HMCS Bittersweet - piece

This piece written by Alison Dunn

HMCS Bittersweet was a that was commissioned in the Royal Navy but served primarily in the
Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. She was used mainly in the Battle of the
Atlantic as an ocean escort. She was named for flowering vines Solanum dulcamara and
Celastrus scandens.
Background
Flower-class corvettes like Bittersweet serving with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second
World War were different from earlier and more traditional sail-driven corvettes. The "corvette"
designation was created by the French for a class of small warships; the Royal Navy borrowed
the term for a period but discontinued its use in 1877. During the hurried preparations for war
in the late 1930s, Winston Churchill reactivated the corvette class, needing a name for smaller
ships used in an escort capacity, in this case based on a whaling ship design. The generic name
"flower" was used to designate the class of these ships, which – in the Royal Navy – were named
after flowering plants.
Construction
Bittersweet was ordered on 22 January 1940 for the Royal Navy in the 1939-1940 Flower-class
building program from Marine Industries Ltd. in Sorel, Quebec. She was laid down on 17 April
1940 and launched on 12 September 1940. She was commissioned on 23 January 1941 into the
Royal Navy. On 15 May 1941 she was one of ten Flower-class corvettes transferred to the Royal
Canadian Navy. She could be told apart from other Canadian Flowers by her lack of
minesweeping gear and the siting of the after gun tub amidships. Bittersweet had three refits in
her career. Her first one was at Charleston in December 1941 which lasted until February 1942.
Her second refit was at Baltimore in October to November 1943 where she had her fo'c'sle
extended. The last refit took place at Pictou, Nova Scotia and lasted until February 1945.
War service
Bittersweet, after commissioning, headed back to the United Kingdom, fitting out on the Tyne
and working up at Tobermory. On 15 May 1941 she was loaned to Canada and was assigned to
the Newfoundland Escort Force in June. She served as an ocean escort until December of that
year. In March 1942 after resuming her duties she joined several escort groups as part of Mid-
Ocean Escort Force and served with them until October 1943 before departing for another refit.
Her last ocean convoy escort duty took place in October 1944.
After another refit, Bittersweet resumed duties her duties briefly with Halifax Force before
transferring to Sydney Force. She remained with Sydney Force for the remainder of the war.
Newfoundland to Iceland
-
ON 4
11-18 Aug 1941
Iceland to Newfoundland
-
HX 148
7-10 Sept 1941
Newfoundland to Iceland
-
ON 21
5-11 Oct 1941
Iceland to Newfoundland
-
SC 50
19-31 Oct 1941
Newfoundland to Iceland
-
ON 32
6-14 Nov 1941
Iceland to Newfoundland
-
SC 56
24 Nov-6 Dec 1941
Newfoundland to Iceland
-
HX 178
3–6 March 1942
Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
-
ON 79
24 March-3 April 1942
Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
-
HX 185
MOEF group A3
18–26 April 1942
Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
-
ON 92
MOEF group A3
7–18 May 1942
Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
-
SC 85
MOEF group C4
31 May-2 June 1942
Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
-
ON 102
MOEF group A3
21–25 June 1942
Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
-
HX 196
MOEF group A3
2–10 July 1942
Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
-
ON 114
MOEF group A3
20–30 July 1942
Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
-
SC 95
MOEF group A3
8-18 Aug 1942
Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
-
ON 125
MOEF group A3
29 Aug-7 Sept 1942
Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
-
SC 100
MOEF group A3
16-28 Sept 1942
Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
-
ON 135
MOEF group A3
3-15 Oct 1942
Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
-
HX 212
MOEF group A3
5-14 Jan 1943
Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
-
ON 163
MOEF group C3
25 Jan-6 Feb 1943
Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
-
HX 226
MOEF group C3
14-23 Feb 1943
Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
-
ON 172
MOEF group C3
10–21 March 1943
Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
-
SC 124
MOEF group C3
28 March-8 April 1943
Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
-
ON 180
MOEF group C3
25 April-7 May 1943
Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
-
HX 238
MOEF group C3
13–21 May 1943
Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
-
ON 187
2–10 June 1943
Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
-
HX 244
20–29 June 1943
Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
-
ON 192
10–18 July 1943
Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
-
HX 249
29 July-5 Aug 1943
Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
-
ONS 16
21-29 Aug 1943
Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
-
SC 150
3-14 Jan 1944
Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
-
ONS 32
22 Jan-11 Feb 1944
Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
-
HX 279
17-28 Feb 1944
Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
-
ON 227
9–17 March 1944
Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
-
HX 284
26 March-5 April 1944
Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
-
ON 232
14–23 April 1944
Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
-
HX 289
3–13 May 1944
Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
-
ON 237
20–29 May 1944
Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
-
HX 294
9–19 June 1944
Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
-
ON 242
25 June-5 July 1944
Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
-
HX 299
16–23 July 1944
Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
-
ON 247
3-10 Aug 1944
Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
-
HX 304
23 Aug-1 Sept 1944
Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
-
ON 253
14-25 Sept 1944
Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
-
HX 311
3-12 Oct 1944
Newfoundland to Northern Ireland
-
ON 262
26 Oct-7 Nov 1944
Northern Ireland to Newfoundland
-
ON 298
WLEF
3–5 May 1945
Newfoundland to Halifax
-
ON 299
WLEF
9–10 May 1945
Newfoundland to Halifax
-
ON 300
WLEF
14–15 May 1945
Newfoundland to Halifax
}
Post-war service
Bittersweet was returned to the Royal Navy on 22 June 1945 at Aberdeen, Scotland. She was
broken up at Rosyth in 1950.
References