The Azalea class of twelve minesweeping sloops were built under the Emergency War Programme for the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 in World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 as part of the larger "Flower Class

Flower class sloop

The Flower class comprised five sub-classes of sloops built under the Emergency War Programme for the Royal Navy during World War I, all of which were named after various flowers...

", which were also referred to as the "Cabbage Class", or "Herbaceous Borders". The third batch of twelve ships to be ordered, in May 1915, they differed from the preceding Acacia class only in mounting a heavier armament, with either 4.7 inch or 4 inch guns instead of the 12-pounders of the earlier class.

They were single-screw Fleet Sweeping Vessels (Sloops) with triple hulls at the bows to give extra protection against loss when working.

Ships

— built by Barclay Curle & Company, Whiteinch

Whiteinch

Whiteinch is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde between the Partick and Scotstoun areas of the city...

, launched 10 September 1915. Sold for breaking up 1 February 1923. — built by Barclay Curle, launched 26 August 1915. Became Q-Ship

Q-ship

Q-ships, also known as Q-boats, Decoy Vessels, Special Service Ships, or Mystery Ships, were heavily armed merchant ships with concealed weaponry, designed to lure submarines into making surface attacks. This gave Q-ships the chance to open fire and sink them...

 from 9 August 1917 as Q10 (SS Dolcis Jessop), sunk in collision with German submarine U.151 off Casablanca in Atlantic 2 October 1917. — built by Bow MacLachlan and Company, Paisley

Paisley

Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...

, launched 25 September 1915. Sold for breaking up 15 January 1923. — built by Greenock & Grangemouth Dockyard Company, Greenock

Greenock

Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...

, launched 6 September 1915. Sold for breaking up 14 January 1922. — built by Greenock & Grangemouth, launched 29 July 1915. Sold for breaking up 5 February 1931. — built by Lobnitz & Company

Lobnitz

Lobnitz Marine Holdings is a Scottish shipbuilding company located at Renfrew on the River Clyde, west of the Renfrew Ferry crossing and east of the confluence with the River Cart...

, Renfrew

Renfrew

-Local government:The town of Renfrew gave its name to a number of local government areas used at various times:*Renfrew a town to the west of Glasgow*Renfrewshire, the present unitary local council area in which Renfrew is situatated....

, launched 10 September 1915. Sold for breaking up 7 January 1935. — built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend

Wallsend

Wallsend is an area in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Wallsend derives its name as the location of the end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 42,842.-Romans:...

, launched 9 September 1915. Sold for breaking up 21 December 1922. — built by Lobnitz and Company, Renfrew, launched 11 October 1915. Mined in Gulf of Finland

Gulf of Finland

The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...

 16 July 1919. — built by Napier & Miller, Old Kilpatrick

Old Kilpatrick

Old Kilpatrick is a village in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland.The village is on the north bank of the River Clyde immediately to the north of the Forth and Clyde Canal, three miles from Clydebank on the road to Dumbarton. The Great Western Road runs through Old Kilpatrick, and the next village to...

, launched 22 September 1915. Sold for breaking up 6 September 1922. — built by Archibald McMillan & Son, Dumbarton, launched 25 August 1919. Sold out of service 20 August 1910, becoming mercantile Ardena. — built by McMillan, launched 7 October 1915. Sold for breaking up 15 January 1923. — built by Swan Hunter, launched 12 August 1915. Sold to Belgian Navy

Belgian Navy

The Marine Component of the Belgian Army, formerly the Belgian Naval Force, is the naval service of Belgium.-Early history:The Belgian Navy was created as the Marine Royale in 1831. This force has operated in various forms throughout Belgian history.When after the Belgian Revolution, the country...

19 April 1920, retaining same name.