CONVOY SLOOPS

1. ACACIA class Fleet Sweeping Sloops, 24 ships, 2 lost - 1,200t, 16 knots, 2-12pdr/2-3pdr, 90 crew, 1915.

Used for minesweeping until 1917, then as convoy escorts

ASTER, 4th July 1917, Central Mediterranean, east of Malta - mined. Escorting a transport out of Malta, "Aster" was sunk by a mine, presumably German U-boat laid; 90 crew, casualties not known

LAVENDER, 5th May 1917, North Atlantic, 22 miles SW of Waterford harbour, SE Ireland - torpedoed by German coastal minelayer "UC.75". One source give the date as the 4th May, others locate her loss in the English Channel; crew of 90; casualties not known

 2. AZALEA class Fleet Sweeping Sloops, 13 ships, 1 wartime loss - 1,210t, 16 knots, 2-4.7in/2-3pdr, 90 crew, 1915.

BEGONIA, 2nd October 1917, Atlantic Ocean - probably sunk by German U-boat. "Begonia" was rebuilt 1916-17 as Special Service Q-ship "Q.10" - her aliases included "Dolcis" and "Jessop". She was probably torpedoed by a U-boat in the Atlantic. One source describes her as lost in collision with "U-151" off Casablanca, Morocco; casualties not known

Allied Operations against Bolsheviks 1918-19

MYRTLE, 16th July 1919, northern Baltic Sea in Gulf of Finland - probably Russian mines. "Arabis" class sloop "Gentian" (listed below) was lost at the same time and place

 3. ARABIS Fleet Sweeping Sloops, 35 ships, 6 wartime losses - 1,250t, 16 knots, 2-4.7in or 4in/2-3pdr, 90 crew, 1915-16.

ALYSSUM, 18th March 1917, Atlantic Ocean, 3 miles out on bearing S31°E of Galley Head, County Cork, SW Ireland - probably German U-boat mines. "Alyssum" sank the day after sister ship "Mignonette" (below) went down, 1½ miles further inshore on the same bearing; casualties not known

ARABIS, 10th February 1916, North Sea, 95 miles E of Whitby, Yorkshire, NE England - torpedoed by German destroyers. On the night of the 10th/11th, "Arabis" was with the Tenth Minesweeping Flotilla clearing channels off the Dogger Bank for possible sorties by the British Grand Fleet. German Admiral Scheer had just taken command of the High Seas Fleet and started a new aggressive strategy that led 15 weeks later to the Battle of Jutland. That night he sent out a destroyer force which attacked the British minesweepers. All got away apart from "Arabis", which was engaged by three of the Germans. She fought back, and they disappeared only to return as a force of six. "Arabis" was sunk by a torpedo; casualties not known. British units sortied but without success, and as Harwich Force returned, Cdre Tyrwhitt’s flagship, light cruiser "Arethusa" was mined and lost

GENISTA, 23rd October 1916, North Atlantic, 120 miles W of Cape Clear, SW tip of Ireland - torpedoed by German "U.57". "Genista’s" casualties are not known

MIGNONETTE, 17th March 1917, North Atlantic, 1½ miles out on bearing S31°E of Galley Head, County Cork, SW Ireland - probably German U-boat mines. Next day on the 18th, sister ship "Alyssum" (above) went down 1½ miles further offshore on the same bearing; "Mignonette's" casualties not known

NASTURTIUM, 27th April 1916, Mediterranean - mined. Sailing from Germany and heading for Cattaro, the large 750 ton minelayer "U-73" laid mines off Malta's Grand Harbour. On the 27th, approaching Malta after service in the Aegean, the old battleship "Russell" was sunk with the loss of over 120 men. Later that day "Nasturtium", sister-ship to the recently lost "Primula", went down in the same small field, casualties unknown. A naval armed yacht followed them to the bottom next day.

PRIMULA, 1st March 1916, Eastern Mediterranean, south of Cape Matapan, southern Greece - torpedoed by German "U-35". "Primula’s" attacker was commanded by top-scoring U-boat ace Cdr von Arnauld de la Perière; her casualties are not known

Allied Operations against Bolsheviks 1918-19

GENTIAN, 16th July 1919, northern Baltic Sea in Gulf of Finland - probably Russian mines. "Azalea" class sloop "Myrtle" (above) was lost at the same time and place.

4. AUBRETIA Class Convoy Sloops, 12 ships, 3 wartime losses - 1,250t, 17 knots, 2-4in/1-3pdr, 92 crew, 1916-17.

Built with mercantile appearances and used as Q-ships

GAILLARDIA, 22nd March 1918, North Sea, off the Orkney Islands - Allied mines. Carrying out bouying operations in the newly-laid Northern Barrage between Scotland and Norway aimed at interrupting the passage of U-boats into the North Atlantic, "Gaillardia" was blown up and sunk by one of the barrage mines. Although most sources put her loss down to mines, at least one suggests she was torpedoed

SALVIA, 20th June 1917, North Atlantic, to the west of Ireland (52°25’N, 16°20’W) - torpedoed by German "U.94". "Salvia" was serving as Special Service Q-Ship "Q-15" when she was sunk; casualties not known

TULIP, 30th April 1917, North Atlantic, 150m W by N of Valentia island, SW Ireland (52°10’N, 14°20’W) - torpedoed by German "U-62". "Tulip" (Cdr Norman Lewis), Special Service Q-ship "Q-12" was sailing as a U-boat decoy when sunk. Cdr Lewis was taken prisoner by the U-boat, and spent the rest of the war as a POW in Freiburg. Her survivors were picked up next day; casualties not known

5. ANCHUSA class Convoy Sloops, 28 ships, 6 wartime losses - 1,290t, 17 knots, 2-4in/2-12pdr, 92 crew, 1917-18.

Built with mercantile appearances and used as Q-ships

ANCHUSA, 16th July 1918, North Atlantic off the NW coast of Ireland - torpedoed by German "U-54". "Anchusa" had served as a Special Service Q-ship (aliases included "Ard", "Cashel", "Patrick", "Winstree") but was not necessarily sailing in this role when lost; casualties not known. Note: Mercantile Q-ship "Q.15" or "Lady Patricia", sunk on the 20th May 1917 (see Q-ships) also included the name "Anchusa" amongst her aliases

ARBUTUS, 16th December 1917, off SW Wales in St George’s Channel - foundered following torpedoing by German "UB-65". Launched only three months earlier, "Arbutus" is believed to have been serving as a Special Service Q-ship (aliases included "Sprigg") at the time of her loss. She was torpedoed on the 15th December by "UB-65" off SW Wales in the approaches to the Bristol Channel (51°38’N, 6°00’W) and went down next day in heavy weather

BERGAMOT, 13th August 1917, North Atlantic - torpedoed by German "U-84". "Bergamot" serving as a Special Service Q-ship when lost. One source refers to her acting as a partner to submarine "E.48"; her casualties are not known

CANDYTUFT, 18th November 1917, Central Mediterranean, off Cape Bigli, near Bougie, Algeria - torpedoed twice by German "U-39". "Candytuft" serving as a Special Service Q-ship (aliases included "Parritt") when lost, drifted ashore on the North African coast a wreck with both bow and stern blown off.

Chrysanthemum - Royal Naval Reserve drill and guardship on River Thames, London

COWSLIP, 25th April 1918, North Atlantic, off Cape Spartel, Tangier off the Strait of Gibraltar - torpedoed by German "UB-105". "Cowslip" is sometimes referred to as Special Service Q-ship but was not necessarily sailing in this role when lost. Some sources put her loss location off Morocco; casualties not known

RHODODENDRON, 5th May 1918, North Sea - torpedoed by German "U-70". Believed serving as a convoy escort at the time of her loss

Saxifrage - Royal Naval Reserve drill ship "President" on River Thames, London

6. "24" CLASS Fleet Sweeping Sloops, 10 completed by Armistice - 1,320t, 17 knots, 2-4in, 82 crew, 1918  

PATROL/ESCORT BOATS 

7. "P-BOAT" type Patrol Craft, 40 craft, 2 lost - 615t, 20 knots, 1-4in/1-2pdr/2-14in tt, c 50 crew, 1916-18.

Planned as utility destroyers. All served with the Dover Patrol, Nore Local Defence Flotilla or Portsmouth Escort Force

 P.12, 4th November 1918, English Channel, 0.5 miles SE of Culver Cliff, Isle of Wight, S coast of England (50-39’N, 01-05’W) - collision. Serving with the Portsmouth escort force and on patrol at the time when in collision with an apparently unidentified ship. The larger stern half sank in the above position; the smaller bow section was beached in Whitecliff Bay.

P.26, 10th April 1917, English Channel, off Le Havre, France - mined. No other information; casualties not known

8. "PC-BOAT" Decoy Patrol Boats, 20 boats, 2 lost - 690t, 20 knots, 1-4in/2-12pdr, c 50 crew, 1916-18.

All built as Q-ships with mercantile appearance, first ten were started as P-boats and completed as PC-boats. All based at Pembroke

9. "KIL" class patrol gunboats, Few completed by Armistice - 895t, 13 knots, 1-4in, 40 crew, 1918.

Built as auxiliary escort vessels