"Existing British Warships" Topic

Yep – the trouble is that they're valuable historical artefacts now, but were valuable scrap metal then….

However, scrapping stuff in the 60's and 70's when we weren't so challenged puts a different complexion on it. Besides, there were still a significant number of interesting old merchant ships around then, which, when they went for razorblades in Taiwan, or Bangladesh, went for very little money at all. They weren't beyond economical repair, or in need of a refit, like a warship might have been, but were rendered obsolete by containerisation. There were still masses of 40's merchant ships, and even a few from the 30's, in the mid 70's, that could easily have been saved. Instead market forces, and public indifference, determined that they went for scrap. Now its too late.
Examples:
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for pictures of Blue Funnel ships, of which most were built in the late 40's and scrapped in the early 70's. Especially of note are Rhexenor and Pyrrhus.
and
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Look for Benline, Shaw Savill and Stricks.
Of particular note are the Ben Nevis, ex HMS Puncher, built in 1944 as an escort carrier, and was scrapped in 1973, and the Benvannoch, built in 1944 and scrapped in 1969, and Waiwera. If you look under Stricks, you'll find the Bardistan, built in 1923, scrapped in 1976! And the Arabistan, built in 1944, scrapped in 1968. And, finally, the Gorjistan, built in 1929, and scrapped in 1960, still up to that point under the British flag.

OK, I've made a command decision.
We're going to raise and restore the USS Saratoga and the IJN Nagato at Bikini Atoll.
We're then going to Southern Atoll and raise and restore the Prinz Eugen.
I'll going to cleverly make this work part of the economic recovery plan. When they've been restored we're going to base them next to the USS Missouri and USS Arizona at Hawaii. Since it's my idea I expect a generous portion of the ton of money we're going to make on tours to go to two new endowments; the Salute Wargaming Convention fund and the Historicon Wargaming Convention fund on account of I've always enjoyed myself at these two fine conventions.

I seem to remember a recent (last 5 years) article somewhere about someone rescuing a Hunt class escort from Egypt? I think.
In addition, weren't some of the Colony class cruisers sold to India and Pakistan in the 50's?, perhaps they would let us buy them back as museum exhibits?

At least one of the Falklands carriers went to India along with its Sea Harrier complement and many, many sets of Sheffield stainless steel cutlery and acres of Wilton and Axminster carpets. In fact, I think UK plc actually lost out on the deal in the final analysis.

I went on board one of the Colony class cruisers when HMS Gambia suddenly turned up berthed next to us one day, I was on HMS Wakeful 1968/69 and in Pompey. No idea where it came from or where it went but an impressive sight.

Re the Hunt in Egypt, is actually:-
Originally built as HMS Wessex, HMS Zenith is a Z- Class destroyer built by Denny & Bros, Dumbarton in 1944. In 1955 she was transferred to the Egyptian Navy and renamed El Fateh. Zenith is currently moored up in Alexandria, Egypt and the subject of a project to return the ship to the UK as a museum ship and WWII memorial

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The Indian Navy (Delhi, ex Achilles, and Mysore, ex HMS Nigeria) cruisers were scrapped in 1978 and 1986, so we're a bit late for those…..

FOr a fair list of important ships in the Uk try here at the National Historic SHips Register.
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THat includes the National Register of Historic Vessels, the NAtional Archive of Historic Vessels, the National Historic Fleet and the National Small Boat Register.

THere links section also provides links to similar registers in other nations….

And not a general cargo ship, bulk carrier or tanker anywhere in the list.