World War II Database

Contributor: Alan Chanter

ww2dbaseLaunched in Aug 1929 and commissioned in Feb 1930, destroyer HMS Acasta spent most of her service prior to the outbreak of the European War with the British Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet, seeing some action aiding refugees and making non-intervention patrols off of the Spanish coast during that country's civil war. When the war began in Sep 1939, she was assigned to the 18th Destroyer Flotilla at Plymouth, England, United Kingdom and escorted convoys and warships in the English Channel and the Western Approaches. After the German invasion of Norway in Apr 1940, she was transferred to the Home Fleet. On 31 May 1940, along with other destroyers, she was assigned to escort aircraft carriers HMS Ark Royal and HMS Glorious from the Clyde in Scotland, United Kingdom toward Norway; the carriers' aircraft were to conduct air operations in support of the Allied evacuation during Operation Alphabet.

ww2dbaseThe Norwegian campaign had begun with destroyer HMS Glowworm's gallant attack on the German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper and ended in like manner with another encounter in which a single destroyer succeeded in inflicting critical damage, against all the odds, on a German capital ship before herself being sunk. The engagement took place during the final evacuation of the Allied forces from northern Norway, on the afternoon of 8 Jun 1940, when the German battlecruisers, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, sighted HMS Glorious at extreme range. How it happened that the British aircraft carrier, with too many aircraft on board and too little fuel, escorted by just two elderly destroyers, suffered a surprise interception by the German battlecruisers is too complex a story to recount. For whatever reason, neither force had reconnaissance aircraft in the air at the time, and indeed, this encounter very nearly did not take place.

ww2dbaseIt was Midshipman Goss, on watch in the foretop of Admiral Wilhelm Marschall's flagship, Scharnhorst, who spotted on the horizon a tell-tale puff pf smoke on a day of extreme visibility. But for his keen eyes both sides would have continued unknowingly on their separate ways. No one else had seen the smoke but the midshipman stuck to his guns and the Admiral decided to turn and investigate with fatal consequences for 1,500 officers, men and RAF pilots on-board Glorious and for all but two survivors from the destroyers HMS Ardent (Lieutenant Commander J. F. Barker DSC) and HMS Acasta (Commander C. E. Glasfurd), one from each.

ww2dbaseThe two German ships opened fire at maximum range. Their SEETAKT Radar accurately directing the 11-inch shells scored vital hits before Glorious had had enough time to raise sufficient speed to escape and when still far beyond the range of her own 4.7in guns. The two destroyers secured a brief stay of execution by laying a smoke-screen but in the process Ardent was sunk by gunfire, leaving only Acasta to continue the fight. It would have been legitimate in the face of such overwhelming odds to withdraw to a safe distance and shadow the enemy force, but such action would not have been sufficient for Commander Glasfurd who was determined to do something at all costs to avenge the sinking of Ardent, their "chummy" ship, and Glorious.

ww2dbaseWith smoke floats and funnel smoke Glasfurd succeeded in approaching the enemy warships unseen to within short range. Emerging from the Smoke-screen, HMS Acasta turned to starboard and fired torpedoes on the port side. The enemy taken by surprise, failed to open fire before Acasta had dodged back behind the smoke, but not before a jubilant ship's company had seen the orange flash, unmistakeable evidence of a hit, glowing brightly against the dark background of the Scharnhorst's side. A more prudent man might have decided that honour was satisfied at that, but Glasfurd had no thought of retiring with torpedoes remaining and turned back out of the smoke for a second attack. This time the enemy was ready for him with the inevitable result. Acasta was hit by several 11-inch shells and quickly brought to a standstill. Even so, her guns continued firing and Leading Seaman Carter, the sole survivor, off his own initiativem when all communications with the bridge had failed, and surrounded by fallen shipmates, fired the remaining torpedoes. Later, clinging to a raft, he had his last sight of his captain on the bridge as the ship was sinking. He called to him to join them but Glasfurd only waved back, then taking a cigarette from his case he tapped it firmly two or three times as people used to do in those days, and lit it, his last action, his duty done.

ww2dbaseAgainst all the odds, Acasta's gallant action had a considerable effect on the tactical situation. The torpedo caused considerable damage, flooding two engine rooms leading to a reduction on Scharnhorst's speed to 20 knots and putting the after turret out of action. Two officers and 46 ratings were killed. In the face of all this Marschall set course for Trondheim and abandoned his chance, which subsequent analysis of the track charts shows to have been a very good one, of intercepting the convoys then crossing the North Sea with the best part of 25,000 troops evacuated from Northern Norway. None of the Home Fleet's capital ships capable of dealing with the German battlecruisers were anywhere near at the time and so an interception of the evacuation convoys could have had traumatic consequences. No single torpedo fired during the whole of the war can have had more important consequences than this one.

Destroyer Acasta (H09) Interactive Map

Photographs

Acasta Operational Timeline