The ship saw action during the Battle of Jutland in May and June 1916, being hit by a 12 in (300 mm) shell that did not explode and jointly sinking the German torpedo boat SMS V48.

Six months later, the vessel successfully rescued all but four of the crew of the sinking flotilla leader Hoste, despite sustaining substantial damage in the process.

The remit was to have a maximum speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph) and, although the eventual design did not achieve this, the greater performance was appreciated by the navy.

[4] Marvel was laid down by William Denny and Brothers at Dumbarton on 11 January 1915 with the yard number 1031, launched on 7 October and completed on 28 December.

[18] At about 2:00 AM on 1 June, Marvel swung round and, finding a good position to target the battleships, launched four torpedoes.

Despite repeatedly being forced apart by the heavy seas and sustaining substantial damage to the forecastle, the destroyer returned twelve times and successfully rescued all but four of the ship's crew before the flotilla leader eventually sank.

The destroyer was patrolling off the Norwegian coast along with the light cruiser Cambrian and sister ship Mindful when the merchantman was spotted.

The cruise also led to protests from five other vessels, sailing under Norwegian and Swedish flags, four of which the Royal Navy admitted were stopped in neutral waters.

[22] The harsh conditions of wartime operations, particularly the combination of high speed and the poor weather that is typical of the North Sea, exacerbated by the fact that the hull was not galvanised, meant that the destroyer was soon worn out.

[23] After the Armistice, the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of operation and it was decided that Marvel was to be withdrawn from active service.