Acheron-class destroyer
The Acheron class 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.
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 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 on trials.Thornycroft specials
Acheron and Ariel were longer, had higher installed power and were consequently faster, achieving on trials.Yarrow specials (or "special I class")
Sir Alfred Yarrow maintained that it was possible to build strong, seaworthy destroyers with a speed of, 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, 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.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.Evaluation
This class of torpedo boat destroyers handled well and were excellent sea boats; like similar classes of TBDs of the time, they had open bridges but were much drier at sea than was the norm.Ships
Builders' I class
Admiralty I class
Yarrow Specials (or "Special I class")
Australian River class
| Name | Ship Builder | Launched | Fate |
| Parramatta | Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Limited, Govan, Glasgow | 9 February 1910 | Used as accommodation by NSW Penal Department, and sold as scrap. Bow and stern sections salvaged as memorials in 1973 |
| Yarra | William Denny & Brothers, Dumbarton | 9 April 1910 | Broken up 1929 |
| Warrego | Laid down at Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Limited, Govan and constructed at Cockatoo Dockyard, Sydney from parts | 4 April 1911 | Broken up 1930 at Cockatoo Dockyard |
| Huon | Cockatoo Dockyard, Sydney | 19 December 1914 | Reduced to reserve 7 June 1928 and sunk as a target off Sydney 10 April 1931 |
| Swan | Cockatoo Dockyard, Sydney | 11 December 1915 | Paid off for disposal 15 May 1928 and broken up at Cockatoo Dockyard in 1930 |
| Torrens | Cockatoo Dockyard, Sydney | 28 August 1915 | Reduced to reserve 19 July 1920 and sunk as a target 24 November 1930 |