The suicide bomb thing makes sense though.

[Enigma]

Yup, they'd most likely used as fire-ships. But maybe they could have been used as Q-ships too.

[aussiemuscle308]

canon fodder?

[Nathaniel]

I'm not even clear why they brought capital ships. If things had gone to plan then they wouldn't have been any use at all. Shield goes down, fighters drop out of hyperdrive, raid the DS2's reactor, and then run away. It was only the completely unforseen presence of an imperial fleet and the delayed destruction of the shield generator that made them useful.

[Stofsk]

If things had gone completely to plan then the Fleet would have bombarded the DS2 while interdicting it to make sure nobody - like the Emperor - got out alive.

[Captain Seafort]

The presence of the fleet wasn't unexpected. What was unexpected was the size of it, the fact that it was waiting for them, and its flanking manoeuvre from behind Endor. The strike team's complete lack of surprise at the presence of the Ex and two ISDs demonstrates that they were expecting some sort of naval presence.

[Lord Pounder]

IIRC didn't Akbar say part of the plan was to use the Fleet to create a perimeter around the DS while the fighters were inside?

[Lord Revan]

IIRC didn't Akbar say part of the plan was to use the Fleet to create a perimeter around the DS while the fighters were inside?

yeah, IIRC the plan was for cruisers to form a Perimeter around the DSII while the fighters flew in to take out the inner workings

[NecronLord]

Yeah. Stopping the Emperor escaping would be the most obvious reason for a fleet. Another is that you might be able to deal with enemy fighters better with them.

[Johan Kreig]

transports were there simply becasue where else would they be, the fleet at this point stayed mostly together, had they left the transports elswhere they would have had to leave valuable ships to defend them, instead they brought the fleet as a whole, the transports carried everything needed for the fleet from spares to troops and fuel so just leaving them round teh corner isnt realy the greatest plan, even with the imperial fleet being present they were still safer than an alternate place where they could have been ambushed and destroyed/captured.

[Lord Pounder]

transports were there simply becasue where else would they be, the fleet at this point stayed mostly together, had they left the transports elswhere they would have had to leave valuable ships to defend them, instead they brought the fleet as a whole, the transports carried everything needed for the fleet from spares to troops and fuel so just leaving them round teh corner isnt realy the greatest plan, even with the imperial fleet being present they were still safer than an alternate place where they could have been ambushed and destroyed/captured.

Did you even read the posts above before you waded in ass cheeks first? The transports were filled with explosives and used as fire ships. This is backed up by the novelization as opposed to your opinion which is backed up by nothing.

Welcome to SD.Net, read the entire thread before contributing and you'll have much more fun here.

[Connor MacLeod]

The transports were clearly where Ackbar kept all the cereal and fish sticks.

[Batman]

While Pounder is right the purpose has already been established so Kreig is wrong by default if it hadn't been his speculation isn't half bad. Furthermore, the Rebels apparently expected to either triumph or perish in this battle, so it would have made sense to bring the transports. If they lose, the transports are useless even if they aren't taken out by the Empire because the Rebellion is a done deal. If they win however, being able to quickly rearm/reprovision/refuel etc whatever is left of their fleet might turn out to be important.

[Johan Kreig]

well I did read all the previous posts, I have never read or heard of rebel transports being ever used as fire ships and I have read most bar 3 of the origional series books and have a fair few other info books, feel free to direct me to where it says they were used as fire ships, as far as was aware the transports like I said carried everything the fleet needed. If this is the kind of welcome you give to what was supposed to be a constructive comment then I dont think I will return, thanks.

[Civil War Man]

They could have also been doing something like the AC-130 in the US Air Force. Take a transport ship and load it up with as many guns as you can fit in its cargo hold. It'd be the kind of thing you'd expect from a desperate rebellion, retrofitting whatever they can get their hands on.

EDIT: Granted, we don't see the transports firing guns off everywhere during the battle, but honestly neither did a lot of the other ships that everyone assumes were armed.

[Thanas]

well I did read all the previous posts, I have never read or heard of rebel transports being ever used as fire ships and I have read most bar 3 of the origional series books and have a fair few other info books, feel free to direct me to where it says they were used as fire ships, as far as was aware the transports like I said carried everything the fleet needed. If this is the kind of welcome you give to what was supposed to be a constructive comment then I dont think I will return, thanks.

Well, you clerly failed in reading then, considering this post gives the source. But don't let the door hit you on your way out, you poor tarnished soul.

[Prometheus Unbound]

I think there's a reason why this forum (well, whole site) isn't as active as it once used to be...

[Batman]

Even including ST vs SW the site seems to be alive and well?

[Prometheus Unbound]

Even including ST vs SW the site seems to be alive and well?

I dunno, I remember there regularly being 50-100 people online at any one time, minimum. Now... 5, 10? Maybe 20? Maybe it's the times of day I visit. I mean, right now, there's less registered users online than there are moderators to the board.

[Saxtonite]

Did you even read the posts above before you waded in ass cheeks first? The transports were filled with explosives and used as fire ships. This is backed up by the novelization as opposed to your opinion which is backed up by nothing.

The novelization does not specify that GR-75 transports specifically were used as fire ships, nor that they were ONLY used as fire ships. The other guy is correct as well given the Alliance fleets assembling at Sullust were being harrassed by the Imperial Fleets in the area. The simple fact that the vast majority of the alliance fleet was in the area clearly shows you cannot leave your uvlnerbale fleets behind. The transports were used as fireships when the battle became desperate. Not that that was the stated original purpose of those transports.

If they win however, being able to quickly rearm/reprovision/refuel etc whatever is left of their fleet might turn out to be important.

[/quote]

This is also shown because after Death Star II is destroyed the Alliance fleet lands reinforcements on Endor proper using alliance transports and freighters to assist the Strike Team in mopping up the imperial garrison on Endor. [Source: Force Commander]

[Simon_Jester]

I'm not even clear why they brought capital ships. If things had gone to plan then they wouldn't have been any use at all. Shield goes down, fighters drop out of hyperdrive, raid the DS2's reactor, and then run away. It was only the completely unforseen presence of an imperial fleet and the delayed destruction of the shield generator that made them useful.

Insurance. Put your Admiral Ackbar hat on...

"If I were the Imperials, I'd put at least some armed security on the construction site. Sure, it's a secret, but what if some random pirates stumble on the location? Or if the secret gets out somehow? I bet there's at least a few frigates or a star destroyer or a nice big cloud of fighters that garrisons the system. Even if the Bothans don't think it's there, maybe they missed something. We'd better send all the firepower we've got, just in case we have to fight our way through a security force on the way in."

While Pounder is right the purpose has already been established so Kreig is wrong by default if it hadn't been his speculation isn't half bad. Furthermore, the Rebels apparently expected to either triumph or perish in this battle, so it would have made sense to bring the transports. If they lose, the transports are useless even if they aren't taken out by the Empire because the Rebellion is a done deal. If they win however, being able to quickly rearm/reprovision/refuel etc whatever is left of their fleet might turn out to be important.

Also a possibility- they could be fuelers or ammo colliers.

Or- third possibility! Maybe the ships have some kind of improvised weapon- they're basically a big clamshell covering a whole bunch of cargo containers; what if the cargo containers have mines or bombs or missiles inside... no. Because we don't see them firing any of those weapons. Darn.

I dunno, I remember there regularly being 50-100 people online at any one time, minimum. Now... 5, 10? Maybe 20? Maybe it's the times of day I visit. I mean, right now, there's less registered users online than there are moderators to the board.

I think it's partly the times you visit. Although I myself usually see more like 20-30.