Vale HMS Bristol

[MikeJames]

The sole Type 82 destroyer HMS Bristol, was towed away from Portsmouth in the last two weeks, destined for the scrapping yard.

Bristol was intended to be the first of a class of large destroyers to escort the CVA-01 aircraft carriers projected to come into service in the early 1970s, but the rest of the class and the CVA-01 carriers were cancelled as a result of the 1966 Defence White Paper which cut defence spending.

She served in the Falklands War and saw futer service, before paying off into the training ship role in 1991, replacing the County class destroyer Kent as the harbour training ship located at the shore establishment HMS Excellent.

HMS Bristol was transferred to the Disposal reserve ships organisation on 1 December 2020, and removed from her Portsmouth mooring in June 2024.

She was sent to Aliağa, Turkey for dismantling on 11 June 2025.

[youtubehd]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn0zmKrp6UM[/youtubehd]

Mike