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.