Description: In early 1939, with the risk of war with Nazi Germany increasing, it was clear to the Royal Navy that it needed more escort ships to counter the threat from Kriegsmarine U-boats. One particular concern was the need to protect shipping off the east coast of Britain. What was needed was something larger and faster than trawlers, but still cheap enough to be built in large numbers, preferably at small merchant shipyards, as larger yards were already busy. In total 294 Flower-class corvettes were built and entered service during the war. It was named the flower-class, as many corvettes in British service were given names after flowers. The corvettes were used by the UK, US, Norway, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Greece, Yugoslavia, New Zealand and India. They were intended as small convoy escort ships, but despite naval planners' intentions that they be deployed for coastal convoys, their long range meant that they became the mainstay of Mid-Ocean Escort Force convoy protection during the first half of the war. The Flower class became an essential resource for North Atlantic convoy protection until larger vessels such as destroyer escorts and frigates could be produced in sufficient quantities.
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