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SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2

by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd) (c) 2000

HMS ACASTA (H 09) -  A-class Destroyer
including Convoy Escort Movements

Edited by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net

HMS Active, sister-ship (Navy Photos/Mark Teadham, click to enlarge)

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A-Class Fleet destroyer ordered on 6th March 1928 from John Brown at Clydebank and laid down on 13th August that year. She was launched on 8th August 1929 as the 2nd RN ship to carry the name, introduced in 1797 and last borne by a destroyer sold in 1921. Build was completed on 11th February 1930.

 

B a t t l e   H o n o u r s

 

SAN DOMINGO 1806 - MARTINIQUE 1809 - JUTLAND 1916 - ATLANTIC 1939-40 - NORWAY 1940 - SCHARNHORST action 1940

 

H e r a l d i c   D a t a

 Badge: On a Field Blue a shell Gold over wavelets

Green and Silver.

 

M o t t o

Memores majoris: 'Remember your ancestors'

 

 

D e t a i l s  of    S e r v i c e

 

1 9 3 0

February                Contractors trials

                11th        Build completion and commenced Acceptance Trials.

                14th        Commissioned for service in 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, Mediterranean Fleet.

 

March                    On completion of Acceptance Trials and work-up prepared for foreign service.

 

April                       Passage to Mediterranean to join Flotilla in Malta.

 

May                        Deployed with Flotilla for exercises and took part in Fleet visits programme.

to

December

 

1 9 3 1

 

January                  Flotilla duties based in Malta

to

February

 

March                    Took part in joint Home and Mediterranean Fleet exercises at Gibraltar.

to

April

 

May                        Resumed Flotilla duties in Malta and took part in Fleet Exercise and visits

to                            Programme

September

 

October                  Flotilla duties based in Malta

to

December

 

1 9 3 2

 

January                  Deployed with Flotilla for exercises and Fleet visits programme.

to

July

 

August                  Passage to UK to Pay-off and refit.

                30th        Paid-off and taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard, Devonport.

 

September             Under refit.

 

October                  Post refit Harbour Trials and commissioned for service in 3rd Destroyer

                                Flotilla, Mediterranean Fleet.

 

November              On completion of trials and work-up prepared for foreign service.

 

December              Resumed Flotilla duties in Malta.

 

1 9 3 3

 

January                  Deployed with Flotilla and took part in joint exercises with Home Fleet

to                            and Mediterranean Fleet exercise and visits Programme including Fleet

October                  Regatta.

 

November              Passage to Gibraltar

                24th        Commenced Routine docking and maintenance by HM Dockyard, Gibraltar.

 

December

                20th        Resumed Flotilla duties on completion.

 

1 9 3 4

 

January                  Flotilla duties based in Malta in continuation.

to                            Took part in Spring Fleet Programme and exercises with Home Fleet at.

May

 

June

                12th        Damaged in collision with HM Destroyer CODRINGTON during exercises

                                off Malta.

                                (Note: HMS CODRINGTON was Leader of 3rd Destroyer Flotilla.)

                25th        Under repair by HM Dockyard Malta.

 

July

                27th        On completion of repair and sea trials resumed Flotilla duties.

 

August                  Deployed with Flotilla for exercises and visits.

to

December

 

1 9 3 5

 

January                  Flotilla duties including Spring Fleet visits and joint exercises with Home

to                            Fleet at Gibraltar.

March

 

April                       Passage to UK to Pay-off and refit.

                29th        Paid off and taken in hand for refit by HM Dockyard, Devonport.

 

May                        Under refit

to

June

 

July

                3rd          Recommissioned for service with 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, Mediterranean

                                Fleet and commenced Post Refit Trials.

 

August                  On completion of work-up and preparation for foreign service took

                                passage to rejoin Flotilla in Malta.

 

September             Deployed with Flotilla for exercises and visits.

to

December

 

1 9 3 6

 

January                  Flotilla duties in continuation including Fleet exercises and visits

to

May

 

June                        Flotilla duties in continuation including Non-intervention Patrol and

to                            Humanitarian aid to refugees after outbreak of civil war in Spain.

December

 

1 9 3 7

 

January                  Deployed with Flotilla for patrol and civil aid in western Mediterranean.

to                            Nominated for Long Refit in UK.

April

 

May                        Passage to UK to Pay-off and refit.

 

June

                1st           Paid-off and taken in hand for Long Refit by HM Dockyard, Devonport.

 

July                         Under refit

to

December              (Note: Fitted with Anti-Submarine detection equipment (ASDIC/Sonar)

 

1 9 3 8

 

January                  Under refit.

to                            Nominated for service in 7th Destroyer Flotilla in Home waters.

March

 

April                       Harbour trials and prepared for service.

                11th        Refit completion and commissioned for service.

                15th        Post refit sea trials and shakedown.

 

May                        On completion of work-up commenced duties with Flotilla.

 

June                        Deployed in Home waters for exercises and visits

to                            (Note: Some of this period was spent in SW Approaches.

October                  Deployment for Non-Intervention and interception of

                                shipping on passage to or from Spanish port to be confirmed.)

 

November

                3rd          Under repair and refit by HM Dockyard, Devonport.

 

December              Repair and refit in continuation.

 

1 9 3 9

 

January                  Nominated for duty as Emergency Destroyer at Plymouth on completion.

                17th        Resumed operational service at Plymouth.

 

February                Deployed at Plymouth for training and Emergency Destroyer duty/

                                Nominated for special duty at Barrow.

                                (Note: HM Destroyers CODRINGTON, ACHATES and ARDENT

                                of this Class and previously in 3rd Flotilla with an older destroyer

                                HMS BROKE were also deployed at Plymouth for Local duties.)

 

March

                2nd         Assisted Vickers-Armstrong Ltd during trials of Argentinean cruiser LA

                                ARGENTINA which commenced sea trials in January.

                                (Note: This assistance is recorded as being associated with underwater

                                detection equipment and it may be assumed that this RN destroyer

                                acted as consort during sea trials.)

                13th        Returned to duties at Plymouth.

 

April                       Deployment at Plymouth in continuation.

to

July

 

August                  Took up allocated War Station allocated with 18th Destroyer Flotilla for convoy defence

                                in Channel based at Plymouth.

                                Prepared for war service.

                                (Note: Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches Command was established

                                as part of mobilisation and was based at Plymouth.)

 

 

D e t a i l s  of    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)

 

 

September             Deployed in Channel for convoy defence and anti-submarine patrol.

                                Part of escort for HM Battleship RENOWN during passage to Clyde from

                                Portsmouth to rejoin Fleet after modernisation at Portsmouth.

 

October                  Channel and SW Approaches deployment in continuation.

to

November

 

December              Nominated for transfer to Liverpool

                                (Note: CinC Western Approaches moved from Plymouth to Liverpool.)

                20th        Under refit by HM Dockyard, Devonport.

                                (Note: This may have been part of preparations for Atlantic deployment.)

 

1 9 4 0

 

January

                5th          Took passage to Liverpool on completion of sea trials.

                                After briefing in latest requirements of CinC commenced deployment

                                for Atlantic convoy defence.

                31st         Deployed with escort for HM Cruiser AJAX during passage into Plymouth

                                on return from GRAF SPEE action in Battle of River Plate.

 

February                Atlantic escort duties in continuation.

to

March

 

April

                10th        Nominated for transfer to Home Fleet in 1st Destroyer Flotilla.

                                Took passage to Scapa Flow to join Home Fleet.

                13th        Deployed with HM Destroyers CODRINGTON and ARDENT as

                                screen for HM Battleship VALIANT and HM Cruiser VINDICTIVE

                                providing cover for passage of military convoy NP1 in NW Approaches.

                                (For details see The Naval |Staff History, Naval Operations off Norway

                                1940, NARVIK by D Macintyre and THE DOOMED EXPEDITION by

                                J Adams. Convoy identified as NP1 was taking troops for landings in

                                Narvik (Operation RUPERT/R4.)

                15th        On release from NP1 deployed for convoy escort and support of military

                                operations in Norway

 

May                        Norwegian deployment in continuation.

                10th        Part of escort for damaged HM Cruiser PENELOPE during initial stage

                                of passage from Skelfjord to UK for repair after hitting submerged rock.

                                (See above references.)

                                (Note: Escort for HMS PENELOPE for North Sea passage included

                                HM Cruisers COVENTRY and CALCUTTA, HM Destroyers

                                CAMPBELL, ISIS, WITCH and ZULU.)

                31st         Deployed with HM Destroyers HIGHLANDER, DIANA, ARDENT and

                                ACHERON as escort for HM Aircraft Carriers ARK ROYAL and GLORIOUS

                                during passage from Clyde to provide air cover during evacuation of troops

                                from Norway (Operation ALPHABET)

 

June

                2nd         Detached from escort to refuel at Harstad.

                                On completion took passage to join HMS GLORIOUS as escort.

                8th          Remained as escort for HMS GLORIOUS with HMS ARDENT when

                                cover operation ended and took passage to UK.

                                Under fire from German battleships SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU.

                                Laid protective smoke screen to protect British units and engaged enemy

                                ships whilst making a torpedo attack. Four torpedoes fired, one of which

                                hit SCHARNHORST abreast the after 11in turret causing flooding and the

                                disabling of her armament.

                                During heavy return fire from secondary armament sustained several hits

                                including one in Engine Room.

                                Sank in position 68.45N 04.30E with only one survivor, Leading Seaman.

                                C G Carter who later described his experiences in his book THE MAN

                                WHO HIT THE SCHARNHORST.

                                (For further information see above references.)

 


 

Addendum

 

CONVOY ESCORT MOVEMENTS of HMS ACASTA

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

 

 

 

 

 

07/09/39

07/09/39

OA 001

09/09/39

unknown

13/09/39

13/09/39

OA 004

16/09/39

unknown

19/09/39

19/09/39

OA 007

22/09/39

22/09/39

25/09/39

25/09/39

OA 010

28/09/39

28/09/39

07/10/39

09/10/39

OA 017

11/10/39

11/10/39

13/10/39

20/10/39

HG 003

21/10/39

21/10/39

21/10/39

21/10/39

OA 023

23/10/39

26/10/39

31/10/39

31/10/39

OA 028G

02/11/39

03/11/39

03/11/39

03/11/39

OG 005

07/11/39

09/11/39

14/11/39

15/11/39

OA 035

19/11/39

19/11/39

08/11/39

19/11/39

HXF 008

21/11/39

21/11/39

16/11/39

02/12/39

SL 009

02/12/39

02/12/39

06/12/39

06/12/39

OA 048

08/12/39

09/12/39

18/12/39

18/12/39

OA 055G

21/12/39

21/12/39

27/12/39

04/01/40

SL 014F

08/01/40

11/01/40

12/01/40

12/01/40

OA 071

14/01/40

16/01/40

21/01/40

22/01/40

OA 077

24/01/40

24/01/40

18/02/40

19/02/40

OA 094

20/02/40

21/02/40

12/02/40

22/02/40

HXF 020

25/02/40

25/02/40

12/03/40

12/03/40

HG 022

19/03/40

22/03/40

13/03/40

14/03/40

OA 109

16/03/40

16/03/40

25/03/40

06/04/40

HX 030

09/04/40

09/04/40

11/04/40

13/04/40

NP 001

15/04/40

15/04/40

12/05/40

20/05/40

TC 004

21/05/40

21/05/40

 

 

 

 

 

(Note on Convoys)

 

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revised 27/7/11
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