HMS Acasta was an A-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy in the late 1920s. Laid down at John Brown & Company’s Clydebank yard on 13 August 1928 and launched on 8 August 1929, she was completed by 11 February 1930 at a cost of £227,621. Displacing approximately 1,350 long tons at standard load and up to 1,773 long tons at deep load, Acasta measured 323 feet in length with a beam of 32 feet 3 inches and a draught of 12 feet 3 inches. Powered by two Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines, she produced 34,000 shaft horsepower, enabling her to reach a maximum speed of about 35.5 knots — during sea trials, she achieved 35.5 knots from 34,596 shp. Her range was approximately 4,800 nautical miles at 15 knots. Acasta’s armament comprised four 4.7-inch (120 mm) guns arranged in superfiring pairs, with two 40 mm anti-aircraft guns mounted between her funnels. She also carried two quadruple 21-inch torpedo tubes and had space for minesweeping paravanes and depth charges, though initially she was fitted with only three chutes for six depth charges. The ship’s complement grew from 134 officers and ratings to 143 by 1940. Initially assigned to the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla of the Mediterranean Fleet, Acasta served primarily in Spanish waters during the 1930s, enforcing the arms blockade during the Spanish Civil War and aiding refugees. She underwent several refits, including the installation of ASDIC, a submarine detection system. During World War II, she was involved in convoy escort duties in the English Channel and Western Approaches, and later supported operations in Norway. Her service culminated in the Battle of Norway, where on 8 June 1940, while escorting the aircraft carrier Glorious, Acasta engaged German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. She inflicted damage on Scharnhorst with a torpedo attack but was herself hit and set ablaze. Captain C. E. Glasfurd ordered her crew to abandon ship, and she sank stern first around 18:20. Most of her crew perished from exposure or wounds, with only 38 survivors rescued by the Norwegian merchant ship SS Borgund three days later. Acasta’s loss represented a significant sacrifice in the Royal Navy’s efforts during the Norwegian campaign.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.