British invasion of Iceland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids British invasion of Iceland |
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 United Kingdom |
 Iceland |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
 Robert Sturges |
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The British invasion of Iceland (also known as Operation Fork) happened on May 10, 1940. It was carried out by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines from the United Kingdom during World War II. Britain was worried that Nazi Germany might take over Iceland. Germany had already invaded Denmark a month earlier.
Even though Iceland was an independent country, it had a special connection with Denmark. Denmark usually handled Iceland's foreign affairs. The Icelandic government protested the invasion. They said it "flagrantly violated" their neutrality and "infringed" their independence.
When World War II started, the UK stopped Iceland from sending goods to Germany. This was part of Britain's plan to block Germany's trade. The UK offered to help Iceland and asked them to join the war. But Iceland refused, saying they wanted to stay neutral. However, Germany had diplomats in Iceland, and the island was very important strategically. This made the UK government nervous.
After failing to convince Iceland to join the Allies, the UK invaded. On the morning of May 10, 1940, 746 Royal Marines landed in Reykjavík, the capital city. They were led by Colonel Robert Sturges. The troops met no resistance. They quickly took control of communication networks, secured important places, and arrested German citizens. They used local vehicles to move to nearby areas like Hvalfjörður, Kaldaðarnes, Sandskeið, and Akranes. Their goal was to protect possible landing spots in case Germany tried to counterattack.
Contents
Why the Invasion Happened
In 1918, after a long time under Danish rule, Iceland became an independent country. It shared a king with Denmark, and Denmark managed its foreign affairs. The new Kingdom of Iceland declared itself a neutral country with no army. A treaty allowed for changes to this agreement in 1941. By 1928, all Icelandic political parties wanted to end the union with Denmark as soon as possible.
On April 9, 1940, German forces invaded both Norway and Denmark in an operation called Operation Weserübung. Denmark was taken over in just one day. On the same day, the British government sent a message to Iceland. They said the UK would help Iceland stay independent. But to do this, Britain would need military facilities in Iceland. Iceland was asked to join the UK in the war. The Icelandic government said no. The next day, April 10, the Icelandic parliament, the Alþingi, declared that the Danish King Christian X could not do his duties. They gave all his responsibilities to the government of Iceland.
After Germany invaded Denmark and Norway, Britain became very worried. They feared Germany would try to set up a military base in Iceland. Britain thought this would be a huge threat to their control of the North Atlantic Ocean. Also, Britain really wanted bases in Iceland for themselves. This would help them strengthen their patrols in the northern seas.
Planning the Attack
As the war in Norway got worse, the British Navy decided they needed bases in Iceland. On May 6, Winston Churchill presented the idea to the War Cabinet. Churchill argued that if they tried to negotiate more with Iceland, Germany might find out and act first. A better plan was to land troops without warning. This would present the Icelandic government with a situation they couldn't change. The War Cabinet approved the plan.
The invasion was put together very quickly and without much order. Much of the planning happened while the ships were already on their way. The soldiers had very few maps, and most were not very good. One map was even drawn from memory! No one in the group spoke Icelandic language very well.
The British planned to land all their forces in Reykjavík. There, they would overcome any resistance and deal with local Germans. To protect against a German attack by sea, they would secure the harbor. Then, they would send troops by land to nearby Hvalfjörður. The British also worried that Germans might fly in troops, like they did in their Norwegian campaign. To stop this, troops would drive east to the landing areas at Sandskeið and Kaldaðarnes. Finally, troops would be sent by land to the harbor at Akureyri and the landing area at Melgerði in the north of the country.
The UK Naval Intelligence Division (NID) expected resistance from three groups. Local Germans, who were thought to have some weapons, might fight back. Also, a German invasion force might already be ready or start right after the British landed. The NID also expected resistance from the Reykjavík police. This police force had about 60 armed men. If a Danish patrol boat was in Reykjavík, its sailors might help the defenders. But this worry was unnecessary, as the only Danish navy ships abroad were in Greenland.
Operation Fork Begins
Colonel Sturges's Force
On May 3, 1940, the 2nd Royal Marine Battalion in Bisley, Surrey, received orders. They had to be ready to move in two hours to an unknown place. This battalion had only been formed the month before. While some officers were experienced, the troops were new recruits and not fully trained. They didn't have many weapons, just rifles, pistols, and bayonets. Fifty of the marines had just gotten their rifles and hadn't even fired them yet. On May 4, the battalion received a few more weapons. These included Bren light machine guns, anti-tank rifles, and 2-inch mortars (51 mm). There was no time to practice with these weapons on land. They would have to learn how to use them at sea.
The force also had two 3.7-inch mountain howitzers, four QF 2 pounder naval guns, and two QF 4-inch coastal defense guns. These guns were operated by sailors and marines from artillery units. None of them had ever fired these specific guns before. They also lacked important equipment like searchlights and communication gear.
Colonel Robert Sturges was chosen to lead the force. He was 49 years old and a respected veteran of World War I. He had fought in the battle of Gallipoli and the battle of Jutland. He was joined by a small intelligence team and a diplomatic group. In total, the invasion force had 746 troops.
Journey to Iceland
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On May 6, Force Sturges boarded trains for Greenock in Scotland. To avoid drawing attention, the force was split into two trains. But due to train delays, they arrived at Greenock station at almost the same time. This made them less anonymous. Also, security had been broken by an uncoded message. By the time the troops arrived in Greenock, many people knew they were going to Iceland.
On the morning of May 7, the force went to the harbor in Greenock. There, they met the cruisers Berwick and Glasgow. These ships would take them to Iceland. Boarding the ships was difficult and caused delays. Departure was delayed until May 8. Even then, a lot of equipment and supplies had to be left behind on the docks.
At 4:00 AM on May 8, the cruisers left for Iceland. They were joined by anti-submarine destroyers Fearless and Fortune. The cruisers were not designed to carry so many troops, so conditions were very crowded. Many of the marines got severe seasickness. As planned, the voyage was used to practice with the new weapons. The rest of the journey was quiet.
The Surprise is Lost
At 1:47 AM, Icelandic time, on May 10, HMS Berwick launched a Supermarine Walrus reconnaissance aircraft. The main goal was to look for enemy submarines near Reykjavík. The Naval Intelligence Division believed submarines were operating from Icelandic harbors.
The Walrus was told not to fly over Reykjavík. But either by accident or miscommunication, it flew several circles over the town. It made a lot of noise. At this time, Iceland only had passenger planes, which didn't fly at night. So, this unusual event woke up many people. The Prime Minister of Iceland Hermann Jónasson was told about the aircraft, as were the Icelandic Police. The acting chief of police, Einar Arnalds, guessed it was probably from a British warship bringing the new ambassador. He was partly right.
Werner Gerlach, the German consul, also noticed the aircraft. He suspected what was happening and drove to the harbor with a German friend. Using binoculars, he confirmed his fears and rushed back home. There, he started burning his documents. He tried to call the Icelandic foreign minister but couldn't reach him.
At the Harbor
At 3:40 AM, an Icelandic policeman saw a small group of warships coming into the harbor. He couldn't tell what country they were from. He told his boss, who then told Einar Arnalds, the acting chief of police. Iceland's neutrality laws said that no more than three warships from a country at war could use a neutral harbor at once. Also, planes from such ships were not allowed to fly over neutral waters. Seeing that the approaching ships were breaking two rules, Arnalds started to investigate. At the harbor, he saw the ships for himself and decided they were probably British. He contacted the foreign ministry. They told him to go out to the fleet and tell the commander he was violating Iceland's neutrality. Customs officers were ordered to get a boat ready.
Meanwhile, marines on Berwick were being ordered onto Fearless. This ship would take them to the harbor. The seasickness and inexperience of the troops caused delays. Officers were getting frustrated. Just before 5:00 AM, Fearless, carrying about 400 marines, started moving toward the harbor. A small crowd had gathered, including several policemen still waiting for the customs boat. The British consul had known about the invasion beforehand. He was waiting with his helpers to assist the troops when they arrived. Uncomfortable with the crowd, Consul Shepherd turned to the Icelandic police. "Would you mind... getting the crowd to stand back a bit, so that the soldiers can get off the destroyer?" he asked. "Certainly," came the reply.
The Fearless started letting troops off as soon as it docked. Arnalds asked to speak with the destroyer's captain but was refused. He then quickly reported to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister ordered him not to interfere with the British troops. He also told him to try and prevent any fights between them and Icelanders. At the harbor, some locals protested the British arrival. One Icelander grabbed a rifle from a marine and put a cigarette in it. He then threw it back to the marine and told him to be careful. An officer arrived to scold the marine.
Operations in Reykjavík
The British forces began their operations in Reykjavík by placing a guard at the post office. They also put a flyer on the door. The flyer, written in broken Icelandic, explained that British forces were occupying the city. It asked for cooperation in dealing with local Germans. The offices of Landssími Íslands (the state telecommunication service), RÚV (the broadcasting service), and the Meteorological Office were quickly taken over by the British. This was to stop news of the invasion from reaching Berlin.
At the same time, capturing the German consulate was a high priority. When they arrived, the British troops were relieved to find no resistance. They simply knocked on the door. Consul Gerlach opened it. He protested the invasion and reminded the British that Iceland was a neutral country. He was reminded, in turn, that Denmark had also been neutral. The British found a fire upstairs in the building. A pile of documents was burning in the consul's bathtub. They put out the fire and saved many records.
The British also expected resistance from the crew of Bahia Blanca. This was a German cargo ship that had hit an iceberg. Its 62 crew members had been rescued by an Icelandic fishing boat. The Naval Intelligence Division believed these Germans were actually backup crews for German submarines. But the unarmed Germans were captured without any problems.
Within an hour of landing, Force Sturges had set up an advanced guard around Reykjavík. By using local transport, the marines managed to spread out over 75 km by 6 PM. They secured a seaplane base (Hvalfjörður) and two possible airstrips (Kaldaðarnes and Sandskeið). At the Kaldaðarnes landing ground, a group of marines with most of the battalion's machine guns was stationed. They had orders to fire on any German troops landing from aircraft. They had been told to expect up to 2,000 German paratroopers, but luckily, none arrived. By this time, the four Royal Navy ships had left.
What Happened Next
On the evening of May 10, the government of Iceland issued a protest. They said their neutrality had been "flagrantly violated" and their independence "infringed." They also said they expected payment for any damage. The British promised to pay for damages, offer good business deals, not interfere in Icelandic affairs, and leave at the end of the war. In the following days, air defense equipment was set up in Reykjavík. A group of troops was sent to Akureyri. However, the first invasion force was not well-equipped. They were only partly trained and not enough to fully occupy and defend the island.
Over the next two weeks, relations between Force Sturges and the local people cooled. People worried that the British presence would attract German attacks. There were also concerns about relationships between the marines and local girls. However, no major incidents were reported.
On May 17, troops from the 147th Infantry Brigade began arriving. They came on troop ships to replace the marines. By May 21, all but the coastal artillery parts of Force Sturges had left. In July, parts of the 2nd Canadian Division and 3rd Canadian Division landed. The total number of British Commonwealth forces eventually reached 25,000 soldiers. This included parts of the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, and Royal Canadian Navy. One year after the invasion, forces from the still officially neutral United States were stationed on the island. This was by agreement with the Icelandic government. They took over from most of the British ground forces. US forces grew a lot after the US joined the war on December 7, 1941. At times, there were as many as 30,000 US army, navy, and air force personnel. The RAF and RCAF continued to operate from two Royal Air Force stations until the end of the war.
The UK invaded to prevent a German occupation. They also wanted a base for naval and air patrols. And they wanted to protect shipping routes from North America to Europe. In these goals, the invasion was successful. However, the presence of British, Canadian, and US troops had a lasting impact on Iceland. In some years, the number of foreign troops was equal to 25 percent of Iceland's population. This was almost 50 percent of the native male population. Icelanders were, and still are, divided about the war and occupation. It is sometimes called "blessað stríðið" or "the Blessed War." Some point to the economic growth that followed. Others focus on the loss of independence and changes to society.
The occupation required building many roads, hospitals, harbors, airfields, and bridges across the country. This had a huge positive impact on the economy. Some Icelandic women had relationships with foreign soldiers. About 332 Icelandic women married foreign soldiers.
During the occupation, on June 17, 1944, Iceland declared itself a republic. The Keflavík Agreement was signed in 1946 between the US and Iceland. It said the American army would leave within six months. Iceland would then take over Keflavík Airport. This did not happen for decades. A large US military presence remained in Iceland until September 30, 2006. At the end of the war, most British facilities were given to the Icelandic government.
Although the British acted to prevent a German invasion, there is no proof that Germany had an invasion planned. However, Germany was interested in taking Iceland. In a postwar interview, Walter Warlimont said that "Hitler definitely was interested in occupying Iceland before [British] occupation. First, he wanted to prevent 'anyone else' from coming there. Second, he also wanted to use Iceland as an air base for our submarines."
After the British invasion, the Germans wrote a report to see if taking Iceland was possible. This was called Operation Ikarus. The report found that while an invasion could succeed, keeping supply lines open would be too expensive. The benefits of holding Iceland would not be worth the costs. For example, Iceland did not have enough infrastructure for aircraft.
See also
- British occupation of the Faroe Islands
- Expansion operations and planning of the Axis Powers
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