HMS Orion

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 in the Battle of the Nile.

• 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.