Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:04:58-2:07:17

Who may have carried a sword during the Altmark boarding?

A sword associated with the Altmark boarding leads to a cautious identification of a cruiser reservist rather than an unsupported claim about Vian.

Altmark IncidentBoarding OperationsHMS PresidentNaval ReservesNaval TraditionsPhilip Vian
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Question

Was Philip Vian the officer holding a sword during the Altmark boarding?

Short answer

Probably not; a reservist from HMS President serving with a destroyer boarding party is a more plausible candidate, though the identification is not certain.

Notes

The sword story is an identification problem rather than a settled anecdote. Reservists from HMS President had been moved from a cruiser into destroyer boarding parties, giving the operation personnel from a unit with a strong sword-drill tradition. That background makes a cruiser reservist a plausible source for the weapon seen in accounts of the boarding. A cruiser reservist remains a reasoned candidate rather than proof that Vian personally carried the sword.