For further info on the kit, please continue!

In 1938 it became obvious to the British government that war with Germany was inevitable. Permission was therefore granted to the Admiralty to expand the Royal Navy to meet the threat from the Kreigsmarine. It was assumed that the country would be at war by 1940, and it was all too clear that existing designs for escort vessels to accompany the forthcoming convoys would be impossible to build in sufficient numbers in the time available. In 1915, the Middlesborough shipbuilders Smith’s Dock Co. Ltd. had met a similar requirement by the adaptation of an existing whalecatcher design, so the company was again approached for a solution. The design of the recently built whaler Southern Pride was enlarged and adapted to produce a design which could be produced quickly in large numbers. So was born the Flower class corvette. The Flowers were small, cramped and uncomfortable. They were slower than a surfaced U-boat and pitched and tossed in a heavy sea to the extent that numerous crewmen were injured by being hurled around on board. However, the Flowers had a number of important attributes. They were extremely seaworthy, had a long range and could out-turn a U-boat, plus although the hull and machinery were old fashioned, they were equipped with the latest asdic and radar, and crucially, they were available. 269 Flower class corvettes were built in British and Canadian yards, serving with the RN and RCN. 15 were supplied to the U.S. under lend-lease, and four of the six vessels building in French yards in 1940 were completed by the Germans, serving in the Kreigsmarine as patrol vessels PA.1 to PA.4. Production continued until 1942, when more specialised anti-submarine vessels became available. During this period various modifications and improvements were made to the basic design, such as an extension of the forecastle to improve seaworthiness and accommodation, and improvements in the bridge design, reflecting their change in roll from coastal to ocean escorts.

HMS Buttercup was launched on 10th April 1941 and completed on 24th April the following year, after being converted for the minesweeping role during construction. This conversion included the addition of an acoustic hammer on an A frame at the bow, and a LL sweep gear, which was a rubberised cable towed astern through which an electric current was passed to explode magnetic mines. On commission she joined the Section Belge of the Royal Navy, crewed by men of the Belgian Free Navy, allocated to Escort Group B5 based in Londonderry. She soon moved across the Atlantic to New York in order to bolster the U.S. anti-submarine effort until the U.S. Navy worked up to the standard of efficiency in this field that the R.N. had attained over the preceding two years. Buttercup returned to Liverpool in January 1943 to continue convoy escort duties until being withdrawn for refit to prepare her for her part in the Normandy invasion. Following this she returned to her escort duties before being transferred to the Royal Norwegian Navy in December 1944 as the R.N.N. Nordkyn. She continued with escort work until May 1945, and on the 13th of that month sailed for Oslo, one of the first Norwegian ships to return home. She served with the R.N.N. until 1957, when she was sold into mercantile service. Buttercup was awarded the battle honours Normandy 1944 and Atlantic 1942-1945.

The Flower class corvettes were in the thick of the Battle of the Atlantic from beginning to end, with 33 being lost. By the end of the war many were worn out, and they were amongst the first vessels the Royal Navy sold off and scrapped. Only one example now remains of the class of ship that more than any other helped win the Battle of the Atlantic, HMCS Sackville has been restored and preserved in Canada.

Displacement: 1170 tons standard, 1245-1390 tons deep load.

Dimensions (feet): 205’ oa x 33’2" x 13’7"-15’9""

Machinery: 1 shaft VTE, 2 cyl (some 2 Admiralty 3-drum) boilers. 2750ihp giving 16.5 kts.

Armament: 1x 4" /45 BL Mk IX, 1 x 2 pdr. pom-pom, 2 x 20mm Oerlikon, 72 DC, 1 x Hedgehog (armament varied between vessels).

Complement: 85-109.

When looking at the following magnified photographs, please bear in mind that this kit is only 3.75 inches long!