Orion-class submarine

Last updated
Orion-class submarine
Class overview
NameOrion class
OperatorsCivil and Naval Ensign of France.svg  French Navy
Preceded by Argonaute class
Succeeded by Diane class
Built1928 - 1931
In service1932 - 1943
Planned2
Completed2
Retired2
General characteristics
Type Submarine
Displacement
Length67 m (219 ft 10 in)
Beam6.2 m (20 ft 4 in)
Draught4.4 m (14 ft 5 in)
Propulsion
  • 2 × diesel engines, 1,400 hp (1,044 kW)
  • 2 × electric motors, 1,000 hp (746 kW)
Speed
  • 14 knots (26 km/h) (surfaced)
  • 9 knots (17 km/h) (submerged)
Range
  • 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h)
  • 82 nautical miles (152 km) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h) (submerged)
Test depth80 m (260 ft)
Complement41 men
Armament

The Orion-class submarines were a class of two submarines built for the French Navy between 1928 and 1931.

Contents

Design

The Orion-class submarines were ordered in 1928 to a Loire-Simonot design. 67 m (219 ft 10 in) long, with a beam of 6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) and a draught of 4.4 m (14 ft 5 in), they could dive up to 80 m (260 ft). The submarines had a surfaced displacement of 558 long tons (567  t ) and a submerged displacement of 787 long tons (800  t ). Propulsion while surfaced was provided by two diesel engines with a total of 1,400 hp (1,044 kW) and two electric motors with a total of 1,000 hp (746 kW). The submarines' electrical propulsion allowed it to attain speeds of 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) while submerged and 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) on the surface. Their surfaced range was 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h) with a submerged range of 82 nautical miles (152 km) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h). [1] [2] [3]

Ships

Orion-class submarines
NameOrderedlaid downlaunchedcommissionedfate
Orion 27 December 19279 July 192921 April 19315 July 1932Scrapped for spare parts in 1944. [1]
Ondine 27 December 192730 August 19294 May 19315 July 1932Scrapped for spare parts in 1944. [4]

[5]

Related Research Articles

French submarine <i>Protée</i> (1930) Redoutable-class submarine

Protée (Q155) was a Redoutable-class submarine of the French Navy. The class is also known as the "1500-ton class" and were termed in French French: « de grande patrouille».

French submarine <i>Ajax</i>

Ajax was a Redoutable-class submarine of the French Navy launched in 1930 at Brest, France. It participated in the Second World War, first on the side of the Allies from 1939 to 1940 then on the side of the Axis for the rest of the war. On 23 September 1940, during the Battle of Dakar she was badly damaged by depth charges from HMS Fortune and was then scuttled.

<i>Saphir</i>-class submarine (1928)

The Saphir-class submarines were a class of six submarines built in France between 1926 and 1935 for the French Navy. Most saw action during World War II for the Vichy French Navy or the Free French Naval Forces. Three were captured by Italian forces but not used.

<i>Requin</i>-class submarine

The Requin-class submarines were a class of nine diesel-electric attack submarines built for the French Navy in the mid-1920s. Most saw action during World War II for the Vichy French Navy or the Free French Naval Forces. Nine ships of this type were built in the shipyards of Brest, Cherbourg and Toulon between 1923 and 1928. The class was part of the French Marine Nationale, serving in the Mediterranean Sea. All member ships took part in World War II, fighting on both sides of the conflict; Four were captured by Italian forces and sunk by the Allies. Only one ship survived the war - Marsouin, decommissioned shortly after the war's end.

French submarine <i>Caïman</i>

The French submarine Caïman was a Requin-class submarine built for the French Navy in the mid-1920s. Laid down in August 1924, it was launched in March 1927 and commissioned in February 1928. On 9 June, Caïman narrowly missed the British light cruiser HMS Ajax off Syria. It was scuttled at Toulon on 27 November 1942 to prevent her capture by the Germans, then raised in February 1943. It was sunk again on 11 March 1944 by Allied aircraft.

French submarine <i>Dauphin</i> (1925)

The French submarine Dauphin was a Reqin -class submarine built for the French Navy in the mid-1920s. Laid down in December 1922, it was launched in April 1925 and commissioned in November 1927. It was captured by Italian forces on 8 December 1942 and renamed FR 115. It was later recaptured by the Germans on 9 September 1943, then scuttled on 15 September 1943. The name Dauphin comes from the French word for Dolphin.

French submarine <i>Espadon</i> (1926)

The French submarine Espadon was a Requin-class submarine built for the French Navy in the mid-1920s. Laid down in October 1923, it was launched in May 1926 and commissioned in December 1927. It was disarmed at Bizerte, Tunisia in April 1941 and captured there by Italian forces on 8 December 1942 and renamed FR 114. It was scuttled by the Italians at the Castellamare shipyard on 13 September 1943, then raised by the Germans in 1943 but not repaired.

French submarine <i>Marsouin</i> (1924)

The French submarine Marsouin was a Requin-class submarine built for the French Navy in the mid-1920s. Laid down in November 1922, it was launched in December 1924 and commissioned in September 1927. It escaped from Toulon on 27 November 1942 and joined the Free French Naval Forces; it was later disarmed at Oran in April 1944, and stricken on 28 February 1946.

French submarine <i>Morse</i> (1925) French submarine

The French submarine Morse was a Requin-class submarine built for the French Navy in the mid-1920s. Laid down in February 1923, it was launched in May 1925 and commissioned in February 1928. On 16 June 1940, Morse, under the command of Jean Georges Charles Paris, struck a mine and sank in the same minefield off the Kerkennah Islands that sank her sister ship Narval six months later.

French submarine <i>Narval</i> (1925) French Requin-class submarine

The French submarine Narval was a Requin-class submarine built for the French Navy in the mid-1920s. Laid down in March 1923, it was launched in May 1925 and commissioned in July 1926. It joined the Free French naval forces at Malta at the time of the French surrender during World War II. On or around 15 December 1940, Narval sank after striking a mine in the same minefield off the Kerkennah Islands that sank her sister ship Morse six months prior.

French submarine <i>Phoque</i> (1926) French Requin-class submarine

Phoque was a Requin-class submarine built for the French Navy in the mid-1920s. Laid down in May 1924, it was launched in March 1926 and commissioned in May 1928. In April 1941, it was disarmed at Bizerte, Tunisia and captured there by the Italians on 8 December 1942 and renamed FR 111. It was sunk on 28 February 1943 10 miles off Murro di Porco, Sicily by Allied aircraft.

French submarine <i>Requin</i> (1924) French Requin-class submarine

The French submarine Requin was the lead ship of the Requin-class submarines built for the French Navy in the mid-1920s. Laid down in June 1922, it was launched in July 1924 and commissioned in May 1926. It was captured by Italian forces at Bizerte, Tunisia on 8 December 1942 and renamed FR 113. On 9 September 1943, it was recaptured by German forces. It was sold for scrap in Genes, Italy in 1944.

French submarine <i>Souffleur</i> (1924) French Navy submarine

The French submarine Souffleur was a Requin-class submarine built for the French Navy in the mid-1920s. Laid down in October 1922, it was launched two years later and commissioned in August 1926. Souffleur was torpedoed and sunk on 25 June 1941 off Beyrut, Lebanon in position 33°49′N35°26′E by the British submarine HMS Parthian.

French submarine <i>Diamant</i> (1933) Saphir-class submarine of the French Navy

The French submarine Diamant was a Saphir-class submarine built for the French Navy in the mid-1930s. Laid down in July 1930, it was launched in May 1933 and commissioned in June 1934. Diamant was scuttled at Toulon on 27 November 1942 to prevent her capture by German forces, then refloated by Italian forces on 29 March 1943. On 22 June 1944, Diamant was bombed and sunk at Toulon by Allied aircraft.

French submarine <i>Nautilus</i> (1930) French Saphir-class submarine

The French submarine Nautilus was a Saphir-class submarine built for the French Navy in the mid-1930s. Laid down in August 1927, it was launched in March 1930 and commissioned in July 1931. Nautilus was disarmed at Bizerte, Tunisia and captured there on 8 December 1942 by Italian forces. On 31 January 1943, it was sunk at Bizerte during an Allied air raid. Nautilus was raised but not repaired and finally stricken on 12 August 1947.

French submarine <i>Saphir</i> (1928)

The French submarine Saphir was the lead ship of the Saphir-class submarines built for the French Navy in the mid-1930s. Laid down in May 1926, it was launched in December 1928 and commissioned in September 1930. Saphir was disarmed at Bizerte, Tunisia and renamed FR 112 after being captured there by Italian forces on 8 December 1942. Saphir was seized and scuttled by German forces at Naples, Italy on 15 September 1943.

French submarine <i>Turquoise</i> (1929)

The French submarine Turquoise was a Saphir-class submarine built for the French Navy in the mid-1930s. Laid down in October 1926, it was launched in May 1929 and commissioned in September 1930. Turquoise was disarmed at Bizerte, Tunisia and renamed FR 116 after being captured there by Italian forces on 8 December 1942. Turquoise was recaptured and scuttled by German forces at Naples, Italy on 8 May 1943.

French submarine <i>Laplace</i>

The French submarine Laplace (Q111) was a Lagrange-class submarine built for the French Navy built between 1913 and 1919. It was laid down in the Arsenal de Rochefort shipyards and launched on 12 August 1919. Laplace was completed in 1921 and served in the French Marine Nationale until 1935.

French submarine <i>Regnault</i>

The French submarine Regnault (Q113) was a Lagrange-class submarine built for the French Navy built between 1913 and 1924. It was laid down in the Arsenal de Toulon shipyards and launched on June 25, 1924. Regnault was completed in 1924 and served in the French Marine Nationale until 1937.

French submarine <i>Romazotti</i>

The French submarine Romazotti (Q114) was a Lagrange-class submarine built for the French Navy built between 1914 and 1918, during World War I. It was laid down in the Arsenal de Toulon shipyards and launched on March 31, 1918. Romazotti was completed in 1918 and served in the French Marine Nationale until 1937.

References

  1. 1 2 "Q 165". 29 October 2013. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013.
  2. "Oron class Submarines - Allied Warships of WWII". uboat.net. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  3. "French submarines of World War II". naval-encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  4. "Q 166". 4 March 2016. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  5. Smith, Gordon. "French Navy, World War 1". www.naval-history.net.