Egret-class sloop
_IWM_FL_1201.jpg) HMS Auckland in January 1939 | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators: | Royal Navy |
| In commission: | 1938-1958 |
| Completed: | 3 |
| Lost: | 2 |
| Scrapped: | 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Sloop-of-war |
| Displacement: | 1,200 tons |
| Length: | 276 ft (84 m) |
| Propulsion: |
Geared steam turbines on two shafts 3,600 shp |
| Speed: | 19.25 knots (35.65 km/h; 22.15 mph) |
| Complement: | 188 |
| Armament: |
8 x 4-inch AA guns (4x2) 4 x .5-inch AA (1x4) |
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 sloop 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.
Ships
| Ship | Builder | Launched | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Auckland (ex-Heron) | William Denny and Brothers | 30 June 1938 | Sunk 24 June 1941 by dive bombers near Tobruk |
| HMS Pelican | John I. Thornycroft & Company | 12 September 1938 | Broken up 1958 |
| HMS Egret | J. Samuel White | 31 May 1938 | sunk by guided bomb in Bay of Biscay 27 August 1943 |
Three ships were built; HMS Auckland, HMS Pelican and HMS Egret. 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] Auckland was lost on 24 June 1941, to 48 Junkers 87 aircraft dive-bombing both her and HMAS Parramatta, off the coast of Tobruk. Pelican survived until the end of the war, and was broken up in 1958.
See also
Media related to Egret class sloop at Wikimedia Commons
Notes
References
- Hague, Arnold (1993). Sloops: A History of the 71 Sloops Built in Britain and Australia for the British, Australian and Indian Navies 1926–1946. Kendal, England: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-67-3.
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