The interwar Royal Navy divided sloop work between minesweeping and anti-submarine warfare. First World War Flower-class survivors and newer Kingfishers were used for minesweeping, while the larger Bitterns and Egrets specialized in hunting submarines. Exercise assignments and the officers chosen to command these ships reveal the division more clearly than the broad sloop label. HMS Stork later served as Frederic John 'Johnny' Walker's flagship in the 36th Escort Group before he moved to the modified Black Swan HMS Starling. The Shoreham class provided an earlier training and command path for officers expected to lead the Navy's wartime anti-submarine effort.
Chapter · 15:48-18:44
Sloop assignments show deliberate prewar ASW specialization
The Navy divided minesweeping and anti-submarine roles among different sloop groups, then used exercises and command appointments to prepare officers for another submarine campaign.