USS Andamaan

Warning Blood in the Water Spoilers. USS Andamaan was a protected seaplane tender of Alliance Navy. She was rebuild from the captured Arata Amagi Class Battleship in Maadras.

Design
Initially the standard "Arata Amagi"-class ironclad battleship, the USS "Andamaan" was extensively rebuilt to serve the new function. All her weaponry was removed, and her massive three-deck armored casemated was hollowed out and turned into a large armored hangar for the seaplanes and flying boat. Folding doors were installed on both forward and rearward ends of casemate, and turntable catapults were fitted on bow and stern deck. To recieve the aircraft, the handling cranes were installed on the sides of casemate. She could carry 20 Pb-1B 'Nancys' or 6 PB-5 'Clippers', and a large number of troops.

Her machinery were also extensively rebuilt, with all her old coal-fired boilers replaced with Alliance-made oil fired boilers, and boiler exhausts trunked to the two funnels between the frames. Old duble-expansion engines were replaced with new Baalkpaan-built triple-expansion, which allowed the top speed of 16 knots. Her hull was compartmentalized with partially-waterproof transverse bulkhead, but no longitudinal bulkheads or counter-flooding system were installed.

Her new armament consisted of only four 4-inch DP deck guns on the roof of casemate.

Service
During the Battle of the Second India Convoy, the USS "Andamaan" was one of the first targets of Kurokawa's carrier attack. She was hit several times by bombs and possibly by torpedo, and one bomb broke through the aft hangar doors, and detonated inside the hangar. Her machine damaged, her aft compartments flooded, the massive tender began to list on the stern. Without steam, it was impossible to save the ship, and she eventually sunk, with a great loss of life.