HMS Orchis (K76)

HMS "Orchis" (K76) was a "Flower"-class corvette that served in the Royal Navy during World War II.

North Atlantic Trade Convoy Escort

In March 1941, "Orchis" was the first ship fitted with the very successful 10-cm wavelength Type 271 RADAR enabling detection of a surfaced submarine at 5000 yards or a submarine periscope at 1300 yards. "Orchis" was assigned first to the 4th Escort Group based at GreenockRohwer&Hummelchen(1992)p.89] and then to Escort Group B3 of the Mid-Ocean Escort Force through early 1944.Rohwer&Hummelchen(1992)pp.170,185,188,198,212,227,228,234,235,239,241&259] "Orchis" escorted convoy ONS-18 during the battle of Convoys ONS-18/ON-202.Rohwer&Hummelchen(1992)pp.235-236]

English Channel

"Orchis" was then assigned to patrol the English Channel, and sank German submarine U-741 on 15 August 1944.Rohwer&Hummelchen(1992)p.291] "U-741" torpedoed "LST-404" of convoy FTM-69 while "Orchis" was escorting nearby convoy FTC-68. "Orchis" gained and held SONAR contact on "U-741" and flooded the forward part of the U-boat with two Hedgehog attacks and two Depth charge attacks. Leo Leuwer escaped from the aft torpedo-room hatch of the sunken U-boat, and was rescued by "Orchis".Blair(1998)p.613]

On 21 August 1944, "Orchis" struck a mine destroying the bow back to the 4-inch gun. The damaged ship was beached on Juno Beach and declared a total loss.Brown(1995)p.119] Rohwer&Hummelchen(1992)p.299]

Notes

References

*cite book|first=Clay|last=Blair|authorlink=|coauthors=|series=|title=Hitler's U-boat War The Hunted 1942-1945|publisher=Random House|date=1998| origdate=|isbn=0-679-45742-9
*cite book|first=David|last=Brown|authorlink=|coauthors=|series=|title=Warship Losses of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|date=1995| origdate=1990|isbn=1-55750-914-X
*cite book|first=Jurgen|last=Rohwer|authorlink=|coauthors=Hummelchen, Gerhard|series=|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945|publisher=Naval Institute Press|date=1992| origdate=1972|isbn=1-55750-105-X

External links