Flower Class Corvette

Flower Class Corvette

General characteristics
Modified Flower-class corvette
Displacement: 1,015 long tons (1,031 t; 1,137 short tons)
Length: 208 ft (63.4 m)o/a
Beam: 33 ft (10.1 m)
Draught: 11 ft (3.35 m)
Propulsion:
  • single shaft
  • 2 × water tube boilers
  • 1 × 4-cycle triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine
  • 2,750 ihp (2,050 kW)
Speed: 16 knots (29.6 km/h)
Range: 3,500 nautical miles (6,482 km) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h)
Complement: 90
Sensors and
processing systems:
  • 1 × Type 271 SW2C radar
  • 1 × Type 144 sonar
Armament:
  • 1 × 4 inch BL Mk.IX single gun
  • 1 × 2 Pdr. Mk.VIII single "pom-pom" AA gun
  • 2 × 20 mm Oerlikon single
  • 1 × Hedgehog A/S mortar
  • 4 × Mk.II depth charge throwers
  • 2 depth charge rails with 70 depth charges

The Flower-class corvette (also referred to as the Gladiolus class) was a class of 267 corvettes used during World War II, specifically with the Allied navies as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic. The generic term "Flower" is derived from the RN's use of flower names for the class.

The majority 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 program, seeing service in both navies. Some corvettes transferred to the USN were manned by the U.S. Coast Guard. The vessels serving with the United States Navy were known as 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 and, immediately post-war, the South African Navy.

After World War II many surplus Flower-class vessels saw use in non-Allied navies the world over, as well as civilian use. HMCS Sackville is the only member of the class to be preserved as a museum ship.

Read more about Flower Class Corvette:  Class Designation, Design, Orders, Armament, Operations, Ships, Battle Credits, Post-war Use, Literature, Modelling

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