Location
Dundee Base is located close to the western border Northern Australia, near the old Greogory National Park. The base itself is on the north shore of the Victoria River, about 300 km south of Darwin. A system of levees protect much of the base from flooding during the monsoon season (January to March).
Description
Dundee Base was one of the larger Southern Cross bases in the world. The entire base was surrounded by walls and fences, to protect it from flooding as much as from an enemy attack. At the center of the base was the command and administrative building, with the communications complex next door. The civilian sector of the base, home to the families of base personnel, occupied the northern section of the base and was laid out much like a typical city suburb, with winding streets of pre-fab housing interspersed with amenities like fast food restaurants, pubs, convenience stores, arcades and a movie theater. The southern part of the base was the domain of the aerospace forces and contained aircraft hangars and runways, the longest of which was rated for the largest of the combat space shuttles. Adminsitrative buildings and barracks for the aerospace wing were in the western area of the base. The larger eastern portion of the base was the domain of the surface forces, with rows of unit barracks, vehicle garages, staging areas, and underground mecha garages for the Veritech and Battloid forces.
History
The base started out as RDF Australia Base, built early in the Reconstruction period to serve as the primary United Earth Defense Forces base in the region. When primary defense responsibilities moved from the RDF to the Army of the Southern Cross, the base was handed over to Southern Cross forces and formally renamed Dundee Base (a nickname it had been given a few years earlier) to distinguish it from the Southern Cross base near Perth, which was now named UEF Australia Base.
Military forces stationed at Dundee Base were responsible for the security of much of Australia. Land patrols covered huge areas of the Outback, civil defense forces protected areas like Gibson and the troubled refugee city of Darwin, and the air patrols extended out into Southeast Asia as far as the southern edge of Indochina.
At its height the population of Dundee Base was nearly 6000, including civilian families of those stationed there. The majority of the military personnel were part of the 501st Surface Division while a little over a hundred were part of the 82nd Aerospace Wing and between one and two hundred were part of the security and military intelligence squadron controlled by the Global Military Police.
The base served a vital role in World War IV due to its proximity to several key conflict areas. Forces from Dundee Base, including the soon-to-be legendary 21st A.T.A.C. participated in major engagements across the South Pacific.
Australia was a major center of conflict during the Second Robotech War and Dundee Base was heavily involved in nearly all major battles in the region. After several of the offensives launched from Dundee Base failed the base C.O. was removed from command but his replacement fared little better. By the end of the war the base's population had greatly diminished due to mounting casualties and the transfer of many personnel (including the entire aerospace wing) to other battlefronts.
Dundee Base was completely destroyed by a Robotech Masters mothership in the closing days of the war, killing everyone left there.