Arabis class sloop
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HMS Wistaria
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators: | |
| Preceded by: | Azalea Class |
| Succeeded by: | Aubretia Class |
| Built: | 1915 |
| In commission: | 1915–1941 |
| Completed: | 44 |
| Lost: | 7 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Minesweeper |
| Displacement: | 1,250 tons |
| Length: | |
| Beam: | 33 ft 6 in (10.21 m) |
| Draught: | 11 ft 9 in (3.58 m) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) |
| Range: | 2,000 nmi (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph) with max. 260 tons of coal |
| Complement: | 79 men |
| Armament: | Typically 2 × 4 or 4.7 inch guns and 2 × 3-pounders (47 mm) AA with some lesser variants |
The Arabis class was the third, and largest, of the five sub-classes of minesweeping sloops completed under the Emergency War Programme for the Royal Navy in World War I. They were part of the larger "Flower Class" shipbuilding project, which were also referred to as the "Cabbage Class", or "Herbaceous Borders". The ships were also used outside their minesweeping duties as patrol vessels, tugs, and personnel and cargo transports.
The design for the Arabis class was made at the end of 1914. All 36 British vessels were ordered in July 1915, and were built in three batches, averaging 12 vessels. A further 8 vessels were later built in British shipyards for the French Navy. The design was highly appealing, as most shipyards were capable of building them, and construction could be completed in five months.
Like the preceding Acacia and Azalea class sloops, these were single-screw Fleet Sweeping Vessels (Sloops) with triple hulls at the bows to give extra protection against loss when working.
Six vessels were ordered in January 1916, and another two in September 1916, all to this design from British shipyards for the French Navy, and all were delivered to the French in 1916 or (the last pair) 1917:
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Wikipedia