John I think you possibly misread the meaning of the lyrics of the song.

What about HMS Sheffield, the type 42 guided missile destroyer which didn't exactly destroy any missiles ! An Exocet missile saw to her.

I recall Sheffield being launched on a wet day in June 1971. She didn't go into service until I think 1975.It was a failure in every respect, as it was designed to provide a naval fleet with defences against an attack from the air, it was even fitted with Sea Dart surface-to-air missile systems, which as you will be aware are useless.

Her sister ship Coventry wasn't much better. Communications in the navy must have been poor as the first anyone knew that something had happened to the Sheffield was when a Lynx helicopter landed on the deck of HMS Hermes and verbally told them ! Sheffield boasted that it carried the type 965 radar system. It was so outdated even then. The Exocet missile that whacked the Sheffield had been fired from six miles away and she never saw it coming !