Orion Class Battleship

An Orion class battleship was one of a series of four British super-dreadnoughts in service with the Royal Navy from 1912 to 1922. They featured ten 343-mm (13.5-inch) guns as they were the first British battleships to mount all their main armament on the centerline, allowing for a ten-gun broadside. They were set up in five twin turrets. This class consisted of HMS Orion, Conqueror, Monarch, and Thunderer, which had been preceded by the Colossus class.

The HMS Orion had been laid down in 1909, while her sister ships were laid down in 1910. Each one of them was built by different ship builders; HMNB Dockyard (Portsmouth), Armstrong Whitworth (Elswick), William Beardmore (Dalmuire), and Thames Ironworks (Lodon). However, they all were commissioned in 1912. These dreadnoughts displayed the best British battleship design to date as they represented a significant increase in capabilities over previous designs.

Below, the 13.5-inch guns on the fore deck of HMS Monarch. All five twin turrets were set up on ship centerline.

They took part in World War I, especially in the Battle of Jutland in 1916. All four had been assigned to the Grand Fleet where they sustained no damage or casualties. Indeed, their only wartime damage came from other friendly ships, when HMS Conqueror and HMS Monarch collided with each other in December 1914, or when HMS Orion was hit by HMS Revenge after the latter had broken free from her moorings. After the war, all four fell victims to the Washington Naval Treaty, by which the Royal Navy had to reduce the number of warship. Thus, all Orion Class Battleships were scrapped in 1922.

Specifications

Type: super-dreadnought

Displacement: 22,200 tons;  25,870 tons (full loaded)

Length: 177.1 m (581 ft)

Beam: 27 m (88.5 ft)

Draft: 7.6 m (24.9 ft)

Propulsion: four Parsons direct-drive steam engines, mounted in two sets, with four shafts. They were fed by 18 boilers, generating 27,000 HP. Two funnels.

Maximum Speed: 21 knots

Range: 6,730 nautical miles, sailing at 10 knots.

Armor: 300/200mm thick steel plates on belt; 100mm on deck.

Armament: ten 13.5-inch (343mm) naval guns; sixteen 4-inch (102mm) and four 47mm guns.

Crew: 823 sailors and officers.

Below, HMS Conqueror in 1913. It was the second Orion class battleship to be commissioned.

HMS Thunderer during the war.

Below, HMS Orion in1918.