Flower-class corvette

HMCS Regina, 1942–1943
Class overview
Operators
Succeeded byCastle class
Completed225 (original), 69 (modified)
Cancelled5 (original), 6 (modified)
Lost33 World War II (22 to submarines)
PreservedHMCS Sackville
General characteristics Original Flower-class corvette
TypeCorvette
Displacement925 long tons (940 t; 1,036 short tons)
Length205 ft (62.5 m) o/a
Beam33 ft (10.1 m)
Draught11.5 ft (3.51 m)
Propulsion
  • 1939–1940 programme
    • Single shaft
    • 2 × fire tube Scotch boilers
    • 1 × double acting triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine
    • 2,750 ihp (2,050 kW)
  • 1940–1941 programme
    • single shaft
    • 2 × water tube three-drum boilers
    • 1 × double acting triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine
    • 2,750 ihp (2,050 kW)
Speed16 knots (29.6 km/h)
Range3,500 nautical miles (6,482 km) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h)
Complement85
Sensors and
processing systems
  • 1 × SW1C or 2C radar
  • 1 × Type 123A or Type 127DV sonar
Armament
General characteristics Modified Flower-class corvette
Displacement1,015 long tons (1,031 t; 1,137 short tons)
Length208 ft (63.4 m)o/a
Beam33 ft (10.1 m)
Draught11 ft (3.35 m)
Propulsion
  • single shaft
  • 2 × water tube boilers
  • 1 × 4-cylinder triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine
  • 2,750 ihp (2,050 kW)
Speed16 knots (29.6 km/h)
Range3,500 nautical miles (6,482 km) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h)
Complement90
Sensors and
processing systems
  • 1 × Type 271 SW2C radar
  • 1 × Type 144 sonar
Armament

The Flower-class corvette[1][2][3] (also referred to as the Gladiolus class after the lead ship)[4] was a British class of 294 corvettes used during World War II by the Allied navies particularly as anti-submarine convoy escorts in the Battle of the Atlantic. Royal Navy ships of this class were named after flowers.

Most served during World War II with the Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). Several ships built largely in Canada were transferred from the RN to the United States Navy (USN) under the lend-lease programme, seeing service in both navies. Some corvettes transferred to the USN were crewed by the US Coast Guard.[5] The vessels serving with the US Navy were known as Temptress- and Action-class patrol gunboats. Other Flower-class corvettes served with the Free French Naval Forces, the Royal Netherlands Navy, the Royal Norwegian Navy, the Royal Indian Navy, the Royal Hellenic Navy, the Royal New Zealand Navy, the Royal Yugoslav Navy, and, immediately after the war, the South African Navy.

After World War II, many surplus Flower-class vessels saw worldwide use in other navies, as well as civilian use. HMCS Sackville is the only member of the class preserved as a museum ship.

  1. ^ Gardiner and Chesneau 1980, p. 62.
  2. ^ (reproduction with introduction by Antony Preston), Jane's Fighting Ships of World War II, New Jersey: Random House, 1996, ISBN 0-517-67963-9, page 68.
  3. ^ United States Navy Warship Identification Manual (NAVPERS 10796)
  4. ^ Fitzsimons, Bernard, ed. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons & Warfare (London: Phoebus, 1978), Volume 11, pp. 1137–42.
  5. ^ Silverstone, Paul (2007). The Navy of World War II, 1922-1947. Routledge. p. 175. ISBN 9780415978989.