I do remember reading in a book about the Battle of the Atlantic that by the end of the second World War the Royal Canadian Navy was an actuality the third largest Navy in the world. 20 years later we would have less than 30 active warships. In our Navy has survived and I'm proud to have served and I see the new Navy with pride for it is well kept handled and the training maintained at a high caliber that would impress most other navies around the world.
I'm moving to Halifax this September. The first stop I'm going to make is a visit to the HMCS Sackville. My dad served on corvettes and destroyers during the war.
I was lucky enough to be a US naval officer and, upon being promoted to full Lieutenant ,was assigned to the staff of a RADM. In that capacity in 1982, I was honored to be a "guest" aboard a Canadian warship, The HMCS Nipigon , DDH 266, a River class destroyer. Let me tell you Americans something about our northern neighbors, they are and were damn good at their jobs. Being primarily an ASW platform she was well armed and well manned. Certainly as efficient as any US Navy vessel of equal size and armament I was deeply impressed and happy to have those men on our side. Polite, professional and well trained. I witnessed them do things with their "beartrap" helo recovery system that no ship in our navy at the time could do, recover a helo in a storm at sea, while underway, carrying a live torpedo. I had previously served as a Surface Warfare Officer aboard an American LPH and a CV and if there is any Navy in the world I would want on our side in a real war, it is the Canadian Forces Navy.
My uncle, George Oxborough, of Banff AB, was KIA while serving on a flower class corvette. I would really love to visit this corvette in Halifax. All my life I’ve imagined what it must have been like to be in his shoes. Hearing the story of being torpedoed from the survivors first hand is a kind of closure for me. Thank you for giving the Ships and crews some recognition.
thank God for These ships and the men who served in them. Thank you also to Canada and her People, you have always been there for us when we have needed you. Regards from a Brit.
My dad was in the Canadian Navy from 1941 - 1946 and he told me in the winter storms the waves would go right over the ship , as soon as it was sunny - outside to chop ice off so the boat would not roll over from the weigh.
BC Stud amazing. A true Canadian hero. My great grandfather had too many children to be allowed in the service but worked hard building merchant ships in North Vancouver.
My Dad Was US Merchant Marine. He had immense respect for the men who sailed the Flower Class Corvettes. He commented once that his Liberty Ship put it's bow under waves while the Corvette on station took waves over her open bridge.
My Dad was on the USS Restless PG66, a Flower Corvette formerly the HMS Periwinkle and he is photographed for about 3 seconds in the "Victory At Sea" series that I used to watch with him when I was a teenager; he never told me about any of his US Navy life, but was 30 years in the US Navy, and when Dad was in the Korean War on the USS Valley Forge CV45, our mother died, and Dad returned by Dec.1950 back to San Diego to a desk job with the Navy in San Diego. I miss my Dad and only found out his military career exploits in 2008, 36 years after his death in 1972. Love the Flower Corvettes!
My grandfather was captain of the Sackville at one point. Also, near the end of this video, Chief McBride was someone I served under while in the reserve.
Thankyou for stitching together this doc . I have worked the past two summers as a volunteer tour guide aboard HMCS Sackville and am proud to be able to share her with the public .
There's something awesome about their "spunkiness", for lack of a better word. Whenever I see small ships like this my mind immediately goes to Commander Evans on the USS Johnston and the USS Samuel B. Roberts and their audacity in the face of overwhelming odds. The fact the US and allies could pump out ships like this and larger ships like destroyers by the dozen and seemingly by the hundred made the Battle of the Atlantic inevitable. That said, brave men had to serve on them to help those convoys and for that those men have my deepest gratitude.
My father served on HMCS Louisburg, but was fortunately was transferred to HMCS Trois Rivieras two weeks before she was sunk. He went on to serve on her and HMCS St Catherine’s later. Four years at sea and was still only 20 when the war ended.
Thanks for doing this. If the Battle of the Atlantic hadn't been won - and it was won by corvettes - WW2 would have been lost. Patton, Montgomery, Simonds, Bradey - without corvettes and the RCN, none of their triumphs would have happened. I was a Canadian history student who joined the RCN in 1990 , and even completed an MA in War Studies from RMC. I spent a lot of time as a junior officer learning my craft as a reservist serving in our Gateboats: Porte St Jean, Porte St. Louis, Porte Quebec, Porte de la Reine, Porte Dauphine - I met them all. Gateboats,for those who don't know, are the Cold-War equivalents of the Corvettes. Single-screw, turn-on-a-dime, not too fast, and role on a heavy dew and looked down on by sailors in "proper" ships. It doesn't matter because without them, today's RCN wouldn't exist.. Thanks!
I wholeheartedly agree. Seapower was the key to victory in the Second World War. Without it, there would have been no D-Day, Combined Bomber Offensive, amphibious assault landings in the Pacific , etc.
The Corvettes are not forgotten. They actually built the Canadian nation, their crews built the Canadian Navy. The Flower Class is the only warship to be on the Canadian Dollar... They were marvellous little ships. What a luck, that HMCS Sackville is preserved.
Corvettes were the real workhorses of the Atlantic battle both on the British and Canadian side. It's a bit dated now but if you get a chance have a look at a movie called The Cruel Sea which features this class of ship. Great movie about hard times. People need to remember that an escort's success wasn't measured by the number of U boats sunk but by the number of convoy ships that got through and in that respect the Flower class were as genuine success.
+Deevo037 Haven't seen the film, but read the book. That depth charge scene really got me when I read that. And the description of when they've picked up survivors and they're fumbling with medical manuals.
Without question these little men of war were so important. Being able to cross the North Atlantic without refueling is highly important to the UK's survival. The men that served on this class are heroes. No doubt in my mind.
Thanks for this.My dad served on several corvettes during the three phases of the battle of the Atlantic, WW2. Upon his passing,I received a few pictures in his personal effects but nothing like these films.
My Father served on a flower class corvette 1943-1945 HMS Heather K69 His name was able seaman William Hoy. He did a few convoys to America, one Artic convoy, and anti submarine duties in the channel during and after D day. I have his service records and medals which I treasure.
I'm from Cape Breton. My grandfather was a stoker on HMCS Huron, he used to speak very very highly of the corvettes and the Merchant Marine. In my small town, he knew of at least one man from every street that either died overseas or in the Atlantic. Heartbreaking stuff. He saved up his rum rations and traded for a Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife which I have on a shelf. I've been playing WoWS since alpha and was hoping since I first heard of the game that the Huron would be added. I've accepted that she won't be and bought Haida so I can kind of pretend to be my grandfather, especially with the release of subs coming up.
The US also operated 18 Flower class Corvettes, they were numbered in the Patrol Gunboat number series. The first was USS Temptress PG-62 (Originally ordered by the Royal Navy as HMS Veronica).
+1 rewatch. For those studying war logistics matter just like, or even more, than tactics. One huge issue for the Corvettes was they sized to be built in civilian yards and designed with civilian engines. This accessed production without limiting the more military yards. Also the manpower with civilian skills would be more familiar with these engines. There were still weapon skills to be learned by the gunnery type portion of the crew. It wasn't fast, it wasn't pretty but it was there and in numbers that gave you the scouting to hamper submarines. Also, yes, "The Cruel Sea" book and movie really show alot about them.
I am from Middlesbrough, the town of Smiths Dock who designed the flower class as the whaling ship Southern Cross, a ship that could handle any sea states, it saved our bacon for sure and went on to serve, quite possibly formore nations than any other cther class, it is to the UK's eternal shame that we do not have one as a museum ship,thank you Canada.Fortunately, we have aflower class starring in the British movie The Cruel Sea, uner the name of Compas Rose.
Glad to see that someone is/will preserve at least a representative sample of this class.I wish the US would have preserved one of the wooden hull ocean going minesweepers (MSO) from the Vietnam era.Alas, they are but a fond memory to those of us that served on them.
Great doco and background of ships that were the backbone of two Navy's. Keep up the good work brother. Your know your ships series is professional quality and are remarkable. People complain that they are a patchwork of previous footage but you put it together in a fresh way. Peace...
Great job man, awesome video. You really speaking up for the little guys and the unsung hero's of the navy's. I saw the Sackville in port when we were up north training with the Canadian navy and i gotta say, the men who served on those were tough as steel. And it lets people know that it's not the size of a ship that makes them great it's the bravery and determination of the men and women who make the ship great. Keep up the awesome job man. HOO YAH.
They were affectionately known as "cheap and nasties" after Churchill's quip, "cheap for us and nasty to the enemy" There is the true story of a corvette, newly introduced to the RN, coming into harbour. A signal flashed from a destroyer "What and who are you"? " Corvette, Periwinkle" "Fish or flower"? "Flower" "I will come and fertilize you"!
Visit Halifax, it's a great little city and the HMCS Sackville has recently been restored. I visited before the work was done and even then it was very much worth it. Unbelievablly small living quarters and open bridge. Those who served on these and were most likely soaking wet for days, deserve our full respect.
Hooray for Canada! During WW2 for a time we were in charge of the West half of the Atlantic. Love your videos. An advantage to yours is a lack of swearing that some folks include. I encourage folks to watch or read "The Cruel Sea" which is about a UK crew on board a Flower Class Corvette the "Compass Rose"
Great info on a little known warship. Much appreciated! Came to my attention only about 10 years ago. I was surprised it was so unknown at that time! Thanks for the research and time!
This is an excellent video on the Flowers class corvette, although the majority served during World War II with the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy eighteen of this class of ship were used by the United States Navy, several of these were manned by the United States Coast Guard, several other countries also used the Flowers class corvette during World War II. The vessels serving with the US Navy were known as Temptress and Action-class patrol gunboats. My father served aboard one of these ships, he really loved the ship and even though she would "roll on a wet lawn" she survived The Great Hurricane of 1944 and even sailed through the eye of that hurricane. As my Dad would say "she was one tough lady".
May Dad served on these for the first part of the war. He was one of the first radar operators which suited him as he had an abiding interest in electronics.
+iChaseGaming Do one episode of the Leander Class Light Cruiser and can the main ship in the vid be HMAS Perth D-29 since it was Australia's bravest warship
We had three in our fleet after conversion into whale catchers. They were the Southern Lotus, Lilly and Broom. They were much more comfortable than the smaller purpose built “Catchers” that would even roll in a calm sea.!!!!
Montserrat , great sea writer. Also my dad, 1Lt US Army Signal Corps, was assigned to run a sea going crash course in maritime radio operations and basic repair. He went on convoys from Halifax to Iceland and back several times. Had good things to say about the Canadian heroic small escort ships. I later did radio courses to Le Garde Coterie (?) Or Coast Guard at QC, Halifax at St. Johns. Love the area. Great seamen. I worked as shark fisherman and radio op in Atlantic as a youth before enteri g Army. Family all Norse-American sailors, captains and one operated a sister ship of the beautiful Bluenose. Love Canada which I have seen from Victoria to Labrador. Never fail to stand on guard for Her! CW4 Karl Schulte, US Army, SC (ret).
My dad was a stoker and Petty Officer on the corvettes during the war .Convoy duty from Halifax to Ireland Ships burning at night - they had one 4" gun and the german subs had a 6" gun after they dropped their dept charges - sub would surface and time to run ? In the winter - many had to go outside and chop ice off the boat so it would not be top heavy and roll over ? Today , we are so lucky !
There is at least one inaccuracy in this video: at about 26:12 the HMCS Sackville is claimed to be the only Second World War Corvette left in the world. It is true that it is the only Flower Class Corvette, but in Australia are two Bathurst Class Corvettes, one afloat and one on land. The Bathurst Class was roughly the equivalent of Australian built Flowers, a little smaller than the Flowers but they served as far away from Australia as the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathurst-class_corvette
Great ships, rew and courage. Fine video. Dont forget the icebreakers, which kept the sea lanes open. I worked briefly on a couple in QC and St. Johns plus Halifax. CW4 Karl Sculte (UAS,SC)
The Corvettes are a lot older than people think, the first Corvettes was designed by the Dutch to operate in and around the marshland channels and shallow waters, The Mayflower and Speedwell were Covettes. Corvettes was also used in the first world war and other wars over the centurys
My great great grandfather lost his life on the Flower-class corvette HMS Zinnia, after she was torpedoed by U-564, on 23rd August 1941, while she was escorting Convoy OG 71 during the Battle of the Atlantic.
Can't praise Canada enough for her effort to provide a navy to escort the convoys - even Canadians aren't aware of their forefathers' tremendous sacrifice during WW2. From a Swansea boy (Atlantic Port), Den, Abertawe. P.S. Nothing marks an amateur production more thana lack of subtitles, thus immedieately disengaging 33% of the general paublic, who suffer less than perfect hearing.
Have a 1:72 scale model of the HMS snowberry which was a flower class corvette, It's a lovely model yet I haven't quite finished it, after watching this, I want to finish it now.
Can tell me what is the difference between your Flower class and the Bathurst class built and used by the RAN. One is a museum ship in Brisbane. It was built in Maryborough on the Mary river. Walkers foundaries constructed a number. Looking at specks they seem the same
The Flower class was based on the Middlesbrough whaler which were smaller ships built to operate in the North Sea and North Atlantic and to cope with the worst conditions in heavy seas but were prone to roll badly in short swells. They were a very successful design and operated well, although the small size of the ship meant the extended patrols took the toll on the crews that sailed in them, they were cramped and wet in poor conditions even along the extended fo'c'sle. They operated with Hunt Class corvettes until the end of the war and had a long life long after serving on until slowly dissolved from active service.
iChaseGaming It'll be well worth it. There's tons of history in the city, as well, like colonial forts, and coastal defences from the 1700's up to WW2.
One of the initial influences on the design of the Corvette was for it to be able to be built in shit yards that in piece time built smaller Trawler type ships freeing other larger type of shipyards free to build larger warships. The design was also picked up by the US who's Buckley class destroyer was a direct result. The film The Cruel Sea is a compilation of the books written by and outlining the wartime experiences of Nicholas Monsarrat and the books are one of the best reads of the ww2. Now enough has been said nor enough credit given to those whose served in Britain little ship navy and Harry Tate's navy the Coastal Patrol service who's commitment to doing their duty in conditions similar in the severity to the trenches in winter WW1. Britain never stood alone against the blight of nazi germany but alongside her allies in the commonwealth the nazis and the Atlantic were overcome/ Good vid many thanks
My dad served on corvettes in ww2, I have stories, and a box of pictures, amazing, no one has seen them besides me in 40 years or more, when my dad was in his 80's I finially forced him to tell me the stories picture by picutre, he passed before we barely got started. he had some amazing stories, most of them guys kept the stories to themselves, rip dad
There is movie named "Corvette K-225 " starring I think it was Randolph Scott. It was a pretty good movie , last time I saw it was probably 40 years ago
it was later learned from WATU, Western Approaches Training Unit, that U Boats were run from a command boats trailing the convoy by some 5 miles. U Boats gathered ahead of the convoy to submerge and fall back into the inside of the lanes within convoy on the surface at night, then again falling back to replenish torpedoes and recommence the attack.The person that revealed this vital tactic was a 17 yr old schoolgirl WREN named Jean Laidlaw during WATU wargaming the U Boat menace. If one wanted to note the most important contribution to the U Boat war of the North Atlantic they could do no worse than research Jean Laidlaw and WATU. good hunting ...
Those “Cheap and Nasties” bore the brunt of the Battle of the Atlantic. Without the corvettes that battle would have been lost. And with that, the outcome of the whole war would have been different!!
Quite the Underdogs of the Atlantic theatre. They were small in size, but crewed by men whose own courage could rival that of any of those on board the major surface ships of the warring nations could boast. Crewed by brave souls, willing to risk life and the possibility of never coming home, in order to ensure the life blood of the Allied war effort continued through to the end. Lacking in grand battle engagements of their own, they made up for by ensuring the nations they served could continue to prosecute the war.
Man, this ship would be so cool to be the RN starting ship. Fingers crossed, although they are rather poorly armed for that :P PS: Chase, I think I just binge-watched a quarter of your total content in 4 days :D Add me to your subscriber lists :)
Does anyone know the identity of the ship that appears at about 13:54? She looks somewhat like a Grimsby-class sloop, but the armament doesn't seem quite right for that. I've never seen that camo pattern before, either. I thought maybe she was Grimsby herself, which was built with lighter armament than the later class members, but the hull number doesn't match.
There are three traits of animal. Sheep, Sheepdog, Wolf. These ships are beautiful and in my eyes, the 'Silent Sheepdog' of the WW2 Atlantic. Respect to all who serve and served today.
There was a great movie about these corvettes. Corvette K225. Randolph Scott, Barry Fitzgerald, Andy Devine, even a young Robert Mitchum. This brand new ship went through hell on its first trip across the Atlantic... The fictional HMCS Donnacona... www.iwannawatch.to/2011/05/corvette-k-225-1943/
A bit more research is needed. The Flowers were operated by the Free French, United States Navy, Greek, Belgian, Yugoslav, Netherlands and New Zealand navies.
I was MN on a small tanker. RCN mounted a 4.7 gun above the fantail aft.The first time fired we thought we'd been fished!. All the insulcork and paint on the deckhead peeled off. They called the RCN equipment D.E.M.S. (defensive equipment Merchant Service) A Uboat hid beneath us after being chased by a corvette.This was off St. Johns NFD.
I do remember reading in a book about the Battle of the Atlantic that by the end of the second World War the Royal Canadian Navy was an actuality the third largest Navy in the world. 20 years later we would have less than 30 active warships. In our Navy has survived and I'm proud to have served and I see the new Navy with pride for it is well kept handled and the training maintained at a high caliber that would impress most other navies around the world.
I'm moving to Halifax this September. The first stop I'm going to make is a visit to the HMCS Sackville. My dad served on corvettes and destroyers during the war.
I was lucky enough to be a US naval officer and, upon being promoted to full Lieutenant ,was assigned to the staff of a RADM. In that capacity in 1982, I was honored to be a "guest" aboard a Canadian warship, The HMCS Nipigon , DDH 266, a River class destroyer. Let me tell you Americans something about our northern neighbors, they are and were damn good at their jobs. Being primarily an ASW platform she was well armed and well manned. Certainly as efficient as any US Navy vessel of equal size and armament I was deeply impressed and happy to have those men on our side. Polite, professional and well trained. I witnessed them do things with their "beartrap" helo recovery system that no ship in our navy at the time could do, recover a helo in a storm at sea, while underway, carrying a live torpedo. I had previously served as a Surface Warfare Officer aboard an American LPH and a CV and if there is any Navy in the world I would want on our side in a real war, it is the Canadian Forces Navy.
My uncle, George Oxborough, of Banff AB, was KIA while serving on a flower class corvette. I would really love to visit this corvette in Halifax. All my life I’ve imagined what it must have been like to be in his shoes. Hearing the story of being torpedoed from the survivors first hand is a kind of closure for me. Thank you for giving the Ships and crews some recognition.
Wonderful episode! Great inspiration before I start to build a model of HMCS Snowberry
thank God for These ships and the men who served in them. Thank you also to Canada and her People, you have always been there for us when we have needed you. Regards from a Brit.
My dad was in the Canadian Navy from 1941 - 1946 and he told me in the winter storms the waves would go right over the ship , as soon as it was sunny - outside to chop ice off so the boat would not roll over from the weigh.
BC Stud amazing. A true Canadian hero. My great grandfather had too many children to be allowed in the service but worked hard building merchant ships in North Vancouver.
My Dad Was US Merchant Marine. He had immense respect for the men who sailed the Flower Class Corvettes. He commented once that his Liberty Ship put it's bow under waves while the Corvette on station took waves over her open bridge.
@@bcstud3641 similar story from my Dad
My Dad was on the USS Restless PG66, a Flower Corvette formerly the HMS Periwinkle and he is photographed for about 3 seconds in the "Victory At Sea" series that I used to watch with him when I was a teenager; he never told me about any of his US Navy life, but was 30 years in the US Navy, and when Dad was in the Korean War on the USS Valley Forge CV45, our mother died, and Dad returned by Dec.1950 back to San Diego to a desk job with the Navy in San Diego. I miss my Dad and only found out his military career exploits in 2008, 36 years after his death in 1972. Love the Flower Corvettes!
My grandfather was captain of the Sackville at one point. Also, near the end of this video, Chief McBride was someone I served under while in the reserve.
Thankyou for stitching together this doc . I have worked the past two summers as a volunteer tour guide aboard HMCS Sackville and am proud to be able to share her with the public .
There's something awesome about their "spunkiness", for lack of a better word. Whenever I see small ships like this my mind immediately goes to Commander Evans on the USS Johnston and the USS Samuel B. Roberts and their audacity in the face of overwhelming odds. The fact the US and allies could pump out ships like this and larger ships like destroyers by the dozen and seemingly by the hundred made the Battle of the Atlantic inevitable. That said, brave men had to serve on them to help those convoys and for that those men have my deepest gratitude.
My father served on HMCS Louisburg, but was fortunately was transferred to HMCS Trois Rivieras two weeks before she was sunk. He went on to serve on her and HMCS St Catherine’s later. Four years at sea and was still only 20 when the war ended.
Thanks for doing this. If the Battle of the Atlantic hadn't been won - and it was won by corvettes - WW2 would have been lost. Patton, Montgomery, Simonds, Bradey - without corvettes and the RCN, none of their triumphs would have happened.
I was a Canadian history student who joined the RCN in 1990 , and even completed an MA in War Studies from RMC. I spent a lot of time as a junior officer learning my craft as a reservist serving in our Gateboats: Porte St Jean, Porte St. Louis, Porte Quebec, Porte de la Reine, Porte Dauphine - I met them all. Gateboats,for those who don't know, are the Cold-War equivalents of the Corvettes. Single-screw, turn-on-a-dime, not too fast, and role on a heavy dew and looked down on by sailors in "proper" ships. It doesn't matter because without them, today's RCN wouldn't exist.. Thanks!
I wholeheartedly agree. Seapower was the key to victory in the Second World War. Without it, there would have been no D-Day, Combined Bomber Offensive, amphibious assault landings in the Pacific , etc.
The Corvettes are not forgotten. They actually built the Canadian nation, their crews built the Canadian Navy. The Flower Class is the only warship to be on the Canadian Dollar...
They were marvellous little ships. What a luck, that HMCS Sackville is preserved.
Corvettes were the real workhorses of the Atlantic battle both on the British and Canadian side. It's a bit dated now but if you get a chance have a look at a movie called The Cruel Sea which features this class of ship. Great movie about hard times. People need to remember that an escort's success wasn't measured by the number of U boats sunk but by the number of convoy ships that got through and in that respect the Flower class were as genuine success.
+Deevo037 Haven't seen the film, but read the book. That depth charge scene really got me when I read that. And the description of when they've picked up survivors and they're fumbling with medical manuals.
Without question these little men of war were so important. Being able to cross the North Atlantic without refueling is highly important to the UK's survival. The men that served on this class are heroes. No doubt in my mind.
@@TheBespectacledN00b The depth charge scene is so horrifying and yet so pragmatic and matter of factly written.
My dad was on HMCS Moose Jaw, Saskatoon and the Castle Class Huntsville.
Thanks for this.My dad served on several corvettes during the three phases of the battle of the Atlantic, WW2. Upon his passing,I received a few pictures in his personal effects but nothing like these films.
My Father served on a flower class corvette 1943-1945 HMS Heather K69
His name was able seaman William Hoy.
He did a few convoys to America, one Artic convoy, and anti submarine duties in the channel during and after D day. I have his service records and medals which I treasure.
great video. My dad served aboard the HMCS Amherst ,K-148 . A great read is The Triangle Run by James Lamb if you can find it.
We need more of this on RUclips. This type of quality can't be found anymore. Great job. I'll make sure to tell everyone about this channel.
GreatMindsofEarth ^_^ Cheers! It's with support from people like you that make me really want to make more episodes for all of you to enjoy :D
I have a follower that does the same. I just like to pass on the good 'ju ju' so to speak. Any ideas on what the prize might be?
iChaseGaming great job man, love history stuff like this
Love the photo of the HMCS Sackville. It is a beautiful ship which is now getting it refit and a new place for it to be seen for all.
I'm from Cape Breton. My grandfather was a stoker on HMCS Huron, he used to speak very very highly of the corvettes and the Merchant Marine. In my small town, he knew of at least one man from every street that either died overseas or in the Atlantic. Heartbreaking stuff. He saved up his rum rations and traded for a Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife which I have on a shelf. I've been playing WoWS since alpha and was hoping since I first heard of the game that the Huron would be added. I've accepted that she won't be and bought Haida so I can kind of pretend to be my grandfather, especially with the release of subs coming up.
The US also operated 18 Flower class Corvettes, they were numbered in the Patrol Gunboat number series. The first was USS Temptress PG-62 (Originally ordered by the Royal Navy as HMS Veronica).
The men who manned these ships were true heroes - the conditions were awful.
+1 rewatch. For those studying war logistics matter just like, or even more, than tactics. One huge issue for the Corvettes was they sized to be built in civilian yards and designed with civilian engines. This accessed production without limiting the more military yards. Also the manpower with civilian skills would be more familiar with these engines. There were still weapon skills to be learned by the gunnery type portion of the crew. It wasn't fast, it wasn't pretty but it was there and in numbers that gave you the scouting to hamper submarines. Also, yes, "The Cruel Sea" book and movie really show alot about them.
I am from Middlesbrough, the town of Smiths Dock who designed the flower class as the whaling ship Southern Cross, a ship that could handle any sea states, it saved our bacon for sure and went on to serve, quite possibly formore nations than any other cther class, it is to the UK's eternal shame that we do not have one as a museum ship,thank you Canada.Fortunately, we have aflower class starring in the British movie The Cruel Sea, uner the name of Compas Rose.
Glad to see that someone is/will preserve at least a representative sample of this class.I wish the US would have preserved one of the wooden hull ocean going minesweepers (MSO) from the Vietnam era.Alas, they are but a fond memory to those of us that served on them.
Great doco and background of ships that were the backbone of two Navy's. Keep up the good work brother. Your know your ships series is professional quality and are remarkable. People complain that they are a patchwork of previous footage but you put it together in a fresh way. Peace...
Not forgotten here in Canada, we're very proud of our Tribals and Flowers
Great job man, awesome video. You really speaking up for the little guys and the unsung hero's of the navy's. I saw the Sackville in port when we were up north training with the Canadian navy and i gotta say, the men who served on those were tough as steel. And it lets people know that it's not the size of a ship that makes them great it's the bravery and determination of the men and women who make the ship great. Keep up the awesome job man. HOO YAH.
FreakinBOOM Thank you :) Yeah, big, rough ocean...tiny lil boat. Those guys were tough as nails.
They were affectionately known as "cheap and nasties" after Churchill's quip, "cheap for us and nasty to the enemy"
There is the true story of a corvette, newly introduced to the RN, coming into harbour. A signal flashed from a destroyer
"What and who are you"?
" Corvette, Periwinkle"
"Fish or flower"?
"Flower"
"I will come and fertilize you"!
Visit Halifax, it's a great little city and the HMCS Sackville has recently been restored. I visited before the work was done and even then it was very much worth it. Unbelievablly small living quarters and open bridge. Those who served on these and were most likely soaking wet for days, deserve our full respect.
Hooray for Canada! During WW2 for a time we were in charge of the West half of the Atlantic. Love your videos. An advantage to yours is a lack of swearing that some folks include.
I encourage folks to watch or read "The Cruel Sea" which is about a UK crew on board a Flower Class Corvette the "Compass Rose"
The documentaries that you watch, contain a lot of swearing????
Great info on a little known warship. Much appreciated! Came to my attention only about 10 years ago. I was surprised it was so unknown at that time! Thanks for the research and time!
Thomas Hockin You're very welcome :) I really like shedding light on the little guys sometimes, just to give them some recognition
This is an excellent video on the Flowers class corvette, although the majority served during World War II with the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy eighteen of this class of ship were used by the United States Navy, several of these were manned by the United States Coast Guard, several other countries also used the Flowers class corvette during World War II. The vessels serving with the US Navy were known as Temptress and Action-class patrol gunboats. My father served aboard one of these ships, he really loved the ship and even though she would "roll on a wet lawn" she survived The Great Hurricane of 1944 and even sailed through the eye of that hurricane. As my Dad would say "she was one tough lady".
That simultaneous 45 degree turn by all ships in the convoy was brilliant. Wonder if it was ever used in infantry or cavalry movements.
May Dad served on these for the first part of the war. He was one of the first radar operators which suited him as he had an abiding interest in electronics.
Great historical piece on the Canadian navy at the end. Added a new dimension to my understanding of the battle of the Atlantic. Thanks iChase!
+Mark Bickerton You're welcome! :D
+iChaseGaming Do one episode of the Leander Class Light Cruiser and can the main ship in the vid be HMAS Perth D-29 since it was Australia's bravest warship
HMCS Ontario next? lol
We had three in our fleet after conversion into whale catchers. They were the Southern Lotus, Lilly and Broom.
They were much more comfortable than the smaller purpose built “Catchers” that would even roll in a calm sea.!!!!
The Flower class design was based on a whale catcher, Southern Pride.
Been reviewing all in sequence, best ever. Only decent explanation I have ever seen of convoy vs. wolfpack tactics. Great documentary research dude.
Montserrat , great sea writer. Also my dad, 1Lt US Army Signal Corps, was assigned to run a sea going crash course in maritime radio operations and basic repair. He went on convoys from Halifax to Iceland and back several times. Had good things to say about the Canadian heroic small escort ships. I later did radio courses to Le Garde Coterie (?) Or Coast Guard at QC, Halifax at St. Johns. Love the area. Great seamen. I worked as shark fisherman and radio op in Atlantic as a youth before enteri g Army. Family all Norse-American sailors, captains and one operated a sister ship of the beautiful Bluenose. Love Canada which I have seen from Victoria to Labrador. Never fail to stand on guard for Her!
CW4 Karl Schulte, US Army, SC (ret).
My dad was a stoker and Petty Officer on the corvettes during the war .Convoy duty from Halifax to Ireland Ships burning at night - they had one 4" gun and the german subs had a 6" gun after they dropped their dept charges - sub would surface and time to run ? In the winter - many had to go outside and chop ice off the boat so it would not be top heavy and roll over ? Today , we are so lucky !
Anyone interested in the Flower class should watch the movie or/and read the excellent book The Cruel Sea.
excellent book, have read a half a dozon times.
+LarS1963 great book. I highly recommend it.
+LarS1963 Great movie, in black and white. Definitely watch it.
+LarS1963 I have my father's 1951 hardcover. Chilling story on a tiny boat
+LarS1963 I have not seen the movie but i love the book.
There is at least one inaccuracy in this video: at about 26:12 the HMCS Sackville is claimed to be the only Second World War Corvette left in the world. It is true that it is the only Flower Class Corvette, but in Australia are two Bathurst Class Corvettes, one afloat and one on land. The Bathurst Class was roughly the equivalent of Australian built Flowers, a little smaller than the Flowers but they served as far away from Australia as the Mediterranean and the Atlantic.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathurst-class_corvette
Great ships, rew and courage. Fine video. Dont forget the icebreakers, which kept the sea lanes open. I worked briefly on a couple in QC and St. Johns plus Halifax. CW4 Karl Sculte (UAS,SC)
The Corvettes are a lot older than people think, the first Corvettes was designed by the Dutch to operate in and around the marshland channels and shallow waters, The Mayflower and Speedwell were Covettes. Corvettes was also used in the first world war and other wars over the centurys
My great great grandfather lost his life on the Flower-class corvette HMS Zinnia, after she was torpedoed by U-564, on 23rd August 1941, while she was escorting Convoy OG 71 during the Battle of the Atlantic.
Can't praise Canada enough for her effort to provide a navy to escort the convoys - even Canadians aren't aware of their forefathers' tremendous sacrifice during WW2. From a Swansea boy (Atlantic Port), Den, Abertawe.
P.S. Nothing marks an amateur production more thana lack of subtitles, thus immedieately disengaging 33% of the general paublic, who suffer less than perfect hearing.
Have a 1:72 scale model of the HMS snowberry which was a flower class corvette, It's a lovely model yet I haven't quite finished it, after watching this, I want to finish it now.
ArchaneStudios :) go for it! :D
Can tell me what is the difference between your Flower class and the Bathurst class built and used by the RAN. One is a museum ship in Brisbane. It was built in Maryborough on the Mary river. Walkers foundaries constructed a number. Looking at specks they seem the same
Thanks for this video. My father was on a corvette, HMCS Owen Sound, 341.
Wow! 6 years ago! And only 500 subs??? 👍🏻😎
The United states Navy also built corvettes...and the Coast Guard had several of these already...
The Flower class was based on the Middlesbrough whaler which were smaller ships built to operate in the North Sea and North Atlantic and to cope with the worst conditions in heavy seas but were prone to roll badly in short swells. They were a very successful design and operated well, although the small size of the ship meant the extended patrols took the toll on the crews that sailed in them, they were cramped and wet in poor conditions even along the extended fo'c'sle. They operated with Hunt Class corvettes until the end of the war and had a long life long after serving on until slowly dissolved from active service.
thank God they came to the challenge
Lol, at 15:10 you can see the coin in the guy's right hand as he holds the cup.
Gee, it must have been a trick then! Go figure.
I've got the great fortune to have lived in the same city as the HMCS Sackville, and to have been in her a few times. She's such a pretty ship.
SuperMagicsquid Very nice, hopefully I'll get a chance to visit her someday
iChaseGaming It'll be well worth it. There's tons of history in the city, as well, like colonial forts, and coastal defences from the 1700's up to WW2.
+MagicSquid Have all the proposed improvements been made at the site of HMCS Sackville?
Love these videos, keep them coming. And gratz on the subscriber milesstone.
SBSDK Thank you :D
One of the initial influences on the design of the Corvette was for it to be able to be built in shit yards that in piece time built smaller Trawler type ships freeing other larger type of shipyards free to build larger warships. The design was also picked up by the US who's Buckley class destroyer was a direct result. The film The Cruel Sea is a compilation of the books written by and outlining the wartime experiences of Nicholas Monsarrat and the books are one of the best reads of the ww2. Now enough has been said nor enough credit given to those whose served in Britain little ship navy and Harry Tate's navy the Coastal Patrol service who's commitment to doing their duty in conditions similar in the severity to the trenches in winter WW1. Britain never stood alone against the blight of nazi germany but alongside her allies in the commonwealth the nazis and the Atlantic were overcome/ Good vid many thanks
My great uncle served on k182 hmcs bittersweet in the royal canadian navy as master stoker and he also set depth charges.
My dad served on corvettes in ww2, I have stories, and a box of pictures, amazing, no one has seen them besides me in 40 years or more, when my dad was in his 80's I finially forced him to tell me the stories picture by picutre, he passed before we barely got started. he had some amazing stories, most of them guys kept the stories to themselves, rip dad
I'm curious Chuck, what ships did he sail on? My dad also served on corvettes
Was there an emblem or a badge that represented flower class corvettes in ww2?
I played the Flower Class Corvette in Enigma: Rising Tide. It's an LFN ship in Enigma, which is the faction of allied Britain and Japan.
Finally someone else who played that game
Nathan Peterson it's a good game.
The Men are the Heroes
The HEROINES are the SHIPS
OUTSTANDING!!!
HMCS Sackville glad to see her I'm from he home port of Halifax 10/10
kris blunden aye she’s one hell of a good ship.
Chase If you ever get around doing The Revenge class,I would be more then happy to assist on Finding footage!
Thanks to the uk for selling us these we needed something
There is movie named "Corvette K-225 " starring I think it was Randolph Scott. It was a pretty good movie , last time I saw it was probably 40 years ago
Are these in WoWS somewhere?
A very good video thank you chase.
it was later learned from WATU, Western Approaches Training Unit, that U Boats were run from a command boats trailing the convoy by some 5 miles. U Boats gathered ahead of the convoy to submerge and fall back into the inside of the lanes within convoy on the surface at night, then again falling back to replenish torpedoes and recommence the attack.The person that revealed this vital tactic was a 17 yr old schoolgirl WREN named Jean Laidlaw during WATU wargaming the U Boat menace.
If one wanted to note the most important contribution to the U Boat war of the North Atlantic they could do no worse than research Jean Laidlaw and WATU.
good hunting ...
Those “Cheap and Nasties” bore the brunt of the Battle of the Atlantic. Without the corvettes that battle would have been lost. And with that, the outcome of the whole war would have been different!!
just delayed it for a few decades. The world has now been taken over with the help of the man made virus, covid 19
fantastic video cheers
Watch the movie "The Cruel Sea". The Compass Rose was a Flower Class corvette.
Quite the Underdogs of the Atlantic theatre. They were small in size, but crewed by men whose own courage could rival that of any of those on board the major surface ships of the warring nations could boast. Crewed by brave souls, willing to risk life and the possibility of never coming home, in order to ensure the life blood of the Allied war effort continued through to the end. Lacking in grand battle engagements of their own, they made up for by ensuring the nations they served could continue to prosecute the war.
HMCS Haida (G63)
Tribal-class destroyer would you do and her sister ship
freddyironworks Yes, the Tribal class is on my to-do list, stay tuned
i agree... a really good movie
Cayla Byk Thank you :)
Man, this ship would be so cool to be the RN starting ship. Fingers crossed, although they are rather poorly armed for that :P
PS: Chase, I think I just binge-watched a quarter of your total content in 4 days :D Add me to your subscriber lists :)
Please do the Tribal Class Destroyers and comment where you would place them in the tech tree or if you would make them a premium.
The Sackville was "saved" and restored by the Canadian Naval Officers Association - Not the Government of Canada - Give Credit where Credit is Due.
Love that ship!!!!
Does anyone know the identity of the ship that appears at about 13:54? She looks somewhat like a Grimsby-class sloop, but the armament doesn't seem quite right for that. I've never seen that camo pattern before, either.
I thought maybe she was Grimsby herself, which was built with lighter armament than the later class members, but the hull number doesn't match.
The Four Australian built Grimsbys had different armament
There are three traits of animal. Sheep, Sheepdog, Wolf. These ships are beautiful and in my eyes, the 'Silent Sheepdog' of the WW2 Atlantic. Respect to all who serve and served today.
Good video.
What was the difference between the Corvette and the Sloop?
There was a great movie about these corvettes. Corvette K225. Randolph Scott, Barry Fitzgerald, Andy Devine, even a young Robert Mitchum. This brand new ship went through hell on its first trip across the Atlantic... The fictional HMCS Donnacona...
www.iwannawatch.to/2011/05/corvette-k-225-1943/
Arabis K73/K385 and Arbutus K86/K403 Severed with the RNZN
Notice a US-built landing craft at 2:40 mark.
Are submarines gonna be in the game?
A bit more research is needed. The Flowers were operated by the Free French, United States Navy, Greek, Belgian, Yugoslav, Netherlands and New Zealand navies.
Have you done the USS Samuel B. Roberts yet?
Daniel Jones It's on my to-do list :D sit tight, I'll get to it :P
people forget that without the convoy defense Britain woulda had to surrender in months
Do a Clemson class destroyer
Epic Stuff I will look and see what's available for it :)
I was your 1337th subscriber. H4X0R 5W46
TheEffedUpGamer awesome :D ur 1337 ^_^
I was MN on a small tanker. RCN mounted a 4.7 gun above the fantail aft.The first time fired we thought
we'd been fished!. All the insulcork and paint on the deckhead peeled off. They called the RCN equipment
D.E.M.S. (defensive equipment Merchant Service) A Uboat hid beneath us after being chased by a
corvette.This was off St. Johns NFD.
Never knew a flower class corvette still existed
The sackville!
British t1 has be be the flower
The narrator sounds like Tim Piggot-Smith.
this is why us Canadians are the best, we do the same job with half the gear and do it right
vergeina is that 4 real?
👏🇺🇸🇬🇧