HMS Orwell (G98)

History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Orwell
Ordered:	3 September 1939
Builder:	Thornycroft (Southampton)
Laid down:	20 May 1940
Launched:	2 April 1942
Commissioned:	17 October 1942
Identification:	Pennant number G98
Fate:	Broken up, 1965
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type:	O-class destroyer
Displacement:	1,540 long tons (1,560 t) standard
Length:	345 ft (105 m) o/a
Beam:	35 ft (11 m)
Draught:	13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
Propulsion:	Parsons geared steam turbines, 40,000 shp (30 MW) 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers 2 shafts
Speed:	37 knots (43 mph; 69 km/h)
Range:	3,850 nmi (7,130 km) at 20 kn (23 mph; 37 km/h)
Endurance:	472 tons oil
Complement:	176+
Armament:	4 × single QF 4 in guns Mark V on mounting HA Mk.III 1 × quad QF 2 pdr "pom-pom" mount Mk.VII Up to 6 × single 20 mm Oerlikon guns 2 × quad 21 in (533 mm) tubes for Mk.IX torpedoes 4 × throwers and 2 × racks for 70 depth charges Up to 60 mines (where fitted)
Service record
Operations:	Battle of the Barents Sea (1942) Battle of North Cape (1943)

HMS Orwell was an O-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that entered service in 1942 and was broken up in 1965.

Second World War service

Orwell saw action at the Battle of the Barents Sea, and was involved in convoy escort duties during the Battle of North Cape.

Postwar service

Between 1946 and 1947 Orwell was part of the Portsmouth local flotilla and used for torpedo training. Between 1947 and 1949 she was held in reserve at Harwich. In 1949 the destroyer underwent a refit at Cowes and between 1950 and 1952 was held in reserve at Chatham.

In 1952 she was converted to a Type 16 frigate at Rosyth Dockyard. Following re-commissioning in 1953 she took part in the Fleet Review to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.^[1] Between 1953 and 1958 she was Captain (Destroyers) at Plymouth.^[2] In December 1959 Orwell underwent refit at Rosyth, being held in reserve there until 1961. Between 1961 and 1963 the frigate was held on reserve at Portsmouth, before being placed on the disposal list.

She was sold for scrap to John Cashmore Ltd and arrived for breaking up at Newport on 28 June 1965.^[3]

Commanding Officers

References

Publications

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475. 
• Connell, G. G. (1982). Arctic Destroyers: The 17th Flotilla. London: William Kimber. ISBN 0-7183-0428-4. 
• Friedman, Norman (2006). British Destroyers & Frigates: The Second World War and After. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-86176-137-6. 
• Lenton, H. T. (1998). British & Empire Warships of the Second World War. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-048-7. 
• Raven, Alan; Roberts, John (1978). War Built Destroyers O to Z Classes. London: Bivouac Books. ISBN 0-85680-010-4. 
• Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939-1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2. 
• Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1. 

O- and P-class destroyers
Royal Navy	O class Pakenham / Onslow (G17) [leader] Obdurate Obedient Offa Pathfinder / Onslaught (G04) Opportune Observer / Oribi Orwell P class Onslow / Pakenham (G06) [leader] Paladin Panther Partridge Onslaught / Pathfinder (G10) Penn Persistent / Petard Porcupine
Pakistan Navy	Tariq (ex-Offa) Tippu Sultan / Muhafiz (ex-Onslow (G17)) Tughril (ex-Onslaught (G04))
Turkish Navy	Gayret (ex-Oribi)
Preceded by: M class Followed by: Q class
List of destroyers of the Royal Navy