French corvette L’Heroine visited Hobart Town, Tasmania according to the Australian newspaper Commercial Journal and Advertisor dated Saturday 10 February 1838

An item dated 31 January reported the arrival at Hobart Town of the French 32 guns-corvette L’Heroine commanded by Cecille coming from Havre de Grace departed on 1 July 1837. At sea she had the survivors of the American whaling schooner Colossus and whaler Atlas lost off the Crozet Islands turned over to other American whalers. The Sydney Monitor dated Friday 1838 wrote that the corvette was sent for the protection of the 14 French whalers which arrival was daily expected. 

German screw steam corvette frigate SMS Sedan 1875-1878 (Prinz Adalbert 1878-1907

The Illustrated London News dated 1 July 1876

Launched by AG Vulcan, Stettin, Germany on 17 April, sister of the recently launched Leipsic [correct name=Leipzig(1)]. Designed by chief naval constructor Mr. Koch. Built or iron covered with wood, in many respect to the British Rover-class although much more powerful. Novelty is two inverted ports on both sides of the bow instead of the British Inconstant-class(3). Dimensions 287 (between perpendiculars) x 46 (extreme) x 32 (depth) x 21 (draught) and a displacement of 4,000 ton. Horsepower 4,800 hp. Built by director Haak and christened by rear admiral Ludwig von Henk (4 March 1820 Anklam-17 October 1894 Berlin, Germany).

Notes

1. Part of Leipzig-class preceded by Ariadne-class corvettes succeeded by Bismarck-class corvettes. Laid down under contract name “A” in 1875, launched on 17 June 1876, commissioned on 17 June 1877, renamed Prinz Adalbert on 1 September 1878, Stricken on 6 May 1890, barracks ship, sold on 7 June 1907 and broken up at Rotterdam, Netherlands in 1907.

2. Iron built screw steam corvette, designed by E. Reed, in fact an improved Volage-class design preceded by Amethyst-class succeeded by Emerald-class, laid down by Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, Leamouth, London, England in 1872, launched on 12 August 1874, completed on 21 September 1875, paid off in 1889 and sold to be broken up 1893.

3. Unarmored-iron-hulled screw steam frigate preceded by HMS Shah, laid down by Pembroke Dockyard on 27 November 1866, launched on 12 November 1868, commissioned 0n 14 August 1869, hulked in 1897,training ship since 1906,  renamed Impregnable II in June 1906, Defiance IV in January 1922, Defiance II in December 1930, sold to be broken up in September 1955 and arrived at scrapyard on 4 April 1956. 

British Royal Navy escorted 842 merchant ships according to the War Cabinet Weekly Résumé No. 45of the Naval, Military and Air Situation 4-12 July 1940

An item reported that this week totally the Royal Navy escorted 842 ships including 97 Allied and 40 neutral part of convoys and of which 7 were lost in action. The British naval escort consisted of 9 armed merchant cruisers, 29 destroyers, 16 sloops and 13 corvettes.

Source

National Archive UK. CAB-66-9-42. 

The British convoy system functioned well according to the War Cabinet Weekly Résumé No. 64 of the Naval, Military and Air Situation 14-21 November 1940

HMS Rodney©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Revenge-class©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

An item reported that in the week ending at noon 21 November 781 ships including 135 Allied and 17 neutral ship were escorted. Just nine ships were lost. The escorting warships consisted of 2 capital ships, 1 cruiser, 3 anti-aircraft ships, 14 armed merchant cruisers, 38 destroyers and 39 sloops or corvettes. The British battleship HMS Rodney (1) escorted the homeward-bound convoys and the HMS Revenge (2) the outward bound convoys.

3. Part of Nelson-class, preceded by realized Revenge-class and planned N3-class, succeeded by King George V-class, ordered in 1922, laid down by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, England on 28 December 1922, launched on 17 December 1925, completed in August 1927, commissioned on 7 December 1927, out of service in August 1946 and sold to be broken up on 26 March 1948.

4. Part of Revenge-class, preceded by Queen Elizabeth-class, succeeded by planned N3-class and realized Nelson-class, laid down by Vickers Limited, Barrow-in-Furness, England on 22 December 1913, launched on 29 May 1915, commissioned on 1 February 1916, converted into a training for boiler room personnel in 1944, sold to be broken up in July 1948 arriving at the scrapyard on 5 September 1948

Source

National Archive UK. CAB-66-13-37. 

British corvettes fitted out with minesweeping gear according to the War Cabinet Weekly Résumé No. 64 of the Naval, Military and Air Situation 14-21 November 1940

An item reported that four corvettes fitted out with LL Sweeps departed towards the Mediterranean.(1)

Note

1. LL=Low-Loop was a trailing electrical cable gear used for sweeping and detonating magnetic sea mines.

Source

National Archive UK. CAB-66-13-37. 

Taiwanese frigate (ex-Japanese No. 67 1944-1947, Ying Kou 1947-?, Swe An ?-1955) Jui An 1955-1960s

Chang An©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Part of the Kaibokan Type C ordered under the 1943-1944 Programme and 1944-9145 Programme and which were a reduced version of the Ukuru design. Jane’s edition 1959-1959 referred to these ships as escort corvettes type No. 1 (diesel propulsion). Launched in 1944, completed on 28 December 1944, surrendered in August 1945, used for repatration purposes, transferred to Nationalist China on 6 July 1947, renamed Ying Kou, renamed Swe An in ? and Jui An in 1955. Jane’s editon 1962-1963 last time mentioned. The website dealing with the type C reports Programme no. 2434

, Ship No. 67, laid down by Maizuru Naval Arsenal on 15 June 1944, launched on 15 September 1944, completed on 12 November 1944, decommissioned on 25 October 1945, surrendered to the Republic of China (+Nationalist China later Taiwan) on 6 July 1947, renamed Yinkan, renamed Rui’an (PF-73) in 1952 and decommissioned in 1963.

Sources

Fukui, Shizuo. Japanese naval vessels at the end of World War II

Jane’s Fighting Ships several editions of the 1950s-1960s

Jentschura, Hansgeorg, Dieter Jung and Peter Mickel.

Watts, A.J. and B.G. Gordon. The Imperial Japanese Navy.

Escort C Type date 22 June 2026 13:36 o’clock

Turkish ASW corvette TCG Burgazada F 513 2014-

Off Belgian North Sea coast, 1 July 2026

Turkey-flagged, MMSI 519031777. Part of the Ada-class under the MILGEM project preceded by Burak-class succeeded by Babur-class. Laid down by Istanbul Naval Shipyard, Turkey on 17 December 2014, launched on 21 June 2016 and commissioned on 4 November 2018

German corvette Karlsruhe F267 2020-

Great Belt Denmark, 20 May 2026

Facebook Under Broen

Part of K130 Braunschweig-class or Korvette 130-class preceded by Gepard-class.

Ordered in September 2017, laid down by Lürssen-Werft, Bremen, Germany on 6 October 2020, launched on 4 May 2024, christened on 7 May 2025 still not commissioned. 

Former British corvette HMS Clover serving as Communist Chinese warship in the 1950s

Kai Feng©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Flower-clas corvetteWarshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Sketch dated October 1953

Part of Flower-class corvettes succeeded by Castle-class. Ordered on 25 July 1939, laid down by Fleming&Ferguson Ltd., Paisly, Scotland on 29 July 1940, launched on 30 January 1941, commissioned on 13 May 1941, sold to merchant shipping on 17 May 1947, renamed ss Cloverlock, later sold to People’s Republic of China and renamed as frigate Kai Feng. Stricken in 1989?

Senator McCarthy supplies some background informate about her fate after the Second World War: “I do not intend to take the time of the Senate except for another minute or two togive the Senate a picture of the viciousness of these deals. I should like to recite the facts in one instance. There is a British company in Hong Kong called the Wheelock-Marden Co. That company obtained a British corvette. The name of it was the Clover. The Wheelock-MardenCo.removed the guns and transformed the ship into a transport vessel. After the war with Korea started Britain had a rule tot he effect that British firms could not sell any ship to the Communists. They found a good way to get around that, not only in this case but in many others. They chartered the boat to the Communists. They charged them the first year the value of the ship. It still carried the British flag, but was owned by Red China. What happened in th ecase of this corvette? It was chartered to the Communists, and the name was changed to Cloverlock. This has been proved by the Defense Department. The ship was reconverted to a gunboat, so that all during the Communist war and as of today, the Cloverlock, a ship under British registry, is a gunboat, a fighting ship of the Communists, and, being under British registry, it of necessity carries the British flag. I merely mention it to show the viciousness of this dealing in blood money.”

McCarthy referred in his speach to the Defense Department. There is at leat one CIA document which reverred to this ship. On 19 October 1953 were Communist Chinese warships described at Tsingtao. One was one vessel, believed to be the former Cloverlock arrived at Tsingtao and even supplying a sketch of her.

Sources

Congressional Record. Proceedings and debates of the 83rd Congress First Session-volume 99-part 8-Senate 29 July 1953, pages 10323-10324.

Jane’s Fighting ships several editions.

CIA-rdp80-00810a002600100005-7 dated 19 October 1953. 

Spain modernizing her navy according to the Australia Station Intelligence Summary dated 1 July 1955

An item reported that the USA and Spain signed on 30 April an agreement to modernize the navy of the last country. For the first phase was maximum 25,252,465,00 US dollars avaible and which budget was not to be exceeded and 24 ships to be modernized. Second phase of the programme was yet not decided. The involved ships were 2 Alava-class destroyers (to be equipped with Squid/Asdic and 3-3” Mk 34 guns, (Jane’s 1958-9 mentioned the Alava and Liniers laid down on 21 December 1944, respectively 1 January 1945), 4 Churruca-class destroyers (Jane’s 1958-9 reports dating from the 1930s), 4 Audaz-class corvettes (to be fitted out with 2-3” Mk34 guns, (Jane’s 1958-9 called anti submarine frigates, laid down in 1945), 5 Tambre-class minesweepers, 2 Descubierta-class corvettes, 2 Pizarro-class corvettes (Jane’s 1958-9 called frigates since 1958, laid down in 1944), 2 Jupiter-class minelayers (Jane’s 1958-9 called frigate minelayers, dating from the 1903s), 2 D-class submarines and 1 training ship.

Source

Website Royal Australian Navy, Sea Power Centre.

Chinese frigate (ex-HMS Clover 1939-1947, Cloverlock 1947-) Kai Feng

Kai Feng©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Flower-clas corvetteWarshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Part of Flower-class corvettes succeeded by Castle-class. Ordered on 25 July 1939, laid down by Fleming&Ferguson Ltd., Paisly, Scotland on 29 July 1940, launched on 30 January 1941, commissioned on 13 May 1941, sold to merchant shipping on 17 May 1947, renamed ss Cloverlock, later sold to People’s Republic of China. Stricken in 1989?

British corvette HMS Pembroke Castle K450 1943, Canadian HCMS Tilsonburg K496 1943-1946 and Nationalist Chinese Ta Ching 1946, Chiu Chine 1947-1950, Kao An 1950-1955 and Shuai Zhen 1955-1963

Flower-class. ©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Castle. ©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Part of Castle-class preceded by Flower-class. Built for the British Royal Navy but handed over to the Royal Canadian Navy before completion. Laid down by Ferguson Brothers Ltd., Port Glasgow, Scotland on 3 Juen 1943, launched on 12 February 1944, transferred to Canada in 1943, commissioned on 29 June 1944, decommissioned on 8 March 1946, sold to become a merchant ship in 1946, taken into service by the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company in 1946, out of service on 1 June 1950, taken over by the Nationalist Chinese Navy in 1950, renamed Kao An in 1950 and Shuai Zhen in 1963. 

Communist Chinese warshios fitted out with rocket rails sighted according to the Australia Station Intelligence Summary dated 1 June 1955

An item reported that on 17 and 19 April 4 Communist Chinese ships were sighted at Woosung which seemed to be fitted out with rocket rails. Al four ships were identical and similar ro the American O.C. Type. Their length was estimated to be 50 feet less than a Flower-class frigate (corvette) (i.e. 150 feet). The forecastle had solid bulwarks around it with a height of 4 feet and possible a deck across the bulwarks. Capstan or other deck fittings were not seen and the reporting source believed it was a protection against the rocket blast. The four rocket rails were mounted in pairs abreast of each other. One pair just baft the bulkwarks and the other pair just forward of the bridge. The dimensions of each pair was 20 x 4 feet mounted on a tripod with a height of about 4 feet . Each rail was covered with taut canvas. Further more were on the quarter deck 2 guns with a calibre of around 12 pounder mounted.

Source

Website Royal Australian Navy, Sea Power Centre.

Russian corvette RFS Soobrazitelny 531 2003-

Great Belt Bridge, Denmark 65 April 2026

Under Broen facebook page

Russia-flagged, IMO 4614615. Part of Steregushchy-class corvettes/Project 20380,preceded by Grisha-class, succeeded by Gremyashchiy-class. Laid down by Severnaya Verf, St. Petersburg Russia on 20 May 2003, launched on 31 March 2010 and commissioned on 14 October 2011.

Chinese frigate (ex-HMS Heliotrope 1939-1942, USS Surprise 1942-1945, HMS Heliotrope 1945-1948, ss Ziang Teh 1949-1949) Linyi or Lin I 1949-1972

as Linyi. ©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Flower-class. ©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Similar Kai Feng and Linyi. Built under the 1939 building programme. Part of Flower-class corvettes succeeded by Castle-class. Laid down by John Crown&Sons Ltd., Sunderland, England on 23 October 1939, launched on 5 June 1940, commissioned on 12 September 1940, decommissioned on 24 March 1942, handed over to the US Navy, renamed USS Surprise PG 63 of the Temptress-class patrol gunboats, decommissioned on 20 August 1945, given back to England on 26 August 1945, stricken US Navy Lit on 17 September 1945, sold to to merchant shipping as ss Ziang Teh or Xiang De in 1947, acquired by People’s Republic of China in 1949, renamed Linyi or Ling I decommissioned in 1972 and broken up. 

Malaysian corvette KD Lekir FFG 26 1983-

Royal Australian Navy 125 Anniversary International Fleet Review at Sydney, Australia March 2026

Clinton J Down Photography, Shellharbour, New South Wales, Australia

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Malaysia-flagged, MMSI 533000026 and call sign 9MOT. Part of Kasturi-class based on the FS 1500 design preceded by Laksamana-class. Ordered in February 1981 or on 10 June 1981, laid down by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, Kiel, Germany on 31 January 1983, launched on 14 May 1983 and commissioned on 15 August 1984. 

Iranian corvette IRIS Naghdi 82 1962-2026

BRICS Will for Peace naval drills, False Bay, South Africa January 2026

IMO 6125569 and call sign EQAN. Part of Bayandor-class. Built for the US Navy as a patrol frigate (PF104) of the PF-103 class under the MAP (Mutual Assistance Prporam) and immediately after she was completed handed over to the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy. Laid down by Levingston Shipbuilding Company on 12 September 1962, launched on 10 October 1963, commissioned on 22 July 1964, refitted in 1970, 1978, 1988 and 2009 and destroyed by American forces at Konarak, Iran on 28 February 2026. 

Ukrainian missile corvette (ex-Krasnodarsky lkomsomolets 1981-1987, R 54 1992-1997, Nikol U155 1997-2022) Pridneprovye3 U155 2002-

Sevastopol, 2008

Part of Soviet Project 12411T, named by the NATO Tarantul II-class. Laid down by the Sredne-Nevskiy Sipyard, Pontonny with yard number 200 on 21 April 1981, launched on 18 December 1982, commissioned on 30 December 1983, handed over by the Russian Black Sea Fleet to Ukraine on 12 September 1997, classified as missile corvette, renamed Nikopol U155 and since 15 March or 10 April 2002 Pridneprovy3a.In 2015 again in Russian hands or converted into floating barracks? Sources differs about the details.

Philippine escort vessel (ex-PCE 884 1943-1948) Negros Occidental 1948-2010

Pangasinan. ©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Former US PCE 842-class patrol craft, in, Philippine naval service Miguel Mlavar-class corvette succeeded by Rizal-class. Laid down by Albina Engine and Machine Works, Portland, Oregon, USA on 27 October 1943, launched on 24 February 1944, commissioned on 30 March 1945, handed over to the Philippines in July 1948 and decommissioned on 9 December 2010.

Romanian corvette ROS Amiral Petre Bărbuneanu F 260 1981-

Black Sea, Constanta, Romania 1994

Part of Amiral Petre Bărbuneanu- or Tetal-I-class succeeded by Admiral Eustatiu Sebastian- or Tetal-II-class. Based on the Soviet Koni-class frigates but smaller and especially for the anti-submarine warfare. Launched by Mangalia Shipyard, Romania on 23 May 1981, commissioned on 4 February 1983.