Storia Islandese / Iceland, History Of

The american presence in Iceland made possible to develop the strategic role of the isle in the battle for North Atlantic. Even if, in the first months, american were still formally neutrals, many accidents happened between american and german naval forces, to such a degree that is possible to recognize a “not declared war”. 21st of may 1941 american battleship Robin Moore was sunk by a german submarine. The 4th September 1941 a U-Boot attacked two destroyers off Iceland, before being spotted and engaged by the USS Greer. Again, the 17th and 31st october, germans sank the USS Kerney and the USS Reuben James. As a results, president Roosvelt gave the order to shoot at first sight of german military vessels and U-boot. All was going just the way Churchill desired.
North Atlantic became a primary military theatre fro 22nd june 1941, the beginning of Operation Barbarossa for the invasion of USSR by the german troops in spite of the Molotov-Ribbentropp pact. The Germany failed the blitzkrieg in the East, as the USSR gave proof of great resistance, and the struggle became a war of attrition. England was not alone anymore against Germany, and an approach of Churchill and Stalin was more than natural (85). Even in Stalin asked the Allies to open a western front, to avoid an excessive concentration of german troops along his border, for a long time they could not do anything more than an assistance in supplies and refuelling.

Thus, Iceland became the gathering point of protected convoys to USSR, under aerial and naval coverage; the allied successed in opening a channel between USA and Great Britain and then to USSR. The convoys were identified by the acronym PQ plus number for the westbound route (from Iceland to the soviet port of Archangel, Kola peninsula), and QP the eastbound route. The 17 ships of the first two convoys, called “Dervish” and PQ1 sailed from Hvalfjordur the 21st of August and 29th of September 1941, arriving in Archangel rispectively the 31st august and 11 october, with no incidents (86).

Note al testo:
85: Il Soviet British Mutual Assistance Pact venne siglato già il 12 luglio 1941.
86: Llewelyn Evans, Great WWII battles in the Artic, Greenwood Press, Londra, 1999, p.52.