Ships Cover for shallow-draught river gunboats. Four distinct groups are represented; the cancelled vessels of the 1911/12 and 1913/14 programmes, the 'large China gunboats' of the Insect class, and the 'small China gunboats' of the Fly class. In addition, there is some paperwork relating to the shallow-draught mobile repair shop HMS Scotstoun (1915). The named vessels which comprise the latter two gunboat classes were HMS Aphis (1915), HMS Bee (1915), HMS Blackfly (1916), HMS Butterfly (1915), HMS Caddisfly (1916), HMS Cicala (1915), HMS Cockchafer (1915), HMS Cranefly (1915), HMS Cricket (1915), HMS Dragonfly (1915), HMS Firefly (1915), HMS Gadfly (1915), HMS Glowworm (1915), HMS Gnat (1916), HMS Grayfly (1915), HMS Greenfly (1915), HMS Hoverfly (1916), HMS Ladybird (1915), HMS Mantis (1916), HMS Mayfly (1915), HMS Moth (1916), HMS Sawfly (1915), HMS Scarab (1915), HMS Sedgefly (1916), HMS Snakefly (1915), HMS Stonefly (1915), HMS Tarantula (1915) and HMS Waterfly (1915). The documentation mainly relates to the Insect and Fly classes and comprises details of fittings, justifications for the maintenance of a strong force of gunboats on the China Station (pre-War), alterations made to the designs prior to and after construction, records of discussions relating to vessel design specifications, as well as finalised versions, schemes of complement, details of armament and ammunition allowance, details of tenders and correspondence with the contractors, reports of preliminary trials and also reports of vessel performance on station. Of particular interest is a large set of reports relating to the assembly and deployments of the gunboats sent to the Middle East during the First World War. The earliest papers in the Cover date from November 1907, and the last from October 1924.