Pioneered by the Tribal class of 1905 and HMS Swift of 1907, using oil enabled a more efficient design, leading to a smaller vessel which also had increased deck space available for weaponry.

[7] The vessel carried 170 long tons (170 t) of fuel oil and had a design range of 1,540 nautical miles (2,850 km; 1,770 mi) at a cruising speed of 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph).

[5][6] The armament consisted of a single BL 4 in (102 mm) Mk VIII gun carried on the forecastle and another aft.

[9] The destroyer was later modified to carry a single Vickers QF 3-pounder 2 in (47 mm) anti-aircraft gun and depth charges for anti-submarine warfare.

Nereide was laid down at the Dumbarton shipyard of R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company with the yard number 435 on 3 December, launched on 6 September 1910 and completed on 6 April 1911.

[19] Soon afterwards, the destroyers were deployed to Devonport to undertake escort and patrol duties, protecting merchant ships against German submarines, remaining there until December 1916.

[23] On 2 October, the destroyer formed part of the escort for the Bombardment of Durazzo, led by the Italian armoured cruiser San Giorgio.

[24] On 26 November, the destroyer departed for Varna in the Black Sea as part of a joint operation with the French and Italian Navies,[25] and whilst at port in Odessa provided sanctuary to Countess Natalia Brasova along with her daughter Princess Vyazemskaya and brother-in-law Aleksei Matveev, evacuating them to Constantinople.