HMS Peyton

Peyton was one of sixteen Admiralty M-class destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty in May 1915 as part of the Fifth War Construction Programme.^[1] The M-class was an improved version of the earlier L-class destroyer destroyers, designed to reach a higher speed in order to counter rumoured German fast destroyers, although it later transpired the German capability had been overstated.^[2]

The destroyer was 265 feet (80.77 m) long overall, with a beam of 26 feet 8 inches (8.13 m) and a draught of 9 feet 3 inches (2.82 m). Displacement was 994 long tons (1,010 t) normal and 1,021 long tons (1,037 t) full load.^[3] Power was provided by three Yarrow boilers feeding two Parsons steam turbines rated at 25,000 shaft horsepower (19,000 kW) and driving two shafts, to give a design speed of 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph).^[4] Three funnels were fitted. 296 long tons (301 t) of oil were carried, giving a design range of 3,450 nautical miles (6,390 km; 3,970 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).^[5]

Armament consisted of three 4-inch (102 mm) Mk IV QF guns on the ship's centreline, with one on the forecastle, one aft on a raised platform and one between the middle and aft funnels. A single 2-pounder (40 mm) pom-pom anti-aircraft gun was carried, while torpedo armament consisted of two twin mounts for 21 in (533 mm) torpedoes.^[6] The ship had a complement of 76 officers and ratings.^[5]

Peyton was laid down by William Denny and Brothers of Dumbarton on 12 July 1915 with the yard number 1053, launched on 2 May the following year and completed on 29 June.^[3] The ship was named after Rear Admiral John Peyton, the captain of the third-rate ship of the line Defence.^[7] The vessel was deployed as part of the Grand Fleet, joining the newly-formed Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla.^[8]

In February 1917, the destroyer was transferred to Cobh, Ireland, to counter increasing activity by German submarines in the Southwest Approaches.^[9] The submarines had been very active and the Royal Navy sent Peyton, along with sister ships Magic, Narwhal and Parthian, to act as anti-submarine escorts and to undertake patrols to protect merchant shipping.^[10] On 23 July, the destroyer, along with Narwhal, attacked the German submarine SM UB-23, which was ultimately interred on 29 July at Ferrol.^[11] Sometimes, the patrols were unsuccessful at deterring submarine attack and the vessels then rescued the survivors from the sunk ships.^[12]

Peyton returned to the Fourteenth and served there until the end of the war.^[13] After the armistice, the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of mobilisation, and surplus vessels were retired. Peyton was initially placed in reserve at Portsmouth alongside fifty other destroyers.^[14] Peyton was sold to be broken up by Thos. W. Ward at Morecambe on 9 May 1921.^[15]