The first two flotilla leaders of the Lightfoot class, also known as the Marksman class, were ordered at the outbreak of the war. Two further units were ordered in 1915, and three additional ships were later added in the emergency war programme. All of them were significantly larger than ordinary destroyers to accommodate the commanding officer of the flotilla, his staff and the additional signalling gear. One of them, HMS Abdiel has been converted to a fast mine layer, and a further vessel (HMS Gabriel) will probably undergo a similar refit in the near future.