The Flower and Hunt classes were ordered earlier in 1939, before Britain entered World War II. Their delivery timetable assumed a war beginning in 1942 or later, leaving several years to build and introduce the ships. War arrived sooner than that timetable allowed. Sloops such as Starling offered a more elaborate deep-ocean escort than the corvettes and frigates intended for mass production. Walker's crew later went to Scotland to supervise Starling's final construction and fitting out. Even a hull smaller than a destroyer required substantial lead time, so an incorrect estimate of the war's starting date could leave essential escort construction unfinished during hostilities.
Notable Point · 1:23:08-1:25:01
Britain's escort orders assumed a later start to war
Flower and Hunt orders allowed several years to prepare for war, while the specialised sloop Starling illustrates how escort construction continued after hostilities began.