HMS Tara (1918)

HMS Tara was an S-class destroyer (1917) destroyer, which served with the Royal Navy. Launched on 7 August 1918, the vessel entered service at the closing of the First World War. The ship joined the Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet but was placed in Reserve at Nore in 1919. Tara deteriorated over the following years and was sold to be broken up on 17 December 1931 after the signing of the London Naval Treaty that limited the amount of destroyer tonnage the Navy could retain.

Design and development
Tara was one of thirty-three Admiralty S-class destroyer (1917) destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty in June 1917 as part of the Twelfth War Construction Programme. The design was a development of the R-class destroyer (1916) introduced as a cheaper and faster alternative to the V and W-class destroyer. Differences with the R class were minor, such as having the searchlight moved aft.

Tara had an overall length of 276 ft and a length of 265 ft between perpendiculars. Beam was 26 ft and draught 9 ft. Displacement was 1075 LT normal and 1220 LT deep load. Three Yarrow boilers fed steam to two sets of Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines rated at 27000 shp and driving two shafts, giving a design speed of 36 kn at normal loading and 32.5 kn at deep load. Two funnels were fitted. The ship carried 301 LT of fuel oil, which gave a design range of 2750 nmi at 15 kn.

Armament consisted of three QF 4 in Mk IV guns on the ship's centreline. One was mounted raised on the forecastle, one between the funnels on a raised platform and one aft. The ship also mounted a single 40 mm 2-pounder pom-pom anti-aircraft gun for air defence. Four 21 in torpedo tubes were fitted in two twin rotating mounts aft. The ship also carried two 18 in torpedo tubes on single rotating mounts mounted under the bridge, one to port and the other starboard. They were intended to be used during night attacks and controlled directly by the commanding officer using toggle ropes. The ship had a complement of 90 officers and ratings.

Construction and career
Laid down on 21 November 1917 by William Beardmore and Company in Dalmuir with the yard number 590, Tara was launched on 12 October 1918 and completed on 9 December 1918. The vessel was the first and only of the name. The yard built the destroyers HMS Tactician (1918) and HMAS Tasmania at the same time.Tara joined the Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla of the Grand Fleet.

With the First World War closing, the destroyer saw no action before the Armistice. At the end of the war, the ship remained with the Grand Fleet until it was dissolved. As the navy no longer required such a large active fleet of ships, Tara was transferred to join sixty-three other destroyers in reserve at Nore. Tara was a tender to HMS Vernon (shore establishment), the torpedo school at Portsmouth in November 1924. On 22 April 1930, the United Kingdom signed the London Naval Treaty, which limited total destroyer tonnage in the Navy. Having remained on reserve for more than a decade, Tara was found to be in poor condition and was one of those chosen to be retired. In July 1931, Tara was replaced as tender to the Torpedo School by sister ship HMS Stronghold, with Tara's crew transferring to Stronghold. On 17 December 1931, the destroyer was sold to Rees of Llanelly, and broken up.