Laid down by J. Samuel White at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, the destroyer was launched in November 1916 and joined the Grand Fleet.

Sable was one of seventeen R-class destroyer delivered to the British Admiralty as part of the Sixth War Construction Programme.

[1] The design was generally similar to the preceding M class, but differed in having geared turbines, the central gun mounted on a bandstand and minor changes to improve seakeeping.

A fuel load of 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).

[3] Armament consisted of three single 4-inch (100 mm) Mk IV guns on the ship's centreline, with one on the forecastle, one aft on a raised platform and one between the second and third funnels.

[5] Ordered in July 1915, Sable was laid down by J. Samuel White at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight with the yard number 1477, and launched on 28 June the following year.

[11] On 12 February, four German large torpedo boats attacked the regular convoy between Britain and Norway, overwhelming the escort of two destroyers (Partridge and Pellew) and four naval trawlers.