Acheron-class destroyer

Class of twenty-three destroyers of the British Royal Navy, completed between 1911 and 1912 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Acheron-class destroyer

The Acheron class (renamed the I class in October 1913) was a class of twenty-three destroyers of the British Royal Navy, all built under the 1910–11 Programme and completed between 1911 and 1912, which served during the First World War. There was considerable variation between the design and construction of ships within this class, which should be considered as more of a post-build grouping than a homogeneous class.[Note 1]

Quick Facts Class overview, General characteristics ...
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HMS Acheron
Class overview
NameAcheron-class destroyer
Builders
Operators Royal Navy
Preceded byAcorn class
Succeeded byAcasta class
Built1911–1912
In commission1911–1922
Completed23
Lost3
General characteristics
Displacement750 to 790 tons
Length246 ft (75.0 m) to 252 ft (76.8 m)
Beam26 ft (7.9 m) to 26 ft 9 in (8.15 m)
Draught8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) to 9 ft (2.7 m)
Installed power
  • Standard I-class:
  • 13,500 shp (10,067 kW)
  • Acheron, Ariel:
  • 15,500 shp (11,558 kW)
  • Lurcher, Oak, Firedrake:
  • 20,000 shp (14,914 kW)
Propulsion
  • Standard I-class:
  • 3 × Parsons steam turbines
  • 3 × Yarrow-type oil-fired boilers
  • 3 × shafts
  • Ferret, Forester:
  • 3 × Parsons steam turbines
  • 3 × White-Forster oil-fired boilers
  • 3 × shafts
  • Hind, Hornet, Hydra:
  • 2 × Brown-Curtis turbines
  • 2 × Yarrow-type oil-fired boilers
  • 2 × Shafts
  • Oak, Lurcher, Firedrake:[1]
  • 2 × Parsons turbines
  • 3 × Yarrow oil-fired boilers
  • 2 × shafts
Speed27 kn (50 km/h; 31 mph) – 35 kn (64.8 km/h; 40.3 mph)
Armament
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Design

Originally, 20 ships, including Acheron, were ordered but three more were completed by Yarrow & Company. The Acherons were generally repeats of the preceding Acorn- or H-class, although Acheron and five others were builders' specials. They differed from the Acorns in having only two funnels, both of which were short, the foremost being thicker than the after stack. The 12-pounder guns were mounted slightly further forward than in the Acorns.

Variation within the class

Summarize
Perspective

Fourteen of the class were completed to an Admiralty standard design, although those built by John Brown and Company at Clydebank (Hind, Hornet and Hydra) had Brown-Curtis type turbines and only two shafts. Archer and Attack used steam at higher pressures and Badger and Beaver were completed with geared steam turbines for evaluation purposes, achieving speeds of 30.7 kn (56.9 km/h; 35.3 mph) in trials.[2]

Thornycroft specials

Acheron and Ariel were longer (253 ft (77 m)), had higher power (15,500 shp) and were faster, achieving 29.4 kn (54.4 km/h; 33.8 mph) in trials.[2]

Yarrow specials (or "special I class")

Sir Alfred Yarrow maintained that it was possible to build strong, seaworthy destroyers with a speed of 32 kn (59 km/h; 37 mph), and eventually a contract for three such boats was placed with the firm. They were a little larger than the rest of the class and developed 20,000 shp (15,000 kW), but carried the same armament. Like the John Brown-built boats Hind, Hydra and Hornet, they had only 2 shafts, with steam developed in 2 Yarrow-type water-tube boilers and delivered to 2 Parsons turbines.[1] Firedrake, Lurcher and Oak were distinctive in appearance and indeed much faster. They all exceeded their contract speed, Lurcher making over 35 kn (65 km/h; 40 mph).

Conversion to minelayers

Ferret, Sandfly and Ariel were converted into fast minelaying destroyers in 1917, serving with the 20th Flotilla. They were each capable of laying 40 mines.[3]

Evaluation

This class of torpedo boat destroyers (TBDs, or colloquially, "boats") handled well and were excellent sea boats; like similar classes of TBDs of the time, they had open bridges but were much drier at sea than was the norm.

Ships

Builders' I class

More information Name, Ship Builder ...
NameShip BuilderLaunchedFate
AcheronJohn I. Thornycroft & Company, Woolston27 June 1911Sold 9 May 1921[4]
ArcherYarrow & Company, Scotstoun, Glasgow21 October 1911Sold 9 May 1921[4]
ArielJohn I. Thornycroft & Company, Woolston26 September 1911Converted to fast minelayer in 1917. Mined while minelaying in North Sea 2 August 1918[5]
AttackYarrow & Company, Scotstoun, Glasgow12 December 1911Torpedoed or mined by German U-boat UC-34 off Alexandria 30 December 1917.[6]
BadgerWilliam Denny & Brothers,[7] Dumbarton11 July 1911Sold 9 May 1921[4]
BeaverWilliam Denny & Brothers,[7] Dumbarton6 October 1911Sold May 1921
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Admiralty I class

More information Name, Ship Builder ...
NameShip BuilderLaunchedFate
DefenderWilliam Denny & Brothers, Dumbarton30 August 1911Sold 4 November 1921[4]
DruidWilliam Denny & Brothers, Dumbarton4 December 1911[7]Sold 9 May 1921[4]
FerretJ. Samuel White & Company, Cowes12 April 1911[7]Converted to fast minelayer in 1917. Sold May 1921[7]
ForesterJ. Samuel White & Company, Cowes1 June 1911[7]Sold November 1921[7]
GoshawkWilliam Beardmore & Company, Dalmuir18 October 1911[7]Sold November 1921[7]
HindJohn Brown & Company, Clydebank28 July 1911[7]Sold 9 May 1921[7]
HornetJohn Brown & Company, Clydebank20 December 1911[7]Sold 9 May 1921[7]
HydraJohn Brown & Company, Clydebank19 February 1912[7]Sold 9 May 1921[4]
JackalR. W. Hawthorn Leslie & Company, Hebburn9 September 1911[7]Sold September 1920[7]
LapwingCammell Laird & Company, Birkenhead29 July 1911[7]Sold October 1921[7]
LizardCammell Laird & Company, Birkenhead10 October 1911[7]Sold 4 November 1921[8]
PhoenixVickers, Barrow-in-Furness9 October 1911Torpedoed by the Austro-Hungarian submarine U-27 in the Adriatic Sea on 14 May 1918[9]
SandflySwan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend26 July 1911[7]Converted to fast minelayer in 1917. Sold May 1921[7]
TigressR. W. Hawthorn Leslie & Company, Hebburn20 December 1911[7]Sold 9 May 1921[4]
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Yarrow Specials (or "Special I class")

More information Name, Ship Builder ...
NameShip BuilderLaunchedFate
FiredrakeYarrow & Company, Scotstoun, Glasgow9 April 1912Sold 10 October 1922
LurcherYarrow & Company, Scotstoun, Glasgow1 June 1912Sold 9 June 1922
OakYarrow & Company, Scotstoun, Glasgow5 September 1912Sold May 1921[8][4]
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Notes

  1. No class of ships were called J class.

References

Bibliography

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