The ''Aubrietia''-class sloops were a

class Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...

of twelve

sloop A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...

s built under the Emergency War Programme for the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

as part of the larger . They were also referred to as the "cabbage class", or "

herbaceous border A herbaceous border is a collection of perennial herbaceous plants (plants that live for more than two years and are soft-stemmed and non-woody) arranged closely together, usually to create a dramatic effect through colour, shape or large scale. ...

s". The Flowers were the first ships designed as

minesweeper A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping. History The earliest known usage of ...

s. Like all the Flowers, the ''Aubrietia'' class were originally designed as single-screw fleet sweeping vessels, with triple hulls at the bows and an above-water magazine located aft, to give extra protection against loss from mine damage when working. However, the utility of the design was found to be as a

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

escort, and as such other classes took over the minesweeping role. The ''Aubrietia''s were re-classified as convoy sloops. Unlike the preceding Flowers of the ''Acacia'', ''Azalea'' and ''Arabis'' classes, with their unmistakable warship appearance, the ''Aubrietia''s were designed to look like small

merchantmen A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are us ...

, in the hope of deceiving

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...

commanders, a tactic known as the

Q-ship Q-ships, also known as Q-boats, decoy vessels, special service ships, or mystery ships, were heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks. This gave Q-ships the chance to open f ...

. These vessels were built by commercial shipbuilders to

Lloyd's Register Lloyd's Register Group Limited (LR) is a technical and professional services organisation and a maritime classification society, wholly owned by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, a UK charity dedicated to research and education in science and ...

standards, to make use of vacant capacity, and the individual builders were asked to use their existing designs for merchantmen, based on the standard Flower-type hull. Two members of the following ''Anchusa'' group, and (renamed in 1922), survived to be moored on the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

for use as Drill Ships by the

RNVR The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve. The present RNR was formed by merging the original Ro ...

until 1988, a total of seventy years in RN service. ''President'' was sold in 1988 and preserved, and is now one of the last three surviving warships of the Royal Navy built during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, (along with the 1914

light cruiser A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to thi ...

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

, and the 1915

monitor Monitor or monitor may refer to: Places * Monitor, Alberta * Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States * Monitor, Kentucky * Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States * Monitor, Washington * Monitor, Logan County, West ...

Portsmouth dockyard His Majesty's Naval Base, Portsmouth (HMNB Portsmouth) is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and HMNB Devonport). Portsmouth Naval Base is part of the city of Portsmouth; it is l ...

Ships

Six ships were ordered in January 1916: * — built by

Blyth Shipbuilding Company The Blyth Shipbuilding & Dry Docks Company Ltd. was a British shipyard located in Blyth, Northumberland, England. Company history Early history Shipbuilding began on the site on the south bank of the River Blyth in 1811. In the 1840s the ya ...

, Blyth, launched 17 June 1916. Sold 25 October 1922. * — built by

Greenock & Grangemouth Dockyard Company The Greenock Dockyard Company was a Scottish shipbuilding and ship repair firm located at Greenock, on the River Clyde. History The company was established by J E Scott of Greenock, with the yard at Cartsdyke being taken over in 1879 by Russel ...

Greenock Greenock (; sco, Greenock; gd, Grianaig, ) is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council areas of Scotland, council area in Scotland, United Kingdom and a former burgh of barony, burgh within the Counties of Scotland, historic ...

, launched 16 June 1916. Sold for breaking up 16 February 1932. * — built by Irvine's Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company,

West Harlepool West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...

, launched 16 June 1916. Sunk by German submarine ''U-94'' off southwest Ireland 20 June 1917. * — built by Lobnitz & Company,

Renfrew Renfrew (; sco, Renfrew; gd, Rinn Friù) is a town west of Glasgow in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is the historic county town of Renfrewshire. Called the "Cradle of the Royal Stewarts" for its early link with Scotland's former ...

, launched 2 June 1916. Sold for breaking up 17 October 1922. * — built by

Richardson, Duck and Company Richardson, Duck and Company was a shipbuilding company in Thornaby-on-Tees, England that traded between 1855 and 1925. History The yard was founded as the South Stockton Iron Ship Building Co in 1852. Its premises were the former yard of engine ...

Thornaby-on-Tees Thornaby-on-Tees, commonly referred to as Thornaby, is a town and civil parish on the River Tees's southern bank. It is in the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, North Yorkshire, England. The parish had a population of 24,741 at the 2011 census, in t ...

, launched 15 July 1916. Sunk by German submarine ''U-62'' in the Atlantic 30 April 1917. * — built by Ropner & Sons,

Stockton-on-Tees Stockton-on-Tees, often simply referred to as Stockton, is a market town in the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham, England. It is on the northern banks of the River Tees, part of the Teesside built-up area. The town had an estimated ...

, launched 14 July 1916. Sold for breaking up 17 December 1922. A further six ships were ordered in December 1916: * — built by Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson, Wallsend on Tyne, launched June 1917. Transferred to French Navy, later renamed ''Ville d'Ys''. * — built by Blyth Shipbuilding, launched 19 May 1917. Mined in the North Sea 22 March 1918. * — built by Greenck and Grangemouth, launched 17 November 1917. Sold for breaking up 18 January 1923. * — built by William Hamilton and Company, Port Glasgow, launched 21 August 1917. Transferred to

Royal Indian Marine Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a c ...

in September 1921, renamed ''Cornwallis''; sold 1946. * — built by Irvine's, launched 3 September 1917. Sold 25 January 1921, becoming mercantile ''Chihuahua'' (

Clan Line The Clan Line was a passenger and cargo shipping company that operated in one incarnation or another from the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century. History Foundation and early years The company that would become the Clan Lin ...

). * — built by Lobnitz, launched 24 September 1917. Sold 25 January 1921, becoming mercantile ''Colima'' (Clan Line).

References

* ''The Grand Fleet, Warship Design and Development 1906-1922'', D. K. Brown, Chatham Publishing, 1999, * ''Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I'', Janes Publishing, 1919

External links

{{Frigates of the Indian Navy Sloop classes World War I sloops of the United Kingdom Ship classes of the French Navy