H .  M .  S .   B I T T E R N   ( L 0 7 )

 

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

 

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)