Altmark incident

16 February 1940, Jøssingfjord, south-western Norway

British success; 299 prisoners freed in Norwegian waters

Graf Spee's supply ship Altmark was taking 299 British merchant seamen, taken from the ships Graf Spee had sunk, home to Germany through Norway's neutral coastal waters. Norwegian torpedo boats had looked her over and let her pass. When British aircraft found her, Captain Philip Vian took Cossack into the Jøssingfjord, where Altmark had run for shelter, came alongside after she tried to ram him, and sent a boarding party across. Seven Germans were killed in the fight on deck. The prisoners were found in the holds, and a boarder's shout of "The Navy's here!" became famous. Norway protested at the breach of its neutrality; in Berlin the incident helped convince Hitler that Britain would not respect it, and planning for the invasion of Norway was speeded up.