HMS Devonshire was the first of the County-class destroyers and the first Batch 1 ship of the Royal Navy.

With a displacement of 6,200 tons full load, Devonshire was named after the English county of Devon.

In 1962 Devonshire was commissioned and became the first operational Royal Navy ship to fire the Seaslug missile.

On 31 August 1966, Devonshire collided with the tanker British Sovereign off the mouth of the River Elbe.

Like the other first batch of County-class ships, Devonshire was fitted with the Seaslug anti aircraft missile defence system.