HMS "King George V" (pennant number 41) was the lead ship of the five British battleships of the Royal Navy. Laid down in 1937 and commissioned in 1940, "King George V" operated during the Second World War in all three major theatres of war, the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Pacific, as well as part of the British Home Fleet and Pacific Fleets. In May 1941, along with , "King George V" was involved in the hunt for and pursuit of the , eventually inflicting severe damage which led to the German vessel's sinking. On 1 May 1942 the destroyer sank after a collision with "King George V" in foggy conditions. "King George V" took part in Operation Husky (the allied landings in Sicily) and bombarded the island of Levanzo and the port of Trapani. She also escorted part of the surrendered Italian Fleet, which included the battleships and , to Malta. In 1945 "King George V" took part in operations against the Japanese in the Pacific.