A history of the small, mass-produced warships that defended the Atlantic convoys from submarines and ensured Britain's vital connection with the United States.

As the Battle of the Atlantic grew increasingly fierce, Britain and the Commonwealth needed large numbers of new warships to protect their shipping, which could be produced economically. The two largest types of ships produced were the escort destroyers and frigates. Escort destroyers were essentially small destroyers optimized for anti-submarine warfare, with speed and surface weapons sacrificed, while frigates were simpler, designed to be quickly built in civilian shipyards.

These warships were key to the protection of convoys in the Atlantic Ocean, where their range and maritime capabilities made them suitable for operations. They were also used for forming hunting groups and collectively account for the destruction of numerous German submarines. Their arrival came at a critical time for the Royal Navy, as the Battle of the Atlantic was reaching its climax, and losses of both merchant ships and escorts were increasing.

In this book, naval expert Angus Konstam tells the story of the Hunt, Loch, Bay, and River class escort destroyers and frigates, revealing how the crews fought and what life was like on board. Using archival photographs, detailed color illustrations, a cutaway of a Hunt class, and battle scenes of the ships at war, he explores the crucial role these small but deadly escorts played.