The Second World War corvette had a naval lineage that began with the Flower-class sloops ordered in 1915. Some First World War Flowers remained useful as drill ships for decades, which reduced the immediate need to replace them after the war. The Royal Navy nevertheless continued the escort line through the Bridgewater, Hastings, Shoreham, Grimsby, Kingfisher, Bittern, Egret, and Black Swan classes. Industrial contraction and Treasury choices reduced the yards available for another mass program. Interwar treaty exemptions allowed continued sloop development, but destroyer priorities left the service needing a smaller, more mercantile design when war approached.
Chapter · 7:03-20:18
From First World War sloops to the 1939 Flower class
The Flower-class corvettes grew out of First World War and interwar escort development, while declining shipyard capacity favoured a smaller, simpler design.