HMS Orion (85)

	HMS Orion
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Orion
Builder	Devonport Dockyard / Vickers Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down	26 September 1931
Launched	24 November 1932
Commissioned	18 January 1934
Decommissioned	1947
Identification	Pennant number: 85
Fate	Sold for scrap 19 July 1949
General characteristics
Class and type	Leander-class light cruiser
Displacement	7,270 tons standard; 9,740 tons full load;
Length	554.9 ft (169.1 m)
Beam	56 ft (17 m)
Draught	19.1 ft (5.8 m)
Installed power	72,000 shaft horsepower (54,000 kW)
Propulsion	Four Parsons geared steam turbines; Six Admiralty 3-drum oil-fired boilers; Four shafts;
Speed	32.5 knots (60 km/h)
Range	5,730 nm at 13 knots
Complement	Peacetime 550; Wartime 680;
Sensors and ; processing systems	type 284/286 air search radar; type 273/271 surface search; type 285 6 inch (152 mm) fire control; type 282 40 mm fire control;
Armament	Original configuration:; 8 × BL 6 inch Mk XXIII naval guns; 4 × 4-inch (102 mm) guns; 12 × 0.5 in machine guns; 8 × 21 in torpedo tubes; In 1945:; 8 × 6 in (152 mm); 8 × 4 in (102 mm); 16 × 40 mm; 8 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (quadruple mounts);
Armour	4 in (102 mm) main belt; 2.5 in (64 mm) ends; 1.25 to 2 in (32 to 51 mm) deck; 1 in (25 mm) turrets;
Aircraft carried	One catapult-launched aircraft; Original type was a Fairey Seafox (K8571 shown in a 1937 photograph, and K8573 in a 1938 photograph); Catapult and aircraft later replaced with Supermarine Walrus;

HMS Orion was a Leander-class light cruiser which served with distinction in the Royal Navy during World War II. She received 13 battle honours, a record only exceeded by HMS Warspite and matched by two others.

^ Lenton & Colledge 1968 p.39
^ Campbell 1985 p.34
^ "Untitled". airhistory.net. airhistory.net. 17 December 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2022. The Fairey Seafox floatplane equipped a number of British warships in the early phase of WWII and saw action in the Battle of the River Plate. K8571 is seen on the catapult of the light cruiser HMS Orion during a visit to an American port. Photo from: Naval History and Heritage Command

History
HMS Orion
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Orion
Builder	Devonport Dockyard / Vickers Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down	26 September 1931
Launched	24 November 1932
Commissioned	18 January 1934
Decommissioned	1947
Identification	Pennant number: 85
Fate	Sold for scrap 19 July 1949
General characteristics
Class and type	Leander-class light cruiser
Displacement	7,270 tons standard 9,740 tons full load
Length	554.9 ft (169.1 m)
Beam	56 ft (17 m)
Draught	19.1 ft (5.8 m)
Installed power	72,000 shaft horsepower (54,000 kW)
Propulsion	Four Parsons geared steam turbines Six Admiralty 3-drum oil-fired boilers Four shafts
Speed	32.5 knots (60 km/h)
Range	5,730 nm at 13 knots
Complement	Peacetime 550 Wartime 680
Sensors and processing systems	type 284/286 air search radar type 273/271 surface search type 285 6 inch (152 mm) fire control type 282 40 mm fire control
Armament	Original configuration: 8^[1] × BL 6 inch Mk XXIII naval guns^[2] 4 × 4-inch (102 mm) guns 12 × 0.5 in machine guns 8 × 21 in torpedo tubes In 1945: 8 × 6 in (152 mm) 8 × 4 in (102 mm) 16 × 40 mm 8 × 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (quadruple mounts)
Armour	4 in (102 mm) main belt 2.5 in (64 mm) ends 1.25 to 2 in (32 to 51 mm) deck 1 in (25 mm) turrets
Aircraft carried	One catapult-launched aircraft Original type was a Fairey Seafox (K8571 shown in a 1937 photograph,^[3] and K8573 in a 1938 photograph) Catapult and aircraft later replaced with Supermarine Walrus