BITTERN-Class Sloop ordered
from JS White at Cowes, IoW on 26th May 1936 under the 1935
Programme and laid down on 27th August 1935. The ship was launched on
14th July 1937 by Lady Jean MacDonald as the
6th RN warship to carry the name, introduced in 1796,
and which had been intended to have been given to the first ship of this Class.
However that ship was to be used as the Admiralty yacht and the name was then
changed to ENCHANTRESS and this she was renamed. Build of this Sloop was
completed on 15th March 1938 and she carried out First of Class
trials before joining the 1st Anti-submarine
Flotilla in 1939.
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
BURMA 1853 - CHINA 1956-60 - ASHANTEE 1873-74
- ALEXANDRIA 1882 -
NORWAY 1940
H e r a l d i c D a t a
Badge: On a Field Green, a Bittern proper.
Mo t t o
Rostro vinco: 'I
conquer with my beak'
D e t a i
l s o f W a r
S e r v i c e
(for more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and type name in Site Search
1 9 3 9
August Deployed
as Senior Officer's ship 1st A/S Flotilla, Home Fleet
Took up War Station at Rosyth
September Deployed in
Rosyth Escort Force for AA defence of East Coast convoys.
October North Sea
for convoy defence and patrol in continuation.
to December
1 9 4 0
January North Sea
deployment in continuation.
to March
April
8th
Joined Home Fleet for AA defence of Fleet during support for military operations
in Norway.
(Operation RUPERT/R4).
14th
Deployed with HM Sloops BLACK SWAN, FLAMINGO and AUCKLAND for transport, of
personnel and equipment to Norway.
Embarked Royal Marines and supporting Army AA and searchlight detachments.
15th
Passage to Andalsnes with HMS BLACK SWAN (Operation PRIMROSE) .
17th Landed
PRIMROSE parties and then took 4in guns and crews to Alesund.
18th
Deployed at Namsos as AA Guardship with HM Cruiser CARLISLE.
25th
Deployed as AA Guardship at Andalsnes.
30th
Sustained direct hits during series of dive bombing attacks at Namsos.
Ship abandoned and survivors rescued by HM Destroyer JANUS which came alongside.
Sunk by torpedo from HM Destroyer JANUS since ship would have drifted into
shallow water
and
allowed
enemy to recover latest anti-submarine detection equipment.
(For details of the disastrous naval operations during the Norwegian campaign in
1940 see
Naval
Staff History (HMSO, 2001), NARVIK by D Macintyre, CARRIER GLORIOUS by J.
Winton, ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY by Corelli Barnett, and THE DOOMED
EXPEDITION by J Adams)
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS
BITTERN
by Don Kindell
These convoy lists have not been cross-checked with the text above
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Date convoy sailed
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Joined convoy as escort
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Convoy No.
|
Left convoy
|
Date convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
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20/10/39
|
20/10/39
|
FS 0024
|
22/10/39
|
22/10/39
|
30/10/39
|
30/10/39
|
FS 0029
|
01/11/39
|
01/11/39
|
05/11/39
|
05/11/39
|
FS 0032
|
07/11/39
|
07/11/39
|
15/11/39
|
15/11/39
|
FS 0037
|
17/11/39
|
17/11/39
|
02/12/39
|
02/12/39
|
FS 0047
|
03/12/39
|
03/12/39
|
03/12/39
|
03/12/39
|
FN 0048
|
04/12/39
|
04/12/39
|
07/12/39
|
07/12/39
|
FS 0051
|
08/12/39
|
08/12/39
|
13/12/39
|
13/12/39
|
FS 0054
|
14/12/39
|
14/12/39
|
25/12/39
|
25/12/39
|
FS 0059
|
27/12/39
|
27/12/39
|
28/12/39
|
28/12/39
|
FN 0060
|
29/12/39
|
29/12/39
|
11/01/40
|
11/01/40
|
FS 0069
|
12/01/40
|
12/01/40
|
15/01/40
|
15/01/40
|
FN 0072
|
18/01/40
|
18/01/40
|
18/01/40
|
18/01/40
|
FS 0076
|
20/01/40
|
20/01/40
|
21/01/40
|
21/01/40
|
FN 0077
|
23/01/40
|
23/01/40
|
24/01/40
|
24/01/40
|
FS 0080
|
26/01/40
|
26/01/40
|
29/01/40
|
29/01/40
|
FS 0083A
|
31/01/40
|
31/01/40
|
12/02/40
|
12/02/40
|
FS 0094
|
14/02/40
|
14/02/40
|
12/02/40
|
12/02/40
|
MT 009
|
12/02/40
|
12/02/40
|
15/02/40
|
15/02/40
|
FN 0095
|
17/02/40
|
17/02/40
|
|
|
|
|
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(Note on Convoys)