Why not attack the Death Star from behind?

In the Battle of Endor, why didnt the Rebel fleet attack from behind the DS, away from the super laser? Sure they didn't know the station was active, but just to be careful they could've gone around.

 

They probably didn't think the Imperials would suspect such a ballsy move from the Rebels. Of course we know the Imperials learned from the first Death Star attack and were waiting on them.

 

The Emperor's plan was to simply trap the Rebel Fleet between the deflector shield and the Imperial Fleet, then pick them off with the Death Star's superlaser. What makes you think that the Death Star couldn't simply rotate in their general direction until the fleet was in its sights?

 

Considering where the fleet was, the DSII wouldn't have to rotate.

 

Well we never found out how fast that thing is, maybe it took a day to rotate like Earth.

 

Apparently not, since it got off two successful shots.

 

Well, the Emperor said the station was 'fully armed and operational.' I assume it could manuever enough to bring the main gun to bear. If not, perhaps the Imperial Fleet held them in a position not to manuever away from it's fire arc.

 

The Death Star could rotate fairly quickly. Remember, the superlaser dish is facing Endor when it's destroyed, as opposed to a few minutes earlier when it's facing out towards space. You can also watch the first Death Star as it approaches Alderaan; it's rotating to get into firing position.

 

If the Death Star can travel through hyperspace, turning the thing wouldn't be too much of a challenge.

By the way, when Death Star III comes around, how about a decentralized power source? You know, thousands of small power cores operating in tandem, instead of the one big reactor with the sign that says "Yoo-hoo, yes, you, Mr. Rebel? Yes, the fellow in the X-wing. Just one shot in this direction and we'll lose another 1,161,000 men and thousands of star fighters."

Morons.

 

Perhaps their approach vector meant they had to face the Death Star.
Anyway there are loads of "what-if" questions that can arise from watching the films. There's no point asking them. They just detract from the whole experience.

 

"Perhaps their approach vector meant they had to face the Death Star."

This makes sense. They assumed that 1) the DS was not operational, and 2) the shield would be down, and 3) there were no other ships in the region.

In that case, it would make sense to race in, attack the DS straight on, and get out before any kind of support could arrive. As far as they knew, there was no real threat to them, either from the DS or support craft. Coming around behind the moon would simply have wasted more time.

 

Remember, the superlaser dish is facing Endor when it's destroyed, as opposed to a few minutes earlier when it's facing out towards space.

There was a whole subplot about Jerjerrod and the superlaser in the novel. Basically, he loves blowing up stuff. But using the Death Star on the rebel fleet means the end of the war, which he "cherished above all things".

And then he's surprised that the Emperor orders him to destory the forest moon should the shield fall.

When the rebels are inside the superstructure, they know they're running out of time before the moon is blown up.

But even after the Emperor is dead, and his aids are leaving and stuff is blowing up all around him, Jerjerrod is given the master switch and has thirty seconds to firing...

 

This is a rather dumb question, but what do you mean behind?

Last I checked the DS was spherical so it will be difficult to tell the "side".

Even when considering the superlaser depression (if this is the "front" anyway), it wouldn't be easy to tell where it's pointing at when they were getting out of hyperspace.

And it looks like it could rotate quite rapidly, enough to track the big cruisers. Of course it's completely inefective against manouverable targets.

 

As many have stated, the Death Star could rotate, therefore any such manuver would be useles.

 

Perhaps it could be that the Rebel Fleet was directing their attack towards the Death Star, using Endor's gravity as an advantage for them and a disadvantage for the Imperial Fleet.

Or, maybe not...

 

Myabe it was because later on they were going to be blown up and GL really wanted that to happen.

 

After they learned that the superlazer was operational they did move out of the way. They attacked the star destroyers effectively moving the fleet out of danger from the DSII.

On another note. Wouldn't it be cool to drive the Death Star. I wonder what it looks like from behind the dashboard.

 

[image=http://www.hut.fi/~eye/videogames/bzone2.jpg]

 

Thanks. Now I know.

 

Tank hunter, eh?

 

BATTLEZONE

 

Now I know.

And knowing is half the battle...........zone.

 

It has a behind ? show me where the back side of Death Star and i'll say if they should of attacked or not.