The four Orions followed a sequence of one-, two- and three-ship early dreadnought classes. Britain generally built battleships in groups of four or eight so ships of one class could operate together within a squadron over much of their careers. A larger, uniform group simplified fleet handling and administration. The class therefore represents the point at which the Royal Navy had enough dreadnought experience to settle on a repeatable arrangement.
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The Orion class and a standard British dreadnought pattern
The Orion class marks the point at which Britain moved beyond its early experimental dreadnought groupings toward a repeatable squadron design.