On commissioning, "Zulu" joined the 1st Destroyer Flotilla of the Home Fleet. She remained part of the 1st Flotilla until 1913, when she transferred to the 4th Destroyer Flotilla, based at Portsmouth. In October that year, the Tribals were officially designated the F class, and as such the letter "F" was painted on the bows of the class. In February 1914, the Tribals (including "Mohawk"), whose range was too short for effective open sea operations, were sent to Dover, forming the 6th Destroyer Flotilla.