3. The Altmark Incident
In February 1940, British forces executed a daring raid by boarding the German tanker Altmark within neutral Norwegian waters, rescuing hundreds of British prisoners of war. This dramatic act openly violated Norway’s neutrality and heightened tensions throughout Scandinavia. The event served as a precursor to the German invasions of Norway and Denmark just months later. The Altmark Incident underscored the conflict’s reach and the fragile state of European neutrality.
