HMS King George V and HMS Punjabi collision

King George V, photographed with a huge hole in the bows after she had collided with Punjabi in dense fog on 1 May 1942

HMS Punjabi At anchor, coastal waters

Punjabi was deployed on 26 April as part of the screen providing distant cover for the passage of Convoy PQ 15. They sailed from Hvalfjörður on 29 April. On 1 May, she was rammed and sunk in a collision with the battleship HMS King George V in foggy conditions. While steaming in formation in heavy fog, the lookout on Punjabi reported what he believed to be a mine dead ahead; the captain reflexively (and regrettably) ordered a 15-point emergency turn to port; in so doing, she sailed directly into the path of King George V and was sliced in two by the battleship's bow. 169 of the ship's company were rescued from the forward section, and another 40 were picked up from the sea by other escorts, including Marne. Those crew left in the aft section, which sank very quickly, were killed when her depth charges detonated; 49 of her crew lost their lives in the accident. She sank directly in the path of the US battleship USS Washington, which had to sail between the halves of the sinking destroyer. Washington suffered slight damage from the detonation of the depth charges. King George V sustained serious damage to her bow, and was forced to return to port for repairs. Further investigation revealed no mines in the area, or indeed in any part of the convoy's eventual path. It is unknown what the lookout actually spotted, if anything.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Punjabi