HMS Tara (1918)
HMS "Tara" was an 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 destroyers ordered by  the British Admiralty in June 1917 as part of the Twelfth War Construction Programme. The design was a development of the introduced as a cheaper and faster alternative to the . Differences with the R class were minor, such as having the searchlight moved aft. "Tara" had a overall length of and a length of between perpendiculars. Beam was and draught . Displacement was normal and deep load. Three Yarrow boilers fed steam to two sets of Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines rated at and driving two shafts, giving a design speed of at normal loading and at deep load. Two funnels  were fitted. The ship carried of fuel oil, which gave a design range of at . Armament consisted of three QF 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 2-pounder pom-pom anti-aircraft gun for air defence. Four torpedo tubes were fitted in two twin rotating mounts aft. The ship also carried two 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 in 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 and 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 , 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 , with "Tara"s crew transferring to "Stronghold". On 17 December 1931, the destroyer was sold to Rees of Llanelly, and broken up.