Editing Cod Wars (section)

== Second Cod War (1972–1973) ==
{{redirect-distinguish|Second Cod War|Second Cold War}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Second Cod War
| partof            = the '''Cod Wars'''
| image             = File:Klippur.jpg
| caption           = A [[Net cutter (fisheries patrol)|net cutter]], first used in the Second Cod War
| date              = 1 September 1972&nbsp;– 8 November 1973
| place             = Waters surrounding Iceland
| result            = Icelandic victory
*An agreement was reached between the United Kingdom and Iceland in which the UK accepted the Icelandic annexation in exchange for permission to catch 150,000 tons of fish until 1975.
| territory         = Iceland creates {{convert|50|nmi|km|0|abbr=on}} exclusive fishery zone.
| combatants_header = States involved
| combatant1        = {{flag|Iceland}}
| combatant2        = {{ubl|{{flagu|United Kingdom}}|{{flagu|West Germany}}<ref>An agreement was not reached with West Germany until 26 November 1975.{{cite book |last=Hart |first=Jeffrey A. |title=The Anglo-Icelandic Cod War of 1972–1973. 1976. P. 48 }}</ref>|{{flagu|Belgium}} (until 7 September 1972)<ref>Hart, p. 28</ref>}}
| commander1        = {{unbulleted list
  | {{flagicon|Iceland}} [[Ólafur Jóhannesson]]
  | {{nowrap|{{flagicon|Iceland}} [[Captain (naval)|Capt.]] P. Sigurðsson}}
  | {{nowrap|{{flagicon|Iceland}} [[Commander|Cdr.]] [[Guðmundur Kjærnested|G. Kjærnested]]}}
  | {{nowrap|{{flagicon|Iceland}} Cdr. [[Helgi Hallvarðsson]]}}
 }}
| commander2        = {{unbulleted list
  | {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Edward Heath]]
  | {{nowrap|{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)|Adm.]] [[Michael Pollock (Royal Navy officer)|Michael Pollock]]}}
  | {{flagicon|West Germany}} [[Willy Brandt]]
  | {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Gaston Eyskens]]
 }}
| strength1         = {{unbulleted list |3 large patrol vessels |2 small patrol vessels |1 armed [[whaler]]|1 [[Fokker F27 Friendship 200|Fokker F27]] surveillance aircraft<ref>{{cite web |title=Landhelgisgæslan á flugi |url=https://www.lhg.is/um-okkur/sagan/flugdeildin |publisher=Icelandic Coast Guard |access-date=5 May 2021 |language=Icelandic |archive-date=5 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505132150/https://www.lhg.is/um-okkur/sagan/flugdeildin |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
| strength2         = {{unbulleted list |30 [[frigate]]s |1 [[destroyer]] |11 [[Royal Fleet Auxiliary|RFA]] supply vessels |<hr/> |{{longitem|style=line-height:1.3em|[[Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Agriculture,<br/>{{pad|20px}}Fisheries and Food]]}} |5 defence tugs}}
| casualties1       = {{nowrap|1 engineer killed<ref name=eng>{{cite web |last=Guðmundsson |first=Guðmundur Hörður |title=15. Annað þorskastríðið. Tímabilið 19. maí 1973 til nóvember 1973. |url=http://www.lhg.is/media/thorskastridin/15._Gudmundur_Hordur_Gudmundsson._Annad_torskastridid._Timabilid_19.mai_1973_til_november_1973..pdf |work=Short essay for history class at University of Iceland |access-date=15 March 2013 |archive-date=1 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201230906/http://www.lhg.is/media/thorskastridin/15._Gudmundur_Hordur_Gudmundsson._Annad_torskastridid._Timabilid_19.mai_1973_til_november_1973..pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
| casualties2       = 1 German trawlerman wounded
| notes             = 
}}
[[File:Klippuemployment.png|thumb|left|The primary objective of the [[Icelandic Coast Guard]] during the last two Cod Wars was to cut nets in this manner.]]

The Second Cod War between the United Kingdom and Iceland lasted from September 1972 until the signing of a temporary agreement, in November 1973.

The Icelandic government again extended its fishing limits, now to {{convert|50|nmi|km|0|abbr=on}}. It had two goals in extending the limits: (1) to conserve fish stocks and (2) to increase its share of total catches.<ref name="Hart1976">{{Cite book|title = The Anglo-Icelandic Cod War of 1972–1973|last = Hart|first = Jeffrey A.|publisher = University of California|year = 1976|location = Berkeley|pages = 19, 24}}</ref> The reasons that Iceland pursued 50 nmi fishery limits, rather than the 200 nmi limits that they had also considered, were that the most fruitful fishing grounds were within the 50 nmi and that patrolling a 200 nmi limit would have been more difficult.<ref>{{Cite journal|url = http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=5364327|title = Þorskar í köldu stríði|last = Guðmundsson|first = Guðmundur J.|date = 2000|journal = Ný Saga|pages = 67–68|access-date = 28 September 2015|archive-date = 29 September 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150929062946/http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=5364327|url-status = live}}</ref>

The British contested the Icelandic extension with two goals in mind: (1) to achieve the greatest possible catch quota for British fishermen in the contested waters and (2) to prevent a ''de facto'' recognition of a unilateral extension of a fishery jurisdiction, which would set a precedent for other extensions.<ref name="Hart1976" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Icelandic Fisheries|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1973/mar/22/icelandic-fisheries|website=Commons and Lords Hansard, the Official Report of debates in Parliament|publisher=UK Parliament|access-date=28 February 2016|date=22 March 1973|archive-date=2 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302031822/http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1973/mar/22/icelandic-fisheries|url-status=live}}</ref>

All Western European states and the [[Warsaw Pact]] opposed Iceland's unilateral extension.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Uppgjör við umheiminn|last = Inimundarson|year = 2002|pages = 146, 162–163}}</ref> African states declared support for Iceland's extension after a meeting in 1971 where the Icelandic prime minister argued that the Icelandic cause was a part of a broader battle against colonialism and imperialism.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Uppgjör við umheiminn|last = Ingimundarson|year = 2002|page = 147}}</ref>

On 1 September 1972, the enforcement of the law that expanded the Icelandic fishery limits to {{convert|50|nmi|km|abbr=on}} began. Numerous British and West German trawlers continued fishing within the new zone on the first day. The Icelandic leftist coalition then governing ignored the treaty that stipulated the involvement of the [[International Court of Justice]]. It said that it was not bound by agreements made by the previous centre-right government, with [[Lúdvik Jósepsson]], the fisheries minister, stating that "the basis for our independence is economic independence".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEiMDdxtSeA/ |title=History of the Cod Wars Part 3 |work=BBC Four |date=5 December 2010 |via=YouTube |access-date=16 August 2013 |archive-date=10 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110023314/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEiMDdxtSeA/ |url-status=live }} Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/YEiMDdxtSeA Ghostarchive].{{cbignore}}</ref> The next day, the brand-new patrol ship [[ICGV Ægir|ICGV ''Ægir'']], built in 1968,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Couhat|first=Jean Labayle|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nDPf4rKdnkIC&q=%C3%86gir+1968|title=Combat Fleets of the World 1988/89: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Armament|publisher=Naval Institute Press|year=1988|isbn=0870211943|page=265|access-date=22 October 2020|archive-date=23 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230723203802/https://books.google.com/books?id=nDPf4rKdnkIC&q=%C3%86gir+1968|url-status=live}}</ref> chased 16 trawlers, in waters east of the country, out of the 50&nbsp;nmi zone. The [[Icelandic Coast Guard]] started to use [[net cutter (fisheries patrol)|net cutters]] to cut the trawling lines of non-Icelandic vessels fishing within the new exclusion zone.

On 5 September 1972, at 10:25,<ref name="Sæmundsson">Sæmundsson, Sveinn (1984). ''Guðmundur skipherra Kjærnested''. Örn og Örlygur</ref> ICGV ''Ægir'', under [[Guðmundur Kjærnested]]'s command, encountered an unmarked trawler fishing northeast of [[Hornbanki]]. The master of the black-hulled trawler refused to divulge the trawler's name and number and, after being warned to follow the Coast Guard's orders, played ''[[Rule, Britannia!]]'' over the radio.<ref name="Guðmundsson2006" /> At 10:40, the net cutter was deployed into the water for the first time, and ''Ægir'' sailed along the trawler's port side. The fishermen tossed a thick nylon rope into the water as the [[OPV (naval)|patrol ship]] closed in, attempting to disable its propeller. After passing the trawler, ''Ægir'' veered to the trawler's starboard side. The net cutter, {{convert|160|fathom|m|lk=on}} behind the patrol vessel, sliced one of the trawling wires. As ICGV ''Ægir'' came about to circle the unidentified trawler, its angry crew threw coal as well as waste and a large fire axe at the Coast Guard vessel.<ref name="Sæmundsson"/> A considerable amount of swearing and shouting came through the radio, which resulted in the trawler being identified as [[Peter Scott (H103)|''Peter Scott'' (H103)]].<ref name="Sæmundsson"/>

On 25 November 1972, a crewman on the German trawler ''Erlangen'' suffered a head injury as an Icelandic patrol ship cut the trawler's trawling wire, which struck the crewman.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Þorskastríðin þrjú|last = Jóhannesson|year = 2006|page = 82}}</ref> On 18 January 1973, the nets of 18 trawlers were cut. That forced the British seamen to leave the Icelandic fishery zone unless they had the protection of the [[Royal Navy]]. The next day large, fast [[tugboat]]s were sent to their defence, the first being the ''Statesman''. The British considered that to be insufficient and formed a special group to defend the trawlers.

On 23 January 1973, the volcano [[Eldfell]] on [[Heimaey]] erupted, forcing the Coast Guard to divert its attention to rescuing the inhabitants of the small island.

On 17 May 1973, the British trawlers left the Icelandic waters, only to return two days later when they were escorted by British frigates.<ref name="Guðmundsson2006"/> The naval deployment was codenamed Operation Dewey.<ref>{{Cite book|title=High Stakes: Britain's Air Arms in Action 1945–1990|last=Flintham|first=Vic|publisher=Pen and Sword|year=2008|isbn=978-1844158157|page=347}}</ref> [[Hawker Siddeley Nimrod]] jets flew over the contested waters and notified British frigates and trawlers of the whereabouts of Icelandic patrol ships.<ref name="Jóhannesson 2006 90">{{Cite book|title = Þorskastríðin þrjú|last = Jóhannesson|year = 2006|page = 90}}</ref> Icelandic statesmen were infuriated by the entry of the Royal Navy and considered to appeal to the UN Security Council or call for Article 5 of the [[North Atlantic Treaty|NATO Charter]] to be implemented. According to [[Frederick Irving]], US ambassador to Iceland at the time, Icelandic prime minister [[Ólafur Jóhannesson]] demanded that the US send jets to bomb the British frigates.<ref name="Jóhannesson 2006 90"/> There were major protests in Reykjavík on 24 May 1973. All the windows of the British embassy in Reykjavík were broken.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Þorskastríðin þrjú|last = Jóhannesson|year = 2006|page = 91}}</ref>

On 26 May, ICGV ''Ægir'' ordered the Grimsby trawler ''Everton'' to stop, but the captain of the fishing vessel refused to submit. The incident was followed by a protracted pursuit during which ''Ægir'' fired first blank warning shots, later live rounds in order to disable the trawler. ''Everton'' was hit on her bow by four 57&nbsp;mm shells and water began to rush in, but managed to limp to the protection zone, where she was assisted by the frigate {{HMS|Jupiter|F60|6}}.<ref>{{Cite news|date=27 May 1973|title=Icelandic Ship Shells British Trawler After Chase|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/05/27/archives/icelandic-ship-shells-british-trawler-after-chase-britain-plans.html|access-date=6 December 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=6 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206125032/https://www.nytimes.com/1973/05/27/archives/icelandic-ship-shells-british-trawler-after-chase-britain-plans.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Emergency repairs were carried out by a naval team from ''Jupiter''. Prime minister Ólafur Jóhannesson said about the incident that this was "a natural and inevitable law‐enforcement action".<ref>{{Cite news|date=28 May 1973|title=A Shelled Trawler Repaired by British|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/05/28/archives/a-shelled-trawler-repaired-by-british.html|access-date=6 December 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=6 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206125034/https://www.nytimes.com/1973/05/28/archives/a-shelled-trawler-repaired-by-british.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Icelandic lighthouse tender V/s ''Árvakur'' collided with four British vessels on 1 June, and six days later, on 7 June, ICGV ''Ægir'' collided with {{HMS|Scylla|F71|6}}, when the former was reconnoitring for icebergs off the Westfjords, near the edge of the [[Greenland ice sheet]]. The Icelandic Coast Guard reported that ''Scylla'' had been "shadowing and harassing" the Icelandic patrol boat. The British Ministry of Defense claimed that the gunboat intentionally rammed the British frigate.<ref>{{Cite news|date=8 June 1973|title=Iceland Patrol Boat And British Frigate Are in a Collision|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/06/08/archives/iceland-patrol-boat-and-british-frigate-are-in-a-collision-british.html|access-date=6 January 2022|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=6 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220106144159/https://www.nytimes.com/1973/06/08/archives/iceland-patrol-boat-and-british-frigate-are-in-a-collision-british.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 29 August<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.napier-chronicles.co.uk/1973.htm |title=1973 |publisher=The Napier Chronicles |access-date=16 August 2013 |archive-date=12 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812064805/http://www.napier-chronicles.co.uk/1973.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> the Icelandic Coast Guard suffered the only confirmed fatality of the conflict, when ICGV ''Ægir'' collided with {{HMS|Apollo|F70|6}}. Halldór Hallfreðsson, an engineer on board the Icelandic vessel, died by electrocution from his welding equipment after sea water flooded the compartment in which he was making hull repairs.<ref name=eng/><ref>{{Cite book|title = The Anglo-Icelandic Cod War of 1972–1973|last = Hart|first = Jeffrey A.|year = 1976|page = 44}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?issId=264803&lang=en |title=Dauðsfall um borð i Ægi: Var það alda frá Statesman, sem grandaði manninum? |trans-title=Death on board the Ægi: Was it the wake of the ''Statesman'' that killed the man? |work=Tíminn |language=is |via=National and University Library of Iceland |access-date=27 February 2016 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304155916/http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?issId=264803&lang=en |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 16 September 1973, [[Joseph Luns]], Secretary-General of NATO, arrived in Reykjavík to talk with Icelandic ministers, who had been pressed to leave NATO, as it had been of no help to Iceland in the conflict.<ref name="Bakaki 63–78"/> Britain and Iceland were both NATO members. The Royal Navy made use of bases in Iceland during the Cold War to fulfill its primary NATO duty, guarding the [[GIUK gap|Greenland-Iceland-UK gap]].

After a series of talks within NATO, British warships were recalled on 3 October.<ref name="Jóhannesson 2006 101">{{Cite book|title = Þorskastríðin þrjú|last = Jóhannesson|year = 2006|page = 101}}</ref> Trawlermen played ''Rule Britannia!'' over their radios, as they had done when the Royal Navy entered the waters. They also played "[[The Party's Over (Willie Nelson song)|The Party's Over]]".<ref name="Jóhannesson 2006 101"/> An agreement was signed on 8 November to limit British fishing activities to certain areas inside the 50&nbsp;nmi limit. The agreement, resolving the dispute, was approved by the Althing on 13 November 1973.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Þorskastríðin þrjú|last = Jóhannesson|year = 2006|page = 102}}</ref> The agreement was based on the premise that British trawlers would limit their annual catch to no more than 130,000 [[ton]]s. The Icelanders were reportedly prepared to settle for 156,000 tons in July 1972 but had increased their demands by spring of 1973 and coffered{{clarify|date=February 2022}} 117,000 tons (the British demanded 145,000 tons in spring 1973).<ref>{{Cite book|title = Þorskastríðin þrjú|last = Jóhannesson|year = 2006|pages = 88, 94, 101}}</ref> The agreement expired in November 1975, and the third "Cod War" began.

The Second Cod War threatened Iceland's membership in NATO and the US military presence in Iceland. It was the closest that Iceland has come to canceling its bilateral Defence Agreement with the US.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = A western cold war: the crisis in Iceland's relations with Britain, the United States, and NATO, 1971–74|journal = Diplomacy & Statecraft|date = 1 December 2003|issn = 0959-2296|pages = 94–136|volume = 14|issue = 4|doi = 10.1080/09592290312331295694|first = Valur|last = Ingimundarson|s2cid = 154735668}}</ref>

Icelandic NATO membership and hosting of US military had considerable importance to Cold War strategy because of Iceland's location in the middle of the [[GIUK gap]].

After the entry of the Royal Navy into the contested waters, at any given time, four frigates and an assortment of tugboats would generally protect the British trawling fleet.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Þorskastríðin þrjú|last = Jóhannesson|year = 2006| page = 89}}</ref> Over the course of this Cod War, a total of 32 British frigates had entered the contested waters.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Þorskastríðin þrjú|last = Jóhannesson|year = 2006|page = 103}}</ref>

===''C. S. Forester'' incident===
On 19 July 1974,<ref>Jessup, John E. (1998).''An encyclopedic dictionary of conflict and conflict resolution, 1945–1996''. Greenwood Publishing Group, p. 130. {{ISBN|0-313-28112-2}}</ref> more than nine months after the signing of the agreement, one of the largest wet fish [[stern trawler]]s in the British fleet, ''C. S. Forester'',<ref>''[[Fishing News international]]'', vol. 14, no. 7–12. A. J. Heighway Publications, 1975</ref> which had been fishing inside the {{convert|12|nmi|km|0|abbr=on}} limit, was shelled and captured by the Icelandic gunboat V/s ''Þór'' ({{transliteration|is|"Thor"}}) after a {{convert|100|nmi|km|0|abbr=on}} pursuit.<ref name=hull>{{cite web |url=http://www.hulltrawler.net/Stern/C%20S%20FORESTER%20H86.htm |title=C S Forester H86 |publisher=Hulltrawler.net |access-date=16 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425073134/http://www.hulltrawler.net/Stern/C%20S%20FORESTER%20H86.htm |archive-date=25 April 2012 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> ''C. S. Forester'' was shelled with non-explosive ammunition after repeated warnings. The trawler was hit by at least two rounds, which damaged the engine room and a water tank.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1974/jul/29/fishing-industry |title=Commons debate, 29 July 1974 |work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]] |access-date=16 August 2013 |archive-date=29 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929011228/http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1974/jul/29/fishing-industry |date=29 July 1974 |url-status=live }}</ref> She was later boarded and towed to Iceland.<ref>''The Illustrated London News'', vol. 262, no. 2. The Illustrated London News & Sketch Ltd., 1974</ref> Skipper Richard Taylor was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment and fined £5,000.{{efn|About £{{inflation|UK|5000|1974|2020|fmt=c|r=-3}} {{as of|2020|lc=on}}.{{Inflation/fn|UK}}<!-- check documentation for template:inflation first before changing this because the index date needs to match.  The date is usually at least two years ago. --> }} He was released on bail after the owners paid £2,232. Her owners additionally paid a total of £26,300 for the release of the ship. The trawler was allowed to depart with a catch of 200 tons of fish.<ref name=hull/>{{efn|About £{{inflation|UK|26300|1974|2020|r=-3|fmt=c}} {{as of|2020|lc=on}}.{{Inflation/fn|UK}}}}