Galatea served in the Norwegian campaign and evacuated a substantial part of Norway's national treasury to Britain. In May 1940 she became flagship of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron, adding squadron command to those transport duties. During Operation Ariel, she helped evacuate troops and the British ambassador from Saint-Jean-de-Luz as Allied forces withdrew from France. Together with the earlier Spanish mission, these operations show how a small cruiser could act as a fast, protected transport for strategically or politically important people and cargo.
Chapter · 9:14-10:09
Norway, Operation Ariel, and the cruiser as transport
Galatea's work in Norway and Operation Ariel shows a light cruiser moving part of a national treasury, troops, and a diplomat during the Allied withdrawals of 1940.