NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Unity

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Shark (Kestrel)	H04		Swan Hunter, Wallsend	10.1911	30.7.1912	4.1913	sunk 31.5.1916
Christopher (Kite)	H51, H25		Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn	10.1911	29.8.1912	11.1912	BU 5.1921
Acasta (King)	H59, H00		John Brown, Clydebank	11.1911	10.9.1912	11.1912	BU 5.1921
Sparrowhawk (Kingsmill)	H61		Swan Hunter, Wallsend	11.1911	12.10.1912	5/1913	sunk 1.6.1916
Cockatrise (Kingfisher)	H73, H26		Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn	10.1911	8.11.1912	3/1913	BU 5.1921
Achates (Knight)	H46, H01		John Brown, Clydebank	3.1912	14.11.1912	3/1913	BU 5.1921
Spitfire (Keppel)	H41, H1A		Swan Hunter, Wallsend	12.1911	23.12.1912	6/1913	BU 5.1921
Contest (Kittiwake)	H53, H28		Hawthorn Leslie, Hebburn	2.1912	7.1.1913	6/1913	sunk 18.9.1917
Ambuscade (Keith)	H62, H05		John Brown, Clydebank	3.1912	25.1.1913	6/1913	BU 9.1921
Lynx (Koodoo)	H71		London & Glasgow Co, Glasgow	1/1912	20.3.1913	12.1913	sunk 9.8.1915
Midge (Keitloa)	H13, H40, H79		London & Glasgow Co, Glasgow	4/1912	22.5.1913	3.1914	BU 11.1921
Owl (Killer)	H31, H93		London & Glasgow Co, Glasgow	4/1912	7.7.1913	4.1914	BU 11.1921
Hardy (Kelpie)	H57, H39		Thornycroft, Woolston	11.1911	10.10.1912	9/1913	BU 5.1921	Thornycroft specials
Paragon (Katrine)	H26		Thornycroft, Woolston	2/1912	21.2.1913	12.1913	sunk 18.3.1917	Thornycroft specials
Porpoise (Kennington)	H27, H95		Thornycroft, Woolston	2/1912	7.7.1913	1.1914	to Brazil 3.1920 (Alexandrino Dealenca)	Thornycroft specials
Unity (Kinsale)	H68, H5A		Thornycroft, Woolston	4/1912	18.9.1913	3/1914	BU 10.1922	Thornycroft specials
Victor (Kingston)	H36, H6A		Thornycroft, Woolston	4/1912	28.11.1913	6/1914	BU 1.1923	Thornycroft specials
Ardent (Kenric)	H78		Denny, Dumbarton	10.1912	8.9.1913	2/1914	sunk 1.6.1916	Denny special
Fortune	H30		Fairfield, Govan	6/1912	17.3.1913	12.1913	sunk 31.5.1916	Fairfield special
Garland (Kenwulf)	H32, H36		Cammell Laird, Birkenhead	12.1912	23.4.1913	12.1913	BU 9.1921	Parsons special

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	1072
Displacement full, t	1300
Length, m	81.5
Breadth, m	8.20
Draught, m	2.90
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 Parsons steam turbines, 4 Yarrow boilers Garland: 2 sets Parsons semi-geared steam turbines, 4 Yarrow boilers Acasta, Achates, Ambuscade: 2 Brown-Curtis steam turbines, 4 Yarrow boilers
Power, h. p.	24500
Max speed, kts	29
Fuel, t	oil 258
Endurance, nm(kts)
Armament	Shark, Christopher, Acasta, Sparrowhawk, Cockatrice, Achates, Spitfire, Contest, Ambuscade, Lynx, Hardy, Midge, Porpoise: 3 x 1 - 102/40 BL Mk VIII, 2 x 1 - 533 TT (4) Owl, Unity, Victor, Ardent, Fortune, Paragon, Garland:  3 x 1 - 102/40 QF Mk IV, 2 x 1 - 533 TT (4)
Complement	73

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

The 1911-12 Programme destroyers were an expansion of the Acherons, but for the first time the 12pdr gun was dropped, being too light to inflict serious damage. A uniform armament of 102mm was no more expensive in cost or weight. It had been hoped to raise speed to 32kts but E-in-C felt that this might be beyond some builders. It was also fell that many of the problems encountered in recent years had been through asking for too high a speed on a small displacement, so the requirement for 29kts was a reasonable compromise. The selection of names had been made before the first boat, Shark, was launched in July 1912, but in 1913 it was decided to switch to alphabetical class-names, with each boat in the class having the same initial letter. It was proposed to rename all the older destroyers, and the 'K' names were allotted to the Acastas, but in accordance with long-held supersition against changing a ship's name after her launch, they were never used, and the ships retained the original names.     Although the policy of building to a standard Admiralty design was continued several novel features were tried in the 'K' class. Fortune was given a clipper bow and had the second 102mm gun on a platform between No 2 and No 3 funnels, a layout which would be continued in the 'L' class. In Ardent Denny Bros were allowed to try out their system of longitudinal framing, which gave much greater hull-strength while keeping weight down. She had only two funnels. With Hardy an attempt was nude to install the first high-speed diesel engine in a destroyer. An 1800bhp Sulzer diesel was to be installed on a centre shaft, but when it became clear that it would not be ready the ship was accepted without diesels. Garland was given semi-geared turbines. Although speed and seakeeping were an improvement over the Acorn and Acheron classes their wide turning circle was a disappointment. This was cured by altering the rudder, cutting the diameter from nearly 900m to 640m.

Modernizations

1917-1918, Acasta, Midge, Spifire: 1 x 1 - 102/40 BL Mk VIII was converted to AA

1917-1918, Garland, Paragon, Unity, Victor: 1 x 1 - 102/40 QF Mk IV was converted to AA

1917-1918, some survivors: + 1 x 1 - 40/39 2pdr QF Mk II

Naval service

Contest was torpedoed by German submarine in Western Approaches 18.9.1917, Paragon was torpedoed 18.3.1917 by German destroyer in Dover Straits and sunk. Ardent (1.6.1916), Fortune (31.5.1916) (both by gunfire of German battleship Westfalen) and Shark (31.5.1916 by German gunfire and torpedoes) were sunk at Jutland, Sparrowhawk 1.6.1916 at Jutland collided there with leader Broke and was sunk by torpedo from leader Manxman. Lynx was mined 9.8.1915 in Moray Firth, mine was laid by German minelayer Meteor.