Did Nelson and Rodney reach the Pacific during the Second World War?
Short answerNelson served as a flagship with the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean, while Rodney remained nearer home as insurance against Tirpitz or another German sortie.
NotesNelson traveled to the Indian Ocean and served as an Eastern Fleet flagship, placing her much closer to the Pacific theatre without actually entering it in the sense posed by the question. Rodney did not follow the same path. After supporting the invasion period and other duties, she remained available nearer Britain because the Home Fleet still needed a heavy ship in case Tirpitz or another German capital ship emerged. The sisters' different locations reflect threat coverage rather than a simple judgment that one ship was fit for distant service and the other was not. Their deployments also reinforce the earlier point that a slow battleship could retain strategic value by anchoring a particular theatre.