HMS Acanthus

HMS Acanthus was a Flower-class corvette of the Royal Navy.

Acanthus with a Norwegian flag
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Acanthus
Ordered	21 September 1939[1]
Builder	Ailsa Shipbuilding Company
Laid down	21 December 1939
Launched	26 May 1941
Identification	Pennant number: K01
Fate	Sold to Royal Norwegian Navy, 1947
General characteristics
Class & type	Flower-class corvette (original)
Displacement	925 long tons (940 t)
Length	205 ft (62.48 m)o/a
Beam	33 ft (10.06 m)
Draught	11.5 ft (3.51 m)
Propulsion	Single shaft 2 × fire tube Scotch boilers 1 × 4-cycle triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine 2,750 ihp (2,050 kW)
Speed	16 knots (29.6 km/h)
Range	3,500 nautical miles (6,482 km) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h)
Complement	85
Sensors & processing systems	1 × SW1C or 2C radar 1 × Type 123A or Type 127DV sonar
Armament	1 × BL 4-inch (101.6 mm) Mk.IX single gun 2 × .50 cal machine gun (twin) 2 × Lewis .303 cal machine gun (twin) 2 × Mk.II depth charge throwers 2 × Depth charge rails with 40 depth charges

Construction and design

Acanthus was one of ten Flower-class corvettes ordered on 21 September 1939, in the fourth of a series of orders. She was laid down at Ailsa Shipbuilding Company's Troon shipyard on 21 December 1939, was launched on 26 May 1941 and completed on 1 October 1941.^[2][3]

In 1942, the vessel was transferred to the Norwegian armed forces in exile and became the Norwegian ship HNoMS Andenes.