Allied Warships

HMS Acheron (i) (H 45)

Destroyer of the A class

HMS Acheron before World War Two

Navy	The Royal Navy
Type	Destroyer
Class	A
Pennant	H 45
Built by	Thornycroft (Southampton, U.K.): Parsons
Ordered	29 May 1928
Laid down	29 Oct 1928
Launched	18 Mar 1930
Commissioned	13 Oct 1931
Lost	17 Dec 1940
Loss position	50° 32'N, 1° 26'W

History	HMS Acheron (Lt. John Rees Wilson, RN) was mined off the Isle of Wright on 17 December 1940. She was running trials after completing repairs following the bomb damage sustained on 24 August. The trial was being conducted at night, with heavy seas running and a strong north-east wind in complete darkness. During one of the passes on the measured mile, 8 nautical miles west-south-west of St. Catherine's Point, Isle of Wight, she struck a mine towards the bows, her own speed driving her under; she sank within 4 minutes, killing 196 crewmen and yard workers on board for the trials, only 19 survived. The mine is believed to have been one of those laid by the Luftwaffe in no definite pattern along the Channel coast. The wreck lies in 48 meters of water in position 50º32'N, 01º26'W.

Commands listed for HMS Acheron (i) (H 45)

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	Commander	From	To
1	Lt.Cdr. Ralph William Frank Northcott, RN	Jan 1939	Dec 1940
2	Lt. John Rees Wilson, RN	Dec 1940	17 Dec 1940 (+)

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Notable events involving Acheron (i) include:

4 Sep 1939
HMS H 31 (Lt.Cdr. W.R. Fell, OBE, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Portland with HMS Kelly (Capt. L.F.A.V.N. Mountbatten, GCVO, RN) and HMS Acheron (Lt.Cdr. R.W.F. Northcott, RN). (1)

3 Apr 1940
HMS H 32 (Lt. M.D. Wanklyn, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Portland with HMS Acheron (Lt.Cdr. R.W.F. Northcott, RN) and HMS Malcolm (Capt. T.E. Halsey, RN). (2)

24 Apr 1940
HMS Manchester (Capt. H.A. Packer, RN) departed Rosyth loaded with troops for Molde. Passage north was made with HMS York (Capt. R.H. Portal, DSC, RN) and HMS Birmingham (Capt. A.C.G. Madden, RN) that were also loaded with troops but these were to be landed at Aandalsnes. Escort was provided by the destroyers HMS Acheron (Lt.Cdr. R.W.F. Northcott, RN), HMS Arrow (Cdr. H.W. Williams, RN) and HMS Griffin (Lt.Cdr J. Lee-Barber, DSO, RN). (3)

24 Aug 1940
HMS Acheron (Lt.Cdr. R.W.F. Northcott, RN) was damaged by German aircraft during a air raid on Portsmouth. Repairs were completed on 2 December 1940.

27 Dec 1940
The loss of HMS Acheron was made public.