Flower-Class Corvette Warship - WW2 ATLANTIC DEFENDER
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2024
- The Flower-class corvette (also referred to as the Gladiolus class after the lead ship) was a British class of 294 corvettes used during World War II, specifically with the Allied navies as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic. Royal Navy ships of this class were named after flowers, hence the name of the class.
The majority served during World War II with the Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). Several ships built largely in Canada were transferred from the RN to the United States Navy (USN) under the lend-lease programme, seeing service in both navies. Some corvettes transferred to the USN were manned by the US Coast Guard. The vessels serving with the US Navy were known as Temptress and Action-class patrol gunboats. Other Flower-class corvettes served with the Free French Naval Forces, the Royal Netherlands Navy, the Royal Norwegian Navy, the Royal Indian Navy, the Royal Hellenic Navy, the Royal New Zealand Navy, the Royal Yugoslav Navy, and, immediately post-war, the South African Navy.
After World War II many surplus Flower-class vessels saw worldwide use in other navies, as well as civilian use. HMCS Sackville is the only member of the class to be preserved as a museum ship.Flower Class corvettes were originally intended for coastal escort and mine clearing work. Derived from a whaler design, they were simple, highly seaworthy vessels that could be constructed in secondary yards. The dire lack of ocean escorts early in the war necessitated their being used to screen convoys traversing the North Atlantic between Nova Scotia and the UK. This was a role for which they were ill-designed, and their crews suffered accordingly. The Flowers were wet, highly cramped and impossibly lively. Many sailors could not adjust to the exhausting routine. Compounding the misery was the inexperience of the crews, most of whom had never been to sea. But any escort was better than none at all, so the yards continued to turn out Corvettes. 120 were built in Canadian yards, and slightly more in the UK.
References:
Bailey, C. H. (1994). The Royal Naval Museum Book of the Battle of the Atlantic: The Corvettes and Their Crews: an Oral History. US Naval Institute Press.
Elliott, P. (1977). Allied escort ships of World War II: a complete survey. US Naval Institute Press.
en.wikipedia.o...
www.hazegray.o...
www.historylea...
www.historylea...
Lambert, J., & Brown, L. (2010). Flower Class Corvettes. Pen and Sword.
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Wow
REELOGIC wow indeed.... wow indeed
⚔️Remembering WW2 when my dad of the RCN, left Victoria bc to serve on a Corvette out of Nova Scotia, from 1942; telling me about them behaving like a cork in high seas. The de icing duties, and the mutton stew meals. He didn’t say much else, as our military service kept us apart. Thanks for the documentary.🛡️
After my Father died in 1966 and my Mother dated a fellow named Robert Preston for a while. Robert had served on Corvettes throughout the entire second war after enlisting at 18. He told me that when they left Halifax the rubber boots went on and stayed on until they arrived in England. You had to have lots of clean dry socks so you could change them frequently because between the salt water and the abrasion of wet socks you would find your skin removed from your feet in short order. Another thing most never grew used to was hot bunking. You never grew accustomed to sleeping in another man's stench since you shared bunks and hammocks. The food was not the best but there was plenty of it so you seldom went hungry. In the winter life on a Corvette got really bad. You literally had to wear oilskins all of the time as the storm waves would wash over the ship from stem to stern. One of the more miserable shipboard duties was ice removal. You took sledge hammers and broke ice away from the superstructure to keep the ship from turning turtle. Too much ice and one wave was all it took. It was a job of fear and desperation but if not done you would probably die a cold watery death since your life expectancy in the winter waters was less than 3 minutes, 7 minutes in the summer. One of the best jobs was a stoker or oiler in the engine room. At least you were warm part of the year. Of course, if you were torpedoed chances are you would drown as the ships were small and flooded right quick. If she turned turtle few if any survived trying to swim out of a capsized vessel in the North Atlantic because the hypothermia would render you incapable in no time.
I once asked if anyone ever bitched about their conditions. Robert laughed and said they bitched all the time among themselves but never to an officer. Bitching to an officer might get you a job on watch in the crows nest where the roll could make you deathly sick and there was no possibility of ever getting warm on duty, even in summer. "Besides" he said, "We were too dumb in many cases to know what to bitch about. Some of the boys never had it so good. You see, if you were 18 years old and in the navy it was great when compared to the depression and going hungry on the Canadian prairies. For lots of us that was all we knew. Hunger and boredom because there was nothing to do for work."
Iron Men in Iron Ships.............
Thank you for sharing. Reading accounts like makes me appreciate the freedoms we share all the more.
My dad served on Flower class corvette's as a stoker, he told me it was the only job on board that was warm.
my grandfather served on a Royal Canadian Navy ship from the same dockyard that built these, he was lucky and served on a Corvette however, so he got to sleep in a bunk, inside. Man did he have some crazy stories though
@jack tarr blimey jack how old are you?
@jack tarr nice one mate. I know all about the indonesia war and why it took place. Having been indoctrinated, as we all were, I found out the truth the hard way hard and has been fighting corruption in British government since my retirement in 2011. As a result I have had my passport revoked by the foreign office. I am very ill and tired but I tell you more another time.
@jack tarr Nice to hear of another TroG sadly it is now a housing estate.
And a death sentence if your ship was were hit.
For those that like reading, The Cruel Sea is a pretty decent story of life on a Flower class corvette.
The ship in that book is called Compass Rose - the film in black and white with Jack Hawkins is a very early memory for me - the then only TV station used to show it, and other WW2 films constantly
Even better is Three Corvettes which is a factual version of the same author (Nicholas Monsarrat's time as an officer then a captain in corvettes).
@@Cheeseatingjunlista I had forgotten about that film. Thanks for bringing it to mind.
Thank you
BBC radio adaptation:
ruclips.net/video/pgZnOdTQL_Y/видео.html
My father was a radio man on a corvette during WWII. He made many Atlantic crossings. Thanks for this video, it was of particular interest to me for obvious reasons.
The number of servicemen who owe their lives directly to the Flower Class is truly impressive. One role you did not mention was that of picking up survivors of sunken ships. As a Discip. Sergeant In the RCAF my father had the misfortune of being "sunk" by u-boats a total of 13 times while transferring Flight crews to the UK (or on the return trip). About half the time he and "his" crews were recovered by Flower Class Corvettes. Since I wasn't born till 10 years after the war I guess I owe those ships and crews my life too.
The Flower-class were ships of steel. The crews were made of sterner stuff. The ships were lively on the calmest of days, they beat hell out of their crews before the shooting started. It was amazing what these ships and crews did.
I watched the Flower Class documentary on the History Channel (back when it was worth watching) and a British Captain of a Flower Class said: "You had to do your depth charge run at FULL SPEED. If you didn't, you'd blow the ship's Transom off when the depth charges exploded." You have to love the "quirks" of military equipment. :)
I was just re-reading The Cruel Sea and searched Corvettes- this was the first video that came up. Thank you. As another commenter said- it really is a good book about life (and death) on a Corvette. For a book written in 1953 it addresses PTSD and there is a female officer who isn’t treated like a bimbo! And if in Halifax in summer- the Sackville is not to be missed. Pay attention to when a little tour boat meanders past and sets Sackville rocking and try to imagine being in an Atlantic swell. In January. Thank you again!
Me too. I found a book about HMS Coventry in the battle for the Falklands (1982) and that spured me on the read The Cruel Sea by comparison. To be fair both books paint a similar picture - god bless the Royal Navy I say (as a Pongo - Navy speak for Army) and (as you point out) both books address PTSD. The bit where they leave the survivors in the water to fight off the U-Boat - well that happened for real to my father. His ship, a destroyer, had to get the sub first before going back for the survivors. It was a famous action and there is a picture of his ship (HMS Venomous) arriving in Casablanca covered in the survivors.
Job well done sir! My father served on the flower class also, RCNVR joining in 1941 - 1945 with a rank of stoker first class. Along with so many other guys from the prairies , he’d never seen the ocean before nor did he know how to swim lol.The navy was his family during those war years and afterwards he was a member of the Royal Canadian legion and naval veterans Association! I salute those who served during, after and current,
Aye Ready Aye 🇨🇦👍
The Cruel Sea is a good film, it's about a Flower Class Corvette called Compass Rose.
"I think i can reach him now' Sir"
LOVED that book, still own it today! :)
I still own the DVD of this movie Brilliant to say the least!
Brilliant movie, I watch it every couple of years.
The Cruel Sea was a great book by Nicolas Monsarat before it became a good film.
One of the best war movies about the battle of the Atlantic.
Great video! My grandfather served on the last modified flower-class corvette launched by the Royal Canadian Navy during the war, HMCS Fergus. Was assigned to MOEF escort group C-9, returned in 1945. Wrecked November 1949 during a storm 2.5 nautical miles off of St. Shott's, Newfoundland and Labrador.
I had an uncle, who I never met, serve on a Flower class, he was the only naval uncle to survive the war, several in the Army were fine. Mum lost 3 of her brothers to the sea (enemy action).
Edwin LaMont cool
Memory eternal.
Mr. LaMont. Bless them for their service and sacrifice. May they RIP and condolences to your mum, or a prayer for her if she is no longer with you.🙏
I think there was a joke about those ships that went something like this:
The Supermarine Walruss seaplane could land on a meadow als long as the grass was somewhat wet.
But after its pilot did so, he would find himself next to a Flower class corvette on the same meadow rolling and pitching violently...
🤣🤣 Bless um all!👍👍😁
I have toured the Sackville. I spent 10 years in the Canadian Naval Reserve. I am extremely proud of those that served so valiantly on these vessels. Thanks for doing this.
Interesting read is the book Ewe Loch, where the Russian convoys assembled with Flower Class corvettes in attendance. My father served on HMS Rhododendron. His one remark like that previously quoted from the stoker, was he was lucky enough to have a hammock next to the stack!
Thank you for the video. My father served aboard HMS Cowslip (K196) during the Battle of the Atlantic. I highly recommend the book 'The Corvette Navy: True Stories from Canada's Atlantic War
' by James B. Lamb. An insightful look at life aboard a Flower class Corvette and at Canada's "Wavy" Navy, the RCNVR.
That was my father's war. He served on HMCS Moose Jaw, HMCS Saskatoon and HMCS Huntsville. He visited Sackville some years before he passed; he said it was "spooky". All the smells, sights and sounds transported him back to his war experiences. I wish I could have been there with him. He said they were awful to serve in, he was seasick for weeks on end. I highly recommend the film "The Cruel Sea". It tells the story very well.
A very underrated ship.
Brave personnel that served on them.
No. They were crappy in almost every way possible. The people that served on them would all agree....because they actually did....they were all horribly unlucky to be placed on such horrible ships. They were universally hated. Please stop with your revisionist history thinking that bad things were good.
@@Night60700 my father served on HMS TOWY K294 as a radar operator and if he was still here he would slap you right down to size.you got with the ships handling or you got off one month later once docked,he did the med,atlantic and when ve day came he was half way through a arctic convoy, open bridge and all.And there you are talking utter rubbish.Now be a good boy and crawl back in your hole like a good boy.
Great movie The Cruel Sea (1953) portraying a Flower-class corvette & her crew. Cheers!
"We don't have the biggest guns, we don't have the biggest ships, and we don't have the most high tech equipment..."
Some things in the CF don't change in 80 years and probably never will HAHAHA!
@kevin lawrence No they weren't. That is a common misconception.
Infact it's surprisingly hard to use ASW equipment when the ship isn't stable. Corvettes were very very small and designed poorly. They weren't stable enough to accurately use hedgehog systems. This is a problem that Corvette commanders noted both publicly and privately.
If you say "but depth charges". Then I and everyone that is in the know, will simply ignore you.
@kevin lawrence You're right. You're saying they were effective because they scared U-boats into thinking an actual destroyer was after them. I'm saying that without those actual destroyers the corvettes alone would have scared no one. Remember U-boats would often start an attack on the surface. If they could win a gunnery duel they would certainly try. And corvettes with pop guns were sunk by U-boat gun fire.
But you can't afford to do that when there's destroyers around.
@kevin lawrence The modern FRIGATE was the ASW solution of choice. Bigger than a Corvette, but not as well equipped for Surface or AA Warfare as a Destroyer, the Frigate was the evolution of the Flower Class corvette.
@kevin lawrence First I'm not trying to prove you wrong. I'm just saying think of it from a U-boat's perspective.
You have the element of surprise. You have the time to get the exact course and speed of your target. Killing a Corvette with an 88 is easy. And hitting an U-boat at night was far from easy.
But why risk it if a destroyer with 4 guns might be around.
One gun to one gun. The smaller target wins, especially with surprise on their side.
But what fool risks having to get their one gun into a duel against an additional 4 guns.
The corvettes simply had to be a distraction. The Germans knew that and often didn't fall for it. Unless they were drunk. Or crazy.
@@swaghauler8334 You are stupidly wrong. The frigate is literally the oldest type of ship. Quit please.
I am a simple man, I see WW2 Warship, I click on notification instantly
My father served on the HMCS Trillium 172 which is seen at the first of this video and is the only Corvette to spend the entire War as an Open Ocean Escort from HALIFAX NS to Londonderry Ireland Dad was a Gun Layer.
They were also used post war as breakwaters.. We had one, the K 444 (HMCS Matane) ended her life between the Canadian cities of Courtney & Campbell River, British Columbia at Oyster Bay Shoreline Park. It remained there well into skeletal form until the exposed and last parts were taken down for safety reasons.. Although I was told, this was done as a fund raiser as well.. And in an odd coincidence, my mothers late boyfriend, served on board as a gunnery officer.. LEST WE FORGET
Can you imagine having an open bridge in a January storm? The watchkeepers must have just about frozen to death!
My grandfather served on HMCS Huron, who was also on escort duty, he had nothing but praise for the corvettes & the Merchant Marine.
Seaman Flower, what do you have.
This is my rifle, there are many like it, but this one is mine, and somehow I am supposed to fight the entire German Navy with it.
We shoot the U-Boats with it, sailor!
Use the stock to knock morse code saying “gerry go away”
LOL.. very good
My late father, Robert William Chappell, served on a RCN Flower Class Corvette during the Second World War. I toured the HMCS Sackville a couple of years back and was permitted below deck in the boiler area. Cold, wet, hard steel everywhere with the ocean just the other side of a fairly thin metal hull. A bugger of a way to spent your late teens and early twenties.
My grandpa served aboard HMCS Pictou, and designed the Gun Shield! So happy to see this class covered!
My father served in Pictou as well. I have a couple of photos showing the Gryphon breaking the U-boat.
@@lawrencewestby9229 That’s the one!
Thanks for covering one of the great unsung heroes of WWII.
Canada finished the war with the 3rd largest navy which consisted mostly of escorts like these. My understanding is that the Canadian Prime Minister felt it was better to contribute quickly rather than wait and build fewer bigger ships. Plus Canada's shipyards could build corvettes without upgrading their equipment.
The HMCS Sackville is the best museum ship in Canada. It is perfectly maintained, and they also let you work the guns. I’ve visited it many times, and it was an inspiration for me to join the navy.
Thank you for your your great comments about a ship which helped my Father who served on English merchantmen in WW11 - and from me, as I partly owe my being here at all to all those Canadians who bravely joined us immediately the war broke out. Cllr Richard Dyason, Oakthorpe in Leicestershire.
Thanks so much for this video Matsimus - I really enjoyed it and I'd love to see you produce more WWII and naval content (although I enjoy all your videos). I hope to be able to visit HMCS Sackville if and when I can get to Canada after COVID-19. It's sad that more of these Flower-class corvettes weren't preserved as they performed a crucial role during WWII. I'm an Australian and we have a surviving example of an Australian Bathurst-class corvette, HMAS Castlemaine, which is preserved as a museum ship in Williamstown, Victoria and is worth a visit. Although not as well-known or as numerous, the Bathurst-class were an Australian design which was quite similar to the Flower-class in terms of size, speed, crew and armament. They performed much the same primary anti-submarine escort role as the Flower-class (some also performed other duties) and had many of the same drawbacks in terms of cramped crew quarters and very heavy rolling in anything but calm seas. A total of 60 Bathurst-class corvettes were built during WWII and they served primarily in the Pacific and Indian oceans but a small number also served in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Anyone who is interested can read more here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathurst-class_corvette
My grandfather was Captain of HMS Abelia for a time. Sank an E-boat, rescued a Norwegian passenger liner and got torpedoed on the same run!
Well done, Matt.
As a Canadian, l am proud of how my parents were able to step up to the plate in WWll, air, land & sea.
It's not bravery when being jailed by the Canadian government for refusing to work was the other option.
@@blueeyeswhitedragon9839 Then you need to learn the history they don't like to talk about.
@kevin lawrence The War comes first is the defense Nazis gave at trial. You know, before we executed them. FOR WAR CRIMES.
@@Night60700 Holy false equivalence fallacy.
Mining isn't the same as genocide.
@@cinquine1 The Nazi Genocide was the working of people to death. Such as in mines.
Mine are traditionally dangerous and a great way to work to death people you don't like.
My father served in HMCS Matapedia (K-112) and HMCS Pictou (K-146). He enlisted in the RCNVR in October, 1939 and mustered out in August, 1945. Being 23 at the time he enlisted he was one of the older crew members. He said that the most common smells aboard ship was fuel oil and vomit.
I really enjoy videos about the Merchant Marine Service of WW2, they are the unsung heroes battling the Atlantic and Kriegsmarine allowing the UK to survive being cut off. It would be an interesting video about the Flower Class variants and upgrades from 1940 - 1945.
My uncle served on the Corvette St. Thomas during WW2. While on his watch they sunk a sub. he was 17 years old at the time. He never really talk about his days, but did go to reunions.
We had three of the Flower Class in the Irish Naval Service from 1946-1972. Been told that they were terrible to sail in on the West coast.
Well done-my father was chief engineer HMCS MOSSE JAW and have donated his memorabilia to HMCS SACKVILLE
If you are ever in Halifax be sure to tour the ship. Cheers
A late friend of mine served as navigator on K36 HMS Clematis, he always said it was like a Cork in a very large bottle.
Had an uncle who served on them. Apparently the forward messdeck's head drained directly into the sea. Resulting in them becoming bidets when they rolled. A bit chilly in the North Atlantic.
Check out the book "Corvette Navy", a real eye opener about the RCN and RN's escort efforts in the NA during WW2.
My dad served on the HMCS Dunver K06. They lead the largest convoy in history. Unfortunately they sunk a friendly French sub and all their credibility was stripped. Because of that sad day, all written history was also wiped from their books.
wow! you could have choosen a better ship! i never seen a documentary about this class of ship and longing for someone to cover it:D. Thank you:D
A great period film on the Corvette was Corvette K-225 filmed in Halifax Nova Scotia during the war. Cheers Mike
Excellent presentation. These were one of my favorite class of ships from WW2
When I was a kid in the 50's I would rush home from school to catch the Afternoon Movie. These were old b/w from the 30's and 40's for the most part. And one of these movies was "Corvette K225". I ate it up. All the patriotic WWII movies, those were my cup of tea. These were movies that could make an eleven year old believe that a sailor on a submarine could knock a Japanese Zero out of the air using a Thompson submachine gun, "I always wanted a crack at one of these babies!" And, "Corvette K225" was right up there at the top! Noble deeds! Daring do! God Bless'em All!
G'day Matsimus,
Ahh the Flower class corvette such an iconic ship that fought in one of the roughest oceans, same can be said for the Town class Destroyers the thing was the crews hated them more than the flowers & such.
It was also nice to see there was a WT screenshot there as well & it's represented as H.M.C.S Brantford K-218 if some wanted to know.
We in Australia had a very similar ship to the Flower class as well the Bathurst Class AMS the only real difference was the Bathurst had two screws & sometimes lighter weapons but they did so much service and were triumphant on several occasions inculding in sinking a Merchant Raider when in Indian service while escorting an oil tanker.
If you ever come here in Victoria we have two left H.M.A.S Castlemaine J244 and H.M.A.S Whyalla J153 & of the class only one was lost to enemy action in the second world war H.M.A.S Armidale J240, four would also be lost post war as well inculding one being bombed in foreign service by the CIA in the 80's by a WWII aircraft a B-26.
I hope to one day travel to Canada to see the H.M.C.S Sacksville K-181 & H.M.C.S Haida G63 maybe as the same planned idea trip to Belfast to see the H.M.S Caroline C class Cruiser similar to K-181 being the last of the class.
I went to Belfast to see HMS Caroline this summer: fantastic! Quite different from HMS Belfast only about 20 years younger.
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.
There is an old story, a group of USN and RN sailors were having a drink (or three) in a pub and talking the night away. By the end they had all decided that while the Catalina was an excellent aircraft and could, if it wished to, land in wet grass, when it got there it would find a Flower Class Corvette rolling wildly in the dew....
Thanks, Mat. I enjoyed this bit. My late father served on a corvette. Called it hell on water.
WW2, always has me in awe. Such a scale of building and tech in such a short time. Amazing
My dad served as a stoker on The Napanee K118 during WWII. He told me he used to hide when there was abandon ship drills cause he couldn't swim.
My biggest dream as a kid was to get the Matchbox 1/76 Flower Class Corvette model and build a diorama with 1/76 or 1/72 commandos doing a Dieppe /Narvik style raid.
Then I read "Three Corvettes" by Nicholas Monsarrat, which made me love these little tubs even more. (Highly recoment the Monsarrat books).
You have to give credit to Britain that they were secure enough in themselves and their country that they could name a class of ships after flowers and do it with a straight face. I also almost feel sorry for any German that ran across the HMS Buttercup, because after as many bar fights they probably suffered trying to defend their ship name I guarantee they were the toughest sailors in His Majesty's Navy!
You should look up HMS Gloworm, and see what she did.
@@benwilson6145 LOL, I know about the Gloworm and I will lift a glass in toast to those brave men But you have to wonder if they fought so bravely against Germany because they have already fought in every pub in England over their ships' name
The New Zealand navy had three Moa Kiwi and Tui. The Moa and Kiwi were in Guadacanal in 1943 where the Kiwi rammed a japanese supply submarine the I 1 (2500 tons) and after a fire fight it beached on the coastal reef. Only a matter of months later the Moa while waiting to refuel at Tulagi was bombed by a Japanese aircraft and sunk in 4 minutes taking 5 crew members down. One was my uncle. Members of our family attended the 75th aniversary of the sinking of the Moa a very moving ceremony.
These ships may not have been pretty or particular good constructions and for sure they weren't impressive in any regard. But they have proven absolutely invaluable, brave little ships! And we should always remember: Not the big shiny battelships have won the war, but such ugly little workhorses! For those who want in-depth information about the FLOWER-class, I strongly recommend the corresponding book from the incredible "Anatomy of the Ship" series!
I think the story of HMS Starling commanded by Captain Frederick Walker fighting the U-Boats is worth including in a future video. Apologies if it has already been covered and I have missed it.
Walker R.N. a great book and man
@@Puymouret When did you read the book? I must have read it almost 60 years ago and it has stayed with me ever since. The only other reference to Capt Walker’s amazing exploits I can remember since then was an entry in the Guinness Book of Records.
Surprised Matsimus that you didn't know that 3 Flower class Corvettes served with the Irish Naval Service until the 70s.
HMS Mallow K81 was later given to the Egyptian Navy where she served until 1975
My grandfather served on one of these, the ship he was on was sunk about two weeks after he'd been transferred to a different ship.
'The Corvette Navy' by James B. Lamb is an interesting and enlightening book about the Canadian corvette service.
My dad was an ASDIC operator on the Norsyd. He was 18 when he enlisted .
My Father served on the Norsyd in late 1944. coming from the Trillium which he served on for over two years.
I served on mine sweeper and hunters. They were pigs at sea. Made everyone I'll. Have heard of flowers designated as stop gap untill better ships were made more patrol vessels. Had bofors 40/60 anti aircraft guns or olekons depth charges and also did minesweeping.
There is one in Australia I believe. They had good crews mostly but we're crewed by RNR as well as RN. My cousin served on these and artic convoys
Ah! the Flower Class. Making the US Buckley class Destroyer Escorts actually look like a more desirable assignment. The only thing that could have possibly made life on the Flower’s worse might have been sending them to the Aleutian Islands. And you just gotta love the extremes of the Royal Navy naming conventions. “OI mate! I got posted to the Victorious! What did you lot get?” “I got posted to the Indomitable!” “I got Warspite!” “What about you Dougie?” “I got the HMS Pansy...” as he hangs his head in shame. I mean at least the US Navy named its most horrible boats after sailors who had died horribly... err I mean honorably, at sea.
Nice bit of historical trivia. More of this please, can't get enough of history :)
It's funny also because I didn't know about this and last time I played "Hearts of Iron" a few years ago as the british I formed an army corps of three divisions called "Flower Corps" (Divisions "Rose", "Lily" and "Tulip") to defend Norway.
They where formed and shipped over in haste after the navy failed to block the german invasion at sea (because they can only stay active for so long before having to return to Scapa Flow for refit and refuel).
With support from the british fleet and a wing of Spitfires they managed to hold "the Trondheim-line" together with the remnants of the norweigan army in a full year of almost non-stop fighting aginst a force twice their size and later counter-attacked with reinforcements from Canada resulting in the liberation of Oslo.
At that time though the wehrmacht had basically evacuated everything they could from Norway and cut all support to whatever was left because most of the german armys most vital divisions had been destroyed prior during "The seige of Cologne" and "Operation Rolling Cricket" (the liberation of the Netherlands). The allies with forces from Spain (not under Franco rule thanks to a more aggressive allied policy during the civil war), France and Great Britain marched into Berlin before christmas the same year (1941).
Canada was not present at the "Battle for Berlin" sad to say. Most of the "Canadian Corps" along with France and forces from ANZAC after Cologne where pushing on southern Germany and where on their way to Vienna at that time.
A nice memory that just came up when I saw the name :)
My dad served on Geranium K16 1942, he said it was a wet boat and terrible in big seas but liked it. Moved to Z class Destroyers 1944
My father was on a Corvette in the Canadian Navy, worked in the bottom of the ship listening for subs on headphones. After the war, he refused to ever put headphones on.
My dad did that as well. ASDIC operator?
Great video
These were great little ships
My Dad was on HMS Crocus in 1939, after being bombed and sunk on HMS Sandhurst in Dover Harbour, he was on north Atlantic convoys and convoys to West Africa and Malta. He left her and went to Marine engineering school to train as an ERA as he was an apprentice welder caulker in Swan Hunter/ Wigan Richardson on the Tyne. I have a rather battered photo of Crocus refueling from an oiler en-route to Malta.
Anyone else spent hours upon hours drooling at the Matchbox catalogue when the 1:72 model came out in the late 70s?
Haha yes, I built the Revell 1:72 model back in the 80's....I just checked on amazon and you can still buy it for £30
@@bikes02 Actually, Revell took over Matchbox' production in the late 80s. And yes, they've re-released the Flower Class Corvette a couple of times, including special editions with moving parts, lights etc. and a reduced size version in 1:144.
A Flower Class is currently a Museum Ship in Melbourne. Australian Built.
I have a model of the HMCS Stowberry on my desk now. Lovely tubs!
In the 1970's the US Navy built the Ashville class patrol gun boat. They were designed after the British corvettes and the German E-boats. So the Americans can call the corvettes dad. I know about them because I served on one in Vietnam.
This video was so well made. You put a lot of work into it.
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Beautiful little ship, served with honour and valour in WW2
To compare the Flower class with tanks? Well, it is more of a halftrack than a Tiger. And is what could be had! You go to war with what you got, not what you want! There are some old books by Nicholas Monserrat pertaining the Flower Class: The Cruel Sea and 3 Corvettes.
A sidelight: If you follow the cooking channel: The Scott Rea project? He is a butcher that makes his own sausages. His old recipies for sausages includes prodigious amount of flour and rusk, but so close was Britain to starvation.
"Snorkers What Ho!"
The Alberni served with distinction from 41 till 45 . was on the history Channel found off the isle of Wight they even found the stealth u boat that suñk them in a proud of family 🤗
My dad and grand father built and repaire Corvettes in Quebec City during the war. I was told that one of them was purchase at the end of the war by Oscar Onassis and became his yacht for many years.
Visit the HMS Sackville in Halifax and imagine as my father in law did escorting convoys across the Atlantic. How did they fit their balls in such a small ship!
Whats awesome is the HMCS Sackville was scanned and used in the movie Greyhound.
Just discovered your channel and subscribed. My Grandfather was Yeoman of signals on the Corvette HMS Godetia in WWII. Great to see this video. Thanks for sharing
I lived on a flat bottom LPH now I watched a lot blokes get sick. I can’t imagine a Flower class.
Wes Takahashi yeah you can’t be more right.
Ocean fairing kayak
limescale onetwo now that’s funny.
You ever been on one of those Corvettes. I don’t get seasick ever. Step a Corvette still dockside and I was thinking it’s time to fill the ballast. Lol
My dad was on an 1800ton destroyer during WW2, he talked about that thing rolling... Worst roller I've ever been on was a double hull tanker in ballast. All the ballast water is in the double hull, and that is a lot of weight on the extreme beams of the ship... Gulf of Alaska in winter was fun...
When I toured the Sackville the thing that blew me away was how the crew were supposed to reload the side depth charge throwers while the ship was rolling and bobbing around insanely hard and dangerous. The other thing was the open bridge pure misery in the Atlantic in winter.
Great video! Thank you, Matsimus, it was an unexpected topic but I certainly enjoyed it.
Thanks Matsimus. All us Brits have heard of Compass Rose 🇬🇧
Was that a shitty Corvette that had to do something heroic because something failed because the corvettes were unreliable junk piles?
@@Night60700 she was the ship from "The Cruel Sea"
@@1IbramGaunt O sry. I get my practically useless knowledge of ww2 naval battles mixed up.
I like the variety, ships, tanks, aircraft and guns. These flowers kept helped keep the world free, pls do more vids like this one. Love the content keep it up Mat👍
The Flower Corvette. The cornerstone for my war theory: Big ships win battles. Small ships win wars.
Bit more nuanced than that though. Problem with Naval strategy is Naval Strategy is Build Strategy. When it comes to the big ships you generally fight the war with those you had when you started the war. You only complete those that were passed a certain build point, so like the King George the Fifth Class for the Royal Navy. It would take 4 - 5 years to build a Battleship, about 4 years for a Fleet Carrier.....
Small ships however can still be built in significant numbers DURING a war, and given their duties, tend to be extremely active, thus more exposed to risk than the large ships. You are right in that you need those small ships to win a war, but those small ships cannot do their jobs if they are not backed up by an adequate fleet of large ships. That fleet of large ships enable the small ships to undertake their tasks.
Flower class: Doing the best with what you got, and thankfully it was good enough.
That must be navy speak for "ya piss with the dick you got". Very true!
Thank you for this. I'm looking forward to more older stuff with your usual content.
The kind of ship that makes serving on a tin can look desirable.
A local character served on a Flower corvette. He told me after a sleepless night he jumped out of his hammock and stepped on a flopping cod- best breakfast he had while on escort.
My uncle Ben Flewitt I believe served on HMS Violet. My aunt was a housekeeper for Admiral Sir Dudley North. Who I met.
My late father in law was the commanding officer of HMS Violet for most of the war. She sank U641 with her hedgehog.
@@nigeldeacon3271 I wonder if he had reason to give my uncle a rollocking.
www.platenboring.com/violet/
You may know this site dedicated to Violet. Your uncle is on the crew list. Interesting information on there.
And......another great upload Matsimus!👏👏👏👍👌🤙😀
The Cruel Sea.
Excellent book. I have my Dad's copy from the 60's
@@thevitaminp Pretty good movie with excellent sound tracks to.
I have toured K181 Sackville several times, its hard to imagine ships that small had such impact in ww2
One small ship that played a Large part in WW2
Uncle served on the Alberni he survived
My cousin served in the med on corvettes.my other uncle on the Haida the other flew Spitfires
Fun fact, the sackville was digitally pictured and put into CGI for the Tom Hanks film Greyhound shown as the HMIS Dodge, aka the Dickie.
Great episode. Would like to see more in a similar vein.