The Psilander affair of 1940 (Sweden versus the United Kingdom)

The Psilander affair of 1940 (Sweden versus the United Kingdom)

YouTube (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.

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, and the vessels reached Gothenburg on 10 July 1940.

Photo: 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.

Photo: 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.

Map: the route of Patricia and the four destroyers from La Spezia to Gothenburg (red), the route of the tanker Castor (green)



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.

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



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 1940.

After arriving at Gothenburg held at Commands initiative, preliminary hearing with Hagman in field court martial at West Coast marine district . On a question from the interrogator if Hagman felt that he protected "Swedish Navy's reputation and Swedish flag honor," he replied, that he found himself in this position to have acted properly, regardless of the regulations and instructions.

At the hearing, the prosecutor asked if it might have been appropriate to let Englishmen shoot one or another shot, and only then decide if the destroyers were surrendered. That said Hagman, he inevitably had to return fire, thus would any claims would be compromised. It was as Hagman extremely important that not a single shot fell. Hagman 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

The day after the court-martialled completed his preliminary investigation, 22 August 1940 the head of the fleet, Rear Admiral Gosta Ehrensvärd issued , a secret order:

' I forbid any officer under my command to surrender their vessels to foreign powers, whatever the reason may be. Allegiance to the flag is the most important of all. ' - Rear Admiral Gosta Ehrensvärd "