Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 3:44:32-3:52:45

Why defecting with a warship is unusually difficult

Unlike an aircraft or tank, a warship normally requires a large crew to cooperate, making individual defection attempts much harder to carry through.

DefectionFree NaviesItalian NavyNaval CrewsSoviet Navy
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Question

Has anyone actually defected with a warship?

Short answer

There are attempted and wartime collective cases, but a ship is much harder to defect with because many crew members must cooperate.

Notes

Whether these examples count as defection depends partly on how wartime changes of allegiance are classified. The free navies of the Second World War and Italian ships attempting to reach the Allies are offered as possible examples under that broader definition. Attempts by officers aboard Russian vessels are also mentioned without identifying individual ships. A warship requires many more people to cooperate than an aircraft or tank.