Egret-class sloop

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HMS Auckland (L61) IWM FL 1201.jpg
HMS Auckland in January 1939
Class overview
NameEgret class
OperatorsNaval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy
Preceded by Bittern class
Succeeded by Black Swan class
In commission1938–1958
Completed3
Lost2
Scrapped1
General characteristics
Type Sloop-of-war
Displacement1,200 tons
Length276 ft (84 m)
Propulsion
Speed19.25 knots (35.65 km/h; 22.15 mph)
Complement188
Armament

The Egret-class sloops were a three ship class of a long-range escort vessels used in the Second World War by the Royal Navy. They were an enlarged version of the Bittern class with an extra twin 4-inch gun mounting. They were fitted with Denny Brown stabilisers and the Fuze Keeping Clock anti-aircraft fire control system.

Contents

Ships

ShipBuilderLaid DownLaunchedFate
Auckland (ex-Heron) William Denny and Brothers 16 June 193730 June 1938Sunk 24 June 1941 by dive bombers near Tobruk
Pelican John I. Thornycroft & Company 7 September 193712 September 1938Broken up 1958
Egret J. Samuel White 21 September 193731 May 1938Sunk by guided bomb in Bay of Biscay 27 August 1943

Service history

Three ships were built; HMS Auckland, HMS Pelican and HMS Egret. Auckland was lost on 24 June 1941, to 48 Junkers Ju 87 aircraft dive-bombing both her and HMAS Parramatta, off the coast of Tobruk. Pelican was an effective convoy escort, and was credited with the destruction of four U-boats. She survived until the end of the war, and was broken up in 1958. Egret was lost to a guided missile. While patrolling in the Bay of Biscay, she was attacked by 18 Do 217 aircraft, one of which carried the Henschel Hs 293 guided bomb. [1]

Notes

  1. HMS Egret at Uboat.net

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References