The remaining ship of the class, the John Brown & Company-built Brisk, had a two shaft arrangement powered by Brown-Curtis impulse turbines.

The ships were required to reach 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph), the same speed as the Beagle class, which was expected to need 13,500 shaft horsepower (10,100 kW).

[1][8] Unlike the Beagles, the forecastle gun was not raised on a bandstand, as it was felt that in heavy seas this generated additional spray.

Two of the class (Minstrel and Nemesis) were loaned to the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1917, being renamed Sendan and Kanran, and were returned in 1919.

[1][12] Following the end of the war, the Royal Navy quickly disposed of large numbers of older ships, including the Acorn class.