Launched in 1915, the destroyer served with the Grand Fleet during the Battle of Jutland in 1916, helping sink the torpedo boat V48 and narrowiy missing the German battleships as they withdrew.

[6] Three funnels were fitted and 296 long tons (301 t) of oil was carried, giving a design range of 3,450 nautical miles (6,390 km; 3,970 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).

[9] Obedient was laid down by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company at their shipyard in Greenock with the yard number 464, launched on 6 November 1916 and completed in February the following year.

[12] The destroyer formed part of the First Division of the Flotilla, led by Faulknor and also including sister ships Marvel, Mindful and Onslaught.

Obedient and Marvel then attacked the German light cruisers, but withdrew without recording any hits,[15] The destroyer was subsequently involved in anti-submarine patrols between 15 and 22 June the following year.

During one of the patrols, Obedient was successful in driving away the submarine U-70, but not before the merchant ship SS Buffalo, which had been heading for New York, had been attacked with torpedo and gunfire.

The Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of strength and both the number of ships and the amount of staff needed to be reduced to save money.

[20] However, this did not last long as the harsh conditions of wartime service, 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 worn out.