Bittern-class sloop: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|1934 class of British sloops-of-war}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}

{{Use British English|date=JanuaryJuly 20172025}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}

{{Infobox ship image

|Ship image=[[File:HMS Stork 1943 IWM FL 22540.jpg|300px]]

|Ship caption=HMS ''Stork'' in July 1943

}}

{{Infobox ship class overview

|Name=''Bittern'' class

|Builders=*[[William Denny & Brothers]], [[Dumbarton]], [[United Kingdom]]

* [[John Brown and Company|John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Limited]], [[River Clyde|Clyde]], UK

* [[J. Samuel White|J S White & Company]], [[Cowes]], UK

|Operators={{navy|UKUnited Kingdom}}

|Class before={{sclass-|Kingfisher|sloop|4}}

|Class after={{sclass-|Egret|sloop|4}}

|Subclasses=

|Built range=3

|In commission range=

|Total ships lost=1

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{{Infobox ship characteristics

|Hide header=

|Header caption=<ref name=Conway>Conway'sCampbell, p57p. 57</ref>

|Ship type=[[Sloop-of-war]]

|Ship displacement= 1190 Tons

|Ship length={{convert|266|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|Ship beam={{convert|37|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|Ship draught=

|Ship propulsion=*Geared [[steam turbines]] on two shafts

* 3,300 hp

|Ship speed={{convert|18.75|kn|km/h|adj=on}}

|Ship range=

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|Ship EW=

|Ship armament=*'''''Stork''''', '''''Bittern'''''

* Six [[QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun|{{convert|4|in|mm|singadj=on|sigfig=3}}]] AA guns (3 × 2)

* Four [[0.5 inch Vickers machine gun|{{convert|0.5|in|mm|adj=on}}]] AA guns (1 × 4)

* [[Depth charges]] 90

* '''''Enchantress'' (as designed):'''

* Four [[4.7 inch QF Mark IX & XII|4.7 inch]] guns (4 × 1)

* Four 0.5-inch AA guns (1 × 4)

* [[Depth chargescharge]]s 60

|Ship armour=

|Ship aircraft=

|Ship aircraft facilities=

|Ship notes=

}}

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The ''Bittern'' class were built as light, long-range escort ships with limited anti-air capability. They were fitted with Denny-Brown fin stabilisers and a [[HACS]] fire control system.

Three ships were built: {{HMS|Enchantress|L56|6}} (originally called ''Bittern'', but renamed before launching in 1934), {{HMS|Stork|L81|6}} and {{HMS|Bittern|L07|6}}. ''Enchantress'' was the first in the class, and was built as an armed [[Admiral]]'s yacht. The as-completed armament was two single 4.7-inch guns forward and four 3-pounder saluting guns. Anti-aircraft armament and a third, aft, 4.7-inch gun was installed at the outbreak of war, however the aft turret, originally replaced with accommodation, was never installed.

''Stork'' was unarmed on completion, but with provision for six 4-inch guns, plus [[anti-aircraft|AA]] and [[anti-submarine warfare|ASW]] weaponry; she served as a survey vessel in the Far East. Her main armament was added at the outbreak of war.

''Bittern'' completed as designed, with the same armament as ''Stork''<ref name=Conway/>

The design served as the basis for the {{sclass-|Egret|sloop|5}} and {{sclass-|Black Swan|sloop|1}}s.

==Ships in class==

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! Ship

! Builder

! Laid Down

! Launched

! Fate

|-

| {{HMS|Enchantress|L56|2}}

| [[John Brown and Company|John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Limited]], [[Clydebank]]

| 9 March 1934

| 21 December 1934

| Sold 1946

|-

| {{HMS|Stork|L81|2}}

| [[William Denny & Brothers]], [[Dumbarton]]

| 19 June 1935

| 21 April 1936

| Broken up 1958

|-

| {{HMS|Bittern|L07|2}}

| [[J. Samuel White|J S White & Company]], [[Cowes]]

| 27 August 1936

| 14 July 1937

| Sunk by bombing off Namsos, Norway, 30 April 1940

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==Service history==

''Enchantress'' served as convoy escort throughout the war, and was credited with the destruction of an Italian submarine. She survived the war and was sold into civilian service in 1946, being renamed ''Lady Enchantress''. She was broken up in 1952.

''Stork'' was completed as an unarmed [[survey vessel]], and was only armed after the outbreak of war. She also served as a convoy escort, and was senior ship in [[36th Escort Group (Royal Navy)|36th Escort Group]] under Cdr. [[Frederic John Walker|FJ Walker]]. She was credited with the destruction of four U-boats. ''Stork'' remained in service until being broken up in 1958.

The third ship in the class was launched as ''Bittern'', and completed as designed. She was involved in the [[Norwegian campaign]], but was lost to air attacks at [[Namsos (town)|Namsos]] in 1940.

==Notes==

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==References==

* {{cite book|first=D.David K. |last=Brown |title=''Nelson'' to ''Vanguard'' |date=2000 |publisher=Chatham Publishing}}

* {{cite book|editor-first=R |editor-last=Gardiner |editor-first2=R |editor-last2=Gray |title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 19221922–1946|editor1-1946last=Chesneau |editor1-first=Roger |publisher=Conway Maritime Press|___location=Greenwich, UK |dateyear=19851980 |isbn=0-85177-245146-57 |chapter=Great Britain (including Empire Forces)|author-first=N. J. M. |author-last=Campbell |pages=2–85}}

* {{cite book |lastlast1=HagueColledge |firstfirst1=ArnoldJ. J. |title=SloopsShips of the Royal Navy: AThe Complete HistoryRecord of theall 71Fighting SloopsShips Builtof inthe BritainRoyal and AustraliaNavy forfrom the British,15th AustralianCentury andto Indianthe NaviesPresent 1926–1946|yeardate=19932020 |publisher=WorldSeaforth ShipPublishing Society|___location=KendalBarnsley, EnglandUK |isbn=0978-9056171-675267-39327-0 |edition=5th revised and updated|first2=Ben|last2=Warlow|first3=Steve|last3=Bush|name-list-style=amp}}

* {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=British Destroyers & Frigates: The Second World War and After|year=2008|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|___location=Barnsley, UK|isbn=978-1-84832-015-4 |author-link=Norman Friedman}}

* {{cite book|last=Hague|first=Arnold|title=Sloops: A History of the 71 Sloops Built in Britain and Australia for the British, Australian and Indian Navies 1926–1946|year=1993|publisher=World Ship Society|___location=Kendal, UK|isbn=0-905617-67-3}}

* {{cite book|last=Lenton|first=H. T.|title=British & Empire Warships of the Second World War |publisher=Naval Institute Press|___location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1998 |isbn=1-55750-048-7 |author-link=Henry Trevor Lenton}}

* {{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two |publisher=Naval Institute Press|___location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=2005 |edition=Third Revised |isbn=1-59114-119-2|author-link=Jürgen Rohwer}}

==External links==

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{{Bittern class sloop}}

{{WWII British ships}}

{{WWIIBritishShips}}

[[Category:Bittern-class sloops| ]]

[[Category:Ship classes of the Royal Navy]]

[[Category:Sloops of the Royal Navy]]

[[Category:Bittern-class sloops| ]]

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