the ship was laid down at yarrow's scotstoun, glasgow shipyard on 24 july 1912 as "hereward" but on 30 september 1913, the admiralty ordered that the l-class be renamed with names beginning with the letter "l", and "hereward" was renamed "laverock". "laverock " was launched on 19 november 1913. the ship was undergoing final acceptance trials on 1 march 1914 when she ran aground in the firth of clyde near skelmorlie. she was completed in october 1914.