HMS Orion
Survived
| Type | Light cruiser |
|---|---|
| Class | Leander |
| War | Second World War |
| Main guns | 8 × 6″ guns |
Pridham-Wippell's flagship at Matapan. Off Crete on 29 May 1941 a bomb burst on her mess decks among the troops she was evacuating; more than a hundred were killed.
Armament and specifications
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
| Builder | Devonport Dockyard |
|---|---|
| Laid down | 26 September 1931 |
| Launched | 24 November 1932 |
| Commissioned | 18 January 1934 |
| Displacement | 7,270 tons standard 9,740 tons full load |
| Length | 554.9 ft (169.1 m) |
| Speed | 32.5 knots (60 km/h) |
| Complement | Peacetime 550 Wartime 680 |
As built, from the ship's Wikipedia article. Figures there may cover later refits too.
Career
Launched
24 November 1932
Battle of Calabria
Survived
9 July 1940
Battle of Cape Matapan
Survived
27–29 March 1941
Pridham-Wippell's flagship
Battle of Crete
Damaged
20 May – 1 June 1941
Hit with troops aboard on 29 May
Normandy landings
Survived
6 June 1944
Off Gold
Fate
Survived
Sold for scrap 19 July 1949