Psilander affair

The Psilander affair was an incident that occurred in Skálafjørður near Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands on 20 June 1940 in World War II. The British Royal Navy captured the four Swedish destroyers HSwMS Psilander, Puke, Romulus and Remus, together with the Swedish Lloyd passenger ship Patricia and the Trelleborgs Ångfartygs tanker Castor, despite the fact that Sweden was neutral.

Psilander affair
Part of Occupation of Faroe Islands and World War II
The four destroyers after being released in 1940
Date 20 June – 2 July 1940 Location Skálafjørður, Faroe Islands Result The four Swedish destroyers were returned to Sweden
Belligerents
United Kingdom Faroe Islands	Sweden
Units involved
	Psilander Puke Romulus Remus
Strength
	4 destroyers

Remus, Romulus, Psilander and Puke in Gothenburg harbour after the British Royal Navy released them

The incident is said to have been triggered by the British concern that the German navy would otherwise capture the ships and take them into German service when they left the North Sea, citing right of angary. The four destroyers were recently bought in Italy and were on their way from La Spezia to Gothenburg when they were captured. On 2 July 1940, after diplomatic negotiations, the vessels were returned to the Swedish crews. Afterwards, the vessels reached Gothenburg on 10 July 1940.

Patricia in March 1940 on her way from Sweden to La Spezia

The Swedish Navy had chartered Patricia to take the crews for the destroyers from Sweden to Italy, and accompanied them on their return voyage. After the crew did work to adopt them, they left La Spezia on 14 April.

Due to a collision caused by a machine breakdown they needed repair in Cartagena, Spain. The Italian Chief of Navy called the Swedish attaché at the Swedish embassy and advised the ships to go home as soon as possible, which later has been interpreted as proof that he knew about Hitler's planned attack on France, which began on 10 May.

The tanker Castor before the Second World War

The destroyers did not have fuel bunkers large enough to go from Italy to Sweden. The Swedish Navy had a confirmed order on bunker fuel in Lisbon, but did not get any. A Swedish civilian tanker, Castor, was transporting oil and diesel from Mexico to Sweden. The Swedish Navy chartered her, made her a naval ship and diverted her to Lisbon, where she refuelled the destroyers.

All six ships headed for Cobh, Ireland, where Swedish citizens who had been living in Great Britain and Ireland boarded Patricia. They continued to the Faroe Islands, as the English Channel was a war zone. Castor had fairly low speed which would make the destroyers consume more fuel, so a decision was made to let Castor proceed independently.

Red: the route of Patricia and the four destroyers from La Spezia to Gothenburg. Green: the route of the tanker Castor

At the Faroe Islands, which the UK had occupied, the Royal Navy on order from its government seized the destroyers. The Commander of the Swedish ships, Torsten Hagman, surrendered, as they did not have fuel to go to Sweden, Castor was already seized, and the Royal Navy force in the Faroes was stronger than the four Swedish destroyers. The commander was unable to contact his Swedish Navy superiors for orders on how to proceed, and decided to negotiate instead. The Royal Navy demanded the ships submit and follow them to British controlled ports for internment. Since Sweden was not at war with the UK and had little hope of prevailing in a battle, the commander acquiesced to British demands. Later, Hagman was heavily criticised by others in the Swedish Navy for surrendering without firing a shot.

All ships were released to Sweden on 2 July. Germany guaranteed Swedish neutrality and allowed the ships to go to Sweden. On 5 July they left heading for Sweden and arrived on 10 July. The commander was court-martialed, but was found neither guilty nor innocent. The Media and politicians, including then Prime Minister Per Albin Hansson supported Hagman's decision, but officers across the Swedish armed forces saw him as a coward in battle. A secret order was made to never give up a ship to another country for any reason unless ordered.

See also

• British occupation of the Faroe Islands