Bittern-class sloop: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox Ship Class Overview

|Name=''Bittern'' class

|Builders=[[William Denny & Brothers]], [[Dumbarton]], [[United Kingdom]]<br>[[John Brown and Company|John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Limited]], [[River Clyde|Clyde]], UK<br>[[J. Samuel White|J S White & Company]], [[Cowes]], UK

|Operators=[[Royal Navy]]{{navy|UK}}

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

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

|Subclasses=

|Built range=

|In commission range=

|Total ships lost=One, HMS ''Bittern''1

|Total ships retired=Two2

}}

{{Infobox Ship Characteristics

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The '''''Bittern'' -class sloop''' was a three ship class of long-range escort vessels used in the [[Second World War]] by the [[Royal Navy]].

==Design==

TheyThe ''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)|HMS ''Enchantress'']]6}}, [[{{HMS |Bittern (|L07)|HMS ''Bittern'']] 6}} and [[{{HMS |Stork (|L81)|HMS ''Stork'']]6}}. HMS ''Enchantress'', originally built as HMS ''Bittern'' but renamed before being launched in 1934, was the first in the class, and was built as an armed [[Admiral]]'s yacht. ArmamentThe armament was 2two single 4.7 -inch guns forward and 4four 3 -pounder saluting guns. Anti -aircraft armament was installed at the outbreak of war, however the aft turret was originally replaced with accommodation and the armament was never replaced. The under-construction ''Enchantress'' was then renamed ''Bittern''.

They 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.

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

Three ships were built: [[HMS Enchantress (L56)|HMS ''Enchantress'']], [[HMS Bittern (L07)|HMS ''Bittern'']] and [[HMS Stork (L81)|HMS ''Stork'']]. HMS ''Enchantress'', originally built as HMS ''Bittern'' but renamed before being launched in 1934, was the first in the class, and was built as an armed [[Admiral]]'s yacht. Armament was 2 single 4.7 inch guns forward and 4 3 pounder saluting guns. Anti aircraft armament was installed at the outbreak of war, however the aft turret was originally replaced with accommodation and the armament was never replaced. The under-construction ''Enchantress'' was then renamed ''Bittern''.

==Ships Careersin class==

The design served as the basis for the [[Egret class sloop]] and the [[Black Swan class sloop]]

==Ships Careers==

{| class="wikitable" border="1"

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! Fate

|-

| [[{{HMS |Bittern (|L07)|HMS ''Bittern'']]2}}

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

| 14 July 1937

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

|-

| [[{{HMS |Enchantress (|L56)|HMS ''Enchantress'']]2}}

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

| 21 December 1934

|Sold 1946

|-

|[[{{HMS |Stork (|L81)|HMS ''Stork'']]2}}

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

|21 April 1936

|Broken up 1958

|}

==Service history==

HMS ''Stork'' was completed as an unarmed [[survey vessel]], and was only armed after the outbreak of war. The third ship in the class was launched as HMS ''Bittern'', and completed as designed, but was lost to air attacks in the [[Norwegian campaign]] in 1940. HMS ''Enchantress'' survived the war and was sold into civilian service in 1946, being renamed ''Lady Enchantress''. She was broken up in 1952. HMS ''Stork'' remained in service until being broken up in 1958.

==Notes==