HMS Orion

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Eight ships of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Orion, after the hunter Orion of Greek mythology.

• The first Orion was a 74-gun ship of the line launched in 1787 and broken up in 1814. She fought at five battles during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, including the Nile and Trafalgar.

• The second Orion was an 80-gun screw ship in service from 1854 to 1867.

• The third Orion was an armoured corvette purchased from Turkey and launched in 1879, renamed or Orontes in 1909, and sold in 1913.

• The fourth Orion was a cruiser projected in 1904 but never built.

• The fifth Orion was a battleship in service from 1910 to 1922.

• The sixth Orion (85) was a light cruiser launched in 1932 and sold in 1949.

• The seventh Orion was a French submarine captured in 1940.

• The eighth Orion was a submarine in service from 1974 to 1996.

One ship in the Swedish navy is called HMS Orion.

• HMS Orion (A201) was launched in 1984 and is used for SIGINT and is thus surrounded with much secrecy.