Destroyers as cycle ships

Which early Royal Navy destroyer classes would remain longest, and how quickly would old torpedo craft disappear?

Most would follow a similar cycle of active use, reserve and second-line duty, then disposal after roughly 15 to 20 years.

Small destroyers were worked until worn, retained in reserve while their numbers remained useful, and then discarded as a new generation took over. This was a fleet-management cycle rather than a contest to identify one exceptionally long-lived class. The roughly 15- to 20-year horizon also frames the replacement of hundreds of torpedo boats and torpedo-boat destroyers.