HMS Manchester ( D95 ) HMS " Manchester " was a Type 42 ( Batch 3 ) destroyer in the 5th Destroyer Squadron of the United Kingdom ' s Royal Navy . She was laid down in 1978 at Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering , launched in 1980 , commissioned in 1982 , and decommissioned on 24 February 2011 . Her nickname is the " Busy Bee " , in reference to the Manchester bee symbol and the bee emblem is also depicted on the ship ' s crest . Early operations . During the mid - 1980s " Manchester " participated in the Royal Navy ' s Global 86 tour where a task group was detached to fly the flag in a round the world cruise and series of port visits . In 1988 , she saw service on Operation ARMILLA , in company with the frigates and . It was whilst on this deployment that the ship was visited by the then UK Prime Minister , Margaret Thatcher , who made a flying visit following her tour of India . The period also coincided with the end of the Iran - Iraq war and shooting down of the Iran Air Flight 655 by the Aegis missile cruiser on the morning of 4 July 1988 . Gulf War . In 1991 , during the First Gulf War , she participated in numerous operations in the Persian Gulf , aimed at primarily upholding the trade blockade imposed on Iraq during Saddam Hussein ' s invasion of Kuwait . She won the lineage its newest battle honour - Persian Gulf 1991 . Post - Gulf War . In 2004 , " Manchester " acted in the role of Fleet Ready Escort ( FRE ) . In September " Manchester " sailed from Portsmouth to take part in Exercise Destiny Glory O4 , a large NATO exercise in the Mediterranean , as part of an RN naval task force consisting of , and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary . During the deployment " Manchester " visited a number of ports in the Mediterranean . In the autumn of 2005 , " Manchester " was deployed in the Mediterranean as part of a NATO task force . During the four - month deployment she was employed in a counter terrorist role alongside other European and American ships . Recent events . From 27 – 30 July 2009 , " Manchester " travelled to Bermuda to help celebrate the British Overseas Territory ' s 400th anniversary . The crew took part in a historical re - enactment of the wrecking of the " Sea Venture " on 28 July 1609 , which was en route as a rescue supply ship to British colonialists in Virginia at the time . During this tour , she also visited the Falkland Islands , Brazil and Colombia and spent time in Cape Verde for counter - narcotics training with the local coastguard . However upon her return to Britain a junior rating was alleged to have attempted to smuggle 12 kilograms of cocaine in bags in her personal quarters . In 2010 " Manchester " was on a seven - month deployment to the Caribbean , mainly on counter - drug operations and a display of security to Britain ' s Overseas Territories in the region . On 15 November 2010 , " Manchester " became the first British warship to visit Havana , Cuba , since in 1957 . Her officers discussed co - operation with the Cuban Navy on counter - drug - trafficking and disaster relief operations in the region . This deployment ended in December 2010 and culminated in a £19 million drug bust . Her Caribbean deployment was also the subject of a Channel 5 documentary series entitled " Royal Navy Caribbean Patrol " broadcast from 7 February 2011 onwards . On 2 February 2011 , " Manchester " berthed at Liverpool , England , as the city was the nearest to Manchester , the city of her affiliation . The crew hosted a civic reception onboard before parading through the city for their final freedom of the city parade . Fate . On 21 February 2011 , " Manchester " sailed into her home port of HMNB Portsmouth where she was decommissioned on 24 February 2011 .