HMS Sesame (1918)
HMS "Sesame" was an destroyer, which served with the Royal Navy in the twentieth century. Launched on 30 November 1918 just after the end of the First World War, the ship was commissioned into the Reserve Fleet. A year later, the destroyer was sent to Latvia in support of the country's call for independence, arriving just at the cessation of that county's war of independence. Returning to the United Kingdom, "Sesame" was later equipped to act as a plane guard within the Home Fleet, with all armament removed and a davit fitted to rescue aircraft . The vessel remained in that configuration for a short time, but the London Naval Treaty sounded the death knell for the ship as it limited the destroyer tonnage that the Royal Navy could operate. As newer and more powerful destroyers entered service, "Sesame" was one of those retired, being sold to be broken up on 4 May 1934. Design and development. "Sesame" 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 . "Sesame" 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. The destroyer was the only one of the class equipped with Brown-Curtis turbines built by John Brown & Company. Two funnels were fitted. A full load of of fuel oil was carried, 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 on a platform between the funnels 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 was designed to mount two additional torpedo tubes either side of the superstructure but this required the forecastle plating to be cut away, making the vessel very wet, so they were removed. The weight saved enabled the heavier Mark V 21-inch torpedo to be carried. Fire  control included a single Dumaresq and a Vickers range clock. The ship had a complement of 90 officers and ratings. Construction and career. Laid down on 2 February 1918 by William Denny and Brothers in Dumbarton with the yard number 1103, "Sesame" was launched on 30 December, soon after the Armistice which ended the First World War. The vessel was the first one that served in the Royal Navy to be named Sesame. "Sesame" was completed on 28 March the following year and commissioned into the Reserve Fleet at Devonport. "Sesame" remained in reserve until the following year. Although the  war on the western front had finished, the escalating civil war in Russia continued. The United Kingdom decided to send units of the Royal Navy into the Baltic Sea to monitor the situation. Soon into the campaign, it became clear that the Russians were planning to liberate the Baltic State of Latvia by integrating it into the new Soviet Union. The fleet was therefore tasked with not simply helping to help organise the evacuation of German forces from the country but also support their war of independence. This was achieved on 14 November 1919. Five days later, the destroyer arrived  in Liepāja along with sister ships , , and "Torbay" in time to see peace restored. The destroyer returned to the United Kingdom and was once again reduced to reserve at Devonport on 18 September 1920. During the next decade, the ship was equipped with a davit and acted as a plane guard for the aircraft carriers of the Home Fleet. All other armament was removed. However, the end was in sight for the warship. On 22 April 1930, the United Kingdom signed the London Naval Treaty, which limited the total destroyer tonnage that the navy could operate. As newer, larger and  more powerful vessels were introduced, older destroyers like the S class were gradually retired. "Sesame" remained in service until 4 May 1934 when the vessel was sold to Cashmore of Newport, Wales, and subsequently broken up.