HMS Rob Roy was a Royal Navy R-class destroyer constructed and then operational in the First World War. The ship served in the Grand Fleet as part of the Fifteenth Destroyer Flotilla.
HMS Trenchant was a modified Admiralty R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy. The vessel was the first of the modified design. Launched in 1916, the ship operated with the Grand Fleet during the First World War. The vessel was involved in escorting convoys and attacking German submarines. After the war, Trenchant was attacked by Republican forces during the Irish War of Independence but suffered little damage. The vessel was retired and sold to be broken up on 15 November 1928. The subsequent S-class are sometimes called Modified Trenchant class.
HMS Radstock was the first in a class of 62 R-class destroyers. The design differed from the preceding M-class primarily in the use of geared turbines, which gave better fuel efficiency. The ship was launched on 8 June 1916 and served with the Grand Fleet of the Royal Navy during World War I as in an escort and anti-submarine role. While escorting a convoy, the destroyer collided with the merchant ship Volute, but otherwise had an uneventful war. After the armistice, the vessel was recommissioned with reduced complement and then sold to be scrapped on 29 April 1927.
HMS Sharpshooter was an R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during World War I. Launched on 27 February 1917, the ship joined the Harwich Force, undertaking convoy escort duties. The vessel also took part in the Navy’s bombardment of Ostend later that year. On 1 June 1918, the destroyer rescued Captain A. C. Sharwood, one of the first pilots of the Royal Australian Navy, who ditched his Sopwith 2F.1 Camel nearby. After the war, Sharpshooter joined the Navy gunnery training establishment at Plymouth, but did not stay long and was reduced to Reduced Complement on 5 March 1919. The Royal Navy was rationalising its destroyer force and Sharpshooter, deemed superfluous, was sold to be broken up on 29 April 1927.
HMS Magic was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. Originally laid down as HMS Marigold by J. Samuel White at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, the vessel was renamed before being launched on 10 September 1915. The ship served during the War as part of the Grand Fleet, mainly on anti-submarine and convoy escort duties from the port of Queenstown. In 1917, the destroyer took part in the Battle of Jutland and was one of a small number of British vessels that attacked the German fleet with torpedoes, although both torpedoes missed. In 1918, the ship struck a mine of the coast of Ireland and, although the damage was repaired, 25 lives were lost. After the War, the destroyer was placed in reserve and decommissioned, being sold to be broken up on 21 September 1921.
HMS Medina was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous L-class destroyer, capable of higher speed. Originally laid down as HMS Redmill by J. Samuel White at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, the vessel was renamed before being launched on 8 March 1916. The ship was allocated to the Grand Fleet and spent much of its service in anti-submarine warfare, either escorting convoys or involved in submarine hunting patrols. Although the destroyer attacked a number of German submarines, none were sunk. After the War, Medina was reassigned to a defence flotilla in Portsmouth and was eventually sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.
HMS Mounsey was a Yarrow M-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy. Built by the Scottish shipbuilder Yarrow in 1914–1915, Mounsey served in the Grand Fleet during the First World War, and took part in the Battle of Jutland. The following year she saw combat against German submarines, and in 1918 she helped rescue crew and passengers aboard the damaged troopship Otranto. She was sold for scrap in 1921.
HMS Parthian was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous L-class destroyer, capable of higher speed. Launched on 3 July 1916, the ship was transferred to the Southwest Approaches during February 1917 to undertake anti-submarine and escort duties initially based from Cobh in Ireland. The vessel attacked a number of German U-boats that were sinking shipping in the area, and was part of the welcome for the first destroyers from the US Navy to serve in Europe during the war. After the Armistice of 11 November 1918, the ship was placed in reserve before being decommissioned and sold to be broken up on 8 November 1921.
HMS Peyton was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the preceding L class, capable of higher speed. Launched on 2 May 1916, the vessel served in anti-submarine and escort duties based at Cobh in Ireland. The destroyer attacked the German submarine SM UB-23 and rescued crews from friendly merchant ships that had been sunk. After the end of the war, Peyton was placed in reserve and subsequently broken up on 9 May 1921.
HMS Portia was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous L-class destroyer, capable of higher speed. Launched on 10 August 1916. Portia initially served with the Grand Fleet but was allocated to convoy escort duties in early 1917. The vessel was particularly active in anti-submarine warfare, although Portia never successful sank a submarine. After the Armistice of 11 November 1918, the ship was placed in reserve before being decommissioned and sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.
HMS Obdurate was an Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous L-class, capable of higher speed. Launched on 21 January 1916 by Scotts of Greenock, the vessel served as part of the Grand Fleet in the Battle of Jutland in May 1916. The destroyer formed part of the cover for the British battlecruisers and was involved in attacks on German battleships and destroyers, but recorded no hits. The destroyer was also part of attack by Zeppelin L 43 on Sydney and the distant cover for the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight, but received only minor damage from the German airship. After the armistice, Obdurate was assigned to the Local Defence Force at Nore and sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.
HMS Pellew was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the preceding L class, capable of higher speed. Launched on 18 April 1916, the vessel served with the Grand Fleet escorting convoys. The vessel was part of an unsuccessful attempt by the navy to trap the German submarines that had taken such a heavy toll on merchant shipping in December 1917. The action involved an eight-ship convoy consisting of four merchant vessels escorted by two armed trawlers and the sister ships Pellew and Partridge. Instead of submarines, four German destroyers attacked, sinking all but one member of the convoy and disappearing before the light cruisers which were to be the spring in the trap could arrive. Pellew, the sole survivor, took refuge in a Norwegian fjord. After the armistice that ended the war, the destroyer was placed in reserve and subsequently sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.
HMS Pelican was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the preceding L class, capable of higher speed. Launched on 18 March 1916, the vessel served with the Grand Fleet, taking part in significant actions on 19 August 1916 and 4 May 1917, as well as the fight between the British and German battlecruisers in the Battle of Jutland. The destroyer also undertook the other more general roles were typical of the type, including anti-submarine sweeps and escort duties for convoys. The destroyer had success driving away German submarines but did not sink any. After the end of the war, Pelican initially joined a Local Defence Flotilla but within a year had been placed in reserve and was subsequently sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.
HMS Penn was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the preceding L class, capable of higher speed. The ship was named after William Penn, the father of the founder of Pennsylvania. Launched on 8 April 1916, the vessel served with the Grand Fleet forming part of the screen for the dreadnought battleships of the 1st Battle Squadron and escorting the aircraft carrier Furious in battle. The destroyer participated in the Actions of 19 August 1916 and 16 October 1917, as well as forming part of the distant support during the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight. Penn was also instrumental in rescuing the survivors from the light cruiser Nottingham, sunk by a German submarine. After the Armistice that ended the war, the destroyer was placed in reserve and subsequently sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921.
HMS Moorsom was an Admiralty M-class destroyer which served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the preceding L class, capable of higher speed. Moorsom, the first ship to enter navy service to be named after Admiral Sir Robert Moorsom, was launched on 20 December 1914, initially serving as part of the Grand Fleet before being transferred to the Harwich Force in 1915. Briefly rejoining the Grand Fleet, the destroyer saw service in the Battle of Jutland supporting the British battlecruisers and received hits from a battleship of the German High Seas Fleet. Moorsom also undertook other duties, including escorting the troop ship Mauretania in June 1915 and the minelayer Princess Margaret in August 1915 and November 1916. Placed within the Dover Patrol, the destroyer formed part of the cover for monitors including Erebus and Terror on attacks on Ostend and Zeebrugge in May and June 1917, and April and May 1918. After the Armistice, the destroyer was placed in reserve and subsequently sold to be broken up on 8 November 1921.
HMS Marne was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the preceding L class, capable of higher speed. The ship, the first Royal Navy vessel to be named after the River Marne, was launched on 29 May 1915. For much of the war, the destroyer escorted merchant ships in convoys and Royal Navy warships, but was also involved in the rescue of crew from the battleship HMS King Edward VII in 1916. The destroyer also took part in the Battle of Jutland as part of the shield for the British battlecruisers and engaged with the German light cruiser force with torpedoes. After the armistice, Marne was placed in reserve before being decommissioned and, on 31 November 1921, sold to be broken up.
HMS Orestes was an Admiralty M-class destroyer which served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous L-class destroyer, capable of higher speed. The vessel was launched on 21 March 1916 and joined the Grand Fleet. Orestes was involved in seeking submarines in the North Sea, patrolling both independently and as part of large operations. The destroyer did not report any submarines destroyed, but did rescue the survivors from Privet after the Q-ship had successfully sunk the submarine U-85 after a duel in March 1917. Later in the war, the focus was turned to escorting convoys and destroyer helped secure convoys that crossed the Atlantic Ocean. After the Armistice that marked the end of the First World War, the destroyer was placed into reserve until being, on 30 January 1921, decommissioned and sold to be broken up.
HMS Orpheus was an Admiralty M-class destroyer which served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous L-class, capable of higher speed. The vessel was launched on 17 June 1916 and joined the Grand Fleet. Orpheus spent much of the war undertaking anti-submarine warfare patrols in the North Sea and escorting convoys across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1917, the destroyer was involved in a friendly fire incident with the British submarine J1. After the Armistice that marked the end of the First World War, the destroyer joined the Home Fleet. However, this role did not last long and the destroyer was deemed superfluous to requirements. Soon after, Orpheus was placed in reserve, decommissioned and, on 1 November 1921, sold to be broken up.
HMS Oracle was an Admiralty M-class destroyer which served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous L-class, capable of higher speed. The vessel was launched on 23 December 1915 and joined the Grand Fleet. Oracle spent much of the war involved in anti-submarine warfare. In August 1916, the destroyer rescued the crew of the light cruiser Nottingham, which had been sunk by a German submarine. In August 1917, the destroyer rammed and sank the submarine U-44. After the Armistice that marked the end of the First World War, the destroyer was transferred to Portsmouth. Initially, the destroyer was part of the local defence flotilla but soon Oracle was placed in reserve, decommissioned and, on 30 October 1921, sold to be broken up.
HMS Orford was an Admiralty M-class destroyer which served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous L-class, capable of higher speed. The vessel was launched on 19 April 1916 and joined the Grand Fleet. Orford spent much of the war undertaking anti-submarine warfare patrols and escorting convoys across the Atlantic Ocean. Although based at Scapa Flow, the destroyer ranged far, often operating off the coast of Cornwall and even having a temporary transfer to Buncrana in Ireland in 1917. In 1918, the destroyer took part in one of the final sorties of the Grand Fleet, but saw no action. After the Armistice that marked the end of the First World War, Orford was placed in reserve, decommissioned and, on 31 October 1921, sold to be broken up.
United Kingdom
