American Flower-class corvette

The American Flower-class corvettes were those ships of the Royal Navy's Flower class built for, or operated by, the United States Navy during World War II. These were ten ships of the original Flower class, known as the Temptress class in US service, and fifteen Modified Flowers, as the Action class. In US service they were classified as Patrol Gunboats (PG).

Class overview
NameFlower class
Operators
Completed10 (original), 15 (modified)
Lostnone 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 (ASW) 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.[1]

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 recommissioned.

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 eight of these ships; the other seven 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-inch gun forward, a 3 in (76 mm)/50 dual-purpose (DP) gun aft, two 20 mm anti-aircraft guns, two depth charge racks, and four depth charge throwers. The Action class replaced the 4-inch gun with another 3-inch/50 cal. DP gun, and added a Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar.[2]

Temptress class

The ten ships of the Temptress class were originally built for the Royal Navy and saw service there before transfer to the USN.[3]

Construction data[4][5]
USN name Number RN name Pennant Builder Completed Transferred Fate
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
USS Surprise PG-63 HMS Heliotrope K03 John Crown & Sons Ltd, Sunderland 12 Sept 1940 24 Mar 1942 Returned to RN 26 Aug 1945
USS Spry PG-64 HMS Hibiscus K24 Harland & Wolff Ltd., Belfast 21 May 1940 2 May 1942 Returned to RN 26 Aug 1945
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
USS Ready PG-67 HMS Calendula K28 Harland & Wolff Ltd., Belfast 6 May 1940 12 Mar 1942 Returned to RN 23 Aug 1945
USS Impulse PG-68 HMS Begonia K66 Cook, Welton & Gemmell, Beverley 8 Mar 1941 10 Mar 1942 Returned to RN 22 Aug 1945
USS Fury PG-69 HMS Larkspur K82 Fleming & Ferguson Ltd., Paisley 4 Jan 1941 17 Mar 1942 Returned to RN 22 Aug 1945
USS Courage PG-70 HMS Heartsease K15 Harland & Wolff Ltd., Belfast 4 Jun 1940 3 Apr 1942 Returned to RN 23 Aug 1945
USS Tenacity PG-71 HMS Candytuft K09 Grangemouth Dry Dock Co., Grangemouth 16 Oct 1940 4 Mar 1942 Returned to RN 26 Aug 1945

Action class

The fifteen ships of the Action class were originally ordered for the Royal Navy but transferred before completion to the United States Navy. On completion eight entered service with the USN while the other seven were transferred back to the RN under Lend-lease.[6]

Served in USN
Action-class ships transferred to the US Navy[4][5]
USN name Number RN name Pennant Builder Completed To USN Fate
USS Action PG-86 HMS Comfrey K277 Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., Collingwood 22 Nov 1942 22 Nov 1942 Sold 6 Feb 1946
USS Alacrity PG-87 HMS Cornel K278 Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., Collingwood 10 Dec 1942 10 Dec 1942 Sold 22 Sept 1945
USS Brisk PG-89 HMS Flax K284 Kingston Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Kingston 6 Dec 1942 6 Dec 1942 Sold 18 Oct 1946
USS Haste PG-92 HMS Mandrake K287 Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland 6 Apr 1943 6 Apr 1943 Sold 1949
USS Intensity PG-93 HMS Milfoil K288 Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland 31 Mar 1943 31 Mar 1943 Sold
USS Might PG-94 HMS Musk K289 Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland 22 Dec 1942 22 Dec 1942 Sold
USS Pert PG-95 HMS Nepeta K290 Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland 22 Dec 1942 22 Dec 1942 Sold 18 Oct 1946
USS Prudent PG-96 HMS Privet K291 Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland 16 Aug 1943 16 Aug 1943 Sold 1949

Transferred to RN
Action-class ships of the US Navy returned to the Royal Navy[4][5]
USN name Number 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 28 Mar 1943 Returned to USN 20 Jun 1946
USS Clash PG-91 HMS Linaria K282 Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland 19 Jun 1943 19 Jun 1943 Returned to USN 27 Jul 1946
USS Splendor PG-97 HMS Rosebay K286 Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., Collingwood Returned to USN 20 Mar 1946
USS Tact PG-98 HMS Smilax K280 Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., Collingwood 21 Jun 1943 21 Jun 1943 Returned to USN 5 Jan 1946
USS Vim PG-99 HMS Statice K281 Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., Collingwood 20 Sep 1943 20 Sep 1943 Returned to USN 21 Jun 1946
USS Vitality PG-100 HMS Willowherb K283 Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland 30 Aug 1943 30 Aug 1943 Returned to USN 11 Jun 1946

Notes
  1. Elliott p. 420
  2. Silverstone, Paul H.(1966): U.S. Warships of World War II. Doubleday and Company, pg. 243-246
  3. Elliott p. 421
  4. "USN ship index". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. United States Navy. Archived from the original on 19 August 2000. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  5. "NavSource ship index". Service Ship Photo Archive. NavSource Naval History. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  6. Elliott p. 422

References
  • Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
  • Elliott, Peter (1977). Allied Escort Ships of World War II: A complete survey. London: Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-356-08401-9.
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