Egret-class sloop

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.

HMS Auckland in January 1939
Class overview
Name: Egret class
Operators:  Royal Navy
Preceded by: Bittern class
Succeeded by: Black Swan class
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 × 4-inch (102 mm) (4 × 2)
  • 4 × 0.5-inch (13 mm) (1 × 4)

Ships
Ship Builder Launched Fate
Auckland (ex-Heron) William Denny and Brothers 30 June 1938 Sunk 24 June 1941 by dive bombers near Tobruk
Pelican John I. Thornycroft & Company 12 September 1938 Broken up 1958
Egret J. Samuel White 31 May 1938 Sunk 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 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
  • Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
  • 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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