Altmark incident - Revision history

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	[[Category:Kriegsmarine]]		[[Category:Kriegsmarine]]
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	~~[[de:Altmark-Zwischenfall]]~~

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	[[File:Altmark Incident.~~jpg~~\|thumb\|300px\|Flag-draped coffins containing German fallen are brought ashore for burial after the Altmark Incident in Jøssingfjord, Norway.]]		[[File:Altmark Incident.png\|thumb\|300px\|Flag-draped coffins containing German fallen are brought ashore for burial after the Altmark Incident in Jøssingfjord, Norway.]]
	The '''Altmark incident''' (Norwegian: ''Altmark-saken''; German: ''Altmark-Zwischenfall'') was a naval incident of [[World War II]] between British destroyers of the [[Royal Navy]] and the German supply ship [[Altmark (Ship)\|''Altmark'']] of the [[Kriegsmarine]], which happened on 16–17 February 1940. It took place in what were, at that time, neutral [[Norwegian]] waters. On board the ''Altmark'' were many [[Allied countries of World War II\|Allied]] prisoners (officially internees), whose ships had been sunk by the pocket battleship [https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Panzerschiff_%E2%80%9EAdmiral_Graf_Spee%E2%80%9C ''Admiral Graf Spee''] in the Southern Atlantic Ocean.		The '''Altmark incident''' (Norwegian: ''Altmark-saken''; German: ''Altmark-Zwischenfall'') was a naval incident of [[World War II]] between British destroyers of the [[Royal Navy]] and the German supply ship [[Altmark (Ship)\|''Altmark'']] of the [[Kriegsmarine]], which happened on 16–17 February 1940. It took place in what were, at that time, neutral [[Norwegian]] waters. On board the ''Altmark'' were many [[Allied countries of World War II\|Allied]] prisoners (officially internees), whose ships had been sunk by the pocket battleship [https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Panzerschiff_%E2%80%9EAdmiral_Graf_Spee%E2%80%9C ''Admiral Graf Spee''] in the Southern Atlantic Ocean.

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	==History==		==History==
	[[File:Zweiter-Weltkrieg-die-Altmark-im-Joessingfjord.~~jpg~~\|right\|310px]]		[[File:Zweiter-Weltkrieg-die-Altmark-im-Joessingfjord.png\|right\|310px]]
	[[File:Flag-draped coffins containing German fallen are brought ashore for burial after the Altmark Incident in Jøssingfjord, Norway II.png\|right\|310px]]		[[File:Flag-draped coffins containing German fallen are brought ashore for burial after the Altmark Incident in Jøssingfjord, Norway II.png\|right\|310px]]
	===Background===		===Background===

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	==References==		==References==
	{{Reflist}}		{{Reflist\|2}}

	[[Category:WWAC]]		[[Category:WWAC]]

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	[[Category:Norway]]		[[Category:Norway]]
	[[Category:Kriegsmarine]]		[[Category:Kriegsmarine]]
	[[Category:Royal Navy]]		[[Category:Royal Navy]]
	[[de:Altmark-Zwischenfall]]		[[de:Altmark-Zwischenfall]]

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References

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[[File:Altmark Incident.jpg|thumb|300px|Flag-draped coffins containing German fallen are brought ashore for burial after the Altmark Incident in Jøssingfjord, Norway.]]
The '''Altmark incident''' (Norwegian: ''Altmark-saken''; German: ''Altmark-Zwischenfall'') was a naval incident of [[World War II]] between British destroyers of the [[Royal Navy]] and the German supply ship [[Altmark (Ship)|''Altmark'']] of the [[Kriegsmarine]], which happened on 16–17 February 1940. It took place in what were, at that time, neutral [[Norwegian]] waters. On board the ''Altmark'' were many [[Allied countries of World War II|Allied]] prisoners (officially internees), whose ships had been sunk by the pocket battleship [https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Panzerschiff_%E2%80%9EAdmiral_Graf_Spee%E2%80%9C ''Admiral Graf Spee''] in the Southern Atlantic Ocean.

British naval forces cornered the replenishment tanker and later the destroyer [[HMS Cossack (F03)|HMS ''Cossack'']] boarded the Altmark near the Jøssingfjord and liberated 303 (other sources claim 299) British merchant sailors; eight Germans died and ten wounded. The boarding was a violation of [[international law]] and Norwegian neutrality.

==History==
[[File:Zweiter-Weltkrieg-die-Altmark-im-Joessingfjord.jpg|right|310px]]
[[File:Flag-draped coffins containing German fallen are brought ashore for burial after the Altmark Incident in Jøssingfjord, Norway II.png|right|310px]]
===Background===
In February 1940, the German supply ship Altmark was returning to Germany with captured British sailors on board.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Simpson|first=Brian|title=The Rule of Law in International Affairs|journal=2003 Lectures- Proceedings of the British Academy|volume=125|pages=213–264|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2005|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R24HwO0XWeMC&q=hell-ship+altmark|isbn=978-0-19-726324-2|access-date=9 April 2010}}</ref> These were [[Prisoner of war|prisoners of war]] who had been picked up from ships sunk by the German pocket battleship ''Admiral Graf Spee'' ([https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Panzerschiff_%E2%80%9EAdmiral_Graf_Spee%E2%80%9C de]).

On its way from the southern Atlantic to Germany, the ''Altmark'' passed through Norwegian waters. [[International law]] did not ban the transfer of prisoners of war through neutral waters.

===Incident===
Altmark was spotted off Egersund on 15 February by aircraft of the [[Royal Air Force]], which raised the alarm in the Royal Navy. The aircraft were stationed at [[Royal Air Force|RAF]] [[Thornaby-on-Tees|Thornaby]], in the North East of England. After being intercepted by the destroyer HMS Cossack, captained by Philip Louis Vian, Altmark sought refuge in the Jøssingfjord, but Cossack followed her in the next day. The Altmark's Norwegian naval escorts blocked initial attempts to board the ship, and aimed their torpedo tubes at the ''Cossack''. Captain Vian then asked the British Admiralty for instructions, and received the following orders directly from the [[First Lord of the Admiralty]], [[Winston Churchill]]:

{{quote|''Unless Norwegian torpedo-boat undertakes to convoy Altmark to Bergen with a joint Anglo-Norwegian guard on board, and a joint escort, you should board ''Altmark'', liberate the prisoners, and take possession of the ship pending further instructions. If Norwegian torpedo-boat interferes, you should warn her to stand off. If she fires upon you, you should not reply unless attack is serious, in which case you should defend yourself, using no more force than is necessary, and ceasing fire when she desists. Suggest to Norwegian destroyer that honour is served by submitting to superior force''.<ref>NA-ADM 1/25843. Last sentence is omitted in Churchill’s account: {{Cite book|last=Churchill|first=Sir Winston|title=Volume 1 of The Second World War: The Gathering Storm|publisher=Houghton Mifflin|year=1948|location=New York|isbn=978-0-395-41055-4|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/gatheringstorm00chur_0}}</ref>}}

The Norwegian naval forces refused to take part in a joint escort. The British then boarded her (Altmark) at 22:20 on 16 February, and – after some hand-to-hand fighting with bayonets – overwhelmed the ship's crew and went down to the hold. HMS ''Cossack'' left the Jøssingfjord just after midnight on 17 February. The Norwegians protested, but did not intervene. The official explanation later given by the Norwegian government was that, according to international treaty, a neutral country was not obliged to resist a vastly superior force.

===Casualties===
Seven German sailors were shot and killed as well as eleven wounded (six seriously) during the fighting. All but one of the German seamen (one of the wounded) who had jumped overboard in a panic to get ashore across the fjord ice were rescued from the icy water. The death toll of the Germans thus increased to eight. The British gunner Warrant Officer J. J. F. Smith was the only British casualty, wounded by a booby trap – he won the Distinguished Service Cross.

===Aftermath===
The "Altmark incident" makes public the attitude of the Allies toward intervention in Norway, and provides impetus to German planners to accelerate their plans. The Norwegians were angered that their neutrality had been infringed by the British, as they did not want to be dragged into the war. Nonetheless, the incident sowed doubts about Norwegian neutrality among the Allies and in Germany. [[Adolf Hitler]] ordered intensified planning of [[Operation Weserübung]].

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20220618185317/https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/the-altmark-incident.html The Altmark Incident – The Royal Navy Freed 299 POW But Caused Norway To Be Invaded By Germany], War History Online

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:World War II]]
[[Category:Norway]]
[[Category:Kriegsmarine]]
[[Category:Royal Navy]]
[[de:Altmark-Zwischenfall]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:11, 28 April 2024
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	[[File:Altmark Incident.png\|thumb\|300px\|Flag-draped coffins containing German fallen are brought ashore for burial after ~~tbe~~ Altmark Incident in Jøssingfjord, Norway.]]		[[File:Altmark Incident.png\|thumb\|300px\|Flag-draped coffins containing German fallen are brought ashore for burial after the Altmark Incident in Jøssingfjord, Norway.]]
	The '''Altmark incident''' (Norwegian: ''Altmark-saken''; German: ''Altmark-Zwischenfall'') was a naval incident of [[World War II]] between British destroyers of ~~tbe~~ [[Royal Navy]] and ~~tbe~~ German supply ship [[Altmark (Ship)\|''Altmark'']] of ~~tbe~~ [[Kriegsmarine]], which happened on 16–17 February 1940. It took place in what were, at that time, neutral [[Norwegian]] waters. On board ~~tbe~~ ''Altmark'' were many [[Allied countries of World War II\|Allied]] prisoners (officially internees), whose ships had been sunk by ~~tbe~~ pocket battleship [https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Panzerschiff_%E2%80%9EAdmiral_Graf_Spee%E2%80%9C ''Admiral Graf Spee''] in ~~tbe~~ Southern Atlantic Ocean.		The '''Altmark incident''' (Norwegian: ''Altmark-saken''; German: ''Altmark-Zwischenfall'') was a naval incident of [[World War II]] between British destroyers of the [[Royal Navy]] and the German supply ship [[Altmark (Ship)\|''Altmark'']] of the [[Kriegsmarine]], which happened on 16–17 February 1940. It took place in what were, at that time, neutral [[Norwegian]] waters. On board the ''Altmark'' were many [[Allied countries of World War II\|Allied]] prisoners (officially internees), whose ships had been sunk by the pocket battleship [https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Panzerschiff_%E2%80%9EAdmiral_Graf_Spee%E2%80%9C ''Admiral Graf Spee''] in the Southern Atlantic Ocean.

	British naval forces cornered ~~tbe~~ replenishment tanker and later ~~tbe~~ destroyer [[HMS Cossack (F03)\|HMS ''Cossack'']] boarded ~~tbe~~ Altmark near ~~tbe~~ Jøssingfjord and liberated 303 (other sources claim 299) British merchant sailors; eight Germans died and ten wounded. The boarding was a violation of [[international law]] and Norwegian neutrality.		British naval forces cornered the replenishment tanker and later the destroyer [[HMS Cossack (F03)\|HMS ''Cossack'']] boarded the Altmark near the Jøssingfjord and liberated 303 (other sources claim 299) British merchant sailors; eight Germans died and ten wounded. The boarding was a violation of [[international law]] and Norwegian neutrality.

	==History==		==History==
	[[File:Zweiter-Weltkrieg-die-Altmark-im-Joessingfjord.png\|right\|310px]]		[[File:Zweiter-Weltkrieg-die-Altmark-im-Joessingfjord.png\|right\|310px]]
	[[File:Flag-draped coffins containing German fallen are brought ashore for burial after ~~tbe~~ Altmark Incident in Jøssingfjord, Norway II.png\|right\|310px]]		[[File:Flag-draped coffins containing German fallen are brought ashore for burial after the Altmark Incident in Jøssingfjord, Norway II.png\|right\|310px]]
	===Background===		===Background===
	In February 1940, ~~tbe~~ German supply ship Altmark was returning to Germany with captured British sailors on board.<ref>{{Cite book\|last=Simpson\|first=Brian\|title=The Rule of Law in International Affairs\|journal=2003 Lectures- Proceedings of ~~tbe~~ British Academy\|volume=125\|pages=213–264\|publisher=Oxford University Press\|year=2005\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R24HwO0XWeMC&q=hell-ship+altmark\|isbn=978-0-19-726324-2\|access-date=9 April 2010}}</ref> These were [[Prisoner of war\|prisoners of war]] who had been picked up from ships sunk by ~~tbe~~ German pocket battleship ''Admiral Graf Spee'' ([https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Panzerschiff_%E2%80%9EAdmiral_Graf_Spee%E2%80%9C de]).		In February 1940, the German supply ship Altmark was returning to Germany with captured British sailors on board.<ref>{{Cite book\|last=Simpson\|first=Brian\|title=The Rule of Law in International Affairs\|journal=2003 Lectures- Proceedings of the British Academy\|volume=125\|pages=213–264\|publisher=Oxford University Press\|year=2005\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R24HwO0XWeMC&q=hell-ship+altmark\|isbn=978-0-19-726324-2\|access-date=9 April 2010}}</ref> These were [[Prisoner of war\|prisoners of war]] who had been picked up from ships sunk by the German pocket battleship ''Admiral Graf Spee'' ([https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Panzerschiff_%E2%80%9EAdmiral_Graf_Spee%E2%80%9C de]).

	On its way from ~~tbe~~ southern Atlantic to Germany, ~~tbe~~ ''Altmark'' passed through Norwegian waters. [[International law]] did not ban ~~tbe~~ transfer of prisoners of war through neutral waters.		On its way from the southern Atlantic to Germany, the ''Altmark'' passed through Norwegian waters. [[International law]] did not ban the transfer of prisoners of war through neutral waters.

	===Incident===		===Incident===
	Altmark was spotted off Egersund on 15 February by aircraft of ~~tbe~~ [[Royal Air Force]], which raised ~~tbe~~ alarm in ~~tbe~~ Royal Navy. The aircraft were stationed at [[Royal Air Force\|RAF]] [[Thornaby-on-Tees\|Thornaby]], in ~~tbe~~ North East of England. After being intercepted by ~~tbe~~ destroyer HMS Cossack, captained by Philip Louis Vian, Altmark sought refuge in ~~tbe~~ Jøssingfjord, but Cossack followed her in ~~tbe~~ next day. The Altmark's Norwegian naval escorts blocked initial attempts to board ~~tbe~~ ship, and aimed their torpedo tubes at ~~tbe~~ ''Cossack''. Captain Vian then asked ~~tbe~~ British Admiralty for instructions, and received ~~tbe~~ following orders directly from ~~tbe~~ [[First Lord of ~~tbe~~ Admiralty]], [[Winston Churchill]]:		Altmark was spotted off Egersund on 15 February by aircraft of the [[Royal Air Force]], which raised the alarm in the Royal Navy. The aircraft were stationed at [[Royal Air Force\|RAF]] [[Thornaby-on-Tees\|Thornaby]], in the North East of England. After being intercepted by the destroyer HMS Cossack, captained by Philip Louis Vian, Altmark sought refuge in the Jøssingfjord, but Cossack followed her in the next day. The Altmark's Norwegian naval escorts blocked initial attempts to board the ship, and aimed their torpedo tubes at the ''Cossack''. Captain Vian then asked the British Admiralty for instructions, and received the following orders directly from the [[First Lord of the Admiralty]], [[Winston Churchill]]:

	{{quote\|''Unless Norwegian torpedo-boat undertakes to convoy Altmark to Bergen with a joint Anglo-Norwegian guard on board, and a joint escort, you should board ''Altmark'', liberate ~~tbe~~ prisoners, and take possession of ~~tbe~~ ship pending further instructions. If Norwegian torpedo-boat interferes, you should warn her to stand off. If she fires upon you, you should not reply unless attack is serious, in which case you should defend yourself, using no more force than is necessary, and ceasing fire when she desists. Suggest to Norwegian destroyer that honour is served by submitting to superior force''.<ref>NA-ADM 1/25843. Last sentence is omitted in Churchill’s account: {{Cite book\|last=Churchill\|first=Sir Winston\|title=Volume 1 of The Second World War: The Gathering Storm\|publisher=Houghton Mifflin\|year=1948\|location=New York\|isbn=978-0-395-41055-4\|url-access=registration\|url=https://archive.org/details/gatheringstorm00chur_0}}</ref>}}		{{quote\|''Unless Norwegian torpedo-boat undertakes to convoy Altmark to Bergen with a joint Anglo-Norwegian guard on board, and a joint escort, you should board ''Altmark'', liberate the prisoners, and take possession of the ship pending further instructions. If Norwegian torpedo-boat interferes, you should warn her to stand off. If she fires upon you, you should not reply unless attack is serious, in which case you should defend yourself, using no more force than is necessary, and ceasing fire when she desists. Suggest to Norwegian destroyer that honour is served by submitting to superior force''.<ref>NA-ADM 1/25843. Last sentence is omitted in Churchill’s account: {{Cite book\|last=Churchill\|first=Sir Winston\|title=Volume 1 of The Second World War: The Gathering Storm\|publisher=Houghton Mifflin\|year=1948\|location=New York\|isbn=978-0-395-41055-4\|url-access=registration\|url=https://archive.org/details/gatheringstorm00chur_0}}</ref>}}

	The Norwegian naval forces refused to take part in a joint escort. The British then boarded her (Altmark) at 22:20 on 16 February, and – after some hand-to-hand fighting with bayonets – overwhelmed ~~tbe~~ ship's crew and went down to ~~tbe~~ hold. HMS ''Cossack'' left ~~tbe~~ Jøssingfjord just after midnight on 17 February. The Norwegians protested, but did not intervene. The official explanation later given by ~~tbe~~ Norwegian government was that, according to international treaty, a neutral country was not obliged to resist a vastly superior force.		The Norwegian naval forces refused to take part in a joint escort. The British then boarded her (Altmark) at 22:20 on 16 February, and – after some hand-to-hand fighting with bayonets – overwhelmed the ship's crew and went down to the hold. HMS ''Cossack'' left the Jøssingfjord just after midnight on 17 February. The Norwegians protested, but did not intervene. The official explanation later given by the Norwegian government was that, according to international treaty, a neutral country was not obliged to resist a vastly superior force.

	===Casualties===		===Casualties===
	Seven German sailors were shot and killed as well as eleven wounded (six seriously) during ~~tbe~~ fighting. All but one of ~~tbe~~ German seamen (one of ~~tbe~~ wounded) who had jumped overboard in a panic to get ashore across ~~tbe~~ fjord ice were rescued from ~~tbe~~ icy water. The death toll of ~~tbe~~ Germans thus increased to eight. The British gunner Warrant Officer J. J. F. Smith was ~~tbe~~ only British casualty, wounded by a booby trap – he won ~~tbe~~ Distinguished Service Cross.		Seven German sailors were shot and killed as well as eleven wounded (six seriously) during the fighting. All but one of the German seamen (one of the wounded) who had jumped overboard in a panic to get ashore across the fjord ice were rescued from the icy water. The death toll of the Germans thus increased to eight. The British gunner Warrant Officer J. J. F. Smith was the only British casualty, wounded by a booby trap – he won the Distinguished Service Cross.

	===Aftermath===		===Aftermath===
	The "Altmark incident" makes public ~~tbe~~ attitude of ~~tbe~~ Allies toward intervention in Norway, and provides impetus to German planners to accelerate their plans. The Norwegians were angered that their neutrality had been infringed by ~~tbe~~ British, as they did not want to be dragged into ~~tbe~~ war. Nonetheless, ~~tbe~~ incident sowed doubts about Norwegian neutrality among ~~tbe~~ Allies and in Germany. [[Adolf Hitler]] ordered intensified planning of [[Operation Weserübung]].		The "Altmark incident" makes public the attitude of the Allies toward intervention in Norway, and provides impetus to German planners to accelerate their plans. The Norwegians were angered that their neutrality had been infringed by the British, as they did not want to be dragged into the war. Nonetheless, the incident sowed doubts about Norwegian neutrality among the Allies and in Germany. [[Adolf Hitler]] ordered intensified planning of [[Operation Weserübung]].

	==External links==		==External links==

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:57, 26 April 2024
Line 1:		Line 1:
	[[File:Altmark Incident.png\|thumb\|300px\|Flag-draped coffins containing German fallen are brought ashore for burial after ~~the~~ Altmark Incident in Jøssingfjord, Norway.]]		[[File:Altmark Incident.png\|thumb\|300px\|Flag-draped coffins containing German fallen are brought ashore for burial after tbe Altmark Incident in Jøssingfjord, Norway.]]
	The '''Altmark incident''' (Norwegian: ''Altmark-saken''; German: ''Altmark-Zwischenfall'') was a naval incident of [[World War II]] between British destroyers of ~~the~~ [[Royal Navy]] and ~~the~~ German supply ship [[Altmark (Ship)\|''Altmark'']] of ~~the~~ [[Kriegsmarine]], which happened on 16–17 February 1940. It took place in what were, at that time, neutral [[Norwegian]] waters. On board ~~the~~ ''Altmark'' were many [[Allied countries of World War II\|Allied]] prisoners (officially internees), whose ships had been sunk by ~~the~~ pocket battleship [https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Panzerschiff_%E2%80%9EAdmiral_Graf_Spee%E2%80%9C ''Admiral Graf Spee''] in ~~the~~ Southern Atlantic Ocean.		The '''Altmark incident''' (Norwegian: ''Altmark-saken''; German: ''Altmark-Zwischenfall'') was a naval incident of [[World War II]] between British destroyers of tbe [[Royal Navy]] and tbe German supply ship [[Altmark (Ship)\|''Altmark'']] of tbe [[Kriegsmarine]], which happened on 16–17 February 1940. It took place in what were, at that time, neutral [[Norwegian]] waters. On board tbe ''Altmark'' were many [[Allied countries of World War II\|Allied]] prisoners (officially internees), whose ships had been sunk by tbe pocket battleship [https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Panzerschiff_%E2%80%9EAdmiral_Graf_Spee%E2%80%9C ''Admiral Graf Spee''] in tbe Southern Atlantic Ocean.

	British naval forces cornered ~~the~~ replenishment tanker and later ~~the~~ destroyer [[HMS Cossack (F03)\|HMS ''Cossack'']] boarded ~~the~~ Altmark near ~~the~~ Jøssingfjord and liberated 303 (other sources claim 299) British merchant sailors; eight Germans died and ten wounded. The boarding was a violation of [[international law]] and Norwegian neutrality.		British naval forces cornered tbe replenishment tanker and later tbe destroyer [[HMS Cossack (F03)\|HMS ''Cossack'']] boarded tbe Altmark near tbe Jøssingfjord and liberated 303 (other sources claim 299) British merchant sailors; eight Germans died and ten wounded. The boarding was a violation of [[international law]] and Norwegian neutrality.

	==History==		==History==
	[[File:Zweiter-Weltkrieg-die-Altmark-im-Joessingfjord.png\|right\|310px]]		[[File:Zweiter-Weltkrieg-die-Altmark-im-Joessingfjord.png\|right\|310px]]
	[[File:Flag-draped coffins containing German fallen are brought ashore for burial after ~~the~~ Altmark Incident in Jøssingfjord, Norway II.png\|right\|310px]]		[[File:Flag-draped coffins containing German fallen are brought ashore for burial after tbe Altmark Incident in Jøssingfjord, Norway II.png\|right\|310px]]
	===Background===		===Background===
	In February 1940, ~~the~~ German supply ship Altmark was returning to Germany with captured British sailors on board.<ref>{{Cite book\|last=Simpson\|first=Brian\|title=The Rule of Law in International Affairs\|journal=2003 Lectures- Proceedings of ~~the~~ British Academy\|volume=125\|pages=213–264\|publisher=Oxford University Press\|year=2005\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R24HwO0XWeMC&q=hell-ship+altmark\|isbn=978-0-19-726324-2\|access-date=9 April 2010}}</ref> These were [[Prisoner of war\|prisoners of war]] who had been picked up from ships sunk by ~~the~~ German pocket battleship ''Admiral Graf Spee'' ([https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Panzerschiff_%E2%80%9EAdmiral_Graf_Spee%E2%80%9C de]).		In February 1940, tbe German supply ship Altmark was returning to Germany with captured British sailors on board.<ref>{{Cite book\|last=Simpson\|first=Brian\|title=The Rule of Law in International Affairs\|journal=2003 Lectures- Proceedings of tbe British Academy\|volume=125\|pages=213–264\|publisher=Oxford University Press\|year=2005\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R24HwO0XWeMC&q=hell-ship+altmark\|isbn=978-0-19-726324-2\|access-date=9 April 2010}}</ref> These were [[Prisoner of war\|prisoners of war]] who had been picked up from ships sunk by tbe German pocket battleship ''Admiral Graf Spee'' ([https://de.metapedia.org/wiki/Panzerschiff_%E2%80%9EAdmiral_Graf_Spee%E2%80%9C de]).

	On its way from ~~the~~ southern Atlantic to Germany, ~~the~~ ''Altmark'' passed through Norwegian waters. [[International law]] did not ban ~~the~~ transfer of prisoners of war through neutral waters.		On its way from tbe southern Atlantic to Germany, tbe ''Altmark'' passed through Norwegian waters. [[International law]] did not ban tbe transfer of prisoners of war through neutral waters.

	===Incident===		===Incident===
	Altmark was spotted off Egersund on 15 February by aircraft of ~~the~~ [[Royal Air Force]], which raised ~~the~~ alarm in ~~the~~ Royal Navy. The aircraft were stationed at [[Royal Air Force\|RAF]] [[Thornaby-on-Tees\|Thornaby]], in ~~the~~ North East of England. After being intercepted by ~~the~~ destroyer HMS Cossack, captained by Philip Louis Vian, Altmark sought refuge in ~~the~~ Jøssingfjord, but Cossack followed her in ~~the~~ next day. The Altmark's Norwegian naval escorts blocked initial attempts to board ~~the~~ ship, and aimed their torpedo tubes at ~~the~~ ''Cossack''. Captain Vian then asked ~~the~~ British Admiralty for instructions, and received ~~the~~ following orders directly from ~~the~~ [[First Lord of ~~the~~ Admiralty]], [[Winston Churchill]]:		Altmark was spotted off Egersund on 15 February by aircraft of tbe [[Royal Air Force]], which raised tbe alarm in tbe Royal Navy. The aircraft were stationed at [[Royal Air Force\|RAF]] [[Thornaby-on-Tees\|Thornaby]], in tbe North East of England. After being intercepted by tbe destroyer HMS Cossack, captained by Philip Louis Vian, Altmark sought refuge in tbe Jøssingfjord, but Cossack followed her in tbe next day. The Altmark's Norwegian naval escorts blocked initial attempts to board tbe ship, and aimed their torpedo tubes at tbe ''Cossack''. Captain Vian then asked tbe British Admiralty for instructions, and received tbe following orders directly from tbe [[First Lord of tbe Admiralty]], [[Winston Churchill]]:

	{{quote\|''Unless Norwegian torpedo-boat undertakes to convoy Altmark to Bergen with a joint Anglo-Norwegian guard on board, and a joint escort, you should board ''Altmark'', liberate ~~the~~ prisoners, and take possession of ~~the~~ ship pending further instructions. If Norwegian torpedo-boat interferes, you should warn her to stand off. If she fires upon you, you should not reply unless attack is serious, in which case you should defend yourself, using no more force than is necessary, and ceasing fire when she desists. Suggest to Norwegian destroyer that honour is served by submitting to superior force''.<ref>NA-ADM 1/25843. Last sentence is omitted in Churchill’s account: {{Cite book\|last=Churchill\|first=Sir Winston\|title=Volume 1 of The Second World War: The Gathering Storm\|publisher=Houghton Mifflin\|year=1948\|location=New York\|isbn=978-0-395-41055-4\|url-access=registration\|url=https://archive.org/details/gatheringstorm00chur_0}}</ref>}}		{{quote\|''Unless Norwegian torpedo-boat undertakes to convoy Altmark to Bergen with a joint Anglo-Norwegian guard on board, and a joint escort, you should board ''Altmark'', liberate tbe prisoners, and take possession of tbe ship pending further instructions. If Norwegian torpedo-boat interferes, you should warn her to stand off. If she fires upon you, you should not reply unless attack is serious, in which case you should defend yourself, using no more force than is necessary, and ceasing fire when she desists. Suggest to Norwegian destroyer that honour is served by submitting to superior force''.<ref>NA-ADM 1/25843. Last sentence is omitted in Churchill’s account: {{Cite book\|last=Churchill\|first=Sir Winston\|title=Volume 1 of The Second World War: The Gathering Storm\|publisher=Houghton Mifflin\|year=1948\|location=New York\|isbn=978-0-395-41055-4\|url-access=registration\|url=https://archive.org/details/gatheringstorm00chur_0}}</ref>}}

	The Norwegian naval forces refused to take part in a joint escort. The British then boarded her (Altmark) at 22:20 on 16 February, and – after some hand-to-hand fighting with bayonets – overwhelmed ~~the~~ ship's crew and went down to ~~the~~ hold. HMS ''Cossack'' left ~~the~~ Jøssingfjord just after midnight on 17 February. The Norwegians protested, but did not intervene. The official explanation later given by ~~the~~ Norwegian government was that, according to international treaty, a neutral country was not obliged to resist a vastly superior force.		The Norwegian naval forces refused to take part in a joint escort. The British then boarded her (Altmark) at 22:20 on 16 February, and – after some hand-to-hand fighting with bayonets – overwhelmed tbe ship's crew and went down to tbe hold. HMS ''Cossack'' left tbe Jøssingfjord just after midnight on 17 February. The Norwegians protested, but did not intervene. The official explanation later given by tbe Norwegian government was that, according to international treaty, a neutral country was not obliged to resist a vastly superior force.

	===Casualties===		===Casualties===
	Seven German sailors were shot and killed as well as eleven wounded (six seriously) during ~~the~~ fighting. All but one of ~~the~~ German seamen (one of ~~the~~ wounded) who had jumped overboard in a panic to get ashore across ~~the~~ fjord ice were rescued from ~~the~~ icy water. The death toll of ~~the~~ Germans thus increased to eight. The British gunner Warrant Officer J. J. F. Smith was ~~the~~ only British casualty, wounded by a booby trap – he won ~~the~~ Distinguished Service Cross.		Seven German sailors were shot and killed as well as eleven wounded (six seriously) during tbe fighting. All but one of tbe German seamen (one of tbe wounded) who had jumped overboard in a panic to get ashore across tbe fjord ice were rescued from tbe icy water. The death toll of tbe Germans thus increased to eight. The British gunner Warrant Officer J. J. F. Smith was tbe only British casualty, wounded by a booby trap – he won tbe Distinguished Service Cross.

	===Aftermath===		===Aftermath===
	The "Altmark incident" makes public ~~the~~ attitude of ~~the~~ Allies toward intervention in Norway, and provides impetus to German planners to accelerate their plans. The Norwegians were angered that their neutrality had been infringed by ~~the~~ British, as they did not want to be dragged into ~~the~~ war. Nonetheless, ~~the~~ incident sowed doubts about Norwegian neutrality among ~~the~~ Allies and in Germany. [[Adolf Hitler]] ordered intensified planning of [[Operation Weserübung]].		The "Altmark incident" makes public tbe attitude of tbe Allies toward intervention in Norway, and provides impetus to German planners to accelerate their plans. The Norwegians were angered that their neutrality had been infringed by tbe British, as they did not want to be dragged into tbe war. Nonetheless, tbe incident sowed doubts about Norwegian neutrality among tbe Allies and in Germany. [[Adolf Hitler]] ordered intensified planning of [[Operation Weserübung]].

	==External links==		==External links==