![]() HMS Shark, lost at the Battle of Jutland | |
Class overview | |
---|---|
Name | Acasta class |
Operators | |
Preceded by | Acheronclass |
Succeeded by | L class |
Built | 1912–1913 |
In commission | 1912–1923 |
Completed | 20 |
Lost | 7 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Torpedo boat destroyer |
Displacement | 934 to 984 tons |
Length | 267 ft 6 in (81.53 m) to 252 ft (76.8 m) |
Beam | 26 ft 6 in (8.08 m) to 26 ft 9 in (8.15 m) |
Draught | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) to 9 ft (2.7 m) |
Installed power | 24,500 hp (18,270 kW) |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 29 kn (53.7 km/h) - 32 kn (59.3 km/h) [1] |
Complement | 75 - 77 |
Armament |
|
The Acasta class (in September 1913 re-designated the K class) was a class of twenty destroyers built for the Royal Navy under the Naval Programme of 1911 - 1912 that saw service during World War I. They were the last class of Royal Navy destroyers to have mixed names with no systematic theme (see naming conventions for destroyers of the Royal Navy for more information.) When the class was designated as "K", names beginning with that letter were allocated to the ships but never used. [Note 1] [4] The class saw extensive wartime service and seven were lost, including four at the Battle of Jutland.
The Acastas were larger and heavier armed than the preceding H and I classes ( Acorn and Acheron, respectively), displacing about 25% more and with the mixed calibre armament replaced with a uniform fit of QF 4-inch guns, which the Acastas introduced. Previous 4-inch (102 mm) weapons had been of the breech-loading (BL) type. The 4-in guns were shipped one on the forecastle and one at the stern, as in the Acheron class, while the third was variously sited on the centreline between the two torpedo tubes or abaft both. [5] All ships had three funnels, the foremost being tall and narrow, the second short and wide and the third level with the second but narrower. The foremost torpedo tube was sited between the second and third funnels, a distinctive feature of this class.
There were twelve 'standard' vessels built to a common Admiralty design, [1] and eight builders' specials that (except for Garland) had a shorter, less beamy hull; five of the latter were from Thornycroft with 22,500 shp (16,800 kW) (one of Thornycroft's ships, Hardy, was planned to diesel cruising motors, but these were not ready in time and Hardy was completed with Thornycroft's standard machinery). [6] One by Parsons (Garland) had semi-geared turbines [7] giving a speed of 31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph) on trials, with a seventh from Fairfields had a clipper bow. The eighth 'special' was Ardent by William Denny, Dumbarton, which was built using longitudinal framing rather than conventional transverse framing. While Ardent's novel construction seems to have been a success, no more destroyers were built for the Royal Navy using longitudinal framing until the J-class destroyers in the 1930s. [7] [8]
At the outbreak of World War I until mid-1916, the Acastas were serving in the Grand Fleet as the 4th Destroyer Flotilla, with Swift as leader. By the time of the Battle of Jutland the leader was the Faulknor-classflotilla leader Tipperary, with Ardent, Fortune, Shark and Sparrowhawk lost in the course of the battle [9] and Acasta was so badly damaged that she had to be practically rebuilt. After Jutland the remainder of the flotilla moved to the Humber and then to Portsmouth by the end of 1916, before dispersing, some ships to the 6th Destroyer Flotilla and the Dover Patrol and the remainder to Devonport. All survivors of the war were sold out of service for scrapping by 1921.
Name | Ship Builder [10] | Laid down [10] | Launched [10] | Completed [10] | Fate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Acasta | John Brown & Co., Clydebank | 1 December 1911 | 10 September 1912 | November 1912 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. [11] |
Achates | John Brown | 15 January 1912 | 14 November 1912 | March 1913 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. [11] |
Ambuscade | John Brown | 7 March 1912 | 25 January 1913 | June 1913 | Sold for breaking up 6 September 1921. [11] |
Christopher | Hawthorn Leslie & Co., Newcastle | 16 October 1911 | 29 August 1912 | November 1912 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. [11] |
Cockatrice | Hawthorn Leslie | 23 October 1911 | 8 November 1912 | March 1913 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. [11] |
Contest | Hawthorn Leslie | 26 December 1911 | 7 January 1913 | June 1913 | Torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat in the Western Approaches 18 September 1917. [12] |
Lynx | Harland & Wolff, Govan | 18 January 1912 | 20 March 1913 | January 1914 | Mined and sunk in Moray Firth by mine laid from German raider Meteor 9 August 1915. [12] |
Midge | Harland & Wolff, Govan | 1 April 1912 | 22 May 1913 | March 1913 | Sold for breaking up 5 November 1921. [11] |
Owl | Harland & Wolff, Govan | 1 April 1913 | 7 May 1913 | April 1914 | Sold for breaking up 5 November 1921. [11] |
Shark | Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend | 18 October 1911 | 30 July 1912 | 3 April 1913 | Disabled by gunfire and torpedoed and sunk at Battle of Jutland 31 May 1916. [12] |
Sparrowhawk | Swan, Hunter | 25 October 1911 | 12 October 1912 | 2 May 1913 | Collided with HMS Broke at Battle of Jutland and torpedoed by HMS Marksman 1 June 1916. [12] |
Spitfire | Swan, Hunter | 20 December 1911 | 23 December 1912 | 19 June 1913 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. [11] |
Name | Ship Builder [10] | Laid down [10] | Launched [10] | Completed [10] | Fate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ardent | William Denny & Br., Dumbarton | 9 October 1912 | 8 September 1913 | February 1914 | Sunk by secondary gunfire from German dreadnought SMS Westfalen at Battle of Jutland 1 June 1916. [12] |
Fortune | Fairfield, Govan | 24 June 1912 | 17 May 1913 | December 1913 | Sunk by secondary gunfire from German dreadnought SMS Westfalen at Battle of Jutland on night of 31 May / 1 June 1916. [12] |
Garland | Parsons Turbine, Wallsend (hull sub-contracted to Cammell Laird, Birkenhead) | 15 July 1912 | 23 April 1913 | December 1913 | Sold for breaking up 6 September 1921. [11] |
Hardy | Thornycroft, Woolston | 13 November 1911 | 10 October 1913 | September 1913 | Sold for breaking up 9 May 1921. [11] |
Paragon | Thornycroft | 14 March 1912 | 21 February 1913 | December 1913 | Torpedoed and sunk by German destroyer in action in the Straits of Dover 18 March 1917. [12] |
Porpoise | Thornycroft | 14 March 1912 | 21 July 1913 | January 1914 | Sold 23 February 1920 back to Thornycroft for resale to Brazil; became Brazilian Alexandrino Deaenca, later Maranhao. [11] |
Unity | Thornycroft | 1 April 1912 | 18 September 1913 | March 1914 | Sold for breaking up 25 October 1922. [11] |
Victor | Thornycroft | 1 April 1912 | 28 November 1913 | June 1914 | Sold for breaking up 20 January 1923. [11] |
HMS Lydiard was a Laforey-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the 1910s.
HMS Ambuscade was an Acasta-class destroyer of the Royal Navy and was launched in 1913. She served throughout the First World War, forming part of the Grand Fleet and taking part at the Battle of Jutland, serving in the Dover Patrol and spending the latter part of the war as a convoy escort. She was sold for scrapping in 1921.
The Laforey class was a class of 22 torpedo boat destroyers of the Royal Navy, twenty of which were built under the Naval Programme of 1912–13 and a further two under the 2nd War Emergency Programme of 1914. As such they were the penultimate pre-war British destroyer design. All served during World War I during which three were lost; the survivors were all scrapped in 1921-23.
The Faulknor class were a class of flotilla leaders that were under construction in the United Kingdom for the Chilean Navy at the outbreak of World War I. Six ships were ordered by Chile, of which the first two were delivered to Chile before the outbreak of the war. The remaining four ships were purchased by the British, taken over and completed for the Royal Navy for wartime service. In common with Royal Navy convention, they were named after famous Royal Navy captains of the past, in this case the members of the Faulknor family.
The Acorn class was a class of twenty destroyers of the Royal Navy all built under the 1909-1910 Programme, and completed between 1910 and 1911. The Acorns served during World War I.
HMS Shark, was an Acasta-class destroyer built in 1912 for the Royal Navy. Shark was sunk during the Battle of Jutland on the evening of 31 May 1916.
HMS Ardent was one of 20 Acasta-class destroyers built for the Royal Navy in the 1910s. Completed in 1914 she saw active service in the First World War, and was sunk at the Battle of Jutland in 1916.
HMS Fortune was an Acasta-class destroyer, and the twenty-first ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name. She was launched in 1913 and was sunk at the Battle of Jutland in 1916.
HMS Tipperary, launched on 5 March 1915, was Royal Navy Faulknor-class destroyer which was sunk in action on 1 June 1916 by the Imperial German Navy at the Battle of Jutland in World War I.
HMS Ophelia was an Admiralty M-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the First World War, entering service in 1916. The ship served at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May/1 June 1916, and sank a German submarine in 1918. She was sold for scrap in 1921.
HMS Owl was an Acasta-class destroyer of the Royal Navy, launched in 1913. The destroyer was part of the Grand Fleet during the First World War and took part in the Battle of Jutland. Owl survived the war and was sold for scrap in 1921.
HMS Lynx was one of 20 Acasta-class destroyers built for the Royal Navy in the 1910s. Completed in 1914 she saw active service in the First World War.
HMS Hardy was a Royal Navy ship that was one of 20 Acasta-class destroyers. Serving during the First World War, she was part of the Grand Fleet at the Battle of Jutland. Hardy was built by John I. Thornycroft & Company and laid down on 13 November 1911. The ship was launched on 10 October 1912 and completed on 1 September 1913. She was the 6th vessel of the Royal Navy to bear the name Hardy and the third to receive battle honours.
HMS Cockatrice was an Acasta-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy. She was built by Hawthorn Leslie and Company, launching in 1912 and served throughout the First World War. She was sold for scrap in 1921.
HMS Rosalind was an R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. The ship was launched by Thornycroft on 14 October 1916 as the first of five similar ships, and served as part of the Grand Fleet during World War I. The design was used as the basis for the subsequent five ships of the S-class also built by the yard. Rosalind served in an escort role in the Grand Fleet until it was disbanded at the end of the War and was sold to be scrapped on 21 April 1928.
HMS Christopher was an Acasta-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy. She was built by Hawthorn Leslie in 1911–1912. She served throughout the First World War, forming part of the Grand Fleet until 1916 and taking part in the Battle of Jutland. Later in the war she served in the English Channel to protect merchant shipping against attacks by German U-boats. Christopher was sold for scrap in May 1921.
HMS Rapid was a destroyer of the M class which served with the Royal Navy. Launched by Thornycroft on 15 July 1916 as the first of six similar ships, the destroyer served as part of the Grand Fleet during World War I. The design was used as the basis for the subsequent five ships of the R-class also built by the yard. Rapid served in escort and patrol roles, principally providing defence from submarines as part of the Grand Fleet until it was disbanded at the end of the War. After the end of hostilities, the vessel served in minor roles, including briefly as part of the Admiralty Compass Department, but was sold to be scrapped on 20 April 1927.
HMS Achates was an Acasta -class destroyer of the British Royal Navy. She was built by the Scottish shipbuilder John Brown and was built between 1912 and 1913. Like all Acasta-class destroyers, Achates was armed with three 4-inch (102 mm) guns and two torpedo tubes, with a specified speed of 29 knots.
HMS Laurel was a Laforey-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. Launched on 6 May 1913 as HMS Redgauntlet, the ship was renamed on 30 September under an Admiralty order to become one of the first alphabetical class destroyers. On commissioning, the vessel joined the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla and operated as part of the Harwich Force during the First World War. During Battle of Heligoland Bight, Laurel led a flotilla that pursued German torpedo boats, engaging with G194 and G196, and was damaged in action with the cruiser Mainz. The vessel also played a minor role in the Battles of Dogger Bank, Dover Strait and Jutland. With the cessation of hostilities, the ship was placed in reserve and scrapped on 1 November 1921.
HMS Linnet was a Laforey-class destroyer that served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. Launched on 16 August 1913 as HMS Havock, the ship was renamed on 30 September under an Admiralty order to become one of the first destroyers in a class named alphabetically. This convention subsequently became the norm. On commissioning, the vessel joined the Third Destroyer Flotilla and operated as part of the Harwich Force. The destroyer was first commanded by Commander Loftus Jones who named his daughter Linnette after the ship. During the War, the destroyer took part in the Battle of Heligoland Bight in 1914, and escorted minelayers on missions to lay mines. It was during one the latter missions that the ship was nearly hit by a gun hurled from the stricken minelayer Amphion. With the cessation of hostilities, the ship was placed in reserve and sold to be broken up on 4 November 1921.
![]() | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Acasta class destroyer . |