| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Sloop |
| Class | Bittern |
| Pennant | L 07 |
| Built by | J.S. White & Co. (Cowes, U.K.) |
| Ordered | 26 May 1936 |
| Laid down | 27 Aug 1936 |
| Launched | 14 Jul 1937 |
| Commissioned | 15 Mar 1938 |
| Lost | 30 Apr 1940 |
| Loss position | 64° 28'N, 11° 30'E |
| History | HMS Bittern (Lt.Cdr. Robert Henry Mills, RN) was sunk by German bombers off Namsos, Norway in position 64º28'N, 11º30'E. |
Commands listed for HMS Bittern (L 07)
Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | Cdr. George Frederick Stevens-Guille, OBE, RN | 3 Jan 1939 | 28 Nov 1939 |
| 2 | Lt.Cdr. Robert Henry Mills, RN | 28 Nov 1939 | 30 Apr 1940 |
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Notable events involving Bittern include:
9 Sep 1939
HMS Oberon (Lt.Cdr. H.C. Cumberbatch, RN) departed Portsmouth for Dundee. She was escorted until around 1900 hours by HMS Skate (Lt.Cdr. A.O. Johnson, RN).
During the night of 9/10 September 1939 HMS Oberon was in company with HMS Bittern (Cdr. G.F. Stevens-Guille, OBE, RN) and HMS Enchantress (Cdr. A.K. Scott-Moncrieff, RN).
Around 0930/10, HMS Oberon, took station astern of a convoy until 1600 hours when she joined HMS Matabele (Cdr. G.K. Whitmy-Smith, RN) which remained with Oberon until she was off Dundee on the 13th. (1)
19 Sep 1939
HMS Bittern (Cdr. G.F. Stevens-Guille, OBE, RN) is docked in the floating dock at the Rosyth Dockyard. (2)
21 Sep 1939
HMS Bittern (Cdr. G.F. Stevens-Guille, OBE, RN) is undocked. (2)
20 Oct 1939
Convoy FS 24.
This convoy departed Methil on 20 September 1939 and arrived at Southend on 22 September 1939.
The convoy was made up of 31 ships but not all names of the ships in the convoy are currently known. At least the following ships were part of the convoy; Benlawers (British, 5943 GRT, built 1930), British Valour (British (tanker), 6952 GRT, built 1927), Corland (British, 3431 GRT, built 1917), Fulham V (British, 1584 GRT, built 1939), Hornchurch (British, 2162 GRT, built 1919), Inver (British, 1543 GRT, built 1919), Lolworth (British, 1969 GRT, built 1920), Maja (British, 8181 GRT, built 1931), Monarch (British, 1150 GRT, built 1916), Perth (British, 2259 GRT, built 1915), Scottish Musician (British, 6998 GRT, built 1922), Sheaf Field (British, 2719 GRT, built 1923) and Sherwood (British, 1530 GRT, built 1924).
The convoy was escorted by the destroyers HMS Broke (Cdr. B.G. Scurfield, RN), HMS Juno (Cdr. W.E. Wilson, RN) and the sloop HMS Bittern (Cdr. G.F. Stevens-Guille, OBE, RN).
The convoy arrived off Southend on 22 October. The escorts went to Harwich also arriving there on 22 October.
24 Oct 1939
Convoy FN 25.
This convoy departed Southend on 22 September 1939 and arrived at Methil on 24 September 1939.
The convoy was made up of 21 ships but not all names of the ships in the convoy are currently known. At least the following ships were part of the convoy; Baltrover (British, 4916 GRT, built 1913), City of Paris (British, 10902 GRT, built 1922), Helena Margareta (British, 3316 GRT, built 1915), Kioto (British, 3297 GRT, built 1918) and Ross (British, 4878 GRT, built 1936).
The convoy was escorted by the destroyers HMS Broke (Cdr. B.G. Scurfield, RN), HMS Juno (Cdr. W.E. Wilson, RN) and the sloop HMS Bittern (Cdr. G.F. Stevens-Guille, OBE, RN).
The convoy arrived at Methil on the 24th. The escorts then went to Rosyth arrived there also on the 24th.
11 Nov 1939
HMS Bittern (Cdr. G.F. Stevens-Guille, OBE, RN) is docked in the floating dock at the Rosyth Dockyard. She is undocked later the same day. (2)
Sources
- ADM 173/15802
- Rosyth Dockyard docking register
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.