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	Laid Down	Launched	Fate
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

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]