HMS Pheasant was one of 85 Admiralty M-class destroyers built during the First World War for the Royal Navy.

The turbines developed a total of 25,000 shaft horsepower (19,000 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph).

The ships carried a maximum of 228 long tons (232 t) of fuel oil that gave them a range of 2,100 nautical miles (3,900 km; 2,400 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).

[5] On the morning of 1 March 1917 the destroyer, together with a number of armed trawlers, was taking part in a routine patrol of the Western entrance to Scapa Flow, the Grand Fleet's anchorage in Orkney.

[6] The wreck lies roughly E-W, in 82 metres (269 ft) of water at 58°52.07′N 3°27.41′W / 58.86783°N 3.45683°W / 58.86783; -3.45683 and was found by divers from the Army Sub-Aqua Club on 13 May 1996.