View source for Egret-class sloop

{{Short description|1938 class of British sloops-of-war}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=HMS Auckland (L61) IWM FL 1201.jpg
|Ship caption=HMS ''Auckland'' in January 1939
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=''Egret'' class
|Builders=
|Operators={{navy|United Kingdom}}
|Class before={{sclass|Bittern|sloop|4}}
|Class after={{sclass|Black Swan|sloop|4}}
|Built range=
|In commission range=1938–1958
|Total ships completed=3
|Total ships lost=2
|Total ships scrapped=1
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Sloop-of-war]]
|Ship displacement=1,200 tons
|Ship length={{convert|276|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam=
|Ship draught=
|Ship propulsion=*Geared [[steam turbines]] on two shafts
* 3,600 [[Shaft horsepower|shp]]
|Ship speed={{convert|19.25|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range=
|Ship complement=188
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*8 × [[QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun|{{convert|4|in|mm|adj=on|sigfig=3}}]] (4 × 2)
* 4 × [[0.5 inch Vickers machine gun|{{convert|0.5|in|mm|adj=on}}]] (1 × 4)
|Ship armour=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
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 {{sclass|Bittern|sloop|4}} 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==
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
! Ship
! Builder
! Laid Down
! Launched
! Fate
|-
| {{HMS|Auckland|L61|2}} (ex-''Heron'')
| [[William Denny and Brothers]]
| 16 June 1937
| 30 June 1938
|Sunk 24 June 1941 by dive bombers near Tobruk
|-
| {{HMS|Pelican|L86|2}}
| [[John I. Thornycroft & Company]]
| 7 September 1937
| 12 September 1938
|Broken up 1958
|-
| {{HMS|Egret|L75|2}}
| [[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|L61|6}}, {{HMS|Pelican|L86|6}} and {{HMS|Egret|L75|6}}.
''Auckland'' was lost on 24 June 1941, to 48 [[Junkers Ju 87]] aircraft dive-bombing both her and {{HMAS|Parramatta|U44|6}}, off the coast of [[Tobruk]].
''Pelican'' was an effective convoy escort, and was credited with the destruction of four [[U-boat]]s. 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]].<ref>[http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3909.html HMS Egret at Uboat.net]</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

==References==
* {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau |editor1-first=Roger |publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=Greenwich, UK |year=1980 |isbn=0-85177-146-7 |chapter=Great Britain (including Empire Forces)|author-first=N. J. M. |author-last=Campbell |pages=2–85}}
* {{cite book |last1=Colledge |first1=J. J. |title=Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th Century to the Present |date=2020 |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |location=Barnsley, UK |isbn=978-1-5267-9327-0 |edition=5th revised and updated|first2=Ben|last2=Warlow|first3=Steve|last3=Bush|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=British Destroyers & Frigates: The Second World War and After|year=2008|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|location=Barnsley, UK|isbn=978-1-84832-015-4 |author-link=Norman Friedman}}
* {{cite book|last=Hague|first=Arnold|title=Sloops: A History of the 71 Sloops Built in Britain and Australia for the British, Australian and Indian Navies 1926–1946|year=1993|publisher=World Ship Society|location=Kendal, UK|isbn=0-905617-67-3}}
* {{cite book|last=Lenton|first=H. T.|title=British & Empire Warships of the Second World War |publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1998 |isbn=1-55750-048-7 |author-link=Henry Trevor Lenton}}
* {{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two |publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2005 |edition=Third Revised |isbn=1-59114-119-2|author-link=Jürgen Rohwer}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Egret class sloop}}
* [http://www.britainsnavy.co.uk/FF/Egret%20Class%20(1938)%20SL.htm ''Egret'' class sloops at britainsnavy.co.uk]

{{WWII British ships}}

[[Category:Egret-class sloops| ]]
[[Category:Ship classes of the Royal Navy]]
[[Category:Sloops of the Royal Navy]]


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