HMS Orion

The Orion-class were the Royal Navy's first super-dreadnought. The first of the four ship class was HMS Orion, being laid down on the 29th November 1909 and launched on the 20th August 1910, being commissioned in January 1912. They were the first dreadnoughts to have all their main guns in the centerline as well as re-introducing the massive 13.5-inch main armament, not seen in Royal Navy service on their battleships since the 1891 Royal Sovereign-class . They had a relatively short career, all being decommissioned and disposed of in various ways in the 20s, due to the Washington Treaty.

Ships of the class

  • Conqueror - Served in WWI. She was decommissioned in 1921 and scrapped in 1922.
  • Monarch - Served in WWI. She was decommissioned in 1921, serving as an experimental ship and eventually sunk as a target by HMS Revenge in 1925.
  • Orion - Served in WWI. She was decommissioned in 1921 and sold for scrap in 1922.
  • Thunderer - Served in WWI. She was decommissioned in 1921, serving as a cadet ship from 1922, becoming the last surviving ship of the class until she was scrapped in December 1926.

Orion-Class Statistics

  • Displacement: 22,000 tons standard/25,870 tons max
  • Length: 581ft/177m
  • Beam: 88ft/27m
  • Draught: 24ft/7m
  • Armament: 10 x 13.5-inch guns, 16 x 4-inch guns, 4 x 47mm, 3 x 21-inch submered torpedo tubes
  • Complement: 752
  • Speed: 21 knots
  • Propulsion: Steam turbines, 18 boilers, 4 shafts, 27,000hp