View source for Erebus-class monitor

{{Short description|Two ship class of 20th century Royal Navy monitors}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2013}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=HMS Erebus I02.jpg
|Ship caption=[[HMS Erebus (I02)|HMS ''Erebus'']]
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=''Erebus''-class monitor
|Builders=[[Harland & Wolff]]
|Operators={{navy|United Kingdom}}
|Class before={{sclass|M29|monitor|4}}
|Class after={{sclass|Roberts|monitor|4}}
|Subclasses=
|Cost=
|Built range=
|In service range= 1916–1946
|In commission range=August 1916
|Total ships building= 
|Total ships planned=
|Total ships completed=2
|Total ships cancelled=
|Total ships active=
|Total ships laid up=
|Total ships lost=1
|Total ships scrapped=1
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=
|Ship type=[[Monitor (warship)|Monitor]]
|Ship tonnage=
|Ship displacement=*8,000 tons (standard)
*8,450 tons (full load)
|Ship length={{convert|405|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|88|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught={{convert|11|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft=
|Ship depth=
|Ship hold depth=
|Ship decks=
|Ship deck clearance=
|Ship ramps=
|Ship ice class=
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=4 oil-fired boilers, 2 shaft [[reciprocating engine]]s, {{convert|6000|hp|abbr=on}}
|Ship sail plan=
|Ship speed={{convert|12|kn}}
|Ship range=
|Ship endurance=
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|Ship capacity=
|Ship troops=
|Ship complement=204, rising to 315 later
|Ship crew=
|Ship time to activate=
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|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*''Original'':
*2 × [[15 inch /42 (38.1&nbsp;cm) Mark I naval gun|15-inch /42 Mk 1]] guns in a single turret
*2 × single [[QF 6 inch /40 naval gun|{{convert|6|in|mm|adj=on}}]] guns
*4 × single [[QF 12 pounder 18 cwt naval gun|{{convert|3|in|mm|0|adj=on}}]] [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft gun]]s
*''After refit'':
*2 × [[15 inch /42 (38.1&nbsp;cm) Mark I naval gun|15-inch /42 Mk 1]] guns in a single turret
*8 × single mount [[BL 4 inch Mk IX naval gun|{{convert|4|inch|mm|adj=on|0}} BL Mk IX guns]]
*2 × single mount [[QF 3 inch 20 cwt|{{convert|3|inch|mm|adj=on}} anti-aircraft guns]]
*2 × quadruple [[Vickers .50 machine gun|{{convert|.50|in|mm|adj=on|1}} Vickers machine gun]] AA mounts
|Ship armour=*Belt and bulkheads: 4 inch
*[[Barbette]]: 8 inch
*[[Gun turret|Turret]]: 13 inch
*Deck: 4 inch
*Anti-torpedo bulges: {{convert|9|ft|m|abbr=on}} wide
|Ship armor=
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|Ship notes=
}}
|}

The '''''Erebus'' class''' of warships was a [[ship class|class]] of 20th century [[Royal Navy]] [[monitor (warship)|monitor]]s armed with a main battery of two [[15 inch /42 (38.1&nbsp;cm) Mark I naval gun|15-inch /42 Mk 1]] guns in a single turret.  It consisted of two vessels, ''[[HMS Erebus (I02)|''Erebus'']]'' and ''[[HMS Terror (I03)|''Terror'']]'', named after the two ships lost in the [[Franklin's lost expedition|Franklin Expedition]]. Both were launched in 1916 and saw active service in World War I off the Belgian coast. After being placed in reserve between the wars, they served in World War II, with ''Terror'' being lost in 1941 and ''Erebus'' surviving to be scrapped in 1946.

==Ships==
* [[HMS Erebus (I02)|''Erebus'']] was built by [[Harland & Wolff]], Govan. She was laid down on 12 October 1915, launched on 19 June 1916 and commissioned in September 1916. After seeing service in both World Wars, ''Erebus'' was scrapped in 1946.
* [[HMS Terror (I03)|''Terror'']] was built by [[Harland & Wolff]], Belfast. She was laid down on 26 October 1915, launched on 18 May 1916 and commissioned in August 1916. She saw extensive service in both World Wars. In the Second World War ''Terror'' served in the [[Mediterranean]] in support of the North Africa campaign. She sunk in Benghazi harbour on 23 February 1941, after being damaged by [[Luftwaffe]] [[Junkers Ju 88]] bomber while operating as anti-aircraft defence.<ref>{{cite web|last=Mason|first=Geoffrey|title=HMS Terror – Erebus-class 15in gun Monitor|url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-03Mon-HMS_Terror.htm|editor = Gordon Smith |publisher=Naval-History.Net|access-date=6 April 2014}}</ref>

==Service==
The class was to see most of its service for shore bombardment ([[naval gunfire support]], "NGS") role. During [[World War I]], they operated off the German-occupied [[Belgium|Belgian]] coast bombarding naval forces based at [[Ostend]] and [[Zeebrugge]] including the [[Zeebrugge raid]]. ''Erebus'' was damaged by a remote controlled explosive motor boat and ''Terror'' was torpedoed by motor [[torpedo boat]]s.

Both ships were [[Reserve fleet|placed in reserve]] between the wars but returned to service in [[World War II]], when they were again used to provide fire support to British troops.

''Erebus'' participated in the invasion of Normandy June 1944 as part of Task Force O off [[Omaha beach]].<ref name="Beevor2010">{{cite book|author=Antony Beevor|title=D-Day: The Battle for Normandy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G87TWxGRMscC|access-date=10 February 2012|date=28 September 2010|publisher=Penguin|isbn=978-0-14-311818-3|page=81}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
[[Douglas Reeman|Douglas Reeman's]] 1965 novel ''H.M.S. Saracen'' is a fictional account of the service of an ''Erebus'' class monitor in the Mediterranean Sea in both World Wars.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book <!-- {{sfn|Bacon |1919|loc=vol. x, p. x}} -->  |last=Bacon |first=Reginald |author-link=Reginald Bacon |title=The Dover Patrol 1915–1917 |year=1919 |others=(2 vols.) |publisher=George H. Doran Co. |location=New York}}&nbsp;[https://archive.org/stream/doverpatrol01bacogoog#page/n6/mode/2up Vol. 1] • [https://archive.org/stream/doverpatrol00bacogoog#page/n10/mode/2up Vol. 2]
*{{cite book |last1=Buxton |first1=Ian |title=Big Gun Monitors: Design, Construction and Operations 1914–1945 |location=Barnsley, UK |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |year=2008 |orig-year=1978 |edition=2nd Revised |isbn=978-1-84415-719-8 }}
*{{cite book |last1=Crossley |first1=Jim |title=Monitors of the Royal Navy; How the Fleet Brought the Great Guns to Bear |location=Barnsley, UK |publisher=Pen & Sword |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-78383-004-6 }}
*Dittmar, F. J. & Colledge, J. J., "British Warships 1914–1919", (Ian Allan, London, 1972), {{ISBN|0-7110-0380-7}}
*{{cite book |last1=Dunn |first1=Steve R |title=Securing the Narrow Sea: The Dover Patrol 1914–1918 |location=Barnsley, UK |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-84832-251-6 }}
* {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=Naval Weapons of World War One: Guns, Torpedoes, Mines and ASW Weapons of All Nations; An Illustrated Directory|publisher= Seaforth Publishing|location=Barnsley|year=2011|isbn=978-1-84832-100-7 |author-link=Norman Friedman}}
*Gray, Randal (ed), "Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921", (Conway Maritime Press, London, 1985), {{ISBN|0-85177-245-5}}
*{{cite book |year=1969 |orig-year=First published 1919 |editor1-last=Parkes |editor1-first=Oscar |editor2-last=Prendergast |editor2-first=Maurice |title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1919 |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/012202881 |location=New York |publisher=Arco Publishing Co |isbn=978-0-71534-716-4 |oclc=1902851 |access-date=23 December 2019 }}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Erebus class monitor}}
*[http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/class.html?ID=232&navy=HMS Uboat.net – ''Erebus'' Class]
*[http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-03Mon-Erebus.htm naval-history.net – Service History of ''Erebus'']

{{Erebus class monitor}}
{{WWI British ships}}
{{WWII British ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Erebus Class Monitor}}
[[Category:Monitor classes]]
[[Category:Erebus-class monitors| ]]
[[Category:Ship classes of the Royal Navy]]