Fabulous pictures of USS Winston S. Churchill leaving Portsmouth with caring residents watching departure

USS Winston S Churchill sailed past The Round Tower in Old Portsmouth at roughly 3.30pm today (September 18). Naval enthusiasts and loved ones of sailors on board gathered to watch her leave.

She arrived on Sunday (September 14) as part of Carrier Strike Group Twelve, led by the humungous USS Gerald R Ford. The destroyer is the lead escort for the aircraft carrier and has come to HMNB Portsmouth to underscore bonds with the Royal Navy and the ship’s connection to the UK thanks to its name, the Royal Navy said, describing the event as a “symbolic visit”.

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American sailors got the chance to explore the city and its landmarks, such as the National Museum of the Royal Navy and historic dockyard. The ship has a permanent Royal Navy navigator on board, Lieutenant Commander Owen Long, who guided the vessel into the base on Sunday.

He previously 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.”

Here are a selection of brilliant pictures of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer leaving the city.