Acheron was given experimental Thornycroft boilers that had a working pressure of 500 psi (3,447 kPa; 35 kgf/cm2) and a temperature of 750 °F (399 °C) to examine the weight and economy savings.

[10] The turbines developed a total of 34,000 shaft horsepower (25,000 kW) for a designed speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph) and the ship exceeded that during their sea trials.

[11] The destroyers carried a maximum of 388–390 long tons (394–396 t) of fuel oil that gave them a range of 4,800 nautical miles (8,900 km; 5,500 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).

No fire-control computer was initially installed, but an Admiralty Fire Control Clock Mark II was retrofitted after it had been proven in the subsequent C-class destroyers.

Although the ships had an additional 50 long tons (51 t) of fuel, 2,000 shp (1,500 kW) fewer horsepower and lacked superheaters for their boilers, they had the same range and speed as their brethren of the A and B classes.

[19] Codrington was built to an enlarged design to accommodate the commander of the destroyer flotilla, Captain (D) and his staff, some 47 additional officers and ratings.

To compensate for her greater size, Codrington's oil tanks were increased by 40 long tons (41 t) and her turbines were rated at 39,000 shp (29,000 kW) to give her the same range and speed as the private ships, but she proved to be significantly faster as she made 37.7 knots (69.8 km/h; 43.4 mph) during her sea trials.

[5] The initial wartime modifications were limited and mostly related to the survivability of the crew, aside from the addition of 50 rounds per gun of 4.7-inch ammunition and the increase of depth charge stowage to 42 (the Canadian ships carried 33).

Beagle and Bulldog were later fitted with a two-pounder bow chaser to engage German E-boats in the English Channel while Boadicea received two elderly six-pounder (57 mm) Hotchkiss guns to deal with U-boats on the surface at close range.

[26] Beginning in 1943, the three-inch gun was removed to allow for the installation of a Huff-Duff radio direction finder on a short mainmast; the aft torpedo tubes were sometimes reinstalled.

[27] The class saw much service in the Second World War, being involved in convoy protection and anti-submarine warfare in home waters and the North Atlantic.

Acasta and Ardent were sunk on 8 June 1940 while escorting the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious by the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau west of Narvik at the end of the Norwegian campaign.

Achates was sunk by two large German heavy cruisers, Admiral Hipper and Lützow while defending an Arctic convoy in the Battle of the Barents Sea.

Arrow was so badly damaged when the ammunition ship Fort La Montee blew up on 4 August 1943 at Algiers that she could not be repaired and was towed to Taranto and paid off.