Acheron-class destroyer
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HMS Acheron
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Acheron-class destroyer |
| Operators: |
 Royal Navy
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| Preceded by: | Acorn class |
| Succeeded by: | Acasta class |
| Built: | 1911–1912 |
| In commission: | 1911–1922 |
| Completed: | 23 |
| Lost: | 3 |
| Class overview | |
| Name: | River-class destroyer |
| Operators: |
 Royal Australian Navy
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| Built: | 1910–1915 |
| In commission: | 1911–1925 |
| Completed: | 6 |
| Lost: | 0 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 750 to 790 tons |
| Length: | 246 ft (75.0 m) to 252 ft (76.8 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: |
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| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 27 kn (50 km/h; 31 mph) – 35 kn (64.8 km/h; 40.3 mph) |
| Armament: |
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The Acheron class (officially re-designated 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. 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 homogeneous class.
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.
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; 35.3 mph) on trials.
Acheron and Ariel were longer (77m), had higher installed power (15,500 shp) and were consequently faster, achieving 29.4 knots (54.4 km/h; 33.8 mph) on trials.
Sir Alfred Yarrow maintained that it was possible to build strong, seaworthy destroyers with a speed of 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph), 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 20,000 shp (15,000 kW), but carried the same armament. Like the John Brown-built boats Hind, Hydra and Hornet, they had only 2 shafts, with steam developed in 2 Yarrow-type water-tube boilers and delivered to 2 Parsons turbines.Firedrake, Lurcher and Oak were distinctive in appearance and indeed much faster. They all exceeded their contract speed, Lurcher making over 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph).
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