At 1,190 tons standard displacement, the Bittern class combined full naval construction with adaptable armament. Arnold Hague's Sloops is a useful source for these specifications, although its organization can make individual details difficult to locate. HMS Bittern was completed with three twin four-inch high-angle mountings and a quadruple half-inch machine-gun mounting before she was lost in the Norwegian campaign. HMS Stork returned from Malaya shortly before the war and was converted into an anti-aircraft sloop within ten days of war being declared. She then escorted convoys, survived a torpedo from U-77, and later sank U-634. Stork also supported the Normandy campaign and was preparing for Pacific service when the war ended.
Notable Point · 10:25-14:00
The Bittern class as a multi-role sloop
HMS Bittern and HMS Stork show how a 1,190-ton sloop could combine high-angle guns with anti-aircraft and convoy-escort work.