HMS Southampton (D90)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Southampton.

HMS Southampton was a batch two Type 42 destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was named after the city of Southampton, England, and built by Vosper Thornycroft, in Southampton. She was the sixth Royal Navy ship to bear the name.

HMS Southampton dressed overall.
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Southampton
Ordered	17 March 1976[1]
Builder	Vosper Thornycroft
Laid down	21 October 1976
Launched	29 January 1979
Commissioned	31 October 1981
Decommissioned	12 February 2009
Homeport	HMNB Portsmouth
Identification	Pennant number: D90 IMO number: 4907048
Motto	Pro jusititus pro Rege (Latin: "For justice and the Queen")
Nickname(s)	"The Mighty Ninety" (after her pennant number).
Fate	Sold for scrap
General characteristics
Class & type	Type 42 destroyer
Displacement	4,820 tonnes
Length	125 m (410 ft 1 in)
Beam	14.3 m (46 ft 11 in)
Propulsion	COGOG (Combined gas or gas) turbines, 2 shafts 2 Olympus gas turbines, 25,000 shp (19,000 kW) each, 2 Tyne gas turbines, 5,000 shp (3,700 kW) each
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h)
Complement	287
Armament	Sea Dart missiles 4.5-inch (114 mm) Mk 8 gun
Aircraft carried	Westland Lynx HMA8

Operational service

Southampton entering Portsmouth harbour.

1981–2005

In 1984, Southampton ran over one of the Shambles Buoys off Portland during the final Thursday War intended to prepare her to deploy to the Falklands Islands. The collision sank the buoy and resulted in a period in dry dock for repair, after which Southampton left for a six-month deployment as a Falkland Islands guard ship. On 3 September 1988, whilst serving on the Armilla Patrol, Southampton was involved in a collision with MV Tor Bay, a container ship in a convoy being escorted through the Straits of Hormuz. Three members of her crew were slightly injured and a 10-metre (33 ft) hole torn in Southampton's hull. The destroyer was returned to the UK aboard a semi-submersible heavy lift ship.^[2][3]

2006–2011

On 3 February 2006, the ship was involved in the seizing of 3.5 tonnes (3.4 long tons; 3.9 short tons) of cocaine in the Caribbean.^[4]

Fate

On 31 July 2008, Southampton was placed in a state of "Extended Readiness" and was decommissioned on 12 February 2009.^[5] The ship was auctioned on 28 March 2011 and was later towed from Portsmouth on 14 October 2011 to Leyal Ship Recycling's scrapyard in Aliağa, Turkey.^[6]

Affiliations

• The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)^[7]
• No. 25 Squadron RAF^[7]
• City of Southampton^[7]
• Worshipful Company of Fletchers^[7]
• Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire^[7]
• Canford School Combined Cadet Force^[7]
• Mill Hill School^[7]
• Old Southamptons (veterans of the previous HMS Southampton)^[7]
• Royal Southampton Yacht Club^[7]
• Southampton and Fareham Chamber of Commerce and Industry^[7]
• Southampton University Royal Naval Unit^[7]
• TS Southampton (Sea Cadet Corps)^[7]
• Royal Naval Association Southampton^[7]
• Southampton RN Officers Association^[7]