blockade running

Blockade running is an illegal method used mostly during wartime to smuggle goods past naval blockades designed to restrict supply. It involves small, fast ships secretly navigating through or around enemy blockades to deliver or retrieve supplies, often at night or under cover of darkness. These vessels aim to avoid detection and capture, enabling trade or supply flow despite the blockade’s efforts to cut off resources. Historically, blockade running played a significant role in conflicts like the American Civil War and World War I, allowing covert passage of essential goods and aid.