HMS Orchis was a 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 or a submarine periscope at . 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 around this and ON 202.Rohwer & Hummelchen (1992), pp. 235–236
English Channel Orchis was then assigned to patrol the English Channel, and sank the 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. One person 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 that destroyed the bow back to the 4-inch gun. The damaged ship was beached on Juno Beach and declared a total loss.Brown (1995), p. 119Rohwer & Hummelchen (1992), p. 299
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