HMS Cardiff heads off tobe scrapped
For three decades she served Queen and country.
But HMS Cardiff will begin her final voyage tomorrow morning when she sets off for Turkey to be scrapped.
The Type 42 Destroyer will be recycled at a Turkish shipyard, a sad end to a glorious part of this country's naval history.
Cardiff, which was commissioned in 1979, fought in the Falklands, the first Gulf War and the build-up to the second Gulf War.
Calls had been made for the ship to be given a permanent home in Cardiff after its decommission was announced in 2005.
But this never came to fruition.
Chris Purcell, 49, from the Portsmouth branch of the Royal British Legion and an Able Seaman in HMS Sheffield, which was sunk during the Falklands conflict, said: 'It is such a shame we are seeing so many good old ships go to scrap.
'HMS Cardiff is a veteran of the Falklands but we have not kept any of these ships that served there.
'They are old ships and they are being replaced but we need to preserve some of them for the younger generations.'
The journey to Turkey is expected to take HMS Cardiff 25 days.
The MoD has also announced that following her to the scrapheap soon will be HMS Glasgow and HMS Newcastle.
Nicknamed 'workhorses of the Fleet', the three destroyers formed the backbone of the Royal Navy's anti-air warfare force. They were also equipped to deal with surface and submarine targets.
Backing our Save our Ships campaign, Mr Purcell is concerned at the number of naval vessels that are being sent to the scrapyard.
He said: 'Kids would find it exciting to be able to go on these warships, to be able to explore them. It would be good to preserve them so kids can look at them and learn about our more recent history.'
HMS Cardiff performed an important role in fighting human trafficking and smuggling as well as being a goodwill ambassador to numerous international ports including Gibraltar, Rota, Barcelona, Marseilles and Crete.
She has sailed around the world and, as well as seeing frontline action in the Falklands, the Adriatic and the Gulf, Cardiff has played a part in peaceful missions in the Caribbean and Bahamas.
>>> She will be towed out of the harbour at 9am tomorrow.
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Weather for Portsmouth
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 14 C to 24 C
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