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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)
Second Row - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon (3) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Armed Forces Service Medal

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 9,250 t.(lt) 15,034 t. (fl)
Length 529' 6"
Beam 73' 4"
Draft 25' 6"
Speed 15.4 kts.
Complement 1,487
Armament (as built)

four single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts

eight single 40mm AA gun mounts

twenty-three single 20mm AA gun mounts
Propulsion diesel electric, twin screws, 12,000hp

Size	Image Description	Contributed By Source
259k	*USS Orion* (AS-18)** moored, date and location unknown.	John W. Klar
118k	*USS Orion* (AS-18)** moored, date and location unknown.	John W. Klar
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
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.
75k	*USS Orion* (AS-18)** tending submarines in the Virgin Islands alongside docking facilities made available by local residents, date unknown. US Navy photo	.
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.
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 Thresher Class attack submarine, circa 1963. US Navy photo	Robert M. Cieri
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
517k	USSOrion (AS-18) underway, date and location unknown.	John W. Klar
685k	*USS Orion* (AS-18)** underway, date and location unknown.	John W. Klar
403k	*USS Orion* (AS-18)** underway, date and location unknown.	John W. Klar
609k	*USS Orion* (AS-18)** underway, date and location unknown.	John W. Klar
99k	*USS Orion* (AS-18)** moored while tending submarines, date and location unknown.	John W. Klar
61k	*USS Orion* (AS-18)** tending submarines, Naval Station Charleston, S.C., date unknown.	.
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
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
125k	*USS Orion* (AS-18)** tending a submarine while forward deployed at La Maddalena, Sardinia, Italy, circa 1983.	Wendell McLaughlin
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.