HMS Orchis

HMS Orchis 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 5,000 yd or a submarine periscope at 1,300 yd. Orchis was assigned first to the 4th Escort Group based at Greenock and then to Escort Group B3 of the Mid-Ocean Escort Force through early 1944. Orchis escorted convoy ONS 18 during the battle around this and ON 202.

English Channel
Orchis was then assigned to patrol the English Channel, and sank the GS U-741 on 15 August 1944. 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.

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.