The Orion-class submarines were a class of two submarines built for the French Navy between 1928 and 1931.
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Orion class |
| Operators |  French Navy |
| Preceded by | Argonaute class |
| Succeeded by | Diane class |
| Built | 1928 - 1931 |
| In service | 1932 - 1943 |
| Planned | 2 |
| Completed | 2 |
| Retired | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 67 m (219 ft 10 in) |
| Beam | 6.2 m (20 ft 4 in) |
| Draught | 4.4 m (14 ft 5 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 80 m (260 ft) |
| Complement | 41 men |
| Armament |
|
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 | |||||
| Name | Ordered | laid down | launched | commissioned | fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orion | 27 December 1927 | 9 July 1929 | 21 April 1931 | 5 July 1932 | Scrapped for spare parts in 1944.[1] |
| Ondine | 27 December 1927 | 30 August 1929 | 4 May 1931 | 5 July 1932 | Scrapped for spare parts in 1944.[4] |