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HMS Acheron
Class overview
Name:	Acheron-class destroyer
Operators:	Royal Navy
Built:	1911–1912
In commission:	1911–1922
Completed:	23
Lost:	3
Class overview
Name:	River-class destroyer
Operators:	Royal Australian Navy
Built:	1910–1915
In commission:	1911–1925
Completed:	6
Lost:	0
General characteristics
Displacement:	750 to 790 tons
Length:	246 ft (75 m) to 252 ft (77 m)
Beam:	26 ft (7.9 m) to 26 ft 9 in (8.15 m)
Draught:	8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) to 9 ft (2.7 m)
Installed power:	Standard I-class: 13,500 shp (10,100 kW) Acheron, Ariel: 15,500 shp (11,600 kW) Lurcher, Oak, Firedrake: 20,000 shp (15,000 kW)
Propulsion:	Standard I-class: Three Parsons steam turbines Three Yarrow-type oil-fired boilers Three shafts Ferret, Forester: Three Parsons steam turbines Three White-Forster oil-fired boilers Three shafts Hind, Hornet, Hydra: Two Brown-Curtis turbines Two Yarrow-type oil-fired boilers Two shafts
Speed:	27 kn (50 km/h) – 35 kn (65 km/h)
Armament:	2 x BL 4-inch (101.6 mm) L/40 Mark VIII guns, mounting P Mark V 2 x QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun, mounting P Mark I 2 x single tubes for 21 in torpedoes

For the World War II I-class Destroyers, see I-class destroyer (1936)

The Acheron class (officially redesignated as the I class in October 1913) was a class of twenty-three destroyers of the British Royal Navy, all built under the 1910-11 Programme and completed between 1911 and 1912, which served during World War I. A further six ships were built to the same design for the Royal Australian Navy as River-class destroyers.^[1] There was considerable variation between the design and construction of ships within this class, which should be considered as more of a post-build grouping than a homogenous class.

Design

Originally 20 ships, including Acheron were ordered, but an additional three were completed by Yarrow & Company. Three River class destroyers of the Royal Australian Navy were laid down in British yards, with a further three built in Australia.

The Acherons were generally repeats of the preceding Acorn or H class, although Acheron herself and five others were builders' specials. They differed from the Acorns in having only two funnels, both of which were short, the foremost being thicker than the after stack. The 12-pounder guns were mounted slightly further forward than in the Acorns.

Variation within the class

Fourteen of the class were completed to an Admiralty standard design, although those built by John Brown and Company at Clydebank (Hind, Hornet and Hydra) had Brown-Curtis type turbines and only two shafts. Archer and Attack used steam at higher pressures and Badger and Beaver were completed with geared steam turbines for evaluation purposes, achieving speeds of 30.7 knots (56.9 km/h) on trials.^[2]

Thornycroft Specials

Acheron and Ariel were longer (77m), had higher installed power (15,500shp) and were consequently faster, achieving 29.4 knots (54.4 km/h) on trials.^[2]

Yarrow Specials (or "Special I Class")

Sir Alfred Yarrow maintained that it was possible to build strong, seaworthy destroyers with a speed of 32 knots, and eventually a contract for three such boats was placed with the firm. They were a little larger than the rest of the class, and developed 20,000shp, but carried the same armament. Firedrake, Lurcher and Oak were, however, distinctive in appearance and indeed much faster. They all exceeded their contract speed, Lurcher making over 35 knots.

Conversion to minelayers

Ferret, Sandfly and Ariel were converted into fast minelaying destroyers in 1917, serving with the 20th Flotilla. They were each capable of laying 40 mines.^[3]

Evaluation

This class of Torpedo Boat Destroyers (TBDs, or colloquially, "boats") handled well and were excellent sea boats; like similar classes of TBDs of the time, they had open bridges but were much more dry at sea than was the norm.

Ships

Builders' I class

HMS Acheron

HMS Archer

HMS Ariel

HMS Attack

HMS Badger

HMS Beaver

Admiralty I class

HMS Defender	HMS Druid	HMS Ferret	HMS Forester	HMS Goshawk	HMS Hind
HMS Hornet	HMS Hydra	HMS Jackal	HMS Lapwing	HMS Lizard	HMS Phoenix
HMS Sandfly	HMS Tigress

Yarrow Specials (or "Special I class")

HMS Firedrake

HMS Lurcher

HMS Oak

Australian River class

HMAS Parramatta

HMAS Yarra

HMAS Warrego

HMAS Huon

HMAS Swan

HMAS Torrens

See also

• Australian River-class torpedo boat destroyer

References

• Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893-1981, Maurice Cocker, 1983, Ian Allan ISBN 0-7110-1075-7
• The British Destroyer by Captain T D Manning CBE VRD RNVR (Ret'd), (Putnam, 1961)
• Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906-1921, Conway Maritime Press, 1985, Robert Gardiner ISBN 0-85177-245-5

Acheron-class (or I-class) destroyer  Royal Navy Acheron  · Archer · Ariel · Attack · Badger · Beaver · Defender · Druid · Ferret · Firedrake · Forester · Goshawk · Hind · Hornet · Hydra · Jackal · Lapwing · Lizard · Lurcher · Oak · Phoenix · Sandfly · Tigress  Royal Australian Navy River class Huon · Parramatta · Swan · Torrens · Warrego · Yarra Preceded by: Acorn class · Followed by: Acasta class List of destroyers of the Royal Navy · List of major warship classes of the Royal Australian Navy