Invasion of Iceland

British invasion of Iceland
Part of World War II
Date 10 May 1940 (1940-05-10) Location Iceland Result British victory Territorial changes Occupation of Iceland
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Iceland
Commanders and leaders
Robert Sturges	Hermann Jónasson Einar Arnalds
Strength
746 Royal Marines 4 warships	60 police 300 reservists
Casualties and losses
1 suicide	none

The British invasion of Iceland (codenamed Operation Fork) by the United Kingdom's Royal Navy and Royal Marines occurred on 10 May 1940, during World War II. The invasion took place because the British government feared that Iceland would be used militarily by Nazi Germany, which had overrun Denmark a month earlier. Although Iceland was independently governed, it was in a personal union with Denmark, which was largely responsible for its foreign relations. The Government of Iceland issued a protest, charging that its neutrality had been "flagrantly violated" and "its independence infringed".^[1]

At the start of World War II, the UK imposed strict export controls on Icelandic goods, preventing profitable shipments to Germany, as part of its naval blockade. The UK offered assistance to Iceland, seeking co-operation "as a belligerent and an ally", but the Icelandic government refused and reaffirmed its neutrality. The German diplomatic presence in Iceland, along with the island's strategic importance, alarmed the UK government.^[2]

After failing to persuade the Icelandic government to join the Allies, the UK invaded, on the morning of 10 May 1940. The initial force of 746 Royal Marines commanded by Colonel Robert Sturges disembarked at the capital Reykjavík. Meeting no resistance, the troops moved quickly to disable communication networks, secure strategic locations, and arrest German citizens. Requisitioning local transport, the troops moved to nearby Hvalfjörður, Kaldaðarnes, Sandskeið, and Akranes to secure potential landing areas against the possibility of a German counterattack.