HMS ''Mallard'' was a two funnel, 30-knot

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

ordered by the

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under the 1894 – 1895 Naval Estimates. She served in Home waters both before and during the First World War, and was sold for breaking in 1920.

Construction

She was laid down as yard number 308 on 15 September 1895 at the John I. Thornycroft & Company shipyard at

Chiswick Chiswick ( ) is a district in West London, split between the London Borough of Hounslow, London Boroughs of Hounslow and London Borough of Ealing, Ealing. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist Wi ...

on the River Thames. She was launched on 19 November 1896. During her builder's trials her maximum average speed was 30.1 knots. She had her armament fitted at Portsmouth, was completed and was accepted by the Royal Navy in October 1897.

Pre-War

After commissioning she was assigned to the Chatham Division of the Harwich Flotilla. Lieutenant Guy de Lancy Ormsby Johnson was appointed in command on 11 January 1900, when she served as part of the

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instructional flotilla. In April 1900 she was present at an accident at

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, when seven sailors from were drowned in bad weather as they approached the pier. Lieutenant Charles Tuthill Borrett was appointed in command on 20 January 1901, and she served in Home waters and was until October 1901 attached to the

instructional flotilla. In early April 1902 Lieutenant George J. Todd was appointed in command, shortly before she finished a refit where she also had her hull strengthened. She was commissioned for service in the

Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between ...

, and left

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for

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in late May 1902, arriving at

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

in July. She was reported to visit Greek waters (including

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) in September 1902. On the night of 22 November 1910, ''Mallard'' collided with the destroyer , with both destroyers suffering damaged stems. The cruisers and went to the assistance of the two damaged destroyers, which were taken into

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for repair. On 30 August 1912 the Admiralty directed that all destroyer classes were to be designated by letters. Since her design speed was 30-knots and she had two funnels she was assigned to the D class; the three and four-funnel 30-knotters becoming the C and B classes. After 30 September 1913, she was known as a D-class destroyer and had the letter ‘D’ painted on the hull below the bridge area and on either the fore or aft funnel

First World War

In July 1914 she was in active commission assigned to the

8th Destroyer Flotilla The 8th Destroyer Flotilla, also styled as the Eighth Destroyer Flotilla, was a military formation of the British Royal Navy from 1911 to 1939. History The flotilla was established in August 1911. In 1912 it was assigned to the Admiral of Patro ...

based at Sheerness tendered to the destroyer

depot ship A depot ship is an auxiliary ship used as a mobile or fixed base for submarines, destroyers, minesweepers, fast attack craft, landing craft, or other small ships with similarly limited space for maintenance equipment and crew dining, berthing an ...

. In August 1914 the 8th was redeployed to the River Tyne and employed on anti-submarine and counter-mining patrols. In November 1917 she deployed to the

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Hunting Flotilla until the cessation of hostilities providing anti-submarine and counter-smuggling patrols.

Fate

In 1919 she was paid off and laid-up in reserve awaiting disposal. ''Mallard'' was sold on 10 February 1920 to Alloa Ship Breaking Company for breaking at Charlestown.

Pennant numbers

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mallard Ships built in Chiswick 1896 ships D-class destroyers (1913) World War I destroyers of the United Kingdom Ships built by John I. Thornycroft & Company