Bridgewater-class sloops made 16.5 knots and carried two 4-inch guns, while Flower-class corvettes made 16 knots with one 4-inch gun, lighter anti-aircraft weapons, Hedgehog, and a much larger depth-charge outfit. Their complements were also close, with 96 in a Bridgewater and 90 in a Flower, while the corvette could cover 3,500 nautical miles at 12 knots. Early Flowers had a trawler-style mast ahead of the bridge, but later ships moved it into the superstructure for a higher position, a clearer view, and less interference with the gun. The comparison presents the Flower as a deliberate simplification of established escort ideas for construction in smaller commercial yards.
Notable Point · 10:50-13:06
From Bridgewater sloops to Flower corvettes
A side-by-side look at Bridgewater-class sloops and Flower-class corvettes shows which escort capabilities the Royal Navy retained in a smaller commercial-yard design.