Naval Escort Ship
Puzzle 8 of Sailing Hard Pack
Question is: Naval Escort Ship
and the answer is: CORVETTE
Word Meaning:
CORVETTE — (nautical, historical) A flush-decked warship of the 17th-18th centuries having a single tier of guns; it ranked next below a frigate; – called in the United States navy a sloop of war.
Definitions from Wiktionary.