Last Falklands warship given send-off by veterans
Veterans and members of the public have turned out to give a final farewell to a former Royal Navy flagship that played a "vital role" in the Falklands conflict.
HMS Bristol was towed out of Portsmouth Harbour on Wednesday, almost five years after it was decommissioned.
The warship, which was the last ship serving from the Falklands War, is being taken to a Turkish scrapyard.
Chris Howe, from the South Atlantic Medal Association 1982, said the vessel had a "remarkable and unique legacy".
The Type 82 destroyer was commissioned in March 1973 but having been designed to defend a class of aircraft carriers which was never built, it was the only warship of its class to enter service.
The vessel led a group of two destroyers, five frigates and an RFA supply ship providing reinforcements in the Falklands, and later joined the carrier battle task group as an air defence destroyer.
In 1987 it became a training ship before an explosion in its boiler led to it being used as a harbour training vessel - until it was decommissioned in October 2020, after almost 48 years of service.
Members of the public and veterans congregated on Old Portsmouth's Round Tower to wave off HMS Bristol, which was visually rust-stained, as it left the Hampshire naval base.
"As HMS Bristol embarks on its final voyage to the scrapyard in Turkey, we pause to reflect on its remarkable and unique legacy," Mr Howe said.
"For many veterans, Bristol was more than a vessel - it was a home, a place of camaraderie, and a symbol of resilience.
"Its departure marks the end of an era, but its contributions to our history and the memories of those who served aboard will endure."
"We honour all who sailed in her and bid HMS Bristol a respectful farewell."
You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Royal Navy
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
British stealth fighter jet stranded in India for over a week
An £88 million Royal Navy fighter jet has been stranded at an airport in southern India for over a week after it ran into trouble in the Arabian Sea. A Royal Navy F-35B Lightning, the world's most advanced and expensive fighter jet, made an emergency landing on June 14. The fifth-generation stealth fighter, part of the HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, was carrying out military drills with the Indian navy earlier in the week. The Telegraph understands that the aircraft was unable to return to the carrier due to poor weather conditions. The pilot issued a distress signal at around 9pm local time last Saturday, triggering a full emergency protocol at Thiruvananthapuram airport, India media reported. Flight-tracking data showed the US-designed aircraft landing safely half an hour later at the airport, which is Kerala's second busiest. According to Indian media reports, it then suffered a hydraulic failure. 'It was undertaking routine flying outside [the] Indian Air Defence Identification Zone with Thiruvananthapuram [airport] earmarked as the emergency recovery airfield,' India's air force said in a statement. A maintenance team from the HMS Prince of Wales later arrived, but was unable to repair the F-35B's issue. A larger team from the UK is expected to travel to Kerala to assist in the technical work. For now, the jet, which has sparked a wave of interest inside India, remains parked in the open at the airport under the protection of local authorities, with British personnel overseeing its recovery. It is not yet known how long it will take until the aircraft is operational again, defence sources said. Images taken at the airport over the past week show the slick grey fighter jet parked in an isolated bay with a small number of armed guards stationed around it. Questions have been raised as to how secure the prized military asset is, after an image emerged of just one Indian soldier in a high-visibility jacket standing in front of the jet, holding a gun. However, the Royal Navy reportedly rejected Air India's offer to allocate hangar space to the aircraft due to concerns that other people could access and assess the advanced technologies on the jet. If the second attempt to repair the jet fails, defence sources told ANI news agency that plans were in place to transport the fighter back to its home base aboard a military cargo aircraft. The F-35 Lightning is Britain's front-line stealth fighter that forms part of the core offensive capabilities of the Royal Navy. The single-seat, single-engine supersonic jet is considered to have the advanced computer and networking capabilities of any aircraft in the sky, along with stealth capabilities designed to evade enemy radars. Built by American aerospace firm Lockheed Martin, the multi-role fighter has a top speed of 1,200mph – or 1.6 times the speed of sound. India's air force does not have any F-35s and instead operates French-made Rafales as well as squadrons of mainly Russian and former Soviet aircraft. The country is looking to expand its fighter fleet. The US is considering formally offering F-35s to India, but the country is concerned about the model's steep cost, heavy maintenance and operational issues. The Royal Navy's Operation Highmast is an eight-month deployment led by the HMS Prince of Wales strike group and includes exercises with allies in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Indo-Pacific regions. The carrier group's next planned port calls are Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Australia The UK Ministry of Defence has been reached for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Newsweek
7 days ago
- Newsweek
US and NATO Ally Patrol Waters Near China
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The United States teamed up with the United Kingdom—a major NATO ally—to conduct patrols in the East China Sea, where China has carried out controversial maritime activities. Newsweek has contacted the Chinese defense and foreign ministries for comment by email. Why It Matters The East China Sea lies between China and the First Island Chain—an island defense line formed by Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines as part of a U.S. containment strategy aimed at restricting China's naval activities through America-aligned territories in the event of war. China asserts its sovereignty in the East China Sea by maintaining a coast guard presence near a disputed, Japan-administered group of islets and by installing fossil fuel facilities in the region—raising Japan's concerns that it is attempting to alter the status quo in its favor. What To Know Official photos released on Saturday show USCGC Stratton—a U.S. Coast Guard national security cutter deployed in the western Pacific since mid-May—sailing alongside the Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Spey at an undisclosed location in the East China Sea on June 1. In a news release on June 11, the Royal Navy said that the Spey joined the Stratton in the Korea Strait—a 120-mile-wide waterway north of the East China Sea that separates South Korea and Japan. The two ships conducted close maneuvering and communications training. The United States Coast Guard cutter USCGC Stratton, left, conducts an exercise with the Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Spey, right, in the East China Sea on June 1, 2025. The United States Coast Guard cutter USCGC Stratton, left, conducts an exercise with the Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Spey, right, in the East China Sea on June 1, 2025. Petty Officer 3rd Class William Kirk/U.S. Coast Guard The Spey is also deployed in the Indo-Pacific region. The British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales is expected to arrive in the area soon with a task group as part of an eight-month deployment. Following the joint operation, the British patrol vessel—which had been monitoring illicit activities by North Korean ships in waters surrounding Japan—visited Sasebo in Kyushu, Japan's southernmost main island, on June 5. The ship was spotted departing on Sunday. Meanwhile, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter conducted an exercise with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in waters south of Honshu—Japan's main island—on June 8. The ship made a port call in Kagoshima, Kyushu, on Monday, according to a local ship spotter. The Stratton is also scheduled to participate in a trilateral exercise with the Japanese and Philippine coast guards in waters off Kagoshima from Monday to Friday. BRP Teresa Magbanua, a Philippine Coast Guard patrol vessel, docked in Kagoshima on June 12. What People Are Saying The U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area said on Saturday: "U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton is deployed to the Indo-Pacific to advance relationships with ally and partner nations to build a more secure and prosperous region with unrestricted, lawful access to the maritime commons." The Royal Navy said in a news release on June 11 about the Spey and the Stratton: "To enhance the understanding between the two traded places with their opposite numbers." The Philippine Coast Guard said in a Facebook post on Saturday: "A joint search and rescue drill will be conducted as part of the [trilateral coast guard exercise] to highlight operational readiness, coordinated response, and reinforce regional cooperation in addressing maritime challenges." What Happens Next It remains to be seen how the U.S. and its allies will further enhance their naval or coast guard presence in disputed waters near China—including the Yellow Sea and the South China Sea—amid China's expanding maritime activities.
Fox News
13-06-2025
- Fox News
Marine experts find likely remains of 18th-century treasure ship that was lost for centuries
Underwater archaeologists may have discovered a long-lost 18th-century treasure ship that vanished over two centuries ago. Marine expert Edmond O'Byrne told Pen News that his team found what is believed to be the Recovery, a British ship that was lost off the coast of Wexford, Ireland, in 1787. (See the video at the top of this article.) The ship carried various treasures, and its cargo included a large quantity of marble and bronze. James Caulfeild, 1st Earl of Charlemont, collected the valuable materials during a tour of Europe. The ship also carried rare art and natural curiosities owned by John La Touche, one of the wealthiest Irish bankers of his time. But the ship met its end when it sank 85 miles south of Dublin, its intended destination. The vessel had recently stopped in London after beginning its journey in Italy. Six people died in the wreck, including the ship's captain and two of his sons. The ship was largely forgotten about before researchers caught wind of its likely remains. During a recent interview with Pen News, O'Byrne said that, one day, his side-scan sonar "picked up an unusual object on the seabed." "The ship was at the mercy of the sea." He told the agency, "At first I thought it was a torpedo, because the image would be slightly distorted on the side-scan sonar." But the shipwreck revealed its age when his crew spotted a copper sheath on the vessel. In the 18th century, copper was used by the Royal Navy to protect wooden ships from barnacles and shipworms. "When we went [underwater], it turned out to be a 20-foot-long rudder covered in copper sheet," O'Byrne recalled. "Now that really identified her." He added, "In 1773, when she was built in Chester, the Recovery was one of about 200 ships out of the British merchant fleet of about 10,000 that had their hulls covered in copper sheathing." "Any wrecks that we have a record of weren't copper sheathed." Using a drone, researchers also spotted a piece of timber coming out of a sandbank, which O'Byrne said was "definitely from a ship." "It could have been any bit of timber but when I told the pilot to drive closer, I could see that there was a timber nail hole in that plank," he said. "I told one of the boys to go down and take that up, and when he did, there was a two-foot by one-foot copper sheath nailed to the timber." The team also uncovered an anchor, timber fittings and artifacts including a teapot and inkwells. Some of the findings offer a glimpse into how the ship went down: For example, the rudder was found around 800 feet away from the shipwreck. "We reckon when she came around Carnsore Point, she came into shallower water, and pulled the rudder and part of the stern off," O'Byrne described. "And then the ship was at the mercy of the sea." The rudder was also covered in copper. It may be the only 18th-century copper-covered rudder that's ever been found. "We've searched and, so far, nobody can tell us that there is a copper-covered rudder in existence from that time anywhere," O'Byrne added. "It could be the only one of its time." The true value of the cargo is unknown, though La Touche's possessions have fetched vast sums of money in the past. One sculpture that he commissioned sold for £520,000 in 1997, which equals roughly $1 million U.S. dollars today. O'Byrne also believes that, with the shipwreck sitting 65 feet below the service, the cargo may still be in good condition. "If they had to journey some distance on land to get to the port and then be loaded and then unloaded, they would have to be packed very, very well," he observed. "So there is a chance that something would survive." For now, the ship is going to remain undisturbed while O'Byrne's team monitors it to see if any shifting sands reveal its treasures. Recovered shipwrecks are of great interest to marine historians. Earlier this year, a centuries-old ship was found beneath a former fish market in Spain. Last month, the Wisconsin Historical Society announced the discovery of a 19th-century tugboat in Lake Michigan.
