Dragonfly-class gunboat

	HMS Locust
Class overview
Name	Dragonfly class
Builders	Vosper Thornycroft, Yarrow Shipbuilders, J S White
Operators	Royal Navy
Subclasses	HMS Scorpion
Built	1937-1938
In commission	1938-1968
Planned	6
Completed	5
Cancelled	1
Lost	4
Retired	1
Scrapped	1
General characteristics
Type	River gunboat
Displacement	585 long tons (594 t)
Length	197 ft (60 m)
Beam	33 ft (10 m)
Draught	5 ft (1.5 m)
Installed power	2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers ; 3,800 shp (2,800 kW);
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 geared steam turbines
Speed	17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph)
Complement	74
Armament	2 × single 4 in (102 mm) guns; 1 × single 3.7 in (94 mm) Mark V howitzer; 8 × machine guns;

The Dragonfly class was a class of twin shaft^[2] river gunboats of the Royal Navy. Six were planned and five were built: of those five, four were lost in the Second World War. One of the four was HMS Scorpion, a slightly upgunned and better powered version.

Ships

Ship name	Laid down	Completed	Fate	Notes
Dragonfly	December 1937	June 1939	Lost in the Banka Strait, 14 February 1942.^[1]
Grasshopper	December 1937	June 1939	Lost in the Banka Strait, 14 February 1942.^[1]
Locust	November 1938	May 1940	Sold for scrap, 1968^[1]	A quadruple 2-pound "pompom" gun was fitted instead of the 3.7 (94 mm) howitzer.^[2] Later refitted with 3 20 mm guns and 20 depth charges. became a headquarters ship in 1944.
Mosquito	December 1938	April 1940	Lost off Dunkirk, 1 June 1940^[1]	A quadruple 2-pound "pompom" gun was fitted instead of the 3.7 (94 mm) howitzer.^[2]
Scorpion	1937	November 1938	Lost in the Banka Strait, 13 February 1942.^[1]	Was an upgunned variant of the class
Bee	n/a	n/a	Cancelled, March 1940^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Cocker, Maurice (2006). Coastal Forces Vessels of the Royal Navy from 1865. Stroud: Tempus Publ. p. 101. ISBN 075243862X.
^ ^a ^b ^c Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946. London: Conway Maritime Press. 1980. p. 79. ISBN 978-0-85177-146-5.

[Cocker-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Cocker, Maurice (2006). Coastal Forces Vessels of the Royal Navy from 1865. Stroud: Tempus Publ. p. 101. ISBN 075243862X.

[:0-2] Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946. London: Conway Maritime Press. 1980. p. 79. ISBN 978-0-85177-146-5.

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