page_title: HMS London (D16)
section_title: 'Last's and decommissioning
hierarchical_section_title: HMS London (D16) / Royal Navy service / 'Last's and decommissioning
caption_attribution_description: English: The British destroyer HMS London (D16) underway in 1981.
context_page_description: HMS London was a County-class destroyer of the Royal Navy.
context_section_description: London was chosen to represent Great Britain for the celebrations in New York City for the American Bicentennial celebrations in July 1976.  The crew went to great lengths to make the ship clean and 'ship-shape' for the visit, and London hosted several diplomatic and social functions while she was there.  Her crew enjoyed an extended liberty period out on the town.
  London was the last ship to leave Malta when the Maltese government closed the base. She attended the 1977 Silver Jubilee Fleet Review off Spithead when she was part of the First Flotilla.
  The ship was the last RN vessel capable of firing Mark 1 Sea Slug missiles, and on the 10 December 1981, the ship had the distinction of being the ship that carried out the Navy's final twin turret broadside when all four of her 4.5 inch guns were fired at once.
  London was decommissioned in late December 1981 after completing a three-month deployment to the West Indies as Belize Guardship, during which her crew were involved in the granting of independence to Antigua.
caption: HMS London in 1981
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