When the Royal Navy boarded a German tanker to liberate hundreds of trapped prisoners
In February 1940, British forces cornered the German tanker Altmark in neutral Norwegian waters. The ship held nearly 300 Allied prisoners of war, hidden in its hold. The resulting daring rescue mission became a major morale boost for Britain and a pivotal moment in the lead-up to the invasion of Norway.
The Altmark incident began when the German tanker, carrying 299 British prisoners captured by the Admiral Graf Spee, attempted to traverse Norwegian waters to reach Germany. Although international law permitted the transit of prisoners, the Altmark had falsely claimed to be conducting purely commercial business. Despite three separate inspections by the Royal Norwegian Navy on 15 February 1940, the prisoners remained undiscovered in the hold.
Following a tip from British aircraft, the destroyer HMS Cossack, commanded by Philip Vian, intercepted the tanker. After the Altmark sought refuge in Jøssingfjorden, Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, authorized Vian to liberate the captives. On 16 February, the British boarded the vessel, resulting in hand-to-hand fighting. Seven German sailors were killed and eleven wounded, while the prisoners were successfully freed and taken to Britain.
The operation sparked significant diplomatic tension. Germany accused Britain of violating Norwegian neutrality, while Norway protested the infringement of its sovereignty. Although Adolf Hitler had already been planning the invasion of Norway since December 1939, the incident intensified these preparations, leading to Operation Weserübung in April 1940. Interestingly, the event also birthed the term 'jøssing' in Norway—a label intended by collaborators to be derogatory, which the public instead reclaimed as a badge of anti-Nazi pride.
The incident remains shrouded in minor historical debate, particularly regarding the alleged use of cutlasses during the boarding. While often cited as the last time the Royal Navy used such weapons in action, experts and crew members remain skeptical, suggesting the story may have originated from German propaganda labeling the British as sea-pirates. Regardless of the weaponry, the cry 'the Navy's here!' became a defining phrase of the era, symbolizing a rare moment of triumph during the Phoney War.
Source: Altmark incident
