Editing Isles-class trawler (section)

{{Short description|1939 class of British trawlers}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2013}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin |sclass=2 |infobox caption=yes}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=HMT Ailsa Craig IWM FL 292.jpg
|Ship caption=HMT ''Ailsa Craig'' in 1944
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Builders=
|Operators=*{{navy|United Kingdom}}
* {{naval|Canada|1911}}
* {{navy|Malaysia}}
* {{naval|New Zealand|1941}}
* {{navy|Norway}}
* {{navy|Portugal}}
* {{navy|Italy}}
|Class before=
|Class after=
|Subclasses={{navy|Germany}}: [[Type 139 patrol trawler]]
|Built range=1939–1945
|In commission range=
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=
|Total ships completed=*197 in four subclasses:
** Isles (145)
** {{sclass2|Dance|trawler|5}} (20)
** {{sclass2|Shakespearian|trawler|5}} (12)
** {{sclass2|Tree|trawler|5}} (20)
|Total ships cancelled=
|Total ships active=
|Total ships laid up=
|Total ships lost=23
|Total ships retired=
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Naval trawler]]
|Ship displacement={{convert|545|LT|t|0}}
|Ship length={{convert|164|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|27|ft|8|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught={{convert|11|ft|1|in|m|abbr=on}} (mean) 
|Ship draft=
|Ship propulsion=1 triple expansion [[reciprocating engine]], 1 shaft, {{convert|850|ihp|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship speed={{convert|12|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range=
|Ship complement=40
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=See text
|Ship armour=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
The '''Isles-class trawlers''' were a class of [[naval trawler]] used by the [[Royal Navy]], [[Royal Canadian Navy]] and [[Royal New Zealand Navy]] during [[World War II]].

The type comprised 197 vessels built between 1939 and 1945 in the nearly identical Isles, {{sclass2|Dance|trawler|5}}, {{sclass2|Tree|trawler|5}} and {{sclass2|Shakespearian|trawler|5}} classes. Generally similar to the {{sclass2|Castle|trawler|1}}s of 1916–1918, though somewhat larger, they were mainly used on [[Minesweeper|minesweeping]] and harbour defence duties. Most were armed with one [[QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun|12-pounder gun]] (76&nbsp;mm) and three or four [[20 mm Oerlikon]] AA guns with 30 [[depth charge]]s. In the Dance class a 4-inch AA gun (102&nbsp;mm) was fitted in place of the 12 pdr, and there were six 20&nbsp;mm Oerlikons in ''Annet'', ''Bressay'', ''Damsay'', ''Fiaray'', ''Foulness'' and ''Lindisfarne''. Four of the trawlers were given "bird" names when converted to controlled minelayers in 1943–44: ''Blackbird'' (M15), ''Dabchick'' (M22), ''Stonechat'' (M25) and ''Whitethroat'' (M03). A total of 23 of these trawlers were lost during the war.<ref>Robert Gardiner (ed. dir.), ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946'', p. 66. London: Conway Maritime Press, 1980.</ref> Six trawlers were loaned to Canada in 1942-45 and five to Norway in 1943–45.

Postwar, 17 of the trawlers were disarmed as wreck disposal vessels: ''Bardsey'' (DV13), ''Bern'' (DV4), ''Caldy'' (DV5) ''Coll'' (DV6), ''Earraid'' (DV7), ''Fetlar'' (DV8), ''Flatholm'' (DV9), ''Graemsay'' (DV10), ''Lindisfarne'' (DV11), ''Lundy'' (DV12), ''Neave'' (DV14), ''Scalpay'' (DV15), ''Skomer'' (DV16), ''Steepholm'' (DV17), ''Switha'' (DV18), ''Tiree'' (DV19), and ''Trondra'' (DV20). At least five were employed as [[danlayer]]s (laying and retrieving dan buoys during minesweeping operations): ''Imersay'' (J422), ''Sandray'' (J424), ''Shillay'' (J426), ''Sursay'' (J427) and ''Tocogay'' (J451). After decommissioning, ''Switha'' and ''Coll'' were converted to oil tank cleaning vessels for dockyard service in 1949–50.

By 1949 there remained in service of this type 31 trawlers and four controlled minelayers in the Royal Navy, one controlled minelayer in the Royal Canadian Navy, and four trawlers in the Royal New Zealand Navy. An additional 16 were in service in the [[Italian Navy]] and six in the [[Portuguese Navy]].<ref>Francis E. McMurtrie and Raymond V.B. Blackman (eds.), ''Jane's Fighting Ships 1949-50'', pp. 62, 63, 92, 94, 217, 258. New York: The McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1949.</ref> Most of the surviving Royal Navy examples were discarded in the 1950s, but a few remained until the 1960s. Two acquired postwar by the Federal [[German Navy]] remained in service as training vessels well into the 1970s, with one, ''Trave'' (ex-''Dochet''), resold to Turkey for further service in 1977.