HMS Liverpool comes home

	The Royal Navy Warship HMS Liverpool will visit the city of Liverpool from the 27th to the 31st of October, commanded by Halewood-raised Commander Henry Duffy Royal Navy. HMS Liverpool comes to Liverpool directly from Tallinn, where she was supporting Her Majesty the Queen's state visit to Estonia. It is always a special occasion for Liverpool to visit her home city, and everyone onboard is looking forward to it, especially the locals, of which there are many onboard. Over the course of the five-day visit the ship will be open to the people of Liverpool, and will host tours from groups of school children, local colleges, sea cadets and charity groups. Liverpool's Chamber of Commerce will also host a reception on board, and the Liverpool Culture Company will be engaged in discussions as to what part HMS Liverpool can play in the city's year as Capital of Culture in 2008. Commander Henry Duffy, HMS Liverpool's Commanding Officer, said: "It is with great pride that I bring HMS Liverpool back to her home city, not even a year since her last visit. Since that visit we have steamed tens of thousands of miles supporting the UK's interests around the world and, most recently, having had the honour of hosting Her Majesty the Queen on board during her visit to Estonia. As a local lad, I feel especially privileged to command the ship that bears my home city's name."

 

 HMS LIVERPOOL will be approaching Liverpool from 1200 on the 27th October, and will be adjacent the Royal Liver Building at 1230, before berthing alongside in Canada Dock at 1300.

 She will be open to visitors from 1200 to 1600 on Sunday the 29th October.

HMS LIVERPOOL is a Type 42 destroyer - an air defence platform armed with Sea Dart missiles, a 4.5" gun and numerous close-in weapons. She displaces 4,000 tons and has a complement of 280 personnel. Powered by 2 Rolls Royce Olympus and 2 Rolls Royce Tyne gas turbines, she is capable of speeds in excess of 28 knots.

In the war against Iraq in 2003, HMS Liverpool had the prestigious duty of Air Defence Commander to the UK Maritime Battle Group as well as being guardship to the Fleet Flagship, HMS Ark Royal. After completing this mission, she went on to the Far East with Naval Task Group 2003. In 2005 she completed a highly successful patrol in the Caribbean where as the "Drug Busting Destroyer" she interdicted millions of pounds worth of illicit drugs and provided the UK's front line hurricane relief capability. HMS Liverpool returned from a six-month deployment to the South Atlantic in July 2006, having protected and supported the UK's interests in West Africa, the Falkland Islands and South America, and she has just completed a short deployment to the Baltic in support of Her Majesty the Queen's State Visit to Estonia.