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fighting ships of the world

ROYAL NAVY (UNITED KINGDOM)

ESCORTS   

"FLOWER" corvettes

Midland 1942

Buttercup 1942 as minesweeper

Buttercup 1942

Campanula 1942

Heather 1942

Displacement standard, t	British-built ships: 925 Canadian-built ships: 950 Calgary, Charlottetown, Fredericton, Halifax, Kitchener, La Malbaie, Port Arthur, Regina, Ville de Quebec, Woodstock: 1015
Displacement full, t	British-built ships: 1170 Canadian-built ships: 1280 Calgary, Charlottetown, Fredericton, Halifax, Kitchener, La Malbaie, Port Arthur, Regina, Ville de Quebec, Woodstock: 1350
Length, m	57.9 pp 62.5 oa Calgary, Charlottetown, Fredericton, Halifax, Kitchener, La Malbaie, Port Arthur, Regina, Ville de Quebec, Woodstock: 63.5 oa
Breadth, m	10.1
Draught, m	4.14 - 4.80 deep load
No of shafts	1
Machinery	VTE, 2 cylindrical boilers Calgary, Charlottetown, Fredericton, Halifax, Kitchener, La Malbaie, Port Arthur, Regina, Ville de Quebec, Woodstock, Brentford, Midland, New Westminster, Timmins, Vancouver: VTE, 2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Power, h. p.	2750
Max speed, kts	16.5
Fuel, t	oil 230 (Meadowsweet later 308, Balsam, Godetia, Potentilla, Tamarisk later 337)
Endurance, nm(kts)	3500(12)
Armament	1 x 1 - 102/45 BL Mk IX, 1 x 1 - 40/39 pompom or 1 x 4 - 12.7/62, 2 DCT, 2 DCR (40) some corvettes: 1 x 1 - 102/40 QF Mk XIX, 1 x 1 - 40/39 pompom or 1 х 4 - 12.7/62, 2 DCT, 2 DCR (40) Brantford, Calgary, Charlottetown, Dundas, Fredericton, Halifax, Kitchener, La Malbaie, Midland, New Westminster, Port Arthur, Regina, Timmins, Vancouver, Ville de Quebec, Woodstock: 1 x 1 - 102/45 BL Mk IX, 1 x 1 - 40/39 pompom, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog DCT, 4 DCT, 2 DCR (70) Delphinium, Erica, Hyacinth, Peony, Salvia: 1 x 1 - 76/40 QF Mk I HA or 1 x 1 - 76/45 QF Mk I HA, 1 x 1 - 40/39 pompom, 2 DCT, 2 DCR (40) Gloxinia, Mimosa, Primula, Samphire, Snapdragon: 1 x 1 - 102/45 BL Mk IX, 1 x 1 - 76/40 QF Mk I HA or 1 x 1 - 76/45 QF Mk I HA, 1 x 1 - 40/39 pompom, 2 DCT, 2 DCR (40) Agassiz, Alberni, Algoma, Amherst, Arvida, Arrowhead, Baddeck, Barrie, Battleford, Bittersweet, Brandon, Buctouche, Camrose, Chambly, Chicoutimi, Chilliwack, Cobalt, Collingwood, Dauphin, Dawson, Drumheller, Dunvegan, Edmundston, Eyebright, Fennel, Galt, Hepatica, Kamloops, Kamsack, Kenogami, Lethbridge, Levis, Louisburg, Lunenburg, Matapedia, Mayflower, Moncton, Moose Jaw, Morden, Nanaimo, Napanee, Oakville, Orillia, Pictou, Prescott, Quesnell, Rimouski, Rosthern, Sackville, Saskatoon, Shawinigan, Shediac, Sherbrooke, Snowberry, Sorel, Spikenard, Sudbury, Summerside, The Pas, Trail, Trillium, Wetaskiwin, Weyburn, Windflower: 1 x 1 - 102/45 BL Mk IX, 2 x 2 - 12.7/62, 2 DCT, 2 DCR (40)
Sensors	earlier ships: sonar ships completed 1941 - 1942: type 286, 290 radars, sonar
Complement	85 - 109

Ship project history: The ships, played a huge role in battle for Atlantic and become for Englishmen on of the symbols of a victory.

Early 1939 Admiralty formulated requirements to new patrol ship for operations in a coastal area. Anti-submarine protection of merchant shipping should become her basic task, so new ship had to had powerful anti-submarine armament and 16-17kts speed, not yielding to surface speed of submarines.

From several design one, created on Smith's Dock`s Ltd South Bank in Middlesborough, has been chosen. It was created on the basis of 160ft whaler Southern Pride, built on the same yard. As the order for the new patrol ships was from beginning supposed to be placed on the yards which do not have experience of naval shipbuilding and not familiar with Admiralty standards, the design was made according to standards of merchant shipbuilding more habitual for builders (Lloyd register standards). Machinery with the same purpose have chosen enough conservative: well familiar to reservists triple expansion engine which without changes have borrowed at a prototype. The steam was produced by single-side fire-tube boilers of so-called "Scottish" type. Perhaps, transition to oil-firing became a unique innovation.

The hull of the patrol ship, in comparison with a prototype, have extended on 30ft for propulsion improvement. Simultaneously it allowed to increase number of watertight compartments and additional internal volume can be used for placing of magazines and increased crew.

They were re-classified from patrols to corvettes just before lead ship was laid down.

The 1939 program provided building of 56 ships, as names of flowers were used, and all series has received non-proprietary name "Flower".

The beginning of war has led to order increase: under "War Emergency program" have built 50, and under the 1940 program 25 more ships. Besides, Royal Navy has replenished with three corvettes of this class ordered by France and requisitioned 1/7/1940; the fourth ship La Bastiaise was lost on a mine 22/6/1940 during sea trials, formally being still the property of the builder. Seven early-built ships have received minesweeping equipment.

Trials of a lead corvette in April, 1940 have opened both strong, and weaknesses of "Flower" class. The ship differed phenomenal manoeuvrability: tactical diameter on full speed was about two hull lengths at only 3° list. At the same time it became clear, that her seaworthiness is insufficient for operations in the high sea: on a wave crew very quickly were seasick, and because of a short forecastle a deck around a superstructure strongly sloshed. With last lack they have consulted, significantly having prolonged a forecastle towards a stern. Besides protection against waves, it has increased the covered volume of the hull which used for placing increased more than in one and a half time, in comparison with the original design, crew (from 50 to 85 men). A forecastle have extended by all incomplete ships which degree of readiness supposed it (part of "War Emergency program" ships and the majority of the 1941 program).

Canada also built "Flowers". At first Royal Navy has ordered 10 ships, however they were transferred to Canada before completion. Canadians built for themselves 70 more corvettes, the majority from which was extra equipped with the minesweeping equipment.

The last 10 (reconsidered 1940-1941 program, 3rd group) differed from an original design a little: they hardly were longer and had more stretched forecastle. All Canadian corvettes of the 1940-1941 program (except Dundas) had modern water-tube boilers instead of fire-tube ones.

Many ships with a short forecastle latter had extended (including almost on all Canadian).

9 ships from 131 British-built corvettes were transferred to US Navy, feeling shortage of escorts in beginning of war. This delivery was realised by so-called "reverse" lend-lease.

Modernizations: 1943 - 1945, all survived ships: had light AA armament consisted of (1 x 1 - 40/39 pompom, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon) or (1 x 1 - 40/39 pompom, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon) or 3 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon or 4 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon or (2 x 2 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon). ASW armament consisted of 1 x 24 - 178 Hedgehog DCT (on some ships), 4 DCT and 2 DCR (up to 72 DC)

1943 - 1944, about 30 British ships: + 2 x 1 - 57/40 Hotchkiss

1956, Sackville was converted to controlled minelayer, as follows:

Naval service: Submarines sunk Picotee (German submarine U568 12/8/1941), Zinnia (German submarine U564 23/8/1941), Levis (German submarines U74 and U552 19/9/1941), Fleur De Lys (German submarine U206 14/10/1941), Gladiolus (German submarine U558 16/10/1941), Salvia (German submarine U568 24/12/1941), Arbutus (U136 5/2/1942), Spikenard (U136 10/2/1942), Charlottetown (U517 11/9/1942), Samphire (Italian submarine Platino 30/1/1943), Polyanthus (German submarine U952 20/9/1943), Asphodel (U575 9/3/1944), Shawinigan (U1228 25/11/1944), Bluebell (U711 17/2/1945) and Vervain (U1208 20/2/1945).

On mines were lost Auricula (mined 5/5/1942, and was sunk next day), Erica (9/2/1943), Weyburn (22/2/1943), Regina (8/8/1944 or sunk by German submarine U667) and Albernie (21/8/1944). Pink (27/6/1944) and Orchis (21/8/1944) were badly damaged by mines and stricken as constructive total loss.

Are sunk by aircraft Hollyhock (Japanese carrier aircraft 9/4/1942), Marigold (Italian air torpedo 9/12/1942), Snapdragon (German bombs 19/12/1942) and Louisburg (Italian air torpedo 16/2/1943).

Were lost as a result of collisions: Godetia (6/9/1940, with s/s Marsa), Windflower (7/12/1941, with s/s Zypenberg), Gardenia (9/11/1942, with s/s Fluellen) and Rose (26/10/1944).

Clematis 1940

 

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