Enchantress was built to a modified standard as the Admiralty's yacht, carrying the First Lord and senior naval officers to exercises and meetings. Tradition barred an Admiralty yacht from lending its name to a class, so the vessels became the Bittern class. Enchantress also served as a mobile communications ship where Admiralty leaders could travel and hold sensitive discussions without depending on commercial liners. A secure naval vessel had practical value before routine long-distance air travel.
Notable Point · 6:25-7:56
Why the first ship did not give the class its name
Although Enchantress was the first member of the class, her conversion to an Admiralty yacht kept the class from bearing her name and gave it a distinctive peacetime role.