American destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill due to leave Portsmouth after "symbolic visit" - when and times
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An American destroyer that arrived in Portsmouth on a “symbolic visit” is due to leave soon.
USS Winston S. Churchill is due to depart from HMNB Portsmouth tomorrow afternoon. According to the King’s Harbour Master shipping movements, the Arleigh Burke destroyer is due to sail past The Round Tower in Old Portsmouth at roughly 3.15pm. She will be given a pilot and tug escort towards the Nab Tower.
The American warship sailed into Portsmouth on Sunday (November 14). A Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander, Owen Long, sailed the ship into the naval base and gave his US counterparts a tour of the city’s attractions.
The Royal Navy described it as a “symbolic visit” which underscored the strong bond British sailors have with their American counterparts. USS Winston S. Churchill’s 370 sailors were on a port stop during operations with the US Navy’s Carrier Strike Group 12, led by the mammoth USS Gerald R Ford. She is due to resume naval operations after leaving Portsmouth.
It is not her first stopover in Portsmouth, with previous visits having taken place in 2010, 2017, and 2015. Describing his role in the visit, Lt Cdr Long said: “The captain very graciously allowed me to bring her in.
“It was a real privilege passing Round Tower and my girlfriend Emily on the tower there waving us in. That was brilliant to actually be able to drive the ship into effectively the closest thing I have to a homeport.
“I put together plenty of recommendations. I feel like part navigator, part tour guide. Plenty of people have stopped me in the passageways and asked best recommendations for restaurants in Portsmouth and I’m only too pleased to facilitate that.”
American president Donald Trump is currently in the UK on a state visit, with a large military flypast planned involving F-35 fighter jets from both nations.