HMS Lysander was a Laforey-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy, launched in August 1913 and commissioned later that year. Originally named HMS Ulysses, she was renamed Lysander by Admiralty order before her launch, marking a shift towards a new naming convention for destroyer classes based on successive alphabet letters. The ship measured 268 feet 8 inches (82 meters) in overall length, with a beam of 27 feet 8 inches (8.4 meters) and a draught of 10 feet 6 inches (3.2 meters). Displacing approximately 976 long tons (992 tonnes) at normal load, Lysander was powered by four Yarrow boilers and two Parsons steam turbines, generating a total of 24,500 shaft horsepower, allowing her to reach a trial speed of nearly 30 knots. Her armament comprised three single QF 4-inch (100 mm) guns, positioned on the forecastle, aft, and between the funnels, capable of firing shells weighing 31 pounds at high velocity. She also carried one 7.7 mm Maxim gun and a single 2-pounder (40 mm) "pom-pom" anti-aircraft gun, with twin torpedo mounts for 21-inch (533 mm) torpedoes aft. The vessel was equipped with capacity to lay four mines, although this was never utilized. Lysander’s service during World War I was marked by active engagement in major naval operations. She participated in the Battle of Heligoland Bight in 1914, engaging German light cruisers and torpedo boats. She also took part in anti-submarine patrols, escort missions, and operations off Ostend, often coming under fire from German shore batteries. Notably, she was involved in the response to the German raid on Yarmouth and Lowestoft in 1916 and rescued survivors from the hospital ship Llandovery Castle in 1918. After the war, she was placed in reserve and sold for scrap in 1922. Her service exemplifies the vital role of early 20th-century destroyers in patrol, escort, and fleet actions during the First World War.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.