HMS Acorn (1910)

HMS Acorn was a destroyer of the British Royal Navy and the lead ship of her class. She was built by John Brown and Company at their Clydebank shipyard, being built and completed in 1910. The ship served throughout the First World War and was sold for scrap in 1921.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Acorn.

History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Acorn
Builder: John Brown and Company, Clydebank
Laid down: 12 January 1910
Launched: 1 July 1910
Completed: December 1910
Fate: Sold for scrapping November 1921
General characteristics
Class and type: Acorn-class destroyer
Displacement: 760 long tons (770 t) normal
Length: 246 ft 0 in (74.98 m) oa
Beam: 25 ft 3 in (7.70 m)
Draught: 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m)
Propulsion: 4 Yarrow boilers, Parsons turbines, 13,500 shp (10,100 kW)
Speed: 27 kn (50 km/h; 31 mph)
Complement: 72
Armament:

Construction and design

The British Admiralty ordered 20 Acorn-class destroyers as part of the 1909–1910 shipbuilding programme for the Royal Navy.[1] Three of the class, Acorn, Alarm and Brisk, were to be built by the Clydebank shipbuilder John Brown and Company. Acorn, the first of the three and the lead ship of the class, was laid down on 12 January 1910 and launched on 1 July 1910.[2] Acorn reached a speed of 27.355 knots (50.661 km/h; 31.480 mph) during sea trials and was completed in December 1910.[1][2]

Acorn was 240 feet 0 inches (73.15 m) long between perpendiculars and 246 feet 0 inches (74.98 m) overall, with a beam of 25 feet 3 inches (7.70 m) and a draught of between 7 feet 4 1⁄2 inches (2.248 m) and 8 feet 10 inches (2.69 m) depending on load. Displacement was 760 long tons (770 t) normal and 855 long tons (869 t) full load.[3] The ship's machinery consisted of four Yarrow boilers feeding steam to Parsons steam turbines which drove three propeller shafts. The machinery was rated at 13,500 shaft horsepower (10,100 kW) giving a design speed of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph).[1][4] The ship had a crew of 72 officers and enlisted.[4]

Gun armament consisted of two 4-inch (102 mm) BL Mk VIII guns,[lower-alpha 1] one on the ship's forecastle and one aft, and two 12-pounder (76 mm) QF 12 cwt guns[lower-alpha 2] carried in the waist position between the first two funnels. Torpedo armament consisted of two 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes, with two reload torpedoes carried. The torpedo tubes were aft of the funnels, mounted singly with a searchlight position between them.[1][4]

Service

On commissioning, Acorn joined the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet, and was joined by her sister ships as they commissioned.[4] She was involved in a collision with her sister ship, Redpole, on 7 March 1911, and took part in the Coronation Fleet Review on 24 July 1911.[5] Acorn was one of seven destroyers that suffered problems when steaming at full speed off the coast of Ireland during the 1911 Naval Manoeuvres, with serious leaks of water through hull rivets into the ships' oil tanks, requiring that the seven destroyers put into Portland Harbour for repairs.[6]

On the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla, including Acorn joined the newly established Grand Fleet.[7][8] Acorn remained part of the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla until November 1915, then transferring to the 5th Destroyer Flotilla, part of the Mediterranean Fleet,[9][10] arriving at Malta on 31 December.[11] Acorn and the River-class destroyer Colne were used for trials of hydrophones during 1917.[12] Acorn remained part of the Mediterranean Fleet at the end of the war in November 1918, when she was serving in the Aegean Squadron, based at Mudros.[13][14]

Disposal

Acorn was in reserve at Devonport Naval Base in March 1919,[15] and was sold for scrap to Marple & Gillot of Saltash on 29 November 1921.[16]

Pennant Numbers
Pennant Number[16] Date
H021914
H03January 1918

References
  1. The abbreviation BL stood for Breech Loading. In British use it also indicated that the gun used a bagged charge, with QF (Quick Firing) meaning that the gun used a charge enclosed in a metal cartridge case.
  2. "Cwt" is the abbreviation for hundredweight, 12cwt referring to the weight of the gun.
  1. Friedman 2009, p. 122
  2. Friedman 2009, p. 306
  3. Friedman 2009, p. 295
  4. Gardiner & Gray 1985, p. 74
  5. "HMS Acorn". worldnavalships.com. Retrieved 11 September 2015.
  6. "Stern Mimic Naval War: Seven Destroyers Crippled but Triumphant: Thrilling Sea Fight". Geelong Advertiser. Geelong, Australia. 9 August 1911. p. 3.
  7. Jellicoe 1919, p. 9
  8. Manning 1961, pp. 25–26
  9. "Supplement to the Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: I — The Grand Fleet: Destroyer Flotillas of the Grand Fleet". The Navy List: 12. December 1915.
  10. "Supplement to the Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: IX. — Mediterranean Fleet". The Navy List: 20. January 1916.
  11. "Ships of the Royal Navy - Location/Action Date, 1914–1918: Part 2 - Admiralty "Pink Lists" - 1 January 1916". Naval-History.net. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  12. Friedman 2014, p. 295
  13. "Supplement to the Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: XV. — Mediterranean: British Aegean Squadron". The Navy List: 23. December 1918.
  14. "Ships of the Royal Navy - Location/Action Date, 1914–1918: Part 2 - Admiralty "Pink Lists", 11 November 1918". Naval-History.net. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  15. "Supplement to the Navy List Showing Organisation of the Fleet, Flag Officers' Commands &c.: VII.–Vessels in Reserve, &c. at Home Ports and Other Bases". The Navy List: 19. March 1919.
  16. Dittmar & Colledge 1972, p. 61
  • Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. Shepperton, UK: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0380-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the Second World War. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-049-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Friedman, Norman (2014). Fighting the Great War at Sea: Strategy, Tactic and Technology. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-189-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Jellicoe, John (1919). The Grand Fleet 1914–16: Its Creation, Development and Work. London: Cassell and Company. OCLC 859842281.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Manning, T.D. (1961). The British Destroyer. London: Putnam. OCLC 6470051.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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