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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Orion (AS-18)

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Golf - Zulu
 NUGZ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation
Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (3) - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (3)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal (3) - Armed Forces Service Medal - Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
Fulton Class Submarine Tender:
  • Laid down, 31 July 1941, at Moore Dry Dock Co., Oakland, CA.
  • Launched, 24 June 1942
  • Commissioned USS Orion (AS-18), 30 September 1943, CAPT.. C. S. Isgrig in command
  • During World War II USS Orion was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Decommissioned, 3 September 1993
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 3 September 1993
  • Title transfer to MARAD, 1 May 1999
  • Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.
  • Final Disposition, scrapping contract awarded, 2 June 2006, to North American Ship Recycling of Sparrows Point, MD., removed for the James River Reserve Fleet and towed to Sparrows Point, MD. for scrapping, 27 July 2006
    Specifications:
    Displacement 9,734 t.(lt) 15,034 t. (fl)
    Length 529' 6"
    Beam 73' 4"
    Draft 23' 6"
    Speed 15.4 kts.
    Complement
    Officers - 72
    Enlisted - 1470
    Largest Boom Capacity 20 t.
    Armament
    four single 5"/38 gun mounts
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    twelve single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity - Diesel 26,560 Bbls
    Propulsion
    General Motors 16-248 Diesel electric engines
    single Fairbanks Morse Main Reduction Gear
    Ship's Service Generators
    three Diesel-drive 500Kw 450V A.C.
    one 200Kw Diesel-drive 100Kw 450V A.C.
    twin propellers, 11,200shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed By
    Source
    Orion 259k USS Orion (AS-18) moored, date and location unknown. John W. Klar
    Orion 118k USS Orion (AS-18) moored, date and location unknown. John W. Klar
    Orion 58k USS Orion (AS-18) moored at Saipan in September 1944, with 7 fleet-type submarines alongside.
    Photo from "United States Submarine Operations In World War 11," by Theodore Roscoe    		 Robert Hurst
    Orion 88k USS Orion (AS-18) at anchor, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, March 1959    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Orion 75k USS Orion (AS-18) tending submarines in the Virgin Islands alongside docking facilities made available by local residents, date unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 .
    Orion 55k USS Orion (AS-18) and nest of submarines take a brief rest in the Virgin Islands alongside docking facilities made available by local residents, date unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, February 1954    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Orion 77k USS Orion (AS-18) moored at the D&S Piers, Naval Station Norfolk, VA.. Across the pier is USS Sirago (SS-485). Laying alongside Orion is an unidentified Sturgeon Class attack submarine, circa 1963.
    US Navy photo    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Orion 613k USS Orion (AS-18) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, January 1971.    		 Stanley C. Svec and
    John W. Klar
    Orion 517k USSOrion (AS-18) underway, date and location unknown. John W. Klar
    Orion 685k USS Orion (AS-18) underway, date and location unknown. John W. Klar
    Orion 403k USS Orion (AS-18) underway, date and location unknown. John W. Klar
    Orion 609k USS Orion (AS-18) underway, date and location unknown. John W. Klar
    Orion 99k USS Orion (AS-18) moored while tending submarines, date and location unknown. John W. Klar
    Orion 61k USS Orion (AS-18) tending submarines, Naval Station Charleston, S.C., date unknown.  
    Orion 136k USS Orion (AS-18) arriving at Genoa, Italy, 22 January 1980. Photo by Carlo Martinelli
    Orion 443k USS Orion (AS-18) tending submarines, forward deployed at La Maddalena, Sardinia, Italy. Orion is "Med Moored" at her berth on Santa Steffano Island about half way between "Mainland" Sardinia (off screen lower left) and the islands of La Maddalena and Capra (in the background), circa 1983. Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret and
    John W. Klar
    Orion 159k USS Orion (AS-18) forward deployed at La Maddalena, Sardinia, Italy. Orion is "Med Moored" at her berth on Santa Steffano Island, 30 September 1983. Photo caption reads: "Crew members celebrate their ship's 40th birthday on the foredeck of USS Orion (AS-18), one of the Navy's oldest ships on active duty. Homeported in La Maddalena, Italy, Orion is still meeting it's Commitments to Commander Submarine Refit Training Group, La Maddalena and Command Submarine Group Eight and is the only submarine sender in the Mediterranean."
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, December 1983.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret
    Orion 125k USS Orion (AS-18) tending a submarine while forward deployed at La Maddalena, Sardinia, Italy, circa 1983. Wendell McLaughlin
    Fulton 803k Aerial view of USS Orion (AS 18) and USS Fulton (AS-11) moored side by side at La Maddalena, Sardinia in March 1985. Fulton (the oldest active ship in the fleet at the time, 43 years) relieved Orion for a period of 49 days so that Orion could receive needed maintenance and repairs. Thomas K. Peters EN1 (SW) US Navy 1982-1991
    Orion 79k USS Orion (AS-18) in her moorings at La Maddalena, Sardinia, Italy in August 1987.
    Photo by Wendell McLaughlin PN1 (SS), USN Ret.    		 Wendell McLaughlin for his father Wendell McLaughlin PN1 (SS), USN Ret.
    Orion 292k USS Orion (AS-18) and USS Key West (SSN-722), off Cartagena, Spain, 26 May 1990. Manuel García García
    Orion 258k

    For more photos and information about USS Orion, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
  • USS Orion AS-18, Scrapping in Baltimore, MD., 2006-2007
  • USS Orion Veterans Historical Organization
  • Submarine Tenders of the United States Navy
  • Commanding Officers
    • Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 15 July 2011