HMS Pylades (1916)

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.^[8][9][10] The ship was deployed as part of the Grand Fleet, joining the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla.^[11] Increasing activity from submarines against merchant shipping had led to the creation of a convoy system relying on destroyer escorts.^[12] The flotilla was called upon to accompany over 26 vessels a day as they sailed into and out of British ports.^[13] On 3 May, the destroyer formed part of the escort for the light cruisers Dublin and Sydney, along with sister ships Nepean, Obdurate and Pelican, on a routine patrol of the North Sea. During the following day, they were attacked by the Zeppelin L 43.^[14] The airship bombed the British ships, causing minor damage to Obdurate but otherwise causing no harm.^[15]

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.^[16] The destroyer lost touch with the main squadron but then met Cardiff and escorted that light cruiser back to Rosyth.^[17] Despite these measures, the German light cruisers Bremse and Brummer managed to attack the regular convoy between Norway and Britain two days later, sinking two destroyers, Mary Rose and Strongbow, and nine merchant ships before returning safely to Germany.^[18] The loss led to the Admiralty increasing the escort for future convoys to nine M-class destroyers.^[19]

At the end of the war, Pylades was a member of the Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla.^[20] 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 personnel needed to be reduced to save money.^[21] The destroyer was allocated to the Defence Flotilla at Devonport.^[22] 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.^[23] Pylades was retired, and, on 9 May 1921, was sold to Thos. W. Ward of Hayle to be broken up.^[24]