These two destroyers had been badly damaged in late 1916, and rather than scrapping both hulls at the height of World War I, the Admiralty ordered that they be rebuilt as the composite Zubian and put back into service.

[3] Both wrecks were then towed to Chatham Dockyard, where a complete destroyer was constructed by joining the foreparts of Zulu with the stern of Nubian,[4] and despite a 3.5 inches (89 mm) difference in beam,[2] the unique operation was successful.

[10] While in the Dover Strait on 4 February 1918, she encountered the mine-laying U-boat UC-50, which was surfaced about 400 yards (370 m) off Zubian's port bow with her radio antennae up.

The destroyer then dropped depth charges over the submerged U-boat and a significant amount of oil and wreckage was observed thereafter.

Zubian marked the location with a buoy and an hour later, the patrol vessel HMS P12 dropped additional depth charges there.

[12] Zubian was assigned to the bombardment force, and along with the destroyers Mentor and Lightfoot, provided the close escort for a group of six monitors.

[13] The bombardment force was tasked with suppressing the German coastal defences,[14] while a pair of old cruisers attempted to steam into the harbour entrances, where they would be sunk as blockships.