We Heard You Like Wave Motion Guns So We Put Two Wave Motion Guns on Earth’s Flagship – We Break Down The Space Battleship Yamato’s Andromeda
The Andromeda was the flagship of the Earth Defense Fleet in season 2 of Space Battleship Yamato. And it had twice the firepower.
The Wave Motion Gun may be one of the most destructive weapons ever created. With a single burst of energy, it can destroy ships, planets, even a star. And the Space Battleship Andromeda has two of them.
Which is probably why the Andromeda was chosen as the flagship of the Earth Defense Fleet. With twice the destructive force, it was imagined that the Andromeda could stand against even the powerful Comet Empire. And it did… for a while. But where did this ill-fated ship begin?
The answer lies in the year 2201, two years after the Space Battleship Yamato saved Earth.
Space Battleship Andromeda – Built to Defend the Earth
The Andromeda was the first ship of the Andromeda-class line of warships. It was designed to be a technologically superior upgrade to the Space Battleship Yamato, which, though powerful and known for saving Earth, was made with aging technology.
And so it was developed in some degree of secrecy, using technology salvaged from the Earth’s war with the Gamilas. By studying the technology found on the Yamato’s journey to Iscandar, the Andromeda was created.
It was equipped with an even more powerful Wave Motion Engine than the Yamato, which gave it a leg up. The Andromeda used the engine to great effect. A single drive powered not only it’s FTL engines. But it also provided energy for the Dual Dispersion Wave Motion Gun system, as well as the ship’s four 50.8cm Triple Shock Cannon turrets, the two Dual Anti-fighter Pulsar Guns, and the two Triple Anti-fighter Pulsar Guns.
As a powerful capital ship, the Andromeda also carried four Torpedo Tubes and eight missile launchers. All in all, its firepower was rated at least twice as strong as the Yamato’s. And with an advanced fire-control, navigation, and damage-control system powered by a strong new ship’s AI, the Andromeda needed a much smaller crew as well.
But, the newness of its technology coudn’t account for everything.
A Year in the Life – The Tragic Destruction of the Andromeda
The Andromeda, sadly, did not have a very long tour of duty. Not long after it’s launch in 2101, the Earth was attacked by the White Comet Empire, led by a brilliant commander to destroy the humans.
Over the course of Earth’s war with Gatlantis, the White Comet Empire, Earth’s fleets suffered heavy losses, but fought back valiantly. Ultimately, the conflict came to a head at the Battle of Saturn.
The beginning of the battle went well, thanks to a surprise attack from the Yamato and an accompanying carrier fleet. They managed to eliminate the enemy carrier fleet, dealing a devastating blow to the White Comet Empire. But, its commander, Admiral Valsey, had a bigger plan.
Valsey led his fleet against the Earth’s forces, intercepting a repositioning fleet before they could get into position to slow the Empire’s advance. This allowed the Empire to completely destroy the Hyperion Fleet and its massive flagship.
Meanwhile, the Comet Empire’s flagship found itself surrounded by Earth forces – but this was exactly where it wanted them, as the Comet Empire’s burst energy direct transport magma flamestrike cannon was devastating at close range, destroying many Earth warships instantly, and forcing the Andromeda back into Saturn’s Rings.
Though the Earth fought back bravely, the arrival of the Comet Empire’s massive city artificial city ship, Gatlantis, arrived, unleashing enough firepower to wipe out the remaining Earth vessels, including dealing significant damage to the Andromeda. Left damaged, and without weapons, the captain of the Andromeda gave the order to ram the Gatlantis. They were deflected and destroyed at the last second, but not before passing word to the Yamato that the enemy was weak against attacks from the bottom.
With Earth’s fleet annihilated, only one ship stood between the Comet Empire and the destruction of Earth – the Yamato.
But that’s a story for another time.
