Acasta class destroyer

The "Acasta" (in September 1913 redesignated 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.) The class saw extensive wartime service and seven were lost, including four at the Battle of Jutland.

Design

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 weapons had been of the breech-loading (BL) type. The guns were shipped one each on the forecastle and either side abreast the after torpedo tube (or amidships before and after the tube in some ships.) 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, and eight builder's specials that (except for "Garland") had a shorter, less beamy hull; five of the latter were from Thornycroft with 22,500 shp, one by Parsons that made 31 knots on trials, a seventh from Fairfields, and an eight by William Denny, Dumbarton.

ervice

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 Jutland the leader was the "Faulknor" class leader "Tipperary", with "Ardent", "Fortune", "Shark" and "Sparrowhawk" lost in the course of the battle 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.

hips

Admiralty K class

* "Acasta" — built by John Brown and Company, Clydebank, launched 10 September 1912, sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
* "Achates" — built by John Brown and Company, Clydebank, launched 14 November 1912, sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
* "Ambuscade" — built by John Brown and Company, Clydebank, launched 25 January 1913, sold for breaking up 6 September 1921.
* "Christopher" — built by Hawthorn Leslie & Company, Newcastle upon Tyne, launched 29 August 1912, sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
* "Cockatrice" — built by Hawthorn Leslie & Company, Newcastle upon Tyne, launched 8 November 1912, sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
* "Contest" — built by Hawthorn Leslie & Company, Newcastle upon Tyne, launched 7 January 1913, torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat in the Western Approaches 18 September 1917.
* "Lynx" — built by Harland & Wolff, Govan, launched 20 March 1913, mined and sunk in Moray Firth by mine laid from German raider "Meteor" 9 August 1915.
* "Midge" — built by Harland & Wolff, Govan, launched 22 May 1913, sold for breaking up 5 November 1921.
* "Owl" — built by Harland & Wolff, Govan, launched 7 July 1913, sold for breaking up 5 November 1921.
* "Shark" — built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend, launched 30 July 1912, disabled by gunfire and torpedoed and sunk at Battle of Jutland 31 May 1916.
* "Sparrowhawk" — built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend, launched 12 October 1912, collided with "Faulknor" class leader "Broke" at Battle of Jutland and torpedoed by "Marksman" class destroyer "Marksman" 1 June 1916.
* "Spitfire" — built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend, launched 23 December 1912, sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.

Builders' special K class

* "Ardent" — built by William Denny & Brothers Limited, Dumbarton, launched 8 September 1913, sunk by secondary gunfire from German dreadnought SMS "Westfalen" at Battle of Jutland 1 June 1916.
* "Fortune" — built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan, launched 17 March 1913, sunk by secondary gunfire from German dreadnought SMS "Westfalen" at Battle of Jutland on night of 31 May / 1 June 1916.
* "Garland" — built by Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company, Wallsend (hull sub-contracted to Cammell Laird & Company, Birkenhead), launched 23 April 1913, sold for breaking up 6 September 1921.
* "Hardy" — built by John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, Woolston, launched 10 October 1913, sold for breaking up 9 May 1921.
* "Paragon" — built by John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, Woolston, launched 21 February 1913, torpedoed and sunk by German destroyer in action in the Straits of Dover 18 March 1917.
* "Porpoise" — built by John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, Woolston, launched 7 July 1913, sold 23 February [1920 back to Thornycroft for resale to Brazil; became Brazilian "Alexandrino Deaenca", later "Maranhao".
* "Unity" — built by John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, Woolston, launched 18 September 1913, sold for breaking up 25 October 19222.
* "Victor" — built by John I. Thornycroft & Company Limited, Woolston, launched 28 November 1913, sold for breaking up 20 January 1923.

Bibliography

*"Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893-1981", Maurice Cocker, 1983, Ian Allan ISBN 0-7110-1075-7
*"Jane's Fighting Ships, 1919", Jane's Publishing