she had her starboard propeller damaged while in Falmouth harbour, when the destroyer dragged her moorings and drifted into Bat and other ships of the flotilla. Following repairs in Devonport, she was to go back to the flotilla, but had to withdraw for a longer period as there was an accident in the engine-room during power trials in late February. She paid off into the Dockyard reserve at Devonport on 8 March 1900. Her commanding officer, from 1901, was Commander Roger Keyes, who pioneered new aggressive tactics for destroyers during this period. Bat was paid off on 4 January 1902, when her crew was turned over to the destroyer , which took her place in the flotilla. After paying off, she underwent repairs to re-tube her Reed boilers. Bat was deployed to the Mediterranean between 1902 and 1905. On 2 September 1902 she commissioned at Devonport to join the Mediterranean Fleet. Arriving at Malta, she became tender to , depot ship for torpedo boats. On the night of 27 October 1904, Bat was in collision with the destroyer off Gozo, with both ships having to return to Malta for repairs. In 1910, Bat was part of the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla, based at Portsmouth and tendered to the depot ship . By March 1913, Bat was part of the Sixth Flotilla at Portsmouth, which was equipped with older destroyers for patrol purposes. The destroyer transferred to the Eighth Flotilla, based at Chatham in early 1914. On 30 August 1912 the Admiralty directed all destroyer classes were to be designated by letters starting with 'A'. Since her design speed was and she had three funnels, she was assigned to the on 30 September 1913. The class letter 'C' was painted on the hull below the bridge area and on a funnel. World War I In July 1914 Bat was assigned to the 8th Destroyer Flotilla based at Chatham tendered to . On the outbreak of war, the Eighth Flotilla was deployed to the Firth of Forth, carrying out patrol duties in support of the Grand Fleet. By January 1915, Bat, although still supported by Tyne, was attached to the Grand Fleet. She remained attached to the Grand Fleet through the rest of 1915 and 1916. On 3 May 1917, Bat and the destroyer opened fire on the British submarine off Blyth, Northumberland. Although one man was killed and a second was wounded,