HSK1 Orion
1940
(Neptun 1020T)
- Class: Schiff 36
- Displacement: 7,021 tons
- Dimensions: 463 x 61 x 27 ft.
- Machinery: Steam turbines, 1-shaft, S.H.P. 6,200 = 15 knots
- Armament: 6-5.9 in., 1-3 in., 4-37 mm. A.A. guns; 6-21 in. T.T. (2x3); 2 Arado Ar 196 aircraft; 230 mines
- Complement: 377
- Builder: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg
- Launched: 1930
- Commissioned: 9 Dec 1939
- Actions: Built as the freighter Kurmark for the Hamburg-America Line. Requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine at the outbreak of World War II and converted to auxiliary cruiser Orion. Departed Germany 6 Apr 1940, passed through the Atlantic disguised as a neutral merchant vessel, rounded Cape Horn into Pacific. Laid mines off Auckland, New Zealand Jun 1940, which sank liner Niagara and minesweeper HMNZS Puriri. Raided Allied shipping in the Pacific and Indian Ocean, joining with auxiliary cruiser Komet to sink 7 vessels together. Returned to Bordeaux 23 Aug 1941 after 510 days at sea. Credited with 9.5 merchant ships for a total of 71,258 tons. Renamed Hektor in 1944 and used as artillery trining ship. Renamed Orion again in Jan 1945 and used to transport refugees from eastern front across Baltic. Bombed off Swinemunde 4 May 1945 with 4,000 people aboard, of whom only 150 survived. Wreck scrapped in 1952.
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