Decommissioning and Fate
Cardiff was originally to be replaced in 2009 by Daring, the first of the Royal Navy's next generation Type 45 destroyers. However, it was announced in July 2004 that she would be one of a number of ships withdrawn from service early, in accordance with the "Delivering Security in a Changing World" white paper on the British military.
Cardiff was decommissioned on 14 July 2005, after making a final visit to her namesake city, where members of the public were allowed on board. She then stayed in Portsmouth Harbour at Fareham Creek (50°49′07″N 1°07′50″W / 50.818486°N 1.130644°W / 50.818486; -1.130644) alongside sister ship Newcastle, where both were heavily cannibalised to keep the remaining Type 42 Destroyers running.
On 21 November, the two ships 2008 left Portsmouth for the last time for Aliağa, Turkey under tow. Scrapping took place in the same yard which was scrapping the Tuxedo Princess, a former ferry and floating nightclub that had been berthed underneath the Tyne Bridge. Following a decommissioning ceremony at Cardiff city hall, her bell was removed and is now mounted in the north aisle of St John's Parish Church in Cardiff. Calls were made for the conversion of the ship into a Cardiff tourist attraction by a Member of the National Assembly for Wales and former naval servicemen.
Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer, has been announced as the next Royal Navy ship to be affiliated with the city of Cardiff.
Read more about this topic: HMS Cardiff (D108)
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