HMCS Agassiz (K 129)

The Flower class corvettes were a class of 267 corvettes developed by the Royal Navy specifically for the protection of shipping convoys during the Battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945) in World War II. They were a stop-gap measure in the war against the German U-boats: small ships that could be produced quickly and cheaply in large numbers. Despite being initially intended for coastal convoys, their long range meant that they became the mainstay of convoy protection in the first half of the war, and were extensively used by the British, the Royal Canadian Navy, and later the United States Navy. After the war the Flowers were sold off and served around the world from the Israeli Navy to the Chilean Navy. The name "corvette" was originally a French term for a small sailing warship, intermediate between the frigate and the sloop-of-war. In the 1830s the term was adopted by the Royal Navy for British sailing warships of the same type, primarily with a similar shipping-protection role. With the arrival of steam power, paddle-driven and later screw-driven corvettes were built with the same role, growing in power and size over the decades. However in 1877 this traditional category was abolished, corvettes and frigates being combined into a new category of cruiser. The 1939 concept of the corvette returned to the original shipping-protection role, rather than having any linear link with the cruising vessels of 1877. There are two distinct groups of vessel in the Flower class. The first vessels from the 1939 and 1940 programmes were followed by another 64 ships launched from 1940 onwards which were significantly larger and better armed; the Admiralty therefore chose to designate them as a separate class, officially called the Modified Flower class. The Flowers of the United States Navy are also known as Action-class gunboats with the "PG" hull classification symbol. Size of Model: 871mm x 142mm x 327mm
Material: FRP Hull, planked decks, brass, ABS and resin fittings
Drive System: 1 x 540 size, 1 x shaft & propellers
R/C system: ESC and servo installed. Radio and receiver not included
The hull, superstructure components, masts and fittings feature a sprayed finish using matte paints and the many detailed features and fittings give the model a particularly interesting appearance. The delicate rigging is also completely factory-assembled. Add radio and receiver and you're ready to go. History of the Flower Class Corvette and specifically, the HMCS Agassiz (K129)
Noteable events involving HMCS Agassiz K129 include:
18 Jun, 1942
HMCS Agassiz (A/Lt.Cdr B.D.L. Johnson, RCNR) picks up 51 survivors from the American merchant Seattle Spirit that was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-124 in the North Atlantic in position 50º24'N, 42º37'W.3 Aug, 1942
The British merchant Lochkatrine is torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-552 east of Cape Race in position 45º52'N, 46º44'W. The Canadian destroyer HMCS Hamilton (Lt.Cdr. N.V. Clark, RCNR) and the Canadian corvette HMCS Agassiz (A/Lt.Cdr. B.D.L. Johnson, RCNR) together pick up 81 survivors.5 Jan, 1943
HMCS Agassiz (Lt.Cdr. B.D.L. Johnson, RCNR) commenced a refit at Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada.