SGB Grey Fox

SGB Grey Fox

Fairmile D (697)

Brave Borderer

SGB Grey Fox

Fairmile D (697)

Brave Borderer

Britain

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.0	3.0	3.0

Class:

Motor gun boat

Boat

Research:120 000

Purchase:360 000

Show in game

Description

The SGB Grey Fox (S304) is a rank IV British motor gun boat with a battle rating of 3.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.83 "Masters of the Sea" as part of the British fleet closed beta test.

The SGB (Steam Gun Boat) Grey Fox, pennant number S304, was a gun boat built for the Royal Navy's coastal forces during the early stages of World War II. While limited in historical quantities, the Grey Fox is a formidable boat within the game. This is thanks to a plentiful variety of armaments covering the steam-powered boat from prow to stern.

With few cons, this SGB engages with ease most boats that are equally sized and smaller than her. Although, the large hull and not excellent top speed makes her the perfect target for destroyers, frigates and gunboats. After learning how to handle these limitations, captains are likely to master this well-armed boat.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Citadel0 / 19 / 0 mm

Hull6 mm (steel)

Superstructure4 mm (steel)

Number of section4

Displacement255 t

Crew34 people

Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB74 / 26 km/h

RB55 / 19 km/h

Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.

Mobility Characteristics
Game Mode	Upgrade Status	Maximum Speed (km/h)		Turn Time (s)	Turn Radius (m)
		Forward	Reverse
AB	Stock	___	___
	Upgraded	74	26
RB/SB	Stock	___	___
	Upgraded	55	19

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB3 310 → 4 266

RB4 321 → 5 569

Total cost of modifications167 400

275 000

Talisman cost1 800

Crew training105 000

Experts360 000

Aces1 200

Research Aces570 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

130 / 200 / 100 %

178 / 178 / 178 %

Modifications

Seakeeping	Unsinkability	Firepower
Dry-Docking Research: 8 300 Cost: 14 000 250 Rudder Replacement Research: 6 200 Cost: 10 000 185 Propeller Replacement Research: 14 000 Cost: 23 000 410 Engine Maintenance Research: 11 000 Cost: 18 000 330	Damage Control Division Research: 8 300 Cost: 14 000 250 Fire Division Research: 6 200 Cost: 10 000 185 Smokescreen Research: 6 200 Cost: 10 000 185 New Pumps Research: 11 000 Cost: 18 000 330	Anti-Air Armament Targeting Research: 8 300 Cost: 14 000 250 40mm_qf_mkxv_he_ammo_pack Research: 8 300 Cost: 14 000 250 Auxiliary Armament Targeting Research: 6 200 Cost: 10 000 185 40mm_qf_mkxv_ap_ammo_pack Research: 6 200 Cost: 10 000 185 76mm_britain_naval_shrapnell_ammo_pack Research: 6 200 Cost: 10 000 185 Primary Armament Targeting Research: 14 000 Cost: 23 000 410 Improved Rangefinder Research: 14 000 Cost: 23 000 410 Artillery Support Research: 11 000 Cost: 18 000 330 Torpedo Mode Research: 11 000 Cost: 18 000 330 Mines Research: 11 000 Cost: 18 000 330

Armament

Primary armament

2 х Turret40 mm 2pdr QF Mk.IIc automatic cannon

Ammunition2240 rounds

Belt capacity56 rounds

Fire rate200 shots/min

Vertical guidance-10° / 80°

Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: {{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.

Secondary armament

Turret76 mm/45 QF 3in 20cwt cannon

Ammunition150 rounds

Some ships are fitted with weapons of various calibres. Secondary armaments are defined as weapons chosen with the control Select secondary weapon. Evaluate the secondary armaments and give advice on how to use them. Describe the ammunition available for the secondary armament. Provide recommendations on how to use them and which ammunition to choose. Remember that any anti-air armament, even heavy calibre weapons, belong in the next section. If there is no secondary armament, remove this section.

Anti-aircraft armament

2 х Turret20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II autocannon

Ammunition1800 rounds

Belt capacity60 rounds

Fire rate450 shots/min

2 х Turret2 x 12.7 mm Vickers Mk.V machine gun

Ammunition4000 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Fire rate600 shots/min

An important part of the ship's armament responsible for air defence. Anti-aircraft armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control Select anti-aircraft weapons. Talk about the ship's anti-air cannons and machine guns, the number of guns and their positions, their effective range, and about their overall effectiveness – including against surface targets. If there are no anti-aircraft armaments, remove this section.

Additional armament

Setup 12 x 533 mm Mk.VIII torpedo

Setup 24 x 1123/1323 lbs Type M Mark I moored contact mine

Setup 32 x 533 mm Mk.VIII torpedo

4 x 1123/1323 lbs Type M Mark I moored contact mine

Describe the available additional armaments of the ship: depth charges, mines, torpedoes. Talk about their positions, available ammunition and launch features such as dead zones of torpedoes. If there is no additional armament, remove this section.

Usage in battles

Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Adequate top speed for a steam-powered gun boat
• 2 sets of 40 mm 2pdr guns, a 76 mm gun and 20 mm Oerlikons cannons are great firepower
• Wide variety of auxiliary firepower (12.7 mm Vickers MGs, mines and torpedoes)
• Amour plates protect the engine compartment quite effectively from HE and Shrapnel
• Above-average crew count becomes an advantage versus smaller crafts

Cons:

• Speed is no match to other vessels at the rank as Sparviero, Pr.183, or PG 02
• Large size; easy to target and difficult to manoeuvre around shores

History

In 1940, the Admiralty issued a set of requirements for a new gunboat design that would incorporate features from both motor torpedo boats and gunboats. The primary task of this new vessel would be to counter the German S-boat threat and to protect the British coastline in areas where larger vessels, such as destroyers, couldn't operate.

With WW2 already in full swing, the need for this kind of vessel was considered high and an emphasis was put on ease of mass-production, in order to manufacture as many ships as quickly as possible.

The Denny company was tasked with designing a vessel around the Admiralty's specifications. They armed the vessel, similar in design to the contemporary Fairmiles, with cannons, machine guns and torpedo tubes, decided to construct it from steel so as to make it fit for mass-production, but soon ran into a serious problem.

The conventional power supply of the time came from either petrol or diesel engines, neither of which was readily available in wartime Britain. Thus, the decision was made to outfit the new vessel with two steam turbines, producing 4,000 horsepower each.

The Admiralty approved the design and ordered an initial nine vessels to be produced, whilst a total of sixty were planned. However, these plans were soon dropped and out of the nine vessels that were laid down, seven actually saw completion.

Nonetheless, the seven ships that did come out of the shipyards proved themselves in combat, despite some endurance and efficiency problems presented by the steam propulsion system. Thanks to their heavy armament, they quickly gained respect from German S-boat captains, who often tried to avoid encountering an SGB.

Only a single SGB was lost in combat during WW2, with the majority serving into the Cold War before being decommissioned from service.

- From Devblog

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Related development

• SGB (S309) (Same class)
• Fairmile D (601)
• Fairmile D (697)

Shared operational history

• Vosper 2 series
• Hunt (Family)
• R-boot (Family)

External links

• [Devblog] SGB 304 Grey Fox: Old Technology, New Era