HMS Nereus was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. Launched in 1916, the vessel served with the Grand Fleet until the end of the conflict. The vessel operated as part for Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla in support of convoy operations. In 1918, the flotilla took part in one of the last sorties of the war, although the British and German fleets did not meet and the destroyer returned without seeing any action. After the conflict, the destroyer was worn out by the demands of high speed operation in poor weather. Nereus was decommissioned and sold to be broken up in 1921 after less than six years service.
HMS Magic 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. 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 in 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 people died. After the War, the destroyer was placed in reserve and decommissioned, being sold to be broken up in 1921.
HMS Lochinvar was a repeat Laforey-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. Named after the character in the poem Marmion, the ship was originally to be called HMS Malice but was renamed prior to being launched on 9 October 1915. The destroyer joined the Harwich Force and took part in anti-submarine patrols, as well as escorting the monitors Erebus and Terror for their attacks on the canal gates at Zeebrugge and the port of Ostend in 1917. After the Armistice, the vessel was placed in reserve and sold to be broken up on 25 November 1921.
HMS Maenad 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. The vessel, launched in 1915, served in the Battle of Jutland in 1916, attacking both battleships and destroyers of the German High Seas Fleet. However, the vessel was notorious for undertaking a sharp manoeuvre which obstructed other destroyers in the fleet from attacking. Maenad also undertook anti-submarine patrols. In 1917, the ship mistakenly attacked the British submarine G12 thinking it was a German boat. The submarine escaped with damages. After the armistice that ended of the war, Maenad was placed in reserve until being sold to be broken up in Germany in 1921.
HMS Sepoy was an S-class destroyer, which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War and the Russian Civil War. Sepoy was launched in 1918 and initially joined the Grand Fleet. After the Armistice that ended the First World War, the ship was briefly transferred to the Reserve Fleet before sailing to Tallinn in 1919 as part of the Royal Navy response to the fighting there. Sepoy rejoined the Reserve Fleet at the end of the year. In 1922, the destroyer served in the Mediterranean Sea. The ship was later allocated to the naval base in Hong Kong, arriving in 1929. During exercises the following year, a depth charge explosion killed six sailors. The destroyer was also damaged. Following the signing of the London Naval Treaty a few days later, Sepoy returned to the United Kingdom and, in 1932, was sold to be broken up at Newport, Wales.
HMS Penn was a Repeat 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 Mameluke was an Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class was an improvement on the preceding L class, capable of higher speeds. The ship, the first Royal Navy vessel to be named after the Mamelukes, a class of ex-slaves that ruled Egypt, was launched in 1915. The destroyer joined the Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla and, although under refit during the Battle of Jutland and so unable to participate, later took part in anti-submarine operations as part of this flotilla, although no submarines were sighted or sunk. The conditions of service in the North Sea meant that the destroyer was soon worn out and, after the armistice, Mameluke was placed in reserve. Despite a service life of only six years, the vessel was decommissioned and, in 1921, sold to be broken up.
HMS Orestes was a Repeat 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 Q-ship Privet after that vessel had successfully sunk the submarine U-85 in a duel in March 1917. Later in the war, the focus was turned to escorting merchant ships and the 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 Opportune 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 20 November 1915 and joined the Grand Fleet. Opportune spent much of the war involved in anti-submarine warfare. The ship took part in large patrols to seek out submarines which involved entire flotillas and also acted as an escort for convoys. After the Armistice that marked the end of the First World War, the destroyer was transferred to Portsmouth and placed in reserve. After a brief spell as a remote controlled target to test how warships responded to attacks by aircraft, Opportune was decommissioned and, on 7 December 1923, sold to be broken up.
HMS Obedient was a Repeat 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 in 1915, the destroyer served with the Grand Fleet during the Battle of Jutland in 1916, helping sink the torpedo boat V48 and narrowiy missing the German battleships as they withdrew. Subsequently, Obedient took part in anti-submarine patrols, attacking U-70 in 1917. The conditions of service meant that the destroyer was soon worn out and, after the armistice that ended the war in 1918, Obedient was placed in reserve. Despite a service life of only five years, the vessel was decommissioned and, in 1921, sold to be broken up.
HMS Onslaught 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, capable of higher speed. The vessel, launched in 1915, joined the Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla under the flotilla leader Faulknor. The ship saw action during the Battle of Jutland in May 1916, jointly sinking the German torpedo boat SMS V48 and launching the torpedo that sank the pre-dreadnought battleship Pommern, the only German battleship to be lost in the battle. Subsequently, the destroyer acted as an escort to other naval ships during the Action of 19 August 1916 and took part in anti-submarine operations. At the end of the war, Onslaught was withdrawn from service and, in 1921, sold to be broken up.
HMS Redpole was one of 20 Acorn-class destroyers built for the Royal Navy that served in the First World War. The Acorn class were smaller than the preceding Beagle class but oil-fired and better armed. Launched in 1910, the ship served with the Second Destroyer Flotilla, joining the Grand Fleet at the start of the war, and was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in 1915, joining the Fifth Destroyer Flotilla. Employed as an escort, the ship also undertook other duties, including rescuing the Italian destroyer Benedetto Cairoli in 1918. Redpole ended the war in Gibraltar. After the Armistice, the destroyer was placed in reserve before being sold to be broken up in 1921.
HMS Scotsman was an S-class destroyer that served with the Royal Navy during the Russian Civil War. The S class was a development of the previous R class, with minor differences, constructed at the end of the First World War. Scotsman was completed in May 1918 and joined the Grand Fleet for the last few months of the War. The destroyer then joined the British campaign in the Baltic, sailing as part of a detachment of ten destroyers under the command of Admiral Walter Cowan in March 1919. Scotsman provided military and humanitarian assistance to the Latvian cities of Liepāja and Ventspils in April 1919. On returning to the UK, the ship was placed in reserve, initially at Rosyth and later Devonport. The destroyer remained in reserve until, in July 1937, Scotsman was sold in part-exchange for the liner Majestic and broken up.
HMS Seabear was an S-class destroyer that served with the Royal Navy during the Russian Civil War. The S class was a development of the previous R class, with minor differences, constructed at the end of the First World War. Seabear was launched in December 1917 and joined the Grand Fleet for the last few months of the War. The destroyer then joined the British campaign in the Baltic, sailing as part of a detachment of ten destroyers under the command of Admiral Walter Cowan in March 1919. Seabear sailed to Tallinn in support of the Estonian War of Independence the following month. On returning to the UK, the ship was placed in reserve. The London Naval Treaty limited to number of destroyers that the Royal Navy could operate and, as new ships entered service, older vessels were retired. Seabear was sold in February 1931 and broken up.
HMS Searcher was an S-class destroyer that served with the Royal Navy during the Russian Civil War. The S class was a development of the previous R class, with minor differences, constructed at the end of the First World War. Searcher was launched in September 1918 and joined the Grand Fleet days after the end of the War. The destroyer then joined the British campaign in the Baltic, sailing as part of a detachment of ten destroyers under the command of Admiral Walter Cowan in March 1919. Searcher sailed to Tallinn in support of the Estonian War of Independence the following month. On returning to the UK, the ship was placed in reserve. In 1931, the destroyer resumed active service and joined the defence flotilla at Gibraltar, and, subsequently, the Mediterranean Fleet, accompanying ships like the aircraft carrier Glorious and the dreadnought Queen Elizabeth on cruises around the Mediterranean Sea. The vessel also took part in the naval review to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of George V in 1935. Searcher was sold to be broken up in 1938.
HMS Steadfast was an Admiralty S-class destroyer that served with the Royal Navy in the Russian Civil War. The S class was a development of the R class created during the First World War as a cheaper alternative to the V and W class. Launched in 1918 just before the Armistice, the ship was commissioned into the Mediterranean Fleet and was soon in action as part of the Royal Navy operation supporting the White Russians in the Black Sea. In 1919, Steadfast accompanied the monitor M29 in bombarding a Russian battery in Ochakiv and, the following year, took part in action north of the Georgian city of Poti alongside the light cruiser Caradoc. Soon afterwards, the destroyer returned to Chatham and was placed in reserve at Nore. Steadfast was retired and sold to be broken up in 1934.
HMS Tenacious was an R-class destroyer that served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The R class were an improvement on the previous M class with geared steam turbines to improve efficiency. Launched in 1917, Tenacious served with the Eleventh Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet. The destroyer had a generally uneventful war. Despite sailing in 1918 to engage the German High Seas Fleet in one of the final sorties of war, the destroyer did not see the enemy fleet and no shots were fired. After the Armistice, the ship was stationed at Devonport. Following a decision to replace older destroyers in the Royal Navy, Tenacious was retired in 1928 and sold to be broken up.
HMS Sterling was an Admiralty S-class destroyer that served with the Royal Navy at the China Station during the twentieth century. The S class was a development of the R class created during the First World War as a cheaper alternative to the V and W class. Launched in 1918 just before the Armistice, the ship was commissioned in 1919. After a short period based in Harwich, the destroyer was transferred to the China Station. In 1929 and 1931, Sterling was involved in combatting piracy, including helping the crew of the passenger ship Hatching defeat 25 pirates that had secreted themselves amongst the passengers. In 1931, the destroyer was in Kowloon defending Japanese citizens aboard the ocean liner Asama Maru who were under threat from rioters. Soon after, in 1932, Sterling was retired and sold to be broken up in Llanelli.
HMS Sirdar was an Admiralty S-class destroyer that served with the Royal Navy during the Turkish War of Independence. The S class was a development of the R class created during the First World War as a cheaper alternative to the V and W class. Launched in 1918 just before the Armistice, the ship initially joined the Grand Fleet but was swiftly transferred to reserve when the war ended. After a short period based in Rosyth, the destroyer was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet at the end of 1919 in time for the Turkish War of Independence. The vessel helped British and Ottoman forces defend the town of Izmit and to escort the Turkish battlecruiser Yavuz Sultan Selim to Tuzla. The destroyer was subsequently deployed to the China Station. Between 1927 and 1931, Sirdar was involved in combatting piracy, including helping the crew of the passenger ship Hatching defeat 25 pirates that had secreted themselves amongst the passengers. In 1930, the destroyer was fired on by members of the Chinese Red Army while cruising along the Yangtze. The signing of the London Naval Treaty that year meant that the Royal Navy needed to decommission older destroyers as new vessels entered service. In 1934, Sirdar was retired and sold to be broken up.
HMS Tintagel was an Admiralty S-class destroyer that served with the Royal Navy in the Second World War. The S class was a development of the R class created during the First World War as a cheaper alternative to the V and W class. Launched in 1918 shortly after the Armistice, the ship was commissioned into the Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet. However, the end of the war meant that destroyers were not needed in the front line to the same extent and Tintagel was recommissioned into the Reserve Fleet a year later. Between 1920 and 1921, the ship served with the torpedo school at Sheerness. In 1924, the vessel accompanied the submarine X1 on sea trials. After the London Naval Treaty of 1930, and the subsequent reduction in the Royal Navy's older destroyer force, Tintagel was retired and, in 1931, sold to be broken up in Plymouth.
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