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
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Class overview | |
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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 |
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Speed | 19.25 knots (35.65 km/h; 22.15 mph) |
Complement | 188 |
Armament |
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Ship | Builder | Laid Down | Launched | Fate |
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Auckland (ex-Heron) | William Denny and Brothers | 16 June 1937 | 30 June 1938 | Sunk 24 June 1941 by dive bombers near Tobruk |
Pelican | John I. Thornycroft & Company | 7 September 1937 | 12 September 1938 | Broken up 1958 |
Egret | J. Samuel White | 21 September 1937 | 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. 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]