Tipparavai-class aircraft carrier

Tipparavai-class 1935
Class overview
Name:	Tipparavai-class
Operators:	Tennai
Planned:	2
Completed:	2
General characteristics 1935
Type:	Aircraft carrier
Displacement:	38,600 t (38,000 long tons) (standard) 41,800 t (41,100 long tons) (normal)
Length:	250 m (820 ft 3 in)
Beam:	32.7 m (107 ft 3 in)
Draft:	9.8 m (32 ft 2 in)
Installed power:	8 × water-tube boilers 144,248 shp (107,566 kW)
Propulsion:	4 × shafts; 4 × geared steam turbines
Speed:	31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph)
Range:	10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Armament:	10 × twin 14 cm (5.5 in) DP guns 14 × twin 2.5 cm (0.98 in) AA guns
Armor:	Belt armor: 200 mm (7.9 in) Protective Deck: 100 mm (3.9 in) Flight Deck: 25 mm (1.0 in)
Aircraft carried:	90 (Designed) 60 (actual) 1935: 25 x Mahindra V5K fighters, 25 x Nikita CTB-123 torpedo bombers, x 10 Cheppali R-215 Katarpaci reconnaissance aircraft

The Tipparavai-class was a class of aircraft carriers built for the Royal Tennaiite Navy and was named after the firebird of Tennaiite mythology. Originally intended to be two ships of the Anginda-class battleship, their design was converted due to the percieved need for new carriers quickly while design work continued on the Naka-class carriers. The shipss were given the names RK Tipparavai and RK Karutan.

These ships figured prominently in the development of the RTN's carrier striking force doctrine, which created battlegroups centered around one or more carriers. A revolutionary strategic concept at the time, the employment of the doctrine was important in enabling Tennai to attain its strategic goals in the naval theatre of the Siduri War.

The ships' first major engagement was during the Battle of the Sabri Sea, in which poor weather and the chaotic nature of the engagement meant that the ships could not be fully utilize their airgroups for thier intended role. Nonetheless,the RK Tipparavai and RK Karutan's aircraft were still able to damage Syaran vessels during the course of the battle.

Following minor repairs following the battle, both the RK Tipparavai and RK Karutan were redeployed and continued to serve throughout the rest of the Siduri War.

Design and Construction

The Tipparavai-class vessels were orignally laid down as the second set of Anginda-class battleships, and were launched in July of 1922. In September of 1922 it was decided to halt construction of the final two Anginda-class ships indefinitely while the navy re-evaluated the Syaran naval buildup and its strategic needs. Disagreements amongst the Tennaiite naval staff dragged on for several years and the two incomplete Anginda-class vessels languished in drydock until June of 1925.

In June of 1925 a new head of the Tennaiite, Admiral Ritu Vamilla, navy was appointed by Maharani Nilini as the new head of the Royal Tennaiite Navy. Admiral Vamilla quickly convinced the rest of the naval staff for the need to quickly replace the aging Curavali-class carriers in order to better match the threat of an inceasingly modern and large Syaran navy. As the Naka-class aircraft carriers were only int the early stages of design, it was decided that the two incomplete Anginda-class battleships would be converted into carriers. The formal decision to convert the Anginda ships was issued on 25 July 1925 and the conversion begain in earnest at the beginning of August.

While the conversion of both ships was expected to be completed in November of 1927, several factors including frequently shifting military budget priorities and damage caused by a powerful cyclone in July of 1927 delayed the completion and commsioning of the Tipparavai-class vessels until 1930.

Tipparavai and Karutan were completed with a lenghth of 247.65 meters (812 ft 6 in) overall. They had a beam of 32.7 m (107 ft 3 in)and a draft of 9.8 m (32 ft 2 in). They displaced 38,600 t (38,000 long tons) at standard load, 4000 tons under their designed displacepent as battleships. Their complement totaled 1,640 crewmembers.

Ships

Ship	Laid down	Launched	Completed
RK Tipparavai	1925	1928	1930
RK Karutan	1925	1928	1930