German battleships sink HMS Rawalpindi

The sinking of HMS Rawalpindi by the German battleships Gneisenau and Scharnhorst occurred in the North Atlantic, specifically between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. HMS Rawalpindi was an armed merchant cruiser that was part of the British Royal Navy's efforts during the early stages of World War II. The engagement highlighted the ongoing naval conflict between Germany and Britain, as both nations sought to control vital shipping routes and assert dominance at sea. The encounter resulted in the loss of approximately 270 crew members, with only 38 survivors rescued. This incident underscored the vulnerability of merchant vessels in the face of heavily armed warships and marked a significant moment in the naval warfare of the period, illustrating the dangers faced by Allied shipping in the Atlantic.