# American Flower-class corvette

The American Flower-class corvettes were those ships of the Royal Navy's Flower class built for, or operated by, the United States Navy during World War II. These were ten ships of the original Flower class, known as the Temptress class in US service, and fifteen Modified Flowers, as the Action class. In US service they were classified as Patrol Gunboats (PG).

## Construction history

In December 1941, after the US entry into World War II, the USN had a large building programme for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ships, but none nearing completion. To overcome this shortfall, the Royal Navy agreed to transfer a number of ASW ships to the USN, including ten Flower-class corvettes. These ships had already been in commission and had seen action during the Battle of the Atlantic.
These ships were classified as Patrol Gunboats, and numbered PG 62 to 71, and were referred to as the Temptress class, after the first ship to be recommissioned.
The USN also placed orders for 15 more Flowers from Canadian shipyards. This was met by transferring a number of vessels on order for the RN to USN. These ships were of the Modified Flower type, a design which consolidated the various modifications developed in the course of building the original Flowers.
In the event the USN only took charge of eight of these ships; the other seven were transferred back to the RN under Lend-Lease arrangements.
The US ships were numbered PG 86 to 100 and were referred to as the Action class.
The Temptress class were armed with a 4-inch gun forward, a 3 in (76 mm)/50 dual-purpose (DP) gun aft, two 20 mm anti-aircraft guns, two depth charge racks, and four depth charge throwers. The Action class replaced the 4-inch gun with another 3-inch/50 cal. DP gun, and added a Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar.

## Temptress class

The ten ships of the Temptress class were originally built for the Royal Navy and saw service there before transfer to the USN.
Construction data :
| USN name | Number | RN name | Pennant | Builder | Completed | Transferred | Fate |
| USS Temptress | PG-62 | HMS Veronica | K37 | Smiths Dock Co., South Bank-on-Tees | 18 Feb 1941 | 16 Feb 1942 | Returned to RN 26 Aug 1945 |
| USS Surprise | PG-63 | HMS Heliotrope | K03 | John Crown & Sons Ltd, Sunderland | 12 Sept 1940 | 24 Mar 1942 | Returned to RN 26 Aug 1945 |
| USS Spry | PG-64 | HMS Hibiscus | K24 | Harland & Wolff Ltd., Belfast | 21 May 1940 | 2 May 1942 | Returned to RN 26 Aug 1945 |
| USS Saucy | PG-65 | HMS Arabis | K73 | Harland & Wolff Ltd., Belfast | 5 Apr 1940 | 30 Apr 1942 | Returned to RN 26 Aug 1945 and recommissioned as Snapdragon |
| USS Restless | PG-66 | HMS Periwinkle | K55 | Harland & Wolff Ltd., Belfast | 8 Apr 1940 | 15 Mar 1942 | Returned to RN 26 Aug 1945 |
| USS Ready | PG-67 | HMS Calendula | K28 | Harland & Wolff Ltd., Belfast | 6 May 1940 | 12 Mar 1942 | Returned to RN 23 Aug 1945 |
| USS Impulse | PG-68 | HMS Begonia | K66 | Cook, Welton & Gemmell, Beverley | 8 Mar 1941 | 10 Mar 1942 | Returned to RN 22 Aug 1945 |
| USS Fury | PG-69 | HMS Larkspur | K82 | Fleming & Ferguson Ltd., Paisley | 4 Jan 1941 | 17 Mar 1942 | Returned to RN 22 Aug 1945 |
| USS Courage | PG-70 | HMS Heartsease | K15 | Harland & Wolff Ltd., Belfast | 4 Jun 1940 | 3 Apr 1942 | Returned to RN 23 Aug 1945 |
| USS Tenacity | PG-71 | HMS Candytuft | K09 | Grangemouth Dry Dock Co., Grangemouth | 16 Oct 1940 | 4 Mar 1942 | Returned to RN 26 Aug 1945 |

## Action class

The fifteen ships of the Action class were originally ordered for the Royal Navy but transferred before completion to the United States Navy. On completion eight entered service with the USN while the other seven were transferred back to the RN under Lend-lease.

### Served in USN

Action-class ships transferred to the US Navy :
| USN name | Number | RN name | Pennant | Builder | Completed | To USN | Fate |
| USS Action | PG-86 | HMS Comfrey | K277 | Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., Collingwood | 22 Nov 1942 | 22 Nov 1942 | Sold 6 Feb 1946 |
| USS Alacrity | PG-87 | HMS Cornel | K278 | Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., Collingwood | 10 Dec 1942 | 10 Dec 1942 | Sold 22 Sept 1945 |
| USS Brisk | PG-89 | HMS Flax | K284 | Kingston Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Kingston | 6 Dec 1942 | 6 Dec 1942 | Sold 18 Oct 1946 |
| USS Haste | PG-92 | HMS Mandrake | K287 | Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland | 6 Apr 1943 | 6 Apr 1943 | Sold 1949 |
| USS Intensity | PG-93 | HMS Milfoil | K288 | Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland | 31 Mar 1943 | 31 Mar 1943 | Sold |
| USS Might | PG-94 | HMS Musk | K289 | Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland | 22 Dec 1942 | 22 Dec 1942 | Sold |
| USS Pert | PG-95 | HMS Nepeta | K290 | Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland | 22 Dec 1942 | 22 Dec 1942 | Sold 18 Oct 1946 |
| USS Prudent | PG-96 | HMS Privet | K291 | Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland | 16 Aug 1943 | 16 Aug 1943 | Sold 1949 |

### Transferred to RN

Action-class ships of the US Navy returned to the Royal Navy :
| USN name | Number | RN name | Pennant | Builder | Completed | To RN | Fate |
| USS Beacon | PG-88 | HMS Dittany | K279 | Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., Collingwood | 31 May 1943 | same day | Returned to USN 20 Jun 1946 |
| USS Caprice | PG-90 | HMS Honesty | K285 | Kingston Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Kingston | 28 Mar 1943 | 28 Mar 1943 | Returned to USN 20 Jun 1946 |
| USS Clash | PG-91 | HMS Linaria | K282 | Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland | 19 Jun 1943 | 19 Jun 1943 | Returned to USN 27 Jul 1946 |
| USS Splendor | PG-97 | HMS Rosebay | K286 | Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., Collingwood | | | Returned to USN 20 Mar 1946 |
| USS Tact | PG-98 | HMS Smilax | K280 | Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., Collingwood | 21 Jun 1943 | 21 Jun 1943 | Returned to USN 5 Jan 1946 |
| USS Vim | PG-99 | HMS Statice | K281 | Collingwood Shipyards Ltd., Collingwood | 20 Sep 1943 | 20 Sep 1943 | Returned to USN 21 Jun 1946 |
| USS Vitality | PG-100 | HMS Willowherb | K283 | Midland Shipyards Ltd., Midland | 30 Aug 1943 | 30 Aug 1943 | Returned to USN 11 Jun 1946 |