French ship Orion (1787)

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the Achille
Scale model of the Achille, sister-ship of the Orion, on display at the Musée de la Marine in Paris
Career (France) French Navy Ensign French Navy Ensign French Navy Ensign
Name: Orion
Namesake:

Orion

Gaius Mucius Scaevola
Builder: Rochefort
Laid down: October 1784
Launched: 18 April 1787
Struck: 23 March 1804
Fate: broken up in 1804
General characteristics
Class and type: Téméraire class ship of the line
Displacement: 2900 tonnes
Length: 55.87 metres (172 French feet)
Beam: 14.90 metres (44' 6)
Draught: 7,26 metres (22 French feet)
Propulsion: Up to 2485 m² of sails
Complement: 3 officers + 690 men
Armament:

74 guns:

  • 28 x 36 pdr (16 kg)
  • 30 x 24 pdr (11 kg)
  • 16 x 8 pdr (3.6 kg)
  • 4 x 36 pdr (16 kg) carronades
Armour: Timber

The Orion was a Téméraire class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.

She took part in fighting on the coast of Italy. In 1793, she was renamed Mucius Scaevola, soon shortened to Mucius.

She took part in the Third Battle of Ushant (Combat du 13 prairial an II), helping the Impétueux battling HMS Malborough, as well as in both the First Battle of Groix and the Battle of Groix.

She took part in the Expédition d'Irlande, an attempt at landing an army in Ireland, before being condemned and broken up in Brest.