American Flower-class corvettes
USS Intensity (PG-93), the ex-HMS Milfoil, in 1943. | |
Class overview | |
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Operators: |
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Completed: | 10 (original), 15 (modified) |
Lost: | none during World War II |
The American Flower-class corvettes were those ships of the Flower class built for, or operated by, the United States Navy during World War II.
Construction history
In December 1941, after the US entry into World War II, the USN had a large building programme for anti-submarine warfare ships, but none nearing completion. To overcome this shortfall, the Royal Navy agreed to transfer a number of ASW ships to the USN, including ten Flower-class corvettes. These ships had already been in commission and had seen action during the Battle of the Atlantic.
These ships were classified as Patrol Gunboats, and numbered PG 62 to 71, and were referred to as the Temptress class, after the first ship to be re-commissioned.
The USN also placed orders for 15 more "Flowers" from Canadian shipyards. This was met by transferring a number of vessels on order for the RN to USN. These ships were of the Modified Flower type, a design which consolidated the various modifications developed in the course of building the original "Flowers".
In the event the USN only took charge of 8 of these ships; the other 7 were transferred back to the RN under Lend-Lease arrangements.
The US ships were numbered PG 86 to 100 and were referred to as the Action class.
The Temptress class were armed with a 4" gun forward, a 3"50 cal. DP gun aft, two 20mm.s, 2 DC racks, and 4 DC throwers. The Action class replaced the 4" with another 3"50 cal. DP gun, and added a Hedgehog ASW.[1]
Temptress class
USN name | Number | RN name | Pennant | Builder | Completed | Transferred | Fate | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
USS Temptress | PG-62 | HMS Veronica | K37 | Smiths Dock Co., South Bank-on-Tees | 18 Feb 1941 | 16 Feb 1942 | Returned to RN 26 Aug 1945 | [2][3] |
USS Surprise | PG-63 | HMS Heliotrope | K03 | John Crown & Sons Ltd, Sunderland | 12 Sept 1940 | 24 Mar 42 | Returned to RN 26 Aug 1945 | [2][3] |
USS Spry | PG-64 | HMS Hibiscus | K24 | Harland & Wolff Ltd., Belfast | 21 May 1940 | 2 May 1942 | Returned to RN 26 Aug 1945 | [2][3] |
USS Saucy | PG-65 | HMS Arabis | K73 | Harland & Wolff Ltd., Belfast | 5 Apr 1940 | 30 Apr 1942 | Returned to RN 26 Aug 1945 and recommissioned as Snapdragon | |
USS Restless | PG-66 | HMS Periwinkle | K55 | Harland & Wolff Ltd., Belfast | 8 Apr 1940 | 15 Mar 1942 | Returned to RN 26 Aug 1945 | [2][3] |
USS Ready | PG-67 | HMS Calendula | K28 | Harland & Wolff Ltd., Belfast | 6 May 1940 | 12 Mar 1942 | Returned to RN 23 Aug 1945 | [2][3] |
USS Impulse | PG-68 | HMS Begonia | K66 | Cook, Welton & Gemmell, Beverley | 8 Mar 1941 | 10 Mar 1942 | Returned to RN 22 Aug 1945 | [2][3] |
USS Fury | PG-69 | HMS Larkspur | K82 | Fleming & Ferguson Ltd., Paisley | 4 Jan 1941 | 17 Mar 1942 | Returned to RN 22 Aug 1945 | [2][3] |
USS Courage | PG-70 | HMS Heartsease | K15 | Harland & Wolff Ltd., Belfast | 4 Jun 1940 | 3 Apr 1942 | Returned to RN 23 Aug 1945 | [2][3] |
USS Tenacity | PG-71 | HMS Candytuft | K09 | Grangemouth Dry Dock Co., Grangemouth | 16 Oct 1940 | 4 Mar 1942 | Returned to RN 26 Aug 1945 | [2][3] |
Action class
Served in USN
USN name | Number | RN name | Pennant | Builder | Completed | To USN | Fate | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
USS Action | PG-86 | HMS Comfrey | K277 | Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., Collingwood | 22 Nov 1942 | same day | Sold 6 Feb 1946 | [2][3] |
USS Alacrity | PG-87 | HMS Cornel | K278 | Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., Collingwood | 10 Dec 1942 | " | Sold 22 Sept 1945 | " |
USS Brisk | PG-89 | HMS Flax | K284 | Kingston Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Kingston | 6 Dec 1942 | " | Sold 18 Oct 1946 | " |
USS Haste | PG-92 | HMS Mandrake | K287 | Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland | 6 Apr 1943 | " | Sold 1949 | " |
USS Intensity | PG-93 | HMS Milfoil | K288 | Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland | 31 Mar 1943 | " | Sold | " |
USS Might | PG-94 | HMS Musk | K289 | Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland | 22 Dec 1942 | " | Sold | " |
USS Pert | PG-95 | HMS Nepeta | K290 | Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland | 22 Dec 1942 | " | Sold 18 Oct 1946 | " |
USS Prudent | PG-96 | HMS Privet | K291 | Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland | 16 Aug 1943 | " | Sold 1949 | " |
Transferred to RN [2][3]
USN name | Pennant | RN name | Pennant | Builder | Completed | To RN | Fate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
USS Beacon | PG-88 | HMS Dittany | K279 | Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., Collingwood | 31 May 1943 | same day | Returned to USN 20 Jun 1946 |
USS Caprice | PG-90 | HMS Honesty | K285 | Kingston Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Kingston | 28 Mar 1943 | " | Returned to USN 20 Jun 1946 |
USS Clash | PG-91 | HMS Linaria | K282 | Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland | 19 Jun 1943 | " | Returned to USN 27 Jul 1946 |
USS Splendor | PG-97 | HMS Rosebay | K286 | Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., Collingwood | f | " | Returned to USN 20 Mar 1946 |
USS Tact | PG-98 | HMS Smilax | K280 | Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., Collingwood | 21 Jun 1943 | " | Returned to USN 5 Jan 1946 |
USS Vim | PG-99 | HMS Statice | K281 | Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., Collingwood | 20 Sep 1943 | " | Returned to USN 21 Jun 1946 |
USS Vitality | PG-100 | HMS Willowherb | K283 | Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland | 30 Aug 1943 | " | Returned to USN 11 Jun 1946 |
Notes
References
- Conway : Conways All the Worlds Fighting Ships 1922-1946 (1980) ISBN 0-85177-146-7
- Elliott, Peter: (1977) Allied Escort Ships of World War II ISBN 0-356-08401-9
External links
- Media related to Temptress class gunboat at Wikimedia Commons
- Media related to Action class gunboat at Wikimedia Commons