Commissioned on the 15th August 1927 HMS Nelson spent her peacetime career with the Atlantic and Home Fleets, usually as the fleet flagship. During the early stages of World War II, she searched for German commerce raiders and was badly damaged by a mine in late 1939.

In mid-1941 Nelson escorted several convoys to Malta before being torpedoed in September. After repairs she resumed doing so before supporting the British invasion of French Algeria during Operation Torch in late 1942.

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She covered the invasions of Sicily (Operation Husky) and Italy (Operation Avalanche) in mid-1943 during Operation Baytown.

During the Normandy landings in June 1944, Nelson provided naval gunfire support before being struck by a mine.

She was transferred to the Eastern Fleet in mid-1945 and returned home a few months after the Japanese surrender in September to serve as the flagship of the Home Fleet, then becoming a training ship in early 1946 and was reduced to reserve in late 1947. Sadly she was decommissioned in February 1948 and used as a target for bomb tests.