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)