[1] Snipe was originally planned to be built in the Royal Navy's 1940 Supplemental shipbuilding programme, by the Clydebank shipbuilder John Brown & Company, but this order was cancelled, and Snipe and sister ship Sparrow were re-ordered from William Denny and Brothers on 8 December 1942.

[4][5] She was allocated the Pennant number U20, which changed to F20 in 1947, when Snipe, like all other sloops in the Royal Navy, was redesignated as a frigate.

[11] Close-in anti-aircraft armament varied between the ships of the class, with Snipe completing with two twin and two single 40 mm Bofors guns.

[14] Two apparent attempts at sabotage were noted in September 1946, with powder being found on a thermometer pocket on one of the ship's turbines.

The ship was then transferred to Barry's Reserve Fleet Subdivision and placed on the destruction list for demolition by J Cashmore in Newport in Monmouth.