HMS Ready was an M-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during World War I, launched by Thornycroft in 1916. As one of two ships from the Fifth War Construction Programme, she was distinguished by more powerful engines compared to standard M-class vessels, enabling higher speeds. The design served as a foundation for the subsequent R-class ships built by Thornycroft. Measuring 274 feet (83.5 meters) in overall length and 265 feet (80.8 meters) between perpendiculars, HMS Ready had a beam of 27 feet 6 inches (8.4 meters) and a draught of 10 feet (3.0 meters). Her displacement was approximately 1,033 long tons (1,050 tonnes) at normal load, increasing to 1,208 long tons (1,227 tonnes) at full load. Powered by three Yarrow boilers feeding Brown-Curtis steam turbines rated at 26,500 shaft horsepower, she was capable of reaching a trial speed of 35.45 knots (approximately 65.65 km/h or 40.80 mph). The vessel carried 275 long tons (279 tonnes) of fuel oil, giving her a range of about 1,620 nautical miles (3,000 km) at 20 knots. Her armament comprised three single 4-inch (102 mm) QF Mk IV guns positioned on the centerline—one forecastle, one aft, and one amidships—and four 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes in two twin mounts. By 1920, she was additionally equipped with a single 2-pounder "pom-pom" anti-aircraft gun. The ship's complement consisted of 82 officers and ratings. Commissioned in October 1916, HMS Ready served within the Grand Fleet's Fifteenth Destroyer Flotilla. Notably, in 1917, she participated in anti-submarine patrols and was part of a sortie into the Kattegat, where the flotilla sank the German Q-ship K (Kronprinz Wilhelm) and nine trawlers, earning a bounty for their success. She remained operational through the end of the war until the disbandment of the Grand Fleet, after which she was transferred to the defence flotilla at HMNB Portsmouth. By 1926, as part of the Navy's modernization efforts, HMS Ready was sold for scrap and broken up at Garston, Liverpool. Her service exemplifies the wartime deployment of specialized destroyers designed for fleet screening, anti-submarine warfare, and offensive torpedo 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.