Why the Arabis-class sloops were vulnerable

Arabis-class sloops were practical minesweepers, but their design left them badly matched against destroyers. They displaced about 1,250 tons, measured roughly 82 metres overall, and had the shallow draft needed for work around mines. Coal-fired machinery gave them a top speed of 17 knots, while a maximum coal load of 260 tons supported a range of roughly 2,000 nautical miles at 15 knots. Crews usually numbered 44 to 60, although some missions raised the complement to about 80. A usual battery of two four-inch or 4.7-inch guns and two three-pounders provided some fighting power without making the sloops major surface combatants. The video compares that battery with the 30 mm cannon on a modern River-class offshore patrol vessel, while allowing that the sloops' larger guns had greater potential. Forty-four ships were built, seven were lost during World War I, and members of the class served the British, French, and Portuguese navies between 1915 and 1941. HMS Wisteria appears as a sister-ship illustration because the presentation did not have photographs of the four sloops involved in the action.