RMS Andania was a Cunard ocean liner built by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company of Greenock. She was launched on 22 March 1913 and was completed on 13 July 1913.[1]
In World War I Andania transported the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and Royal Dublin Fusiliers to Cape Helles for the landing at Suvla Bay by the British IX Corps. The landing was part of the August Offensive during the Battle of Gallipoli.
Andanias registered length was, her beam was, and her depth was . Her tonnages were and . She had twin funnels and two masts.[2] Her hull was steel and she had twin screws, driven by two quadruple-expansion engines. Their combined power was rated at 1,324 NHP, and gave her a speed of 15kn.[2] The ship could accommodate 520 second-class and 1,540 third-class passengers.[2] Her sister ships were and which were almost identical and "cater(ed) only for second and third class passengers. The old-style third class dormitories were replaced by four or six-berth cabins."[2]
The Andania made her maiden voyage on 14 July 1913 from Liverpool via Southampton to Quebec and Montreal. In August 1914 she was requisitioned as a troopship and made several trips carrying Canadian troops. For a few weeks in 1915 the Andania was used to accommodate German POWs in the Thames. In the summer of 1915 it was used in the Gallipoli campaign when she was used to transport the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and Royal Dublin Fusiliers to Cape Helles for the landings at Suvla.[3] In late December 1915 she took the 13th and 14th York and Lancaster Regiment (Barnsley Pals) from Plymouth to Port Said in Egypt, to defend the Suez Canal.[4] After transporting more Canadian troops in 1916, she returned to passenger service in 1917 on the Liverpool – New York route. Andania left Liverpool on 26 January 1918 with 40 passengers and a crew of about 200. she was part of a convoy of seven ships.[5] On 27 January she was hit amidships by a torpedo from German submarine captained by Leo Hillebrand, two miles north-northeast of Rathlin East (Altacarry Head) lighthouse on Rathlin Island, County Antrim.[6] She immediately listed to starboard and began to sink. Attempts were made to tow the ship but it sank after a few hours.[7] The passengers were saved, but the sinking killed seven crew members.[2] The wreck lies at a depth of between 175to.[8]