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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)
