Hunt-class escorts and adapted V and W destroyers

The Hunt class was built specifically for escort work. The V and W classes began as First World War destroyers and were increasingly adapted during the Second World War. Escort fleets could therefore grow through specialized new construction or the conversion of older hulls. Sloops also mattered during the interwar period, although some histories allow them to disappear from the story. Together, these examples outline the different routes by which navies assembled escort forces.