El Amir Farouq

El Amir Farouq was originally built in Italy and commissioned by the Kingdom of Egypt in 1926. It was the flagship of the Egyptian Navy and represented one of the most significant naval assets owned and operated by Egypt during the interwar period and World War II era. The cruiser played a key role in asserting Egyptian naval presence in the Mediterranean Sea. The vessel was entirely under Egyptian ownership until it was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off Gaza by an explosive motorboat of the Israeli Navy during the Israeli naval campaign in Operation Yoav as part of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. It was named after King Farouk I of Egypt and was a point of national pride, reflecting Egypt's efforts to modernise its navy independently of colonial powers.