imported>CaptainAngus: /* Construction and career */ Updates in accordance with MOS:GNL

2024-06-05T01:11:40Z

Construction and career: Updates in accordance with MOS:GNL

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{{Short description|Class of British Navy warships}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=HMS Azalea IWM SP 000329.jpg
|Ship image size=300px
|Ship caption=HMS ''Azalea''
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=''Azalea'' class
|Builders=
|Operators=* {{navy|United Kingdom}}
* {{navy|Belgium}}
* {{navy|Nazi Germany}}
|Class before={{sclass|Acacia|sloop|4}}
|Class after={{sclass|Arabis|sloop|4}}
|Subclasses=
|Cost=
|Built range=1915
|In service range=1915–1952
|In commission range=1915–1927
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=
|Total ships completed=12
|Total ships cancelled=
|Total ships active=
|Total ships laid up=
|Total ships lost=3
|Total ships retired=9
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Sloop-of-war|Sloop]]
|Ship displacement= {{cvt|1,210|t|LT|lk=on}}
|Ship length=* {{convert|250|ft|m|abbr=on}} [[p/p]]
* {{convert|262+1/2|ft|m|abbr=on}} [[o/a]]
|Ship beam= {{convert|33|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught= {{convert|11+1/4|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=*1 × 4-cylinder [[triple expansion engine]]
*2 × [[Boiler (power generation)#Cylindrical fire-tube boiler|cylindrical boilers]]
*1 screw
|Ship speed= {{convert|17|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range= {{convert|2000|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|15|kn|abbr=on}}
|Ship endurance= {{cvt|130|t|LT}} of coal
|Ship boats=
|Ship complement=79
|Ship armament=* 2 × 1 – [[QF 4 inch naval gun Mk IV, XII, XXII|QF {{cvt|4|in|mm}} guns]] or [[QF 4.7-inch Gun Mk I–IV|QF {{cvt|4.7|in|mm}} guns]]
* 2 × 1 – [[3-pounder gun|3-pounder (47 mm)]] AA guns
|Ship armour=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
The '''''Azalea'' class''' of twelve [[minesweeping]] [[Sloop-of-war|sloops]] were built under the Emergency War Programme for the [[Royal Navy]] in [[World War I]] as part of the larger {{sclass2|Flower|sloop|4}}, which were also referred to as the Cabbage class, or "Herbaceous Borders".{{efn|Together with the following {{sclass|Arabis|sloop|4}}, {{sclass|Aubrietia|sloop|4}} and {{sclass|Anchusa|sloop|4}}, these classes were collectively known as Flower-class sloops.}} The third batch of twelve ships to be ordered in May 1915, they differed from the preceding {{sclass|Acacia|sloop|4}} only in mounting a heavier armament. One ship, converted to a [[Q-ship]] was lost during the war, another during the [[Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War]] in 1919. With the exception of two others, the rest were [[Ship breaking|scrapped]]. One entered mercantile service, while the other was transferred to the Belgian Navy. Both were captured by the Germans during [[World War II]] and put into German service. One was lost with the final ship being scrapped in 1952

==Design and description==
The ''Azalea''s were a series of twelve minesweeping [[Sloop-of-war|sloops]] that were designed to operate as [[minesweeper]]s with the fleet at the beginning of [[World War I]]. A shortage of this type required their quick construction. Their [[Hull (watercraft)|hulls]] were built to a simplified design in order to speed construction and were built under [[Lloyd's of London|Lloyd's survey]] instead of normal naval requirements. The hull of the ships have [[Flare (ship)|flare]] but lack [[Sheer (ship)|sheer]] and the [[forecastle]] extending to just abaft the [[Mast (sailing)|foremast]]. The vessels had a triple hull at the [[Bow (ship)|bow]] to give extra protection against loss when working. Their appearance was marked by widely spread masts, [[Bridge (nautical)|bridge]] and two [[Funnel (ship)|funnels]].{{sfn|Parkes|1922|p=155}} However, they also acted as [[dispatch vessel]]s or carrying out towing operations, but as the war continued and the threat from German [[submarine]]s grew, became increasingly involved in [[Anti-submarine warfare|anti-submarine]] duties.{{sfn|Brown|2010|pp=136–137}}

The ''Azalea''-class ships were nearly identical to the preceding {{sclass|Acacia|sloop|4}}{{sfn|Le Fleming|1961|p=43}} and measured {{convert|250|ft|m}} [[Length between perpendiculars|long between perpendiculars]]{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=94}} and {{convert|262+1/2|ft|m|abbr=on}} [[Length overall|overall]] with a [[Beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|33|ft|m|abbr=on}} and a [[Draft (hull)|draught]] of {{convert|11+1/4|ft|m|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Cocker|1993|p=69}}{{efn|Measurements of the ships vary between the sources. Parkes has the draught at {{cvt|12|ft|m}}{{sfn|Parkes|1922|p=155}} while Gardiner & Gray have it at {{cvt|11|ft|m}}.{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=94}}}} They had a [[Displacement (ship)|normal displacement]] of {{convert|1200|t|LT|lk=on}},{{sfn|Parkes|1922|p=155}}{{sfn|Cocker|1993|p=69}}{{sfn|Le Fleming|1961|p=43}}{{efn|Gardiner & Gray have the normal displacement as {{cvt|1210|t|LT}}.{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=94}}}} and {{cvt|1325|t|LT}} fully loaded.{{sfn|Parkes|1922|p=155}} The ''Azalea''s were propelled by a single [[propeller]] connected by a single shaft to a 4-cylinder [[triple expansion engine]] powered by steam from two [[Boiler (power generation)#Cylindrical fire-tube boiler|cylindrical boilers]] creating {{convert|1800|ihp|lk=on}}.{{sfn|Parkes|1922|p=155}}{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=94}}{{efn|The created power varies between sources. Cocker states {{cvt|2200|ihp}}{{sfn|Cocker|1993|p=69}} while Le Fleming has {{cvt|2400|hp}}.{{sfn|Le Fleming|1961|p=43}}}} The ships carried a maximum of {{cvt|130|t|LT}} of [[coal]] as a fuel source and had a maximum speed of {{convert|17|kn|lk=in}}.{{sfn|Cocker|1993|p=69}}{{efn|Speed varies between sources, ranging from {{cvt|16.5|kn}}{{sfn|Parkes|1922|p=155}}{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=94}} to {{convert|15|-|17|kn}}{{sfn|Le Fleming|1961|p=43}}}} Their single screw gave them a wide turning circle.{{sfn|Parkes|1922|p=155}}

The sloops were designed to be armed with two single-mounted [[QF 4.7-inch Mk I – IV naval gun|QF {{convert|4.7|in|adj=on}} low-angle guns]] as protection against German raids on the minesweeping flotillas. However, late in production, some of the vessels were given [[QF 4 inch naval gun Mk IV, XII, XXII|QF {{cvt|4|in|mm}} guns]]. For [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft]] (AA) defence, the ''Azalea''s mounted two by single [[3-pounder gun|3-pounder (47 mm)]] AA guns.{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=94}} The complement of the vessels ranged from 79{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=94}} to 80 officers and [[Naval rating|ratings]].{{sfn|Cocker|1993|p=69}}

== Ships of the class ==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Construction data{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=94}}{{sfn|Chesneau|1980|p=385}}
|-
! scope="col" | Ship
! scope="col" | Builder
! scope="col" | Launched
! scope="col" | Fate
|-
! scope="row" | {{HMS|Azalea|1915|2}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Barclay Curle & Company]], [[Whiteinch]]
| 10 September 1915
| Sold for [[Ship breaking|breaking up]] on 1 February 1923.
|-
! scope="row" | {{HMS|Begonia|1915|2}}
| 26 August 1915
| Became [[Q-ship]] from 9 August 1917 as ''Q10'' (SS ''Dolcis Jessop''), sunk in collision with German submarine {{SMU|U-151||2}} off [[Casablanca]] in the [[Atlantic Ocean]] on 2 October 1917.
|-
! scope="row" | {{HMS|Camellia|1915|2}}
| [[Bow, McLachlan and Company]], [[Paisley, Renfrewshire|Paisley]]
| 25 September 1915
| Sold for breaking up on 15 January 1923.
|-
! scope="row" | {{HMS|Carnation|1915|2}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Greenock & Grangemouth Dockyard Company]], [[Greenock]]
| 6 September 1915
| Sold for breaking up 14 January 1922.
|-
! scope="row" | {{HMS|Clematis|1915|2}}
| 29 July 1915
| Sold for breaking up on 5 February 1931.
|-
! scope="row" | {{HMS|Heliotrope|1915|2}}
| [[Lobnitz|Lobnitz & Company]], [[Renfrew]]
| 10 September 1915
| Sold for breaking up on 7 January 1935.
|-
! scope="row" | {{HMS|Jessamine|1915|2}}
| [[Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson]], [[Wallsend]]
| 9 September 1915
| Sold for breaking up on 21 December 1922
|-
! scope="row" | {{HMS|Myrtle|1915|2}}
| Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew
| 11 October 1915
| Mined in [[Gulf of Finland]] on 16 July 1919.
|-
! scope="row" | {{HMS|Narcissus|1915|2}}
| [[Napier & Miller]], [[Old Kilpatrick]]
| 22 September 1915
| Sold for breaking up on 6 September 1922.
|-
! scope="row" | {{HMS|Peony|1915|2}}
| rowspan="2" | [[Archibald McMillan & Son]], [[Dumbarton]]
| 27 October 1915
| Sold out of service on 20 August 1919, becoming mercantile ''Ardena''. Sunk by mine on 28 September 1943.
|-
! scope="row" | {{HMS|Snowdrop|1915|2}}
| 7 October 1915
| Sold for breaking up on 15 January 1923.
|-
! scope="row" | {{HMS|Zinnia|1915|2}}
| Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend
| 12 August 1915
| Sold to [[Belgian Navy]] on 19 April 1920, retaining same name. Scrapped 1952.
|-
|}

==Construction and career==
Officially termed "Fleet Sweeping Vessels (Sloops)" by the [[Royal Navy]], the ''Azalea''-class ships were intended to be built quickly and were designed to merchant vessel construction parameters so they could be constructed in non-naval shipyards. They were primarily intended for minesweeping duties but were adapted to various other duties throughout the war.{{sfn|Le Fleming|1961|p=43}} They had an average construction period of 25 weeks.{{sfn|Parkes|1922|p=155}} The ''Azalea''s were ordered in May 1915 as part of the War Emergency Programme and entered service between September and December 1915. One, ''Begonia'' was converted to a [[Q-ship]] at [[Haulbowline]], Ireland in 1916–1917 to resemble a small [[coastal trading vessel]]. Recommissioned on 9 August 1917 as ''Q10'' and using the name ''Dolcis Jessop'', the vessel had a short career as it was sunk in a collision with the German [[U-boat]], {{SMU|U-151}} off [[Casablanca]] on 2 October.{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=94}} Aside from ''Begonia'', the rest of the class survived the war, with the majority sent for [[Ship breaking|scrapping]] after the war in the early 1920s. Two, ''Peony'' and ''Zinnia'' continued in service. Another, ''Myrtle'', was mined in 1919 during Royal Navy [[British campaign in the Baltic (1918–19)|operations in the Baltic Sea]] as part of the [[Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War]].{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=94}}

''Peony'' was sold into mercantile service, converted to a [[passenger ferry]] and renamed ''Ardena''. The ferry was used on the routes between [[Cherbourg]] and [[Caen]].<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Southampton-Cherbourg route re-opened |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19210708/100/0004 |newspaper=Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer |location=England |date=8 July 1921 |access-date=1 December 2015 |via = [[British Newspaper Archive]] |url-access=subscription }}</ref> ''Ardena'' continued in service into [[World War II]], where the vessel was sunk by the [[Luftwaffe]] in 1941 before being raised by the Germans and put back into service.<ref name=Ardena>{{cite web |url=https://www.historisches-marinearchiv.de/projekte/verluste_griechenland/ausgabe.php?lang=1&rubrik=%&where_value=439 |title=Ardena |publisher=www.historisches-marinearchiv.de |access-date=4 January 2019}}</ref> On 28 September 1943 she was sailing from [[Cephalonia]] to Greece with 840 Italian [[prisoners of war]] when ''Ardena'' struck a mine and sank.<ref name=Ardena/>

''Zinnia'' was transferred to Belgium on 19 April 1920 and used for fishery protection duties by the new [[Royal Belgian Navy]].{{sfn|Gardiner|Gray|1985|p=411}} In 1927, the Belgian Navy was disbanded and ''Zinnia'' was crewed by civilians. In 1940, the vessel was captured by the Germans and was rebuilt at [[Antwerp]] for service with the [[Kriegsmarine]] as the now renamed ''Barbara''. ''Barbara'' survived the war and was returned to the Belgians following it. Renamed ''Breydel'', the vessel was scrapped in 1952.{{sfn|Chesneau|1980|p=385}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==Citations==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite book|last=Brown |first=D. K. |year=2010 |title=The Grand Fleet: Warship Design and Development 1906–1922 |location=Barnsley, UK| publisher=Seaforth Publishing |isbn=978-1-84832-085-7}}
* {{cite book |editor-last=Chesneau |editor-first=Roger |year=1980 |title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946 |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=Greenwich, UK |isbn=0-85177-146-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Cocker |first=M. P. |year=1993 |title=Mine Warfare Vessels of the Royal Navy – 1908 – to Date |publisher=Airlife Publishing |location=Shrewsbury, UK |isbn=1-85310-328-4}}
* {{cite book |editor-last1=Gardiner |editor-first1=Robert |editor-last2=Gray |editor-first2=Randal |name-list-style=amp |year=1985 |title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921 |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=London |isbn=0-85177-245-5}}
* {{cite book |last=Le Fleming |first=H. M. |year=1961 |title=Warships of World 1: No.4 – Miscellaneous (British and German) |series=Ian Allan ABC |publisher=Ian Allan |location=London |oclc=220292086}}
* {{cite book |last=Parkes |first=Oscar |year=1922 |title=Ships of the Royal Navy |publisher=Sampson, Low, Marston and Co. |location=London |oclc=29617788}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Azalea class sloop}}
* {{Cite web
|title=Old Weather – HMS ''Jessamine''
|access-date=2012-01-22
|url=http://www.oldweather.org/vessels/4ef4f8ece53e0a0c910046cd
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208205511/http://www.oldweather.org/vessels/4ef4f8ece53e0a0c910046cd
|archive-date=2012-02-08
}} Transcription of ship's logbooks and weather information

{{Azalea-class sloop}}
{{Flower class sloop}}

[[Category:Azalea-class sloops| ]]
[[Category:Sloop classes]]

Azalea-class sloop - Revision history

imported>CaptainAngus: /* Construction and career */ Updates in accordance with MOS:GNL