HMS Bassett as an ocean-going trawler prototype

Ordered under the Henderson-Goodall program, HMS Bassett provided a working model of an ocean-going vessel below the treaty's 600-ton threshold. At about 529 tons and twelve and a half knots, she showed that a treaty-exempt hull could still perform useful escort work. Her modest gun armament was paired with minesweeping equipment and depth charges, making the design adaptable for British, Canadian, and Indian service. During a reported April 1942 attack by four Messerschmitt Bf 109s, Bassett was said to escape casualties and damage while damaging two attackers. The exact combat score remains unverified, while commanders' reports that Bassett withstood bomb damage support the broader point about her robust construction.