Corvette facts for kids

For the car called after the corvettes, see Chevrolet Corvette

The Comandante Foscari is a modern corvette used by the Italian Navy.

A corvette is a type of warship. It is usually smaller than a frigate but larger than a sloop. Corvettes are designed to be quick and easy to handle. They carry lighter weapons compared to bigger warships. Today, many navies use ships like corvettes for patrolling coasts. However, they don't always call them "corvettes." The word "corvette" comes from the French word corvair.

Corvettes in the Age of Sail

During the time when ships used sails, corvettes were one of many smaller warships. Their main jobs included patrolling coastlines and fighting in smaller battles. They also supported larger fleets and sometimes went on missions to show their country's flag. The English Navy started using small ships in the 1650s. They called them "sloops" back then. The French Navy first used the term "corvette" in the 1670s. This is likely where the name came from.

Most corvettes and sloops in the 17th century were about 12 to 18 meters (40 to 60 feet) long. They weighed about 40 to 70 tons. These ships usually carried four to eight small guns on one deck. Over time, corvettes became bigger and more powerful. By 1800, some were over 30 meters (100 feet) long. They could weigh between 400 and 600 tons.

Corvettes in the Steam Era

The French steam corvette Dupleix (1856–1887) was powered by steam.

When steam power was invented, ships became much faster and easier to steer. Corvettes in this era were often used with gunboats. They were useful for colonial missions. Large ships like battleships were not always needed for fighting in places like the Far East and Africa.

Modern Corvettes in World War II

The modern corvette first appeared during World War II. These ships were designed to be easy to build quickly. They were used for patrolling and escorting convoys of merchant ships. A British naval designer named William Reed created a simple design for these ships. This allowed many of them to be made very fast.

Images for kids

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  The INS Kamorta is an anti-submarine warfare corvette of the Indian Navy.

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  A model of a corvette from the Trianon model collection.

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  HMCS Regina, a Flower-class corvette from World War II.

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  A Russian Buyan-M class corvette.

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  The Argentine MEKO Espora-class corvette.

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  A Swedish Visby-class stealth corvette.

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  The Corvette Braunschweig of the German Navy.

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  ARA Uruguay is an Argentine corvette from 1874. It has been a museum ship in Buenos Aires since 1967.

See also

In Spanish: Corbeta para niños