HMS London (D16)
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HMS London in the English Channel after taking part in joint exercises with the RAF in the Atlantic, North Sea and Norwegian Sea, December 1971 (IWM)
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| History | |
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 United Kingdom
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| Name: | HMS London |
| Ordered: | 6 February 1957 |
| Builder: | Swan Hunter |
| Laid down: | 26 February 1960 |
| Launched: | 7 December 1961 |
| Commissioned: | 4 November 1963 |
| Decommissioned: | December 1981 |
| Identification: | pennant number: D16 |
| Fate: | Sold to Pakistan on 24 March 1982 |
 Pakistan
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| Name: | Babur |
| Acquired: | March 1982 |
| Decommissioned: | 1993 |
| Fate: | Sold for scrap in 1995 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | County-class destroyer |
| Displacement: | 5,440 tonnes (6,850 tonnes full load) |
| Length: | 158.6 m (520 ft 4 in) |
| Beam: | 53 ft (16 m) |
| Draught: | 20 ft (6.1 m) |
| Propulsion: | COSAG (Combined steam and gas) turbines, 2 shafts |
| Speed: | 31.5 knots (58.3 km/h) |
| Range: | 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km) |
| Complement: | 470 |
| Armament: |
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| Aircraft carried: | 1× Lynx or Wessex helicopter |
| Aviation facilities: | Flight deck and enclosed hangar for embarking one helicopter |
HMS London was a County-class destroyer of the Royal Navy.
London commissioned at Swan Hunter's yard in Wallsend on 14 November 1963 under Captain J.C. Bartosik and was initially fully employed setting her armament to work, successfully firing her Sea Slug surface-to-air missile for the first time off Aberporth in April 1964. After working up, during which she entertained the Duke of Edinburgh on board, she crossed the Atlantic in September 1964. She visited Bermuda and Houston before joining a special squadron led by Vice-Admiral Sir Fitzroy Talbot on a round of visits to the South American part of his command. Passing through Panama, she visited Peru, Chile, Uruguay and Brazil before proceeding via Tristan da Cunha to Simonstown where she spent Christmas. New Year's was spent at sea en-route to Mauritius, where the ship's helicopter was used to build a TV mast. She then deployed to the Far East, visiting Hong Kong, Bangkok, Subic, Singapore and ports in Malaya. During this time she was part of a powerful fleet whose presence acted as a deterrent to President Sukarno of Indonesia's attempt to intimidate the infant Federation of Malaysia through 'Confrontation'. She then returned to the UK via Aden and assisted the Adrian Augusta adrift in the Red Sea before entering Suez, proceeding to Gibraltar, then Portsmouth and took part in Navy Days at Portsmouth in 1965.
On Easter Monday 1969 London sailed for the Far East; she had onboard Admiral of the Fleet Sir Varyl Begg GCB., DSO., DSC. who was taking passage to take up his appointment as Governor and C-in-C Gibraltar. The ship sailed into Gibraltar on 17 April flying the flag of an Admiral of the Fleet. After that, she continued her passage, calling in at Simonstown and then onto Beira Patrol before heading for Gan and Singapore. She accordingly spent the period from June to late September in the South China Sea visiting Hong Kong, Manila and Subic Bay as well as spending two weeks in Japan as well as spells in her base port of Singapore. In September, she sailed in company with HMNZS Otago, into New Zealand visiting Auckland, Gisborne where she led a group of ships celebrating Captain Cook's first landing in New Zealand in October 1769. After three days of exceptional hospitality, London sailed for Wellington and Lyttleton. She then crossed the Tasman Sea to Hobart and after that up to Melbourne where the ship's company were pleased to experience the Gold Cup.
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Wikipedia