HMS Hibiscus (K24)

HMS Hibiscus (K24) was a Flower-class corvette of the Royal Navy. She served during World War II, primarily as a convoy escort in the North Atlantic.

Hibiscus was laid down on 10 January 1940 by Blyth Shipbuilding Company in Blyth, Northumberland, and launched on 20 July 1940. She was commissioned on 23 October 1940.

During her service, Hibiscus was involved in numerous convoy battles, helping to protect merchant ships from German U-boat attacks. She was credited with assisting in the sinking of U-94 on 28 August 1942, along with the Canadian corvette HMCS Oakville.

Following the end of World War II, Hibiscus was decommissioned. She was sold into civilian service in 1947 and renamed Southern Larkspur, being used as a whale catcher. Her eventual fate is recorded as scrapped in 1967.

Her Flower-class designation indicates she was designed for simple construction and mass production, vital for the Battle of the Atlantic. This design allowed for a large number of escorts to be built relatively quickly, providing much-needed protection for vital supply lines.