HMS Taurus (1917)

HMS Taurus
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Taurus
Namesake	Taurus astrological sign and constellation
Ordered	December 1915
Builder	Thornycroft
Laid down	March 1916
Launched	10 March 1917
Commissioned	May 1917
Out of service	18 February 1930
Fate	Sold to be broken up
General characteristics
Class and type	R-class destroyer
Displacement	1,035 long tons (1,052 t) normal 1,208 long tons (1,227 t) full
Length	274 ft 3 in (83.6 m) (o.a.)
Beam	27 ft (8.2 m)
Draught	11 ft (3.4 m)
Propulsion	3 Yarrow boilers 2 geared Brown Curtis steam turbines, 29,000 shp
Speed	35 knots (40 mph; 65 km/h)
Range	3,450 nautical miles (6,390 km) at 20 knots (37 km/h)
Complement	82
Armament	3 × QF 4 inches (102 mm) Mark IV guns, mounting P Mk. IX 1 × single 2-pounder (40 mm) "pom-pom" Mk. II anti-aircraft gun 4 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes (2×2)

HMS Taurus was an R-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during World War I. Ordered from Thornycroft in 1915 and launched in 1917, the vessel operated as part of the Harwich Force until the end of hostilities. Shortly after entering service, Taurus formed part of the destroyer shield for the Royal Navy's bombardment of Ostend that successfully sank the German destroyer S20. After the War, the destroyer was reduced to the Reserve Fleet and sold to be broken up in 1930.

Design and development

Taurus was one of two R-class destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty from Thornycroft in December 1915 as part of the Seventh War Construction Programme alongside Teazer. The ships differed from the six preceding Thornycroft M-class built by the yard in having all geared turbines and the aft gun being raised on a bandstand.

Taurus had an overall length of 274 feet 3 inches (83.59 m) and was 265 feet (81 m) between perpendiculars. Beam was 27 ft (324.0 in) and draught 11 ft (3.4 m). Displacement was 1,035 long tons (1,052 t) normal and 1,208 long tons (1,227 t) full load. Three Yarrow boilers fed steam to two sets of Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines rated at 29,000 shaft horsepower (22,000 kW) and driving two shafts, giving a design speed of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph), although Teazer achieved a class-leading speed of 40.22 knots (74.49 km/h; 46.28 mph) during trials. Three funnels were fitted, the centre one larger in diameter than the others. A total of 296 long tons (301 t) of fuel oil was carried, giving a design range of 3,450 nautical miles (6,390 km; 3,970 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).

Armament consisted of three QF 4in Mk IV guns on the ship's centreline. One was mounted on the forecastle, one aft and one between the second and third funnels. The ship also mounted a single 2-pounder (40 mm) pom-pom anti-aircraft gun for air defence and four 21 in (533 mm) torpedoes in two twin rotating mounts. The vessel had a complement of 82 officers and ratings.

Construction and career

Laid down in March 1916, Taurus was launched on 10 March 1917. The vessel was named after the Taurus astrological sign and constellation. Taurus was commissioned in May 1917 and served in the Tenth Destroyer Flotilla as part of the Harwich Force.

On 4 June 1917, Taurus was deployed as part of a large group of seven cruisers and twenty five destroyers to protect the monitors Erebus and Terror in their bombardment of the German held Belgian port of Ostend. Along with sister ships Satyr, Sharpshooter and Torrent, Taurus sank the German destroyer S20. On 16 October, the ship sailed as part of a force of thirty cruisers and fifty-four destroyers searching for a German fleet that had been misidentified as being of a substantial size, despite being in reality no more than no more than ten vessels. The search did not lead to any contact.

After the war, the destroyer remained with the Tenth Destroyer Flotilla. Taurus was reduced to the Reserve Fleet at Devonport on 16 October 1919 as a tender to the depot ship Woolwich and sold to Metal Industries of Charleston to be broken up on 18 February 1930.

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