HMS Lydiard (1914)

HMS Lydiard was a Laforey-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the 1910s.

Description
The Laforey class were improved and faster versions of the preceding Acasta-class destroyer. They displaced 965 - 1010 LT. The ships had an overall length of 268 ft, a beam of 27 ft and a draught of 10 ft. Lydiard was powered by two Brown-Curtis direct-drive steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by four Yarrow boilers. The turbines developed a total of 24500 shp and gave a maximum speed of 29 kn. The ships carried a maximum of 280 LT of fuel oil that gave them a range of 1750 nmi at 15 kn. The ships' complement was 74 officers and ratings.

The ships were armed with three single QF 4 in Mark IV guns and two QF 1.5-pounder (37 mm) anti-aircraft guns. These latter guns were later replaced by a pair of QF 2-pounder (40 mm) "pom-pom" anti-aircraft guns. The ships were also fitted with two above-water twin mounts for 21 in torpedoes.

Construction and service
The ship was ordered as Waverley from Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company as part of the 1912–13 programme, but was renamed Lydiard before being launched on 26 February 1914. She served with the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, and fought at the Battle of Heligoland Bight in 1914, where she was credited with torpedoing the German light cruiser SMS Mainz.

Lydiard also took part in the Battle of Jutland in 1916, where she formed part of the 9th Destroyer Flotilla, along with her sister ships HMS Liberty (1913), HMS Landrail (1914) and HMS Laurel (1913), supporting Admiral Beatty's battlecruisers. She was transferred to escort duties after 1917, and sold for breaking in November 1921.