KMS Orion Technical Information
Name: KMS Orion, Schiff 36, Hilfskreuzer I.
Type: heavy auxiliary cruiser.
Ex-name: Kurmark, freighter.
Owner: Hamburg Amerika Line.
Builder: Blohm & Voss, Hamburg.
Date of construction: 1930.
Converted by: Blohm & Voss.
Date of conversion: 1939-40.
Date of commission: 9 December 1939.
Tonnage: 7,021.
Displacement: 15,700 tons.
Length: 148m (Lloyds Register).
Beam: 18.6m.
Draught: 8.2m.
Freeboard: 12.1m.
Fuel type: oil.
Fuel capacity: 4,100 tons.
Speed: 14 knots.
Range: 35,000 nautical miles at 10 knots.
Cruising endurance: 145 days at 10 knots.
Maximum horse power: 6,200, turbines.
Propulsion: one geared turbine, 4 boilers.
Propellers: 1.
Number of decks: 2.
Number of holds: 6.
Number of compartments: 9.
Crew: 376.
Aircraft carried: one Ar 196A-1; later
one Nakajima 90-11.
Mines carried: 228.
Armament: six 5.9in (6x1), one 75mm, two 37mm (1x2),
four 20mm (4x1), six 21-inch torpedo tubes (2x3).
Length of cruise: 510 days, 6 April 1940 to 23
August 1941.
Ships sunk or taken:
| Nationality | Type | Name | Tonnage | Date | Result |
| Great Britain | Freighter | Haxby | 5,207 | 24 April 1940 | Sunk |
| Norway | Freighter | Tropic Sea | 8,750 | 19 June 1940 | Prize |
| France | Freighter | Notou | 2,489 | 16 August 1940 | Sunk |
| Great Britain | Freighter | Turakina | 9,691 | 20 August 1940 | Sunk |
| Norway | Freighter | Ringwood | 7,203 | 14 October 1940 | Sunk |
| Great Britain | Freighter | Chaucer | 5,792 | 29 July 1941 | Sunk |
| Total 6 ships | 39,132 | ||||
| Ships sunk by Orion and Komet 25 November to 8 December 1940: | |||||
| Great Britain | Freighter | Holmwood | 546 | 25 November 1940 | Sunk |
| Great Britain | Passenger | Rangitane | 16,712 | 27 November 1940 | Sunk |
| Great Britain | Freighter | Triona | 4,413 | 6 December 1940 | Sunk |
| Norway | Freighter | Vinni (Komet) | 5,181 | 7 December 1940 | Sunk |
| Great Britain | Freighter | Komata (Komet) | 3,900 | 7 December 1940 | Sunk |
| Great Britain | Freighter | Triadic (Orion) | 6,378 | 8 December 1940 | Sunk |
| Great Britain | Freighter | Triaster (Orion) | 6,032 | 8 December 1940 | Sunk |
| Total 7 ships | 43,162 | ||||
| Ships sunk by Orion's mines: | |||||
| Great Britain | Passenger | Niagra | 13,415 | 19 June 1940 | Sunk |
| Great Britain | Freighter | HMNZS Puriri | 927 | -- | Sunk |
| Great Britain | Freighter | Port Bowen | 8,276 | -- | Sunk |
| Great Britain | Freighter | Baltanic | 1,500 | -- | Sunk |
| Total 4 ships | 24,118 plus 2 trawlers | ||||
| Grand total 13.5 ships | 86,495.5 | ||||