Phony War

The Phony War was a phase of World War II that began on October 6, 1939 with the end of organized Polish resistance and ended on April 8, 1940 when British warships mined the fjords of Norway to block iron ore shipments to Germany.

The only military actions during the Phony War were at sea. Notable events among these were: the sinking of the HMS Royal Oak in Scapa Flow by the U-boat U-47 and the scuttling of the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee at Montevideo after a pursuit by three British cruisers.