HMS Sybille (1917)

Sybille was laid down by Yarrow at their shipyard in Scotstoun, Glasgow, in August 1915, launched on 5 February 1917 and completed during the same month.^[11] The ship was the fifth of the name in service with the Royal Navy, named after Sibylle, the French form of a name for a female oracle in classical antiquity.^[12] The vessel was deployed as part of the Harwich Force, joining the Tenth Destroyer Flotilla.^[13] The flotilla was involved in supporting the convoys that crossed the North Sea.^[14]

On 4 June 1917, the destroyer formed part of the escort for the monitors Erebus and Terror in their bombardment of Ostend.^[15] Out of the 115 shells fired, 20 hit the dockyard or nearby. This was to be the last such attack for many months.^[16] Between 16 and 17 October 1917, the destroyer was called upon to be part of a large force of 84 warships sent out to search for a German fleet based around a minelayer, although Sybille saw no action.^[17] On 1 October 1918, the ship took part in a flotilla led by the destroyer leader Montrose that sailed to intercept retreating German forces, but did not find any. This was one of the final voyages undertaken by the Harwich Force during the war.^[18]

After the Armistice of 11 November 1918 that ended the war, the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of strength and both the number of ships and the amount of personnel in service needed to be reduced to save money.^[19] On 1 April 1919 Sybille' was placed in reserve at the Nore.^[20] In July 1923, the Navy decided to scrap many of the older destroyers in preparation for the introduction of newer and larger vessels.^[21] In a brief respite, on 26 July 1924, the vessel participated as part of a flotilla of reserve destroyers in a naval review in front of George V.^[22] Soon afterwards, the warship was retired and, on 5 November 1926, sold to Cashmore to be broken up at Newport.^[23]

• Bush, Steve; Warlow, Ben (2021). Pendant Numbers of the Royal Navy: A Complete History of the Allocation of Pendant Numbers to Royal Navy Warships & Auxiliaries. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-526793-78-2.
• Cocker, Maurice (1981). Destroyers of the Royal Navy, 1893–1981. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-71101-075-8.
• Colledge, James Joseph; Warlow, Ben (2006). Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy. London: Chatham Press. ISBN 978-1-93514-907-1.
• Friedman, Norman (2009). British Destroyers: From Earliest Days to the First World War. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-049-9.
• Manning, Thomas Davys; Walker, Charles Frederick (1959). British Warship Names. London: Putnam. OCLC 780274698.
• March, Edgar J. (1966). British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892–1953; Drawn by Admiralty Permission From Official Records & Returns, Ships' Covers & Building Plans. London: Seeley Service. OCLC 164893555.
• Monograph No. 35: Home Waters—Part IX.: 1st May, 1917 to 31st July, 1917 (PDF). Naval Staff Monographs (Historical). Vol. XIX. The Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division. 1939.
• Moretz, Joseph (2002). The Royal Navy and the Capital Ship in the Interwar Period. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-71465-196-5.
• Newbolt, Henry (1931). Naval Operations: Volume V. History of the Great War. London: Longmans, Green and Co. OCLC 220475309.
• Parkes, Oscar; Prendergast, Maurice (1969). Jane's Fighting Ships 1919. Newton Abbott: David & Charles. OCLC 907574860.
• Preston, Antony (1985). "Great Britain and Empire Forces". In Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal (eds.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 1–104. ISBN 978-0-85177-245-5.