Glossary Term: Kvarstad Ships

The Nazi regime failed in the spring of 1942 in its attempt to seize – in Swedish, Kvarstad – ten ships of the Norwegian merchant navy in the port of Gothenburg. On 1 April 1942, these ships attempted to reach Britain from Sweden with armaments and resistance fighters. Two ships reached their destination, while the remaining eight were sunk by the German navy or scuttled by their own crews. The crews were captured.