HMS Ariadne ( F72 ) HMS " Ariadne " ( F72 ) was a " Leander " class frigate of the Royal Navy ( RN ) . Construction . " Ariadne " was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders of Scotstoun and was the last of the " Leander " class to be completed , and the last warship to be built for the RN powered by steam . " Ariadne " was launched on 10 September 1971 and commissioned at Devonport Naval Base , Plymouth on Friday 2 March 1973 at 11 . 10 . Like the rest of the " Leander " class , she was named after a figure of Greek mythology . Ariadne was greek goddess of Labyrinths and Passions . Royal Navy . In the year of her commission , " Ariadne " undertook a Fishery Protection Patrol during the Second Cod War with Iceland . In 1974 Ariadne in company with Fife ( FOF2 embarked ) , Scylla , Danae , Londonderry , Tidespring , Tarbatness made a nine month deployment to the Far East . Ariadne also participated in Biera Patrol . Ariadne also refuelled from an old oiler permanently moored in Gan in the Indian Ocean . In 1976 , " Ariadne " completed a refit and the following year took part in the annual Group Deployment , visiting a variety of ports in South America and West Africa , as well as performing naval exercises . In 1977 , " Galatea " also took part in the Fleet Review , in honor of Queen Elizabeth II ' s Silver Jubilee . " Ariadne " was part of the 7th Frigate Squadron . In 1978 , " Ariadne " joined Standing Naval Force Atlantic ( STANAVFORLANT ) , a NATO multi - national squadron . " Ariadne " was intended for modernisation , which would have included the removal of her one 4 . 5 - in Mk . 6 gun , which would have been replaced by the Exocet anti - ship missile , as well as the addition of the Sea Wolf missile , but the 1981 Defence Review by the defence minister John Nott , cancelled the modernisation for " Ariadne " and other Batch Three Leander class frigates . In 1981 " Ariadne " became the West Indies Guard Ship and , while there , performed a variety of duties in that region . In 1982 , during the Falklands war , " Ariadne " was targeted by an Argentinian commando who tried to sink her at Gibraltar ( Operation Algeciras ) . In 1983 she shadowed the Soviet cruiser " Slava " . It was a common practice during the Cold War , with Soviet warships quite often shadowing RN vessels too . In 1987 " Ariadne " joined the 6th Frigate Squadron . " Ariadne " came out of refit in Rosyth Dockyard , Fife , Scotland , in 1989 and replaced in the Dartmouth Training Squadron . In 1990 , in consort with HM ships and , she took part in " Endeavour ' 90 " , a six - month circumnavigation of the globe . During this deployment she travelled 500 , 000 miles and was one of the first RN warships to visit Dutch Harbour , in the Aleutian Islands , since Captain James Cook landed there in " HM Bark Endeavour " . Ariadne was formally adopted by Scunthorpe Borough Council on 8 March 1973 . The ship ' s anchor is still located outside the now North Lincolnshire Council ' s main administrative building Pittwood House and the ship ' s bell is situated outside the Council Chamber inside Pittwood House . HMS " Ariadne " has the distinction of being the last RN warship to fire a ' true ' broadside . Chilean Navy . " Ariadne " was finally decommissioned by the RN in May 1992 and was subsequently sold to Chile , being renamed " General Baquedano " . She was decommissioned from the Chilean Navy in December 1998 and sunk as target in 2004 .