During World War II, Iceland was occupied by British forces on May 10, 1940 (Operation Fork), and in July 1941, the United States replaced the British, assuming control of Iceland’s defense. On the easternmost tip of Iceland, a rusting Allied landing craft still lies abandoned on the beach. Iceland, like Greenland, was crucial in allowing American aircraft to reach Great Britain without the assistance of aircraft carriers (which were in the Pacific Ocean). Greenland’s turn came the following year: in 1941, the Danish ambassador to the United States signed an agreement with the US government without the authorization of his own government (Denmark was occupied by the Nazis), allowing the presence of American troops in Greenland. This agreement effectively made Greenland a US protectorate. At least a dozen USAF bases remained in Greenland throughout the Cold War.
