Torrent was ordered from Swan Hunter by the British Admiralty in March 1916 as part of the Eighth War Construction Programme.

[3] 296 tons 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).

[4] Armament consisted of three QF 4in Mk IV guns on the ship's centreline, with one on the forecastle, one aft on a raised bandstand and one between the second and third funnels.

[5] On the night of 4/5 June 1917 the Dover Patrol carried out a bombardment of the German-held port of Ostend using the monitors Erebus and Terror, with the Harwich force sailing to cover the operation.

The two torpedo boats retreated under heavy fire towards Zeebrugge, and Torrent, along with Satyr, Sharpshooter and Taurus were ordered to pursue.

S20 was immobilised by a hit in the boiler room and was sunk, while S15, although heavily damaged, was able to escape, with the British destroyers turning back to avoid fire from shore batteries.