Captivity aboard Altmark and the propaganda battle

Altmark was not designed to carry hundreds of prisoners, so conditions were unpleasant, though the harshest claims of deliberate cruelty warrant caution. The captives received the same limited food as the crew because Germany wanted them alive for propaganda. The fighting began after the boarding party reached Altmark, which contradicts claims that the men boarded under fire. Norwegian torpedo boats were present but did not join the fight. For Britain, the prisoners' release became a major morale and propaganda victory during the otherwise frustrating Phoney War, producing songs, stories, and a public image of an active Royal Navy.