HMS Minerva Leander History Interact! Resources

HMS Minerva returns to Devonport 3 September 1982.

Minerva was laid down on June 3rd 1963 by Alex Stephens & Sons of Govan and was launched on July 8th 1964. She was commissioned on April 15th 1966.

 

 

 
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Between 1968 and 1969 Minerva was on station in the West Indies during civil unrest.
In November 1969 our Westlands Wasp HAS1 XT788 was aboard with Nigel Dark as pilot. Click here for our Wasp page.
As part of his Sub-Lieutenant qualifying course HRH Prince Charles joined Minerva in 1973 for a voyage to the West Indies.
In 1975 whilst in the West Indies again Minerva transported police from the island of Tortola to Grand Turk where there was unrest.
In October 1978 Minerva suffered a boiler room fire at Portsmouth and was towed to Chatham for repairs by RMAS Confident. On December 15th 1979 Minerva was alongside at Devonport during a storm, when a Dockyard crane crashed on to her and Type 21 Frigate Ambuscade, destroying Minerva’s starboard Seacat launcher and damaging her hanger and various aerials.
Minerva left Portsmouth on May 10th 1982 for the Falklands war as part of the reinforcement group led by HMS Bristol. On arrival she relived Argonaut as a AA picket in San Carlos Water. During the war She directed a Sea Harrier attack on an enemy C-130 Hercules aircraft. Returned to Plymouth with Amazon Class Frigate Active on 3rd August.
On 22nd November 1982 Minerva rammed Yarmouth’s stern whilst docking at Portland. Between October 1984 and March 1985 Minerva carried out a Falklands patrol.
In 1990 Minerva completed an extensive refit at Devonport Dockyard and joined the Dartmouth Training Squadron. She embarked on the Endeavour 90 training deployment visiting 15 countries in six months including India, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, USA, Mexico and the Caribbean.
Minerva paid off 30th April 1992 and was sold with sistership Cleopatra for breaking up at Alang in India. They left Portsmouth under tow on September 21st 1993, but they lost the tow and drifted and the journey restarted at South Africa.