Battleships in miniature, as corvettes had been aptly termed, were among the 600 warships and auxiliaries which were engaged in the grim struggle to keep the merchantmen plying back and forth with their vital cargoes. Sturdy little escort vessels built on whale catcher lines, the corvettes were fast and well armed, particularly seaworthy, and comparatively quickly and cheaply built. Seen here is a vessel of the corvette type is shown carrying out a job of work. A torpedo carrying Heinkel III had been shot down during an attack on the convoy. As the merchant ships pressed onwards, the escort vessel stopped to lower away a boat to pick up the German airman, whose inflated rubber dinghy had become swamped (1) During the lull the mess man carries round to the gunners and lookouts a pail of hot tea (2). He is seen dishing it out to the crew of the forward 4 inch gun. This was a dual-purpose weapon, and the shells to feed it can be seen, ranged on racks on the semicircular gun platform (3). On the high lookout platform two sailors keep watch against a fresh attack, whilst a third changes ammunition drums on the A.A machine-guns. (4) Below this group is the signalling platform leaving from the navigating bridge. Here is seen the ships captain as he keeps watch (5). Within the square superstructure are wheelhouse, chart-house, compass platform, etc, and on either side are other A.A machine-guns posts manned, by steel helmeted, duffle coated sailors. (6) The tea was brewed in the galley, the position of which is revealed by the tall “stove pipe” between bridge and funnel. (7) On the forward face of the funnel can be seen one of the twin sirens, used for signalling, etc. Ventilator cowls (8) are from the engine room down below, where the oil burning furnaces were located. Aft of the funnel is the searchlight platform, then the Jack-staff with White Ensign and the Carley floats (9) ready to he launched down the curved runners should emergency demand. The crews of the two pompom guns are on the alert (10) Note the ammunition Lockers (11) between which a gangway descends to the deck. Here can be seen a miniature edition of the “Chicago Pianos” on large warships. This one is a multiple A.A. M.G. (12) When a U-boat was detected the crews swung a depth charge on to the thrower (13) Many more can be seen stacked in the stern chute (14).
