The Azalea class of twelve minesweeping sloops were built under the Emergency War Programme for the Royal Navy in World War I as part of the larger "Flower Class", which were also referred to as the "Cabbage Class", or "Herbaceous Borders". The third batch of twelve ships to be ordered, in May 1915, they differed from the preceding Acacia class only in mounting a heavier armament, with either 4.7 inch or 4 inch guns instead of the 12-pounders of the earlier class.