Foxglove turns a minesweeper into a submarine hunter

Foxglove entered service in May 1915 and soon joined Acacia in hunting U-19 after attacks near the Orkneys, rescuing trawler survivors even though the submarine escaped. The class remained primarily on minesweeping work until 1917, but ships already received missions to hunt submarines. A torpedo spent on a replaceable sloop offered poor value, while a surfaced U-boat faced guns sufficient to damage its pressure hull. British construction capacity and the greater survivability of sloop crews further favored the surface escort in a prolonged contest.