Acorn class destroyer

For the World War II H-class Destroyers, see H class destroyer (1937)

The Acorn class (officially redesignated the H class in 1913) 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.

After the coal-burning Beagle or G class of 1909, the Acorns marked a return to oil-firing as pioneered in the Tribal or F class of 1905 and HMS Swift of 1907. This change allowed a generally smaller vessel than the Beagles even with an increase in armament.

The Acorns were, as with previous classes, built to designs by their individual builders, but had a more-or-less uniform appearance, with three funnels, a tall, thin fore funnel, a short, thick central and a short narrow after stack. They had two 4-inch guns on the fo'c'sle - which was higher than that of the Beagles, negating the need for a raised bandstand - and on the quarterdeck. The 12-pounder guns were amidships, on sided between the first pair of funnels, and the torpedo tubes were aft of the funnels, mounted singly with a searchlight position between them.

Three ships were lost in wartime service.

Ships

• HMS Acorn — built by John Brown and Company, Clydebank, launched 1 July 1910, sold for breaking up 29 November 1921.
• HMS Alarm — built by John Brown and Company, Clydebank, launched 29 August 1910, sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
• HMS Brisk — built by John Brown and Company, Clydebank, launched 20 September 1910, sold for breaking up 15 November 1921.
• HMS Cameleon — built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Govan, launched 2 June 1910, sold for breaking up 15 November 1921.
• HMS Comet — built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Govan, launched 23 June 1910, torpedoed and sunk by Austrian U-boat in the Mediterranean 6 August 1918.
• HMS Goldfinch — built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, Govan, launched 12 July 1910, wrecked in fog on Start Point, Sanday, Orkney on the night of 18-19 February 1915.
• HMS Fury — built by A. & J. Inglis, Pointhouse, Glasgow, launched 25 April 1911, sold for breaking up 4 November 1921.
• HMS Hope — built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend, launched 6 September 1910, sold for breaking up February 1920 at Malta.
• HMS Larne — built by John I. Thornycroft & Company, Woolston, launched 23 August 1910, sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
• HMS Lyra — built by John I. Thornycroft & Company, Woolston, launched 4 October 1910, sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
• HMS Martin — built by John I. Thornycroft & Company, Woolston, launched 15 December 1910, sold for breaking up 21 August 1920 at Malta.
• HMS Minstrel — built by John I. Thornycroft & Company, Woolston, launched 2 February 1911, loaned to Imperial Japanese Navy from June 1917 to 1918 as Sendan, sold for breaking up 1 December 1921.
• HMS Nemesis — built by R. W. Hawthorn Leslie & Company, Hebburn, launched 9 August 1910, loaned to Imperial Japanese Navy from June 1917 to 1918 as Kanran, sold for breaking up 26 November 1921.
• HMS Nereide — built by R. W. Hawthorn Leslie & Company, Hebburn, launched 6 September 1910, sold for breaking up 1 December 1921.
• HMS Nymphe — built by R. W. Hawthorn Leslie & Company, Hebburn, launched 31 January 1911, sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
• HMS Redpole — built by J. Samuel White & Company, Cowes, launched 24 June 1910, sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
• HMS Rifleman — built by J. Samuel White & Company, Cowes, launched 22 August 1910, sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
• HMS Ruby — built by J. Samuel White & Company, Cowes, launched 4 November 1910, sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
• HMS Sheldrake — built by William Denny & Brothers, Dumbarton, launched 18 January 1911, sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
• HMS Staunch — built by William Denny & Brothers, Dumbarton, launched 29 October 1910, torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat UC.38 off Gaza, Palestine 11 November 1917.

Bibliography

• Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893-1981, Maurice Cocker, 1983, Ian Allan ISBN 0-7110-1075-7

References