- Yes - In the Tech Tree.
- Yes - Event/BP.
- Yes - Premium.
- No - I would not like to see HMS Auckland in game.
Description:
HMS Auckland was one of three Egret-class Sloops built for the Royal Navy in the Build up to the Second World War, she would serve in the Atlantic and Mediterranean areas of operations before her sinking.
The Erget-class were to be a pair of general purpose vessels, being of limited armament. Although she was originally named Heron, she would be renamed to Auckland while still being constructed, as she was to be a survey ship in the New Zealand Division. However, she would be modified into a convoy and anti-submarine warfare vessel before launching, but would keep the name. One further vessel of this class were ordered.
This suggestion is for her fit as she commissioned, as she did not survive long enough to undergo armament refits.
History:
Laid down on the 16th of June 1937 by Denny at Dumbarton, Scotland, the HMS Auckland would be modified into a convoy escort and antisubmarine vessel while still under construction. She would launch as such on the 30th of June 1938, commissioning into the Royal Navy on the 16th of November 1938.
Upon commissioning, she would sail to the South African Station, more specifically at Simonstown. During 1939 she would mostly conduct A/S patrols off Capetown, but she would also escort vessels out of the habour. This would change in January 1940, where she would leave for Rosyth, where again she would be acting as convoy escort. However she would also partake in A/S exercises with HMS Triton outside the harbour.
On the 16th of April 1940 she sailed with three other sloops to Andalsnes, Norway, carrying 700 troops between them. During these operations she was damaged by aircraft bombing, but was only slightly damaged. She would still rendezvous with HMS Maori and the Ville D’ Alger after this incident. On the failure of the Norwegian campaign, she and the Calcutta would evacuate over 1000 troops from Andalsnes.
In August, she would join the Red Sea Force out of Colombo. While in the Gulf of Aden she would evacuate troops from British Somaliland, and shelling Italians advancing on Berbera. During convoy escort in the Red Sea she would have to take the tanker British Lord in tow due to that ship being disabled by air attack. They would reach Alexandria.
By January 1941 she would undergo a small refit, and join the Mediterranean fleet for more escort work around Libya. In April she was evacuating troops from Greece to Alexandria.
On the 24th of June 1941, HMS Auckland, with the Grimsby-class HMAS Parramatta, were escorting the Oiler, Pass of Balmaha to Tobruk when they came under attack from over 70 aircraft. Auckland was hit directly by a bomb, and further damaged by near misses. This resulted in total loss of control, as her stern had been blown off, with the new stern on fire. She was still firing at this time, but after 15 minutes she would stop and her crew abandon ship. The Parramatta would drop whalers and skiffs to pick up the survivors in the water, who were being strafed by the German aircraft. 162 of the 198 crew would be saved.
Around this time her fire had spread to the magazines and she exploded, breaking her keel and lifting her six feet into the air. She sank 30 nmi east-north-east of Tobruk.
| General Characteristics: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name: HMS Auckland | |||||
| Country: Britain | |||||
| Type: Sloop | |||||
| Class name: Egret | |||||
| Year of commission: 1938 | |||||
| Refit: 1938 | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Dimensions: | |||||
| Length: 292ft 6in (89.15m) | |||||
| Beam: 37ft 6in (11.42m) | |||||
| Draught: 11ft (3.35m) | |||||
| Displacement: 1,250t | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Propulsion: | |||||
| Powerplant: Oil Fired geared steam turbines @ 3,600hp (2,700kW) across two shafts | |||||
| Speed: 19.25kt | |||||
| Endurance: 5,908nmi @ 10kt | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Armament & sensors: | |||||
| Compliment: 198 | |||||
| Primary armament: 4x2 QF 4-inch Mk.XVI on mount CP Mk.XIX | |||||
| Secondary armament: 1x4 .50 Vickers AA | |||||
| Tertiary armament: -nil | |||||
| Sensors: Type 127 ASDIC |
Sources:
N. Friedman (2006). British Destroyers and Frigates, The Second World War and After. (pp.332, 65-67)
A. Hague. (1993). Sloops, 1926-1946. (pp 67-71)
HMS Auckland (L61) - Wikipedia
HMS Auckland, sloop
HMS Auckland (L 61 / U 61) of the Royal Navy - British Sloop of the Egret class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net
The Tobruk Run – Loss of HMS Auckland 24 June 1941 – The Crusader Project