A-Class
Fleet Destroyer ordered from
John I Thornycroft
at Woolston
under 1927
Programmes
on 29th
May 1928
and laid down on 29th October that
year. The ship was
launched on 18th March 1930 as the
5th RN ship to carry the name
which was
introduced in 1803. It had
previously been carried by a pre
WW1 destroyer sold
in 1921.
Build was completed on 31st
October 1931 and
the mechanical problems which
became evident in the first year
of her service
plagued her for the whole of her
service, despite a succession of
modifications
and refits. In September she was
under repair at Portsmouth and did
not
immediately take up her war
station until December 1939.
She was not adopted by
a civil community.
B
a t t
l e H o n o u r s
CAPE
TENEZ 1805 - HELIGOLAND 1914 -
DOGGER BANK 1915 -
JUTLAND 1916 -
NORWAY 1940
H
e r a l d i
c D a t a
Badge:
On a Field Black barry
wavy of 4 Silver
M
o t t
o
Post
tenbras
lux:
'After darkness light'
D
e t a i
l s o f
W a r S e r v i
c e
(for
more ship information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and
type name in Site Search)
1
9 3 9
September
Under repair at Portsmouth.
Post repair trials and prepared
for war service.
October
Deployed with 18th Destroyer
Flotilla based at Portsmouth for
patrol and convoy
defence
in
to
English Channel.
November
December
12th
Taken in hand for machinery repair
at Portsmouth.
1
9 4 0
January
Under repair.
to
February
March
Nominated for service with 16th
Destroyer in Home Fleet
23rd
On completion of post repair
trials took passage to join
Flotilla at
Scapa Flow.
April
Deployed with Flotilla in NW
Approaches and
North Sea.
9th
After German invasion of Norway
deployed for convoy defence and
Fleet screening
duties in support of military
landings in Norway.
17th
Part of escort for HM Cruisers
GALATEA, ARETHUSA, CARLISLE and
CURACOA
with HM
Destroyer
ARROW (Operation MAURICE).
(Note: Cruisers were taking troops
for landing at Lillesjona.
The landing was later transferred
to Andalsnes and Molde (Operation
SICKLE).
18th
Detached on arrival in Andalsnes.
19th
Deployed for patrol and escort
duty in support of Norwegian
operations.
29th
Escorted M Aircraft Carrier
GLORIOUS from Scapa Flow to cover
evacuation of the allied
troops at Andalsnes.
30th
Deployed with HM Destroyers
ANTELOPE and BEAGLE for patrol and
support
at Namsos
May
1st
Resumed Fleet duties on arrival of
HMS GLORIOUS on station.
31st
Escorted HM Aircraft Carriers ARK
ROYAL and GLORIOUS from Scapa Flow
for
passage
to
Norway
for support of final evacuation
with HM Destroyers HIGHLANDER,
DIANA,
ACASTA
and ARDENT.
(For details of the disastrous
operations off Norway see CARRIER
GLORIOUS by J Winton,
NARVIK by D Macintyre, THE DOOMED
EXPEDITION by Adams and the Naval
Staff
History).
June
2nd
Deployed in support of evacuation.
Escorted ARK ROYAL for passage to
UK as cover for passage
of Group II Convoy (Operation
ALPHABET).
9th
Resumed Flotilla duties on
completion of ALPHABET.
Passage to English Channel for
patrol and convoy defence.
21st
3in High Angle gun fitted at
Portsmouth to improve
anti-aircraft defence.
July
Channel duties in continuation.
20th
In action with aircraft 10 miles
South of St. Catherines Point.
Sustained damage by nine near
misses during dive bombing
attacks.
August
Awaiting repair in HM Dockyard Portsmouth.
6th
Taken in hand for repair.
24th
Seriously damaged during air raid
with two killed and three injured.
(Note: Whilst lying at NW Wall hit
by bomb aft which exploded within
after part
of
ship and
caused major damage to machinery,
Y-gun and structure).
September
Under repair
to
(Note: Y-Gun replaced by mounting
from HM Destroyer BOADICEA.
October
November
Nominated for service as gunnery
training destroyer.
December
2nd
Repair work completed and began
post refit trials.
17th
Mined during post refit trials off
Isle of Wight.
Sustained Major structural damage
forward and ship sank quickly.
167 of ship's company crew killed
together with 25 dockyard workmen.
There were only 19 survivors.
(Note: Thus concluded 9 years of
service which was notable for its
succession
of
mechanical
problems, mainly associated with
her turbine machinery).
Addendum
CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of
HMS
ACHERON
by
Don Kindell
These
convoy lists have not been
cross-checked with the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy
sailed
|
Joined
convoy
as escort
|
Convoy No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy
arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
19/09/39
|
19/09/39
|
MB
005/1
|
21/09/39
|
21/09/39
|
23/09/39
|
23/09/39
|
MB
007/1
|
25/09/39
|
25/09/39
|
29/09/39
|
29/09/39
|
MB
009/1
|
30/09/39
|
30/09/39
|
01/10/39
|
01/10/39
|
MB
010/1
|
02/10/39
|
02/10/39
|
06/04/40
|
06/04/40
|
SA
036
|
08/04/40
|
08/04/40
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)