H.M.S. Anson was one of the five "King George V" class battleships laid down in 1937 and commissioned during the Second World War. Built by Swan Hunter on the Tyne, Anson herself was launched in February 1940 and completed in June 1942. Displacing 44,460 tons fully loaded and capable of 29½ knots at full steam, she was 745 feet in length and carried a main armament of 10-14in. guns.

Entering service as flagship to the 2nd Battle Squadron of the Home Fleet, she spent most of the War shadowing forces in support of Russian convoys although she went out to the Pacific in March 1945 in time to participate in the final stages of the conflict there. After a short spell as a guardship at Tokyo following the Japanese surrender, she came home in July 1946 for conversion into a training ship but was eventually laid up in reserve prior to being scrapped in 1957.