Fond farewell to minehunter HMS Penzance
Dozens of military and civilian personnel have waved a fond farewell to the last Sandown-class Minehunter in Scotland, HMS Penzance.
When the Royal Navy's minehunter vessel sailed from HM Naval Base Clyde for the final time it marked the end of a 28-year presence of Mine Countermeasures Vessels (MCMVS) at the Naval Base.
A farewell ceremony took place on board the ship to say goodbye and give thanks to HMS Penzance and the wider Mine Countermeasures (MCM) community for years of dedicated service.
Captain of the Base, Captain Elaine Boyd paid tribute to HMS Penzance and the MCM community during the ceremony.
She said: "For over 28 years, there has been a permanent presence of Mine Countermeasure Vessels at HM Naval Base Clyde, and today, HMS Penzance sailing marks the final departure.
"During that time, strong ties and working relationships have been forged with the mine warfare community and while we say goodbye to HMS Penzance, we look forward to building on those connections with the new autonomous Mission System Teams who have picked up the mantle."
Captain Boyd added: "Mine warfare will continue to be part of Clyde's story and today I would like to thank HMS Penzance for her contribution to this and for her 25 years of dedicated service."
Launched on March 11, 1997, by Princess Michael of Kent and commissioned a year later, HMS Penzance has given 25 years of service to the Royal Navy.
She has completed numerous deployments including operations in the Gulf. During her first deployment to the Gulf in 2014 she spent a total of 7,500 hours at sea and sailed over 34,000 miles.
As one of the Royal Navy's minehunter vessels, HMS Penzance's primary role was to neutralise underwater threats.
Like all Sandown Class vessels, she was most effective in deeper waters, so she would often be found surveying shipping routes or clearing the way for military operations.
The Royal Navy said that she has made a "significant contribution" to global maritime security also operating in UK waters, supporting Nato's Mine Countermeasures Group 1 in Northern European Waters, and participating in multi-national exercises.
HMS Penzance will now enter her final docking period in Rosyth, while Faslane-based sailors continue to crew the very last ship in the class, HMS Bangor, which is deployed in Bahrain.
With the phasing out of ships in favour of their replacement autonomous craft, the squadron disbanded in July 2023 in favour of the Mine and Threat Exploitation Group (MTXG) with Mission System Team 3 (MST3) picking up the baton at HMNB Clyde.
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