British boarding of the German tanker Altmark in neutral Norwegian waters freed roughly 300 Allied prisoners and strained Norwegian neutrality in World War II.
Key Facts
- Date
- 16–17 February 1940
- Allied prisoners freed
- approximately 300 persons
- German sailors killed
- 8 persons
- German sailors wounded
- 10 persons
- British sailors wounded
- 1 persons
- Boarding vessel
- HMS Cossack
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The German pocket battleship Graf Spee had sunk numerous Allied merchant ships in the South Atlantic. Survivors were taken prisoner and transferred to the German supply tanker Altmark, which then attempted to return to Germany through neutral Norwegian waters, carrying approximately 300 Allied prisoners of war.
On 16–17 February 1940, the British destroyer HMS Cossack boarded the Altmark in Jøssingfjorden, Norway, despite Norwegian neutrality. Hand-to-hand fighting ensued, killing eight German sailors and wounding ten, while one British sailor was wounded. All Allied prisoners were liberated and transported to Britain.
Germany condemned the boarding as a violation of international law and Norwegian neutrality, using the incident in propaganda broadcasts by 'Lord Haw-Haw.' The episode strained Norway's neutral status and heightened tensions in the region in the early months of World War II.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent