HMS Pylades (1916)

HMS Pylades was a Repeat Admiralty M-class destroyer that served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class was an improvement on those of the preceding L-class destroyer, capable of higher speed. Launched in 1916, Pylades joined the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet. During the following year, the vessel defended the light cruisers HMS Dublin (1912) and HMAS Sydney (1912) from the Zeppelin L 43 and participated in an extensive but unsuccessful search for German ships in the North Sea with the Sixth Light Cruiser Squadron. However, much of the remainder of the war was taken up in escort work, particularly as the British Admiralty increasingly used convoy as a weapon against German submarines, although the destroyer was not successful in destroying any German adversaries, After the Armistice that ended the war, Pylades was initially put in reserve and then sold in 1921 to be broken up.

Design and development
Pylades was one of 18 Repeat Admiralty M-class destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty in late May 1915 as part of the Fifth War Programme during the First World War. The M class was an improved version of the earlier L-class destroyer (1913), required to reach a higher speed in order to counter rumoured new German fast destroyers. The remit was to have a maximum speed of 36 kn and, although ultimately the destroyers fell short of that ambition in service, the extra performance that was achieved was valued by the navy. It transpired that the German warships did not exist.

The destroyer had a length of 265 ft between perpendiculars and 273 ft overall, with a beam of 26 ft and draught of 8 ft. Displacement was 948 LT normal. Power was provided by three Yarrow boilers feeding Brown-Curtiss steam turbines built by Beardmore and rated at 27800 shp. The turbines drove three shafts and exhausted through three funnels. Design speed was 34 kn. A total of 228 LT of oil was carried. Design range was 2530 nmi at 15 kn, but actual endurance in service was less; sister ship HMS Murray (1914) had a range of 2240 nmi at 15 kn.

Pylades had a main armament consisting of three single QF 4 in Mk IV guns on the centreline, with one on the forecastle, one aft on a raised platform and one between the middle and aft funnels. Torpedo armament consisted of two twin torpedo tubes for 21 in torpedoes located aft of the funnels. Two single 1-pounder 37 mm "pom-pom" anti-aircraft guns were carried. The anti-aircraft guns were later replaced by 2-pdr 40 mm "pom-pom" guns. The ship had a complement of 80 officers and ratings.

Construction and career
Pylades was laid down by Stephens on 27 July 1915 at Linthouse and launched on 28 September the following year. The vessel was completed by Beardmore on 30 December the following year, the sixth to be given the name in Royal Navy service, which recalled the legendary Greek prince Pylades. The ship was deployed as part of the Grand Fleet, joining the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla. Increasing activity from submarines against merchant shipping had led to the creation of a convoy system relying on destroyer escorts. The flotilla was called upon to accompany over 26 vessels a day as they sailed into and out of British ports. On 3 May, the destroyer formed part of the escort for the light cruisers HMS Dublin (1912) and HMAS Sydney (1912), along with sister ships HMS Nepean (1916), HMS Obdurate (1916) and HMS Pelican (1916), on a routine patrol of the North Sea. During the following day, they were attacked by the Zeppelin L 43. The airship bombed the British ships, causing minor damage to Obdurate but otherwise causing no harm.

Sometimes Pylades was involved in more offensive action. On 16 October, the destroyer joined with five other destroyers and the Sixth Light Cruiser Squadron in an unsuccessful search for a suspected German force threatening the convoys in the North Sea. The destroyer lost touch with the main squadron but then met HMS Cardiff (D58) and escorted that light cruiser back to Rosyth. Despite these measures, the German light cruisers SMS Bremse and SMS Brummer managed to attack the regular convoy between Norway and Britain two days later, sinking two destroyers, HMS Mary Rose (1915) and HMS Strongbow (1916), and nine merchant ships before returning safely to Germany. The loss led to the Admiralty increasing the escort for future convoys to nine M-class destroyers.

At the end of the war, Pylades was a member of the Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla. After the Armistice that ended the war in 1918, the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of strength and both the number of ships and the amount of personnel needed to be reduced to save money. The destroyer was allocated to the Defence Flotilla at Devonport. However, the harsh conditions of wartime operations, exacerbated by the fact that the hull was not galvanised, meant that the ship was soon worn out. Pylades was retired, and, on 9 May 1921, was sold to Thos. W. Ward of Hayle to be broken up.