HMS Druid was one of 20 Acheron-class destroyers built for the Royal Navy during the 1910s. Completed in 1912 the ship served during World War I and was sold for scrap in 1921.
Design and description The Acheron class was a repeat of the preceding . The Admiralty provided general specifications, but each shipyard did their own detailed design so that ships often varied in size.Gardiner & Gray, p. 75 The Acherons had an overall length of , a beam of , and a deep draught of . The ships displaced at deep load and their crew numbered 70 officers and ratings.Friedman, p. 295
The destroyers were powered by a single Parsons steam turbine that drove three propeller shafts using steam provided by three Yarrow boilers. The engines developed a total of and were designed for a speed of . Druid reached a speed of from during her sea trials.March, pp. 116–117 The Acherons had a range of at a cruising speed of .
The primary armament of the ships consisted of a pair of BL Mk VIII guns in single, unprotected pivot mounts fore and aft of the superstructure. They were also armed with two single QF 12-pounder () guns, one on each broadside abreast the bridge. The destroyers were equipped with a pair of single rotating mounts for 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes amidships and carried two reload torpedoes.Friedman, pp. 119, 295
Construction and career Druid, the sixth ship in the Royal Navy of that name,Colledge, p. 103 was ordered under the 1910–1911 Naval Programme from William Denny & Brothers. The ship was laid down at the company's Dumbarton shipyard on 8 November 1910, launched on 4 December 1911 and commissioned in April 1912.Friedman, p. 306
Battle of Heligoland Bight She was present with the First Destroyer Flotilla on 28 August 1914 at the Battle of Heligoland Bight, led by the scout cruiser Fearless. Druid suffered one man wounded during the action and shared in the prize money for the engagement.
Battle of Dogger Bank On 24 January 1915 the First Destroyer Flotilla, including Druid, were present at the Battle of Dogger Bank, led by the light cruiser Aurora. Her battle ensign from the engagement is preserved at the Ceiriog Memorial Institute in Wales. Her crew shared in the prize money for the German armoured cruiser Blücher.
From 1917 the Third Battle Squadron was deployed to the Mediterranean. Druid was present at the entry of the Allied fleet through the Dardanelles on 12 November 1918.
In common with most of her class, she was laid up after World War I, and on 9 May 1921 she was sold to Thos. W. Ward of Briton Ferry for breaking.
Pennant numbers Pennant numberFromToH336 December 19141 January 1918H301 January 1918Early 1919H92Early 19199 May 1921
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