HMS Ariel was an Acheron-class destroyer built in 1911, which served during the First World War and sank in 1918 after striking a mine.

On 10 March, in company with her sisters Attack and Acheron, Ariel was searching for a German submarine reported by the trawler Man Island[6] near Aberdeen.

Ariel, commanded by Lt Cdr J V Creagh,[7] sighted the submarine at 10:12 at about 2 nmi (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) and all three destroyers turned towards it.

She turned to ram, sighting the conning tower under the water in the final moments before she struck the submarine at a fine angle.

The P&O vessel Kashmir sent out a radio warning, and later the same day Ariel's lookouts spotted the conning tower of a submarine.

On 27 March 1918, while laying a barrier minefield 70 nmi (81 mi; 130 km) north-west of Heligoland, Ariel — in company with Ferret, Abdiel, Legion and Telemachus[17] — came upon three armed German trawlers, Polarstern, Mars and Scharbentz.

[14][18] On 2 August, while conducting minelaying in the western end of the Heligoland Bight, the V-class destroyer Vehement sank after striking a German mine.