Decommissioning
The cruiser was host to the Westland Wessex HAS MK3 helicopters of 820 Naval Air Squadron from 1969 and later on the Westland Sea King helicopter until Blake was withdrawn from service in 1979, when the ship became the last ship in the Royal Navy to fire a six-inch gun. Her large crew made her an expensive ship to operate and maintain. Blake was refitted in 1980, and due to a defence manpower drawdown that resulted in manpower shortages, became part of the Standby Squadron in HMNB Chatham. The advent of the Falklands War led to a rapid ship survey and work was begun to recommission her and sister ship Tiger for service in the conflict, but work was stopped on both in late May when it was clear neither could be ready in time to deploy. She was sold for scrap on 25 August 1982 to Shipbreaking (Queenborough) Ltd for £210,000. The ship's bell of the Blake has been preserved and is on display in Saint Mary's Church, Bridgwater. She was the last cruiser serving with the Royal Navy upon her decommissioning. On 29 October 1982 she was towed from Chatham for Cairnryan, arriving 7 November 1982.
Read more about this topic: HMS Blake (C99)