HMS
Bittern ble sjøsatt i 1937, og ble levert til Royal Navy i mars
1938 som satte henne i tjeneste i 1st. Anti-Submarine Flotilla. Etter
at tyskerne invaderte Norge i April 1940, sendte Britene styrker for
å hjelpe i kampen mot tyskerne, og blandt de mange skipene som
ble sendt, var HMS Bittern en av dem. Men forsøkene på
å stoppe tyskernes fremmarsj i Trøndelag gikk ikke særlig
bra, og 28. April fikk General De Wiart ordre om å evakuere styrkene
ved Namsos. Under evakueringen ble HMS Bittern angrepet utenfor Namsos
30. April av tyske JU 87 Stuka bombefly. Bittern ble truffet i akterskipet,
som bokstavelig talt ble revet i fillebiter. Skadene var så store
etter angrepene at man måtte forlate skipet, og kort tid etter
ble hun senket av HMS Carlisle. Og her ble vraket liggende urørt
frem til 1996 da
HMS Bittern ble funnet på 150 meters dyp utenfor Namsos...
HMS Bittern was launched in 1937, and delivered
to Royal Navy in March 1938 who put her in service in 1st.
Anti-Submarine Flotilla. After the Germans invaded
Norway in April 1940, the British sent forces to help in the fight
against the Germans, and among the many ships that were sent,
HMS Bittern was one of them. But the attempts to stall the German
advance in Trøndelag didn't go very well, and 28. April
General
De Wiart was ordered to evacuate the forces at Namsos.
During the evacuation HMS Bittern was attacked outside Namsos
30. April by German JU 87 Stuka bombers. Bittern was hit in the
stern, that literarily was ripped apart. The damages were so grave
after the attacks that they had to abandon the ship, and shortly
after she was sunk by HMS
Carlisle. And here the wreck laid untouched until
1996 when HMS Bittern was found on a depth of 150 meters outside
Namsos...
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HMS Bittern |
L 07 |
Steel |
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| 1190 \ |
East Cowes ( UK ) 1937 |
( UK ) |
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Underwater picture: © Namsos Dykkerselskap
Shipyard: J.S. White & Co.
Complement 125
11 guns including 6 & 4" Anti-aircraft guns.
Cost £223.661 to build.
Commanded by Lt Cmd R H Mills RN.
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