A Country With No Army Took On the Royal Navy. And Won.

[!NOTE] Historical File: A Country With No Army Took On the Royal Navy. And Won. Location: Iceland | Era: Archival History | Format: Documentary & Narrative Record

The Untold Story

A country with no army took on the Royal Navy. And it won.

This was Iceland, fighting Britain over cod. As Iceland pushed its fishing limit out, Britain sent warships to guard its trawlers.

Iceland’s coast guard fought back with net cutters, dragged behind patrol boats to slice British trawling wires.

Soon, ships were ramming each other. One British frigate had its bow torn off. The final round saw fifty five rammings.

Then Iceland cut diplomatic ties with Britain, and threatened to close a NATO base the West needed against the Soviet Union.

In 1976, Britain accepted Iceland’s two hundred mile fishing zone, after backing off three times. No army, and it beat the Royal Navy. Defeat, or good sense? Tell me in the comments.

Historical Discussion

💭 For the last Cod War, Britain pulled two old frigates out of reserve and refitted them with reinforced wooden bows - built specifically for ramming. Three times Britain sent warships, three times it backed off: defeat, or good sense? Follow along for more of history’s unlikeliest victories.

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