Bridgewater and Hastings overseas service

The Bridgewater class combined the recurring 16- to 17-knot sloop pattern with overseas assignments such as survey work in the South China Sea and support during the 1932 Shanghai Incident. The Hastings class retained a closely related size and speed but had a deeper draft for stability. On distant stations, a sloop could provide useful local support without requiring the permanent presence of a much larger warship. That made a small hull an economical part of the Royal Navy's overseas network.