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)
