History and Strategic Role
Launched on January 29th 1918 as HMS Saxifrage by Lobnitz & Company in Scotland, HMS President (1918) was a Flower-class Q-ship built during the First World War. Designed as a disguised merchant vessel meant to lure German U-boats to the surface before unmasking hidden 4-inch naval guns, she served as a direct ancestor to modern anti-submarine frigates and Second World War convoy escorts.
Recognised as one of only three surviving Royal Navy warships from the First World War and granted the official suffix "(1918)" to distinguish her from the later shore establishment in St Katharine Docks, she spent decades as a celebrated London landmark before structural deterioration and unsuccessful rescue campaigns ultimately led to her being towed to a scrapyard in July 2026.
