The twenty-eight ''Anchusa''-class sloops were 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 Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

as the final part of the larger "Flower class", which were also referred to as the "Cabbage class", or "Herbaceous Borders". They were single screw fleet sweeping vessels (sloops) with triple hulls at the bow to give extra protection against loss when working. The ''Anchusa'' class of corvettes or convoy sloops were completed in 1917 and 1918. They were a small class of convoy protection ships built to look like merchant ships for use as

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 ...

s in World War I. Two members of the ''Anchusa'' group, and (renamed in 1922), survived to be moored on the

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

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. was sold and preserved, and is now one of the last three surviving warships of the

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 fig ...

, (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 Kingd ...

, 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 lo ...

Ships

These ships were

s, which were disguised as normal mercantile shipping within convoys. Six ships were ordered on 1 January 1917: * , built by Sir W. G.

Armstrong Whitworth Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. With headquarters in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth built armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles an ...

and Company, Walker on Tyne, launched 21 April 1917. Sunk by the German submarine off the west coast of Ireland 16 July 1918. * , built by Armstrong Whitworth, launched 5 May 1917. Sunk by the German submarine in the Atlantic 13 August 1917. * , built by Armstrong Whitworth, launched 19 May 1917. Torpedoed by submarine 18 November 1917 and stranded near Bougie, Algeria. * , built by Armstrong Whitworth, launched 2 June 1917. Transferred to Royal Indian Marine in May 1922, and renamed ''Elphinstone''; wrecked on Nicobar Islands 29 January 1925. * , built by Barclay Curle and Company,

Whiteinch Whiteinch ( gd, Innis Bhàn) is an area in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated directly north of the River Clyde, between the Partick and Scotstoun areas of the city. Whiteinch was at one stage part of the burgh of Partick, until that ...

, launched 19 May 1917. Sold for breaking up 1 December 1921. * , built by Barclay Curle, launched 22 June 1917. Sold for breaking up 1 December 1921. Two more ships were ordered on 15 January 1917: * , built by William Simons and Company, Renfrew, launched 1 November 1917. Sold for breaking up 6 September 1922. * , built by

Workman, Clark and Company Workman, Clark and Company was a shipbuilding company based in Belfast. History The business was established by Frank Workman and George Clark in Belfast in 1879 and incorporated Workman, Clark and Company Limited in 1880. By 1895 it was the UK ...

, Belfast, launched 29 September 1917. Sold to Egypt 31 March 1920 and renamed ''Sollum''. Twenty more ships were ordered on 21 February 1917: * , built by Armstrong Whitworth, launched 8 September 1917. Sunk by the German submarine in the St. George's Channel 16 December 1917. * , built by Armstrong Whitworth, launched 4 October 1917. Sold for breaking up 1 February 1923. * , built by Armstrong Whitworth, launched 27 October 1917. Sold for breaking up 3 April 1938. * , built by Armstrong Whitworth, launched 10 November 1917. Target towing vessel in May 1920. Transferred to

Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve 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, ...

1938, and stationed on the

Embankment Embankment may refer to: Geology and geography * A levee, an artificial bank raised above the immediately surrounding land to redirect or prevent flooding by a river, lake or sea * Embankment (earthworks), a raised bank to carry a road, railway ...

in London; broken up 1995. * , built by Barclay Curle, launched 15 September 1917. Sold for breaking up 6 September 1922. * , built by Barclay Carle, launched 19 October 1917. Sunk by the German submarine off Cape Spartel 25 April 1918. * , built by Barclay Curle, launched 1 December 1917. Sold to Mexican State Line 3 June 1921, became mercantile ''Guerrero''. * , built by Barclay Curle, launched 27 December 1917. Sold for breaking up 15 January 1923. * , built by Barclay Curle, launched 15 March 1918. Sold for breaking up 15 January 1923. * , built by Barclay Curle, launched 10 May 1918. Sold for breaking up in February 1939. * , built by Blyth Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company,

Blyth Blyth may refer to: People * Blyth (surname) * Blythe (given name) Places Australia * Blyth, South Australia, a small town Canada * Blyth, Ontario, a village United Kingdom * Blyth, Northumberland, a town ** Blyth Valley (UK Parliament ...

, launched 31 October 1917. Sold February 1920 and resold 2 June 1921, became mercantile ''Sinaloa'' (Clan Line). * , built by Greenock & Grangemouth Dockyard Company, launched 26 December 1917. Intended to become RNVR drill ship ''President'', but was wrecked in January 1921 off Flintstone Head while en route to fit out at

Haulbowline Haulbowline ( ga, Inis Sionnach; non, Ál-boling) is an island in Cork Harbour off the coast of Ireland. The world's first yacht club was founded on Haulbowline in 1720. The western side of the island is the main naval base and headquarters ...

. * , built by Greenock & Grangemouth, launched 17 November 1917. Sold 25 January 1921, became mercantile ''Chiapas'' (Clan Line). * , built by William Hamilton & Company, Port Glasgow, launched 18 March 1918. Sold 25 January 1921, became mercantile ''Oaxaca'' (Clan Line). * , built by Irvine's Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, West Hartlepool. Sunk by the German submarine in the North Sea 5 May 1918. * , built by Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew, launched 29 January 1918. Became RNVR drill ship 1921, and stationed on the Embankment in London; renamed in July 1922, in private hands since 1988. * , built by William Simons and Company, Renfrew, launched 12 March 1918. Sold for breaking up 29 December 1921. * , built by Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson, Wallsend on Tyne, launched 5 October 1917. Sold for breaking up 7 October 1927. * , built by Swan Hunter, launched 16 November 1917. Sold for breaking up 15 January 1923. * , built by Workman, Clark & Company, Belfast, launched 12 April 1918. Sold for breaking up 7 October 1927.

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Anchusa class sloop Sloop classes

Ships

See also

References