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 5,000 yards (4,600 m) or a submarine
periscope at 1,300 yards (1,200 m).[3]Orchis was assigned first to the 4th Escort Group based at
Greenock[4] and then to Escort Group B3 of the
Mid-Ocean Escort Force through early 1944.[5]Orchis escorted
convoy ONS 18 during the battle around this and ON 202.[6]
English Channel
Orchis was then assigned to patrol the
English Channel, and sank the
German submarine U-741 on 15 August 1944.[7]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. One person escaped from the aft torpedo-room hatch of the sunken U-boat, and was rescued by Orchis.[8]
On 21 August 1944, Orchis struck a
mine that destroyed the
bow back to the 4-inch gun. The damaged ship was beached on
Juno Beach and declared a total loss.[9][10]
Notes
^
abcMcCluskie, Tom (2013). The Rise and Fall of Harland and Wolff. Stroud: The History Press. p. 148.
ISBN9780752488615.