During Battle of Heligoland Bight, Liberty engaged with the German torpedo boats G194 and G196, and scored two hits on the cruiser Mainz.

[2] The vessel was one of the last pre-war destroyers built by J Samuel White for the British Admiralty, constructed alongside the similar Laurel.

[4] A total of 268 long tons (272 t) of oil was carried, giving a design range of 1,720 nautical miles (3,190 km; 1,980 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).

[4] Armament consisted of three QF 4 in (102 mm) Mk IV guns on the ship's centreline, with one on the forecastle, one aft and one between the funnels.

[12] After the British declaration of war and the start of the First World War on 4 August 1914, the flotilla was tasked with harassing the Imperial German Navy and on 26 August was ordered to attack German torpedo boats on their patrol as part of a large Royal Navy fleet in what was to be the Battle of Heligoland Bight.

[13] The following day, Liberty was part of the Fourth Division, which included fellow L-class destroyers Laertes, Laurel and Lysander, when the German torpedo boat G194 was sighted.

[15] Liberty was second in the line when their pursuit brought them to the light cruiser Mainz and almost immediately took a hit from the larger vessel that destroyed the bridge and killed the ship's commander, Nigel K. W.

[20] The Flotilla was incapable of keeping sufficient speed to engage in the battle, which was left to newer and faster M-class destroyers.

[21] The ship did, however, rescue the destroyer that led into the fray, Meteor, which had been heavily damaged attacking the German armoured cruiser Blücher, towing the vessel back to Britain.

[28] The destroyer swiftly opened fire and sped forward, ramming the German ship ahead of the conning tower at 24 kn (44 km/h; 28 mph).

[31] 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 personnel needed to be reduced to save money.