Allied Warships
HMS Enchantress (L 56 / U 56)
Sloop of the Bittern class
HMS Enchantress as seen during the war.Note that the HF/DF has been deleted by the censor.
Photo Courtesy of Graham White.
| Navy | The Royal Navy |
| Type | Sloop |
| Class | Bittern |
| Pennant | L 56 / U 56 |
| Built by | John Brown Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Ltd. (Clydebank, Scotland) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | 9 Mar, 1934 |
| Launched | 21 Dec, 1934 |
| Commissioned | 4 Apr, 1935 |
| End service | |
| Loss position | |
| History | When under construction she was to be named the Bittern however a decision was made to modify her by adding aft accomodation in place of 2x4.7 guns to serve as a Admiralty Yacht. She was renamed H.M.S. Enchantress before launch. The outbreak of war led to heavy modifications. Enchantress had her accomodation removed but she never shipped her aft 4.7\'s instead she was fitted with 2 x multiple machine guns (2x4) a vertical HF/DF mast in the X position a 12pdr A.A. gun in the Y position. Two 20mm A.A. guns added to the bridge wings and eventually 4 Hedgehog anti submarine spigot mortars! This meant for a small sloop the Enchantress had the A.A. Anti/Sub fire power of a much larger vessel. Sold in 1946 for £22,500 to the Three Star Shipping company she was refitted as The Lady Enchantress to \"Pullman\" standard. To pay off the huge debt incurred a good season Torquay to Guernsey was needed unfortunately she suffered a catastrophic boiler failure on an early run. She was laid up and eventually scrapped at Duston on Tyne starting on 16 February 1952. Commanding Officers: Cdr. Arthur Edward Tolfrey Christie, RN Lt.Cdr. Evelyn David John Abbot, DSC, RN T/A/Lt.Cdr. A.J. Clemence, RNR |
| Noteable events involving Enchantress include: 12 Jun, 1940 26 Jul, 1940 10 Oct, 1940 23 Nov, 1940 Enchantress also picks up 7 survivors from the Norwegian merchant Salonica that was also torpedoed and sunk by U-100 west of Ireland in position 55º16'N, 12º14'W. 3 Mar, 1941 13 Dec, 1942 |