An order to bring Altmark home as a prize reportedly reached Cossack after the prisoners had been removed and the German ship left behind. A further message, received at about 2:30 a.m., instructed Vian to leave the ship and withdraw at maximum speed. A possible discrepancy between dispatch and receipt times leaves uncertainty over how much room delayed signals gave him to act. Deliberate delay by the Admiralty is suggested, but the exact sequence remains uncertain. Leaving Altmark and her crew in Norway limited the diplomatic damage while the prisoner rescue embarrassed Germany. Vian's decision pursued the immediate British objective while controlling its political cost.
Notable Point · 41:29-44:02
Conflicting Altmark orders and Vian's command discretion
Successive orders called for different treatment of Altmark, while uncertain signal timing left questions about Vian's freedom to complete the rescue without taking the ship.