The vessel was part of an unsuccessful attempt by the navy to trap the German submarines that had taken such a heavy toll on merchant shipping in December 1917.

The action involved an eight-ship convoy consisting of four merchant vessels escorted by two armed trawlers and the sister ships Pellew and Partridge.

Instead of submarines, four German destroyers attacked, sinking all but one member of the convoy and disappearing before the light cruisers which were to be the spring in the trap could arrive.

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

on 16 June 1917 the destroyer was off the coast of Norway escorting a convoy of vessels, including the Danish merchant ship Gunhild, which was sunk by SM U-100 the following day.

[12] On 11 December, while escorting a convoy from Lerwick to Marsden as part of lure to attract German submarines so that they could be attacked by larger light cruisers.

Partridge was sunk, while Pellew was struck in the engine room and the mechanism to launch the aft torpedoes, which was disabled.