The Serpa Pinto incident was a World War II maritime incident that occurred on 26 May 1944 in the Atlantic Ocean when the German submarine U-541 stopped and searched the Portuguese ocean liner Serpa Pinto.

On 16 May 1944, NT Serpa Pinto, with 150 repatriates on board, left Lisbon for Philadelphia.

[1] Although the Serpa Pinto was not carrying war materials, the ordeal led to the capture of two young Americans and the deaths of three passengers, the ship's doctor died by falling from a rope ladder into the sea, one of the cooks was killed by the block and tackle, and a 16-month-old daughter of a Polish refugee couple was killed when one of the lifeboats was being lowered and one of the boat's falls broke, tipping all of its occupants into the sea.

In the end, only government officials were barred, while civilians were merely warned of the risks.

The British government, concerned about the impact on evacuee repatriations, ensured that planned operations continued without restrictions.