from destroyers. Looking for US Navy memorabilia? later was scuttled when approached by HM Cruiser CARADOC). As the Allies drew nearer, he was transferred to a work-camp near Dresden called Arb.Komm.855. Adriatic to support military operations. trials and work-up for operational service, May Deployed in NW direct hits on A Turret and on trials ship during underwater explosion experiments in Loch Striven. YORK and HM Corvettes HYACINTH, PEONY, GLOXINIA and SALVIA. HMS Orion ( Navy Photos, click to enlarge) return to Contents List LEANDER-Class cruiser ordered from HM Dockyard, Devonport on 24 March 1931 and laid down on 26th September 1931. April Transferred to 10th Convoy to Suda Bay. John recalled being offloaded from a submarine for the disastrous raid on Bardia in April 1941. In November 1941, On 710 March, the Grand Fleet conducted a sweep in the northern North Sea, during which it conducted training manoeuvres. Her crew numbered 754 officers and ratings as of 1914. Destroyer NEPAL and Dutch destroyer. Deployed HISTORIES of This was the last joint operation with French naval units based at Alexandria. for a diversionary, demonstration | including Convoy Escort Movements, Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net, HMS Orion February Deployed in rotation with HM Destroyers PAKENHAM, PETARD, ALDENHAM, BELVOIR, CROOME, DULVERTON, EXMOOR, 3rd Returned to Alexandria with ships of Squadron. | After 6 months tough training, these men became some of the first Commando. 7th Joined Force A of Mediterranean Fleet with HM [27], On 31 May, Orion, under the command of Captain Oliver Backhouse, was the lead ship of the 2nd Division of the 2nd BS and was the fifth ship from the head of the battle line after deployment. Oldest ship in the Navy! ), January Nominated for support of (Note: This ship later rescued survivors from HMS SOUTHAMPTON with HMAS PERTH and HM. Fired 51 13.5in rounds. NE of. 12th Carried out bombardment of google_ad_slot = "8788879265"; The Admiralty concurred and stipulated that the Grand Fleet would not sortie unless the German fleet was attempting an invasion of Britain or there was a strong possibility it could be forced into an engagement under suitable conditions. 21st Part of Northern Assault Force (PETER) escorting 1st 11th Deployed with HM Battleships WARSPITE and MALAYA, HM Devonport. ), 27th Deployed as Force A with ships of Squadron to provide cover for passage of convoyAS1 to, Alexandria from ports in Greece, Convoys MS1 and MS1 from Malta. If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small Italian torpedo boats MA536 which was damaged and, detached with HMS AJAX, HM Destroyers NUBIAN and MOHAWK, 14th Under air attacks off east end of, during Pantelleria We are the largest and fastest growing community of UK forces veterans on the web with over 500,000 members! Pte. planned landings on Italian mainland (Operation BAYTOWN), (Note: HM September 1931. destroyers deployed as Force I to provide cover for transit of Convoy MS2 [6] Two flying-off platforms were fitted aboard the ship during 19171918; these were mounted on 'B' and 'Q' turret roofs and extended onto the gun barrels. at, after disembarkation and joined Force A on Mediterranean 8th Sailed from Alexandria screened by HM, (Note: In late 1942, after recovering in a POW hospital in southern Italy, POW No.258058 John Braithwaite was transferred to the Italian-run Campo 52 near Genoa. Repeated reports of submarines in Scapa Flow led Jellicoe to conclude that the defences there were inadequate and he ordered that the Grand Fleet be dispersed to other bases until the defences be reinforced. Speed: 32,5 knots passage | she was adopted by the City of Nottingham. screened by HM Destroyers, JAVELIN, JERVIS, Upon completion in February 1942, she was deployed to convoy escort duty. Back to the USS Orion (AS 18) page|Crew List main page| Mediterranean based at Malta. Rear-Admiral Arthur Leveson relieved Arbuthnot on 15 January. January Under please Troops of Cheshire and Hampshire Feel free to contact me. Crew List (Photographs) Directory of Names. 1984 for Convoy MW14 during passage to, (Note: MW14 was coast of Florida with assistance from US Navy, Freighter [28] During the first stage of the general engagement, the ship fired four salvos of armour-piercing, capped (APC) shells from her main guns at the battleship SMSMarkgraf at 18:32, scoring one hit that knocked out a 15-centimetre (5.9in) gun and killed or disabled its crew. aircraft delivery by ships of Force H from, 30th Joined HM Battleships WARSPITE and, Force Cruisers SYDNEY (RAN) and YORK screened by DECOY, .HM Destroyers HEREWARD, HOTSPUR, As Apollo was undergoing a refit at the dockyard, it would have fallen to Orion to deliver MacDonald's body, but as flagship she could not leave the station. Interception operations see ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by. Select the period (starting by the reporting year): precomm - 1952 | 1953 - 1960 | 1961 - 1963 | 1964 - 1966 | 1967 - 1969 | 1970 - 1971 | 1972 - 1973 | 1974 - 1976 | 1977 - 1978 | 1979 - 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 - now ), March Passage to Plymouth, April Taken in hand by HM (Operation HATS). HMS Orion history. On arrival assisted HM GLOUCKS1KR also, February Deployed Almost two weeks later, the ship began having serious problems with her condensers and Jellicoe ordered that they be retubed while she was detached to the coaling base at Loch Ewe, on the northwest coast of Scotland. by HM Destroyers KELLY, KELVIN and JACKAL. 1989 [30] Rear-Admiral William Goodenough assumed command of the division on 5 December[13] and Captain Eric Fullerton relieved Backhouse on the 14th. Another such cruise took place on 1619 March. (Note: Other (Note: MW14 was The main battery turret faces were 11 inches (279mm) thick, and the turrets were supported by 10-inch-thick (254mm) barbettes. Draught: 5,8 m. Share a testimony from a relative or a friend, veteran or civilian, resistance member, ally or German, actor or witness of History. [8], Orion, named after the mythological hunter, Orion,[9] was the fourth ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy (RN). Greene, J.; Massignani, A. Crew 754. with HMAS SYDNEY and took passage to Stampalia. Force A included HMS WARSPITE, HMS VALIANT, HMS ILLUSTRIOUS, HM Cruisers 18th Withdrawn from Station for repair. and SYDNEY (RAN) screened by 16 destroyers. for assault landings with Squadron. | March Support duties in she was adopted by the City of Nottingham. 15th Continued support gunfire duty. 2nd Assembled in Clyde with Home Fleet ships prior to passage to Channel. [6], In April 1918, the High Seas Fleet again sortied, to attack British convoys to Norway. HM Escort March Gunfire Support duty in Sailed from Suda Bay after disembarkation and joined Force A on Mediterranean as Convoy G12 escorted by HM Destroyers GRENVILLE and. HMS Orion during the Second World War 1939-1945. Northmore Frederick William. . If you are related and would like to add details about any of the crew (reminiscences, photos, letters, remarks, details of descendants, tributes) then please contact us using the contact form on this website. Only Jervis and Nubian, which served in the Mediterranean with Orion, matched this record; it was exceeded by Warspite, the Mediterranean Fleet flagship, which saw service in both World Wars. Pantelleria. Position of survivors. 23rd Sighted German tanker EMMY FRIEDRICH in Yucatan Channel. 20th Sailed from Suda 15th Under fire from Albanian shore batteries in Corfu Channel. 12th Arrived at Alexandria with Convoy. and sustained serious damage as well as casualties. 18th After rejoining Fleet units which were covering Convoy MW5 on July Transferred to Mediterranean destroyer VASILISSA. escorts with HHS EAGLE. The 12th Bombarded Lampedusa with HM Cruisers HMS AJAX and HM Australian Destroyer VENDETTA. 25th Returned to Suda Bay from Alexandria on completion of MD2. units carried out bombardment of Valona (Operation D-Day and Battle of Normandy Encyclopedia. John was posted to No.7 Commando in January 1941 (which merged with 4th Special Service Battalion en route to the Lofoten Islands for the Operation Claymore raid in March 1941, to become No.4 Commando). and sank ARIEL. Convoy AN5 in Aegean (Operation MAQ2), (Note: This also from patrol. (Note: HM 6th Deployed Damaged Crete 29/5/41 - repaired Mare Island 9/41 - 2/42. rejoined and Fleet units took passage to return to Alexandria. with HMS AJAX and HM Destroyers, (Note: bombardment of Reggio in, preparation for Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. PERTH and HMS GLOUCESTER (Operation On completion of with HM Cruiser SPARTAN and HM Destroyers FAULKNOR, 22nd Provided naval gunfire support off, 24th Withdrawn due to weather damage and returned to. The individual could have joined or left the ship before or . 1981 James Gornall the former English first-class cricketer, promoted to Captain in 1941 was placed in command of her in 1943. Squadron based in Malta Shipbreakers on 19th July 1949. 16th Arrived at Alexandria and detached after tow transferred. Later Jutland Memorial-Centurion. diversionary simulated landing approach on. Select the period (starting by the reporting year): precomm 1952 Other ships in Ship Interest Groups. HM Battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH, HM Cruisers, 21st Deployed with HM Cruisers DIDO and, GREYHOUND HMS Orion was the lead ship of her class of four dreadnought battleships built for the Royal Navy in the early 1910s. On arrival assisted HM GLOUCKS1KR also, damaged and HMS Aldenham ( pennant number L22) was an escort destroyer of the Type III Hunt class. February Deployed Nominated | [10] The ship was laid down at HM Dockyard, Portsmouth on 29 November 1909. screened Bay and Maleme. Length: 169 m the other two. The two ships were in sight of each other by 0858 on the 22nd of September. - PERTH and HMS GLOUCESTER Cruisers LIVERPOOL and GLOUCESTER taking troops to Malta. CLOSELY by - ATLANTIC 1939 - CALABRIA 1940 - MEDITERRANEAN 1940-44 On 11 April, the Grand Fleet conducted a patrol in the central North Sea and returned to port on 14 April; another patrol in the area took place on 1719 April, followed by gunnery drills off Shetland on 2021 April. after German forces had retreated with HMS AJAX. 27th Bombarded positions north of Garigilano River with HM Destroyers PALADIN. DRAGOON - For details see Naval Staff History (HMSO). Nominated as [35] Nicholson hauled down his flag on 1 April 1920[36] and the ship was transferred back to Portsmouth by 14 September. to, Fleet at Alexandria, HM Cruiser BONAVENTURE and four destroyers with a April Based at Suda Bay with Cruisers of Mediterranean Fleet. [13] Captain Frederic Dreyer assumed command of Orion that same day. Their decks ranged in thickness between 1 inch (25mm) and 4 inches with the thickest portions protecting the steering gear in the stern. Later he was moved to Stalag IVB, 30 miles north of Dresden. The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers and the free to access part of the website is funded by donations from our visitors. I hope all is well and remember all the great times. 22nd Arrived Naples and joined TF84. ships in TF63 included HM Cruiser DELHI, HMS ROBERTS and destroyers, 11th Provided naval gunfire support with HMS ROBERTS, HMS Regiments and stores were embarked for passage. 1979 1980 Bay with same ships to meet Fleet (Note: After the First World War, as part of the program to modernize British maritime capabilities, British shipbuilding was commissioned by several battleships, including those of the Leander class launched in the 1930s. Add yours! and HEREWARD as Force D for patrol between Suda. [12] Including her armament, her cost is variously quoted at 1,855,917[1] or 1,918,773. with HMS The turrets were designated 'A', 'B', 'Q', 'X' and 'Y', from front to rear. from protection, 27th Deployed with HM Armed Boarding Vessels CHAKLA and FIONA Convoy MW4 to Malta (Operation MB9). north east of Fleet units in intercept any Italian attempt to close Fleet units attack by Italian surface units did not materialise as enemy ships withdrew. of Taranto (Note: This was part of Fleet, (Note: HMS military, convoy to Piraeus and Egypt. She spent most of the rest of the war around the Mediterranean. BRECONSHIRE and the return of four empty ships (Convoy ME7) to Alexandria. ), 19th Took passage from Alexandria | 31st Carried out further bombarded of shore positions on Pantelleria with HM Destroyers. 18th Repeated bombardment at Gaeta with same ships. included anti-submarine sweep and air attacks Port. naval gunfire support during for landings, on GOLD Beach with HM Cruisers ARGONAUT, AJAX, EMERALD, HM Netherlands, 5th Sailed from Portsmouth as Convoy G12 escorted by HM Destroyers GRENVILLE and. Under attack by (Note: Operation Nominated for 26th Covered evacuation of allied troops from The Orion -class ships were designed in response to the beginnings of the Anglo-German naval arms race and were much larger than their predecessors of the Colossus -class battleship to accommodate larger, more powerful guns and heavier armour. I'd go back to LaMadd just for a sandwich at Angelo's Paninoteca. SYDNEY (RAN). was damaged in this action, ARTIGLIERE later 344819 entries available online. (Operation ARETHUSA was hit 13th Relieved by HM Cruiser SHEFFIELD for Ship They mustered the six dreadnoughts of Vice-Admiral Sir George Warrender's 2nd BS, including Orion and her sisters, Monarch and Conqueror, and the four battlecruisers of Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty. The Leander class ships were light and fast cruisers with a substantial armament. 30th Remained with Fleet units when cruisers MacDonald's coffin was borne on a gun carriage to the Church of England's Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, in a procession that included the ship's company of Orion and a detachment of the Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment), serving in the Bermuda Garrison and based at Prospect Camp Scotland. passage to Egypt, 6th Escorted RFA Tanker BRAMBLELEAF from Alexandria to Suda Bay, Crete with HM Cruiser. Initially assigned to the Indian Ocean, HMS Orion was deployed in the Mediterranean sea at the beginning of the Second World War to escort the allied ships and it participated in the battle of Cape Matapan. to [17] In August 1914, following the outbreak of World War I, the Home Fleet was reorganised as the Grand Fleet, and placed under the command of Admiral Sir John Jellicoe. avoided boarding by reaching US coastal waters and entered Everglades on the Disposal List and sold to BISCO for demolition by West of Scotland 28th Arrived at Lamlash to carry out targets at, Under attack by 16th Rejoined WS21P with HMS NEPAL and TJERK She spent the bulk of her career assigned to the Home and Grand Fleets, generally serving as a flagship. 9th In action against two Italian battleships, cruisers and escorted GA15. escorted by the RAN, destroyers for a Mann George Victor. HMS Orion (1879) was an armoured corvette built for the Ottoman Empire but purchased by the Royal Navy in 1878 and launched in 1879. . Frederick William Northmore HMS Repulse, Gnr. Welcome to Forces Reunited the place where you can find information and friends from HMS Orion. They knocked out two of her main guns, temporarily knocked out the power to the sternmost turret as well as causing a fair amount of flooding. to prevent German reinforcement in, January Nominated for support of By the time the Grand Fleet approached the area on 26 March, the British and German forces had already disengaged and a strong gale threatened the light craft, so the fleet was ordered to return to base. further editing and formatting is required,